Science Fair Research Paper Guide

Research Sources Minimum of 5 1 book (One may be an encyclopedia) 4 others (Internet, Magazine, etc.) To make your bibliography page go to: http://www.easybib.com/ NO PLAGARISM!!!!! You may quote and cite or put it into your own words but you may NOT COPY Plagiarism will result in a zero on your research paper

Length Rough draft may be written or typed Final copy must be typed 1000-1500 words (about 3 pages double spaced) 12 point font 1 inch margins Double spaced

Content Defines all key words related to project topic. Answers key questions about project topic and all levels of your independent variable such as what it’s made of, how it works, how it’s used, what it does, what it needs, what it interacts with, etc. Includes a description of experiments that were similar in nature to yours and what the results of those experiments were. Provides a hypothesis written in the correct format. Provides an explanation or rationale for hypothesis based on research. Provides a purpose for the experiment and a real life application for the results. Describes who would benefit from the results of this experiment and why they would benefit from the results. See also pages 7 and 8 of your science fair project guide.

Research Paper vs. 5 Paragraph Essay A research paper is DIFFERENT! Can be as many paragraphs as you want Sorry, but no one cares what you think or feel in science—just state the facts! No contractions (don’t, won’t, isn’t, etc.)— write it out Organize your ideas using a web or outline first!

Things I noticed: Citations Title Page Bibliography Look at rubric No personal pronouns Read your paper out loud! Typed Formatting Contractions

Citations http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ8fy7SPot M So why do we need them? To give credit to the source of information To reinforce our own ideas We are not stealing ideas from other people When do we use them? When they said it better No more than 1 quote per 1-2 paragraphs

Citations To quote an author, use the EXACT sentence and put in quotation marks. Follow the quotation with the author’s name and the page number in parentheses For example: “The important thing is not to stop questioning” (Einstein 32). “Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater” (Einstein 77).

Citations Some Effects of Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) Radiation on the Biosphere Human health professionals and biological scientists would love to be able to demonstrate a direct correlation between the amount of exposure to UV-B radiation and the harm it causes. This is an enormously complicated question that depends on many different variables, such as varying degrees of susceptibility among different species, and most of these variables are not yet completely understood. For example, the same organism in different bodies of water in different parts of the ocean may respond differently to UV- B increases. Furthermore, stress to organisms and ecosystems from increased exposure to UV-B is modified by interactions among many other stresses, such as lack of water or nutrients. We live in a complex biosphere.

Citations Researching the effects of ultraviolet radiation on plants is important. Scientists are discovering more about how the environment affects us every day. They are also discovering more ways that humans are impacting the environment. “Human health professionals and biological scientists would love to be able to demonstrate a direct correlation between the amount of exposure to UV-B radiation and the harm it causes” (NASA 1). Scientists are sure that radiation does have an effect on plants . . .

Affect vs. Effect http://www.youtube.com/results?q=affect%2 0vs.%20effect&rls=com.microsoft:en- us&oe=UTF- 8&startIndex=&startPage=1&um=1&ie=UTF- 8&sa=N&tab=w1

Don’t Be Sad Research papers always sound worse than they are Remember we are here to help you! A research paper example and guide: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_sample_final_report.pdf http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_research_paper.shtml

Bell Work 10/3/13 Grab a computer and one of each of the handouts on top of the laptop cart Login to a computer using “laepatron” Take out your science fair packet

Bell Work 10/3/13 Login to a computer using “laepatron” Take out your science fair packet and pull up your research paper *1st PERIOD ONLY-Glue your notes from yesterday on page 29