Science Research Topic Submissions Common problems

Answer is already known or obvious Can you easily find the answer to your question by Googling it? Is the answer obvious? Which is better for plants, water or bleach? Your project needs to be original When you think you have a good idea, Google and make sure the answer doesn’t pop right up. If it does, keep thinking!

What will you measure? You must collect quantitative data! Always ask yourself, “How will I measure this? Can I measure this?”

Who cares? Your project needs to be relevant to modern times and should matter to people It doesn't have to matter/appeal to everyone, but there should be a clear target group

Not safe Can’t grow unknown microorganisms No firing guns or using other weapons No dangerous chemicals without suitable protection and supervision Projects that involve such chemicals will require special paperwork and special approval

What will you manipulate? Think about your independent variable. The best projects involve YOU manipulating a variable rather than just comparing two things that already exists. Ask yourself, “What can I do to make _____ better/faster etc.?”

Too many uncontrollable variables This is often the case with projects that involve human subjects Remember how important constants are in an experiment It is very difficult to control every aspect of a living thing They only real way to sort of counteract this is to have an incredibly large sample size, which will be difficult with the time and resources we have available

Not practical If you found that soaking your fruit in vinegar would make it last longer, would people actually start doing that? Who wants their fruit to taste like vinegar? Is your project unrealistic? Building a space shuttle and flying to Mars is unrealistic Does your project involve expensive or elusive resources?

Overdone/low-level You can be more creative Results are obvious on these projects because they have been done hundreds of times These are “classic” science fair projects that are often not at the high school level Building bridges or catapults The effect of almost anything on plant growth Hydroponics Battery conditions etc. That said, if you can find an original spin on an overdone idea, awesome!

Already exists If you are going to engineer something, be sure something similar doesn’t already exist! If it does but you still want to build it, make sure it is very clear why your design is better or how your design is different

Human Subjects *see too many uncontrollable variables slide Cannot do a project that requires a human to ingest anything, or one that potentially puts them at risk physically/emotionally

Tips

Think of a problem that needs a solution Can you build something to solve the problem? Can you conduct an experiment to determine the answer? If I do/use _____ instead of ______ will I get ____ result? Do your research!! Is what you have identified as a problem actually a problem? Has someone else found a solution already? Do people care? Is your proposed answer realistic and practical? Example: Problem: some people in developing countries do not have access to clean water Solution: build a portable water filtration device Problem with the solution: the device cost you over $100 to make, your target population cannot afford it.  Better solution: RESEARCH what sort of materials the people would have access to, write plans for how they could build the device, build and test the device yourself using the same materials that the people would have available to them

Think of something that exists that could be improved or expanded upon Can you make it faster? Cheaper? Safer? More energy efficient? Greener? Portable? More accessible to people in different parts of the country/world? More accessible to differently-abled people?

See the big picture Is your project relevant to modern times? Will your research be helpful to people? Will it make their lives easier or safer or healthier? Does it apply to a certain niche? Kids The elderly Babies Differently-abled people Will your research be useful to the environment? Have you figured out a way make something more green? Have you found a potential solution to an ecological problem? Google “ecological problems” as an example and click the “news” tab.