Science, Forms, Science, Documentation, Science! It’s All about the Science!

Categories and Judging Remember that the judges are matched to the category Chose on basis of their expertise A good project may be overlooked if the judges don’t understand it or feel they are not qualified to jusge the project categories-and-subcategories

Find the Correct Category Senior level projects may be overlooked if they are in the wrong category Determine the best fit for the project- go by the science of the project not the title Some categories other than the ones we combined will overlap Use the subcategories at the website below to find where your students’ projects belong categories-and-subcategories

Who are the judges? Professionals in their fields At GNOSEF, judges have at least a BS in the field or a closely related field that they are judging. Those without a BS have at least 5 years experience Many judges have MS or PhD At ISEF, judges have an MD or PhD or a MS or BS with at least 6 years experience Volunteers Act to mentor and encourage as well as judge

Judging Criteria intel-isef Student should decide which type of project they are doing- research or engineering Use the criteria in writing the research plan, making the poster and preparing for the interview

Judging Criteria It is about the science or engineering Emphasis on two areas Creativity Interview Judges will ask questions to determine exactly what part of the project was done if the research was done in a lab setting or exactly what the student did if it research done at home- remind your students that the judges are interested in the work and not trying to trip them up

Judging Criteria I. Research Problem- 10 pts II. Design and Methodology- 15 pts III. Execution- 20 pts Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation-Science Construction and Testing- Engineering IV. Creativity- 20 pts V. Presentation- 35 pts 1. Poster (10 pts) 2. Interview (25 pts)

Science vs. Engineering Projects Science Engineering I. Research Question (10 pts) ___ clear and focused purpose ___ identifies contribution to field of study ___ testable using scientific methods II. Design and Methodology (15 pts) ___ well designed plan and data collection methods ___ variables and controls defined, appropriate and complete III. Execution: Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation(20 pts) ___ systematic data collection and analysis ___ reproducibility of results ___ appropriate application of mathematical and statistical methods ___ sufficient data collected to support interpretation and conclusions I. Research Problem (10 pts) ___ description of a practical need or problem to be solved ___ definition of criteria for proposed solution ___ explanation of constraints II. Design and Methodology (15 pts) ___ exploration of alternatives to answer need or problem ___ identification of a solution ___ development of a prototype/model III. Execution: Construction and Testing(20 pts) ___ prototype demonstrates intended design ___ prototype has been tested in multiple conditions/trials ___ prototype demonstrates engineering skill and completeness

Science and Engineering IV. Creativity (20 pts) ___ project demonstrates significant creativity in one or more of the above criteria V. Presentation (35 pts) a. Poster 10 pts) ___ logical organization of material ___ clarity of graphics and legends ___ supporting documentation displayed b. Interview (25 pts) ___ clear, concise, thoughtful responses to questions ___ understanding of basic science relevant to project ___ understanding interpretation and limitations of results and conclusions ___degree of independence in conducting project ___ recognition of potential impact in science, society and/or economics ___ quality of ideas for further research ___ for team projects, contributions to and understanding of project by all members

Research Plan Clear statement of problem or hypothesis is best starting place Overall plan of what is need to test hypothesis or solve the problem- a roadmap Not a detailed protocol but enough detail so that the reader can understand the plan May contain branch points where the research can take different directions based on results Statement of how results will be evaluated

Research Plan Poor- Gather the equipment Measure 15 ml of buffer Add 0.15 g of agarose ……. Good Separate the DNA fragments using agarose gel electrophoresis with SYBR ( Invitrogen #S33111) in the gel

Research Plan Used to fill out forms A good research plan will include the chemical, biologics, devices, subjects, etc that will help the students fill out the forms Forms are useful to the judges and should be filled out properly Keeps the student research organized Outlines any budget or equipment needs Shows what the student planned and what procedures are done by the student

Research Plan Only include what the student actually participates in Applies to projects done both inside institutional settings and those done at school or at home. If student is evaluating data someone else obtained, clearly state that in the research plan

Research Notebook Detailed protocols Controls Data- date when collected Package inserts/MSDS/SDS Printouts of analysis Helps judges see exactly what the student did May be bound or loose leaf/hole-punched ISEF judges review this carefully

Creativity Where did the idea come from Where was work done- if in a lab, how did the student come to work there Was this a part of a larger project What did the student actually do Creative is not the same as sophisticated Where the work is done is not as important as the student’s creativity and grasp of the science

Forms and Rules Forms that are not obtained or not properly completed can result in disqualification Rules may be confusing but help is available Scientific misconduct is a real problem- be sure your students understand what plagiarism is If student works with others or if the work is in the process of publication or is being patented, this should be stated Only work done in the time period indicated can be presented

Abstract First thing the judges see- first impressions count Should be written after the project is complete Include One or two sentences describing the hypothesis or the problem One to three sentences on the design of the experiment/data collection or the plan and completion of prototype or model Three to four sentences on the results of testing or experimentation One to two sentences explaining what was learned or if model/prototype worked. Include why the results are important

Poster Poster is important as it tells the judges the ‘story’ of the project- less is more Use graphs, tables and pictures when possible Don’t put too much text and avoid tables of raw data- raw data should be in the research notebook Include statistics when appropriate but be sure the student knows what they mean and how they were obtained

Poster A good poster draws the judges to the project Should only include work done by the student Does not need to be professionally printed, but should be neat and well laid out Check spelling and grammar Two tier boards are difficult to read and that may mean the judges don’t get the full

Interview Student should have a short 5-7 minute presentation of his/her project using the poster- not all judges will want to hear the entire presentation Student should also have a 1- 2 ½ minute presentation that focuses on the results – some judges prefer this Student should be prepared to answer questions about the project This is when judges evaluate the project to be sure the student did the work and understands the project

Important Documents International Rules and Guidelines rules-pre-college-science-research