How to Conduct a Scientific Research Project

The Scientific Research Project (DANCKH) uses the scientific method to understand and test how something works. Scientific research involves researching the topic, establishing an activity theory (or hypothesis) that can be tested, conducting an experiment, and finally recording and reporting the results. Suppose you want to participate in a project at your school’s science fair, you should probably follow this order. However, knowing how to do a research project is useful to anyone interested in science, and really anyone who wants to improve their problem-solving skills.

Table of Contents

Using the scientific method

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Make a question. Often the hardest part of a research project is determining what you want to research. Take your time choosing because all the steps after that will depend on the idea you choose.

Think of something that excites, surprises, or confuses you, and consider whether it might be a reasonable matter for you to research for a project. Ask a single question that summarizes what you want to research. ^{[1] X Trusted Source Science Buddies Go to Source}
For example (this is the example used throughout this section), you heard you could do a project on making a solar cooker out of a pizza box. ^{[2] X Research Source} However, you will be skeptical about the feasibility of this project, or at least concerned about the ability of the pot to work stably. So your question might be: “Is it possible to make a simple solar cooker that works under different conditions?”
Make sure your chosen topic is solvable within time, budget and skill level allow, and that it doesn’t violate homework/fair/competition guidelines (e.g., don’t try) animal experiments). You can find ideas online if you need help, but don’t copy someone else’s project; This is against the rules and is dishonest.

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Research topic. You can do your research by reading references and scientific books, searching online, or talking to knowledgeable people. Deep understanding of the topic will help you build a project. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Know the project requirements. Many science fairs require you to use at least three well-founded, reputable, and useful sources as references. ^{[4] X Trusted Source Science Buddies Go to Source}
Sources must be neutral (e.g., not linked to a commercial product), timely (no encyclopedia since 1965), and trustworthy (not an anonymous quote above). online forums). You can certainly use online resources that are recognized by an accredited institution or scientific journal. Ask for guidance from your teacher or project moderator if needed.
For example, the search term “how to make a solar cooker out of a pizza box” will lead to a plethora of sources, some with a stronger scientific basis than others (and therefore more reliable). An on-topic article in a well-recognised journal would be a valuable resource. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
Otherwise, blog posts, anonymous articles and community contribution materials will not be accepted. Even a website as valuable as wikiHow (and here are articles on solar cookers made from pizza boxes) cannot be considered a valuable resource for DANCKH. Choosing well-founded articles with loads of footnotes (links to well-founded documents) increases the probability of acceptance, but discuss this with your instructor, organizer, or facilitator. fairs etc

READ More: How to have a round butt

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Hypothesis forming. A hypothesis is your theory of action or prediction, based on the question you posed and the research that followed. The hypothesis must be precise and unambiguous, but it does not need to be proven true for the research project to succeed (in science, failed experiments are just as important as successful experiments). ^{[6] X Trusted Source Science Buddies Go to Source}

Often you can turn your question into a hypothesis by thinking in an “if/then” structure. Perhaps you want to frame the hypothesis (at least initially) as “If [I do this] [this will happen]”.
In the example above, the hypothesis could be: “The solar cooker made from a pizza box can work stably whenever there is a lot of sunshine”.

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Experiment design. Once you’ve formulated your hypothesis, it’s time to prove it right or wrong. The experiment should only focus on confirming or disproving that hypothesis. Remember, it doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong, what matters is how you go through the process. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Consideration of variables is important when designing experiments. Science experiments have three types of variables: independent variables (changed by you); dependent variable (change relative to the independent variable); and the variable is controlled (unchanged). ^{[8] X Trusted Source Science Buddies Go to Source}
When planning your experiment, you need to consider the necessary supplies. You have to make sure they are available in the market and reasonably priced, or better yet, use supplies that are readily available in your home.
For solar cookers made from pizza boxes, the supplies are easy to find and easy to install. Pot, cooking material (eg rice) and sun are controlled variables. Other environmental conditions (eg, time, day or season of the year) are independent variables; and the “cookedness” of the item being cooked is the dependent variable.

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Conduct experiments. After completing the preparation and planning, the crucial moment finally comes when you have to test the accuracy of your hypothesis. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Follow the steps that you have planned to conduct the experiment. However, if the experiment cannot proceed as planned, reconfigure the steps or use another material. (If you really want to win the fair, this step is very important!)
As a rule, science fairs often require you to perform the experiment at least three times to ensure the results are scientific. ^{[10] X Trusted Source Science Buddies Go to Source}
For the above project, let’s say you decide to experiment by placing the pot in direct sunlight for the same three days at 32 degrees Celsius in July, testing three times a day (10am, 2pm). , 6 pm).

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Record and analyze results. Even the most fascinating and illuminating experiment will be useless if you do not accurately record and analyze the results.

Sometimes experimental data should be graphed, charted or simply recorded in a notebook. Regardless of how you record the data, make sure the results are easy to review and analyze. Accurately record all results even if they are not what you hoped or expected. This is also part of the science! ^{[11] X Research Source}
According to experiments at 10 am, 2 pm, 6 pm in three hot days, you will have to use those results. By recording the doneness of the rice (e.g., the softness of the rice grain), you can find that only the 2 p.m. experiment gives a successful and consistent result. ^{[12] X Research Source}

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Concluded. Now that you’ve run the experiment and confirmed or disproved the previous hypothesis, it’s time to present your findings clearly and concisely. You’re basically answering the question you posed in the first place. ^{[13] X Research Source}

If you initially ask a simple, clear, easy-to-understand question with a simple hypothesis, it will also be easier to come to a conclusion.
Remember, just because your hypothesis conclusion is completely wrong does not mean that your project has failed. If you know how to present your findings clearly and scientifically, it can and will be a success.
In the example of the solar cooker, your hypothesis is “The solar cooker made from a pizza box can work stably whenever there is a lot of sunshine”. However, your conclusion is: “Solar cookers made from pizza boxes can only work well when cooking food in the noonday sun on a hot day”.

Project presentation and presentation

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Know how they evaluate your project. Regardless of whether it is a teacher-assigned science activity or a science fair project etc., it is important that you know the criteria used to evaluate the scientific project.

For science fairs, the judging panel can base on the following criteria (100% total): research articles (50%); presentations (30%); Presentation poster (20%). ^{[14] X Research Source}

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Write a summary. They will always ask you to write a short summary of the project, called a summary. This section outlines your idea, your hypothesis and experiment, and the conclusions reached.

The summary of the project is usually limited to one page, about 250 words. In this short passage, you must focus on the purpose of the experiment, the procedure, the results, and the possible applications. ^{[15] X Research Source}

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Write a research paper. If the abstract provides background information, the research paper will present the material information and analysis for the scientific project. People often think that the experiment itself or the presentation poster is more important (perhaps because they are more interesting), but in fact the research paper is the most important element when they evaluate the project. your judgment.

Use the instructions of your teacher or science fair moderator to learn how to craft a research paper.
For example, your article should be divided into the following sections: 1) Title page; 2) Introduction (state the topic and hypothesis); 3) Materials & Methods (experiment description); 4) Results & Findings (present your findings); 5) Conclusions & Recommendations (“answer” to the original hypothesis); 6) References (list documents used). ^{[16] X Research Source}

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Prepare presentation. The time of presentation and the details to be mentioned in the presentation of the scientific project (if required) can be very different. You will speak for 5-20 minutes. You must first understand the requirements; for example, do they require PowerPoint presentations. ^{[17] X Research Source}

First you have to finish writing your research paper and use it to build your presentation. Follow a simple framework when presenting hypotheses, experiments, results, and conclusions.
Focus on clarity and accuracy. Make sure everyone understands what you do, why you do it, and what you found out.

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Create supporting images. Most science fairs require a poster presentation. It’s basically a visual representation of your research paper. ^{[18] X Trusted Source Science Buddies Go to Source}

Science fairs often use standard sized presentation boards 1m high and 1.2m wide.
You should arrange the poster as the front page of the newspaper, with the title, hypothesis and conclusion in the center at the top, and supporting documents (methods, sources, etc.) headings on either side.
Use images, graphs, and similar media to increase the appeal of your poster, but don’t sacrifice content just to create eye-catching visuals.

Steps

Using the scientific method

Project presentation and presentation

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