Introduction Background info Grabs attention….current statistics where appropriate Why was experiment conducted Main idea CLEARLY stated Show gaps!! In current research and how yours fills the gap!!

Hypothesis/Purpose Clearly stated Formally stated (“if…then”) Should be stated as it appeared in other papers read in your area

Review of Literature Acknowledges critical previous research Includes all bibliographic info References are in chronological/logical order Funnel

Methods and Materials Concise Reproducible series of steps Data collection is clearly described Logical sequence Safety procedures included where relevant Graphics and pics/animations sometimes helpful here

Results Presents what you found in your study Includes statistical analysis Includes tables/figures/graphs of data

Discussion Explains what you think your results mean May include supporting evidence from published reports Should address contradictory findings and limitations of the study

Conclusion Directly relate back to the study’s research question/purpose Support/non-support must be consistent with results Future research

JSHS judging guidelines Guidelines for Judging The following criteria will be used to judge the oral presentations: 1. Quality of the research and experimentation as evidenced by: the clarity in stating the problem; identification of the important variables; originality and ingenuity in the research design or apparatus; selection of proper equipment for the research task; recognition of the limitations in the accuracy and significance of the results obtained; limitations of conclusions drawn to those which are clearly supported by the results. 2. Evidence of the student's understanding of the scientific and technical principles involved in the investigation. 3. Creativity/Originality in the choice of and in the investigation of the topic. 4. Acknowledgment of major assistance. The student speaker must acknowledge any direct assistance received. As a researcher, the student is neither rewarded nor penalized by the judges for utilizing special advisors or equipment. Examples of areas of assistance which should be acknowledged include: selecting the topic of research; planning and/or guiding the course of the research; gathering data; and construction of apparatus. 5. The quality of the oral and written presentations as evidenced by the organization of the paper; use of audio-visuals; the clarity of enunciation; the use of acceptable terms and grammar; the voice projection; the definition of terms when necessary; and the capacity to handle the questions that are asked. The presentation is important in the evaluation of the student, but content, not form, will be given the major weight.