Logbook A logbook should be started BEORE anything is done on a project — before the problem has been selected, and before the details have been worked out. Logbooks are used in every aspect of real research as a means of keeping an honest, chronological account of an investigation. Computers are not used as logbooks because the date can be changed easily if the date of a discovery is important to the scientific community. Essentially everything you do should be logged. This includes the notes you take from sources at the library. You should begin your brainstorming in your logbook. A logbook is a diary. It is a dated, written record of how a researcher went about designing a project and then gathering the information to test the hypotheses. It includes everything done, all of the people consulted, their suggestions and ideas, as well as the researcher’s own ideas. It describes how the investigator went about finding answers to questions. It includes procedures, data tables, charts, and diagrams. A logbook should be started before anything is done on a project — before the problem has been selected, and before the details have been worked out. Judges are looking to find : Entries appear authentic Data reported to correct number of digits Descriptions seem thorough

LOGBOOK (See pg 7-8 & RUBRIC PAGE 19) of DCS SCI. FAIR Handout INFORMATION PACKET found on hedstromscience.weebly.com or linked from Staff Web page click on Announcements linked (near bottom) The log book should contain accurate and detailed notes on everything done on your research project. It is essentially a diary. A dated written record of how you went about designing your project and then gathering the information to test the hypothesis. Good notes will not only show your consistency and thoroughness to the judges, but will help when writing your Research Paper.

IMPORTANT Use a BLACK ink pen that has the type of ink that will not smear when wet. Write or print neatly! Never remove a page from a logbook — no matter what! Never erase data. If you make a mistake, draw a neat line through it. Log is bound; stitched or glued composition book, no pages have been removed Entries written in BLACK ink; no erasures, neat lines drawn through mistakes, original work, not copied

Making Entries Use a BLACK ink pen that has the type of ink that will not smear when wet. Write or print neatly! Never remove a page from a logbook — no matter what! Never erase data. If you make a mistake, draw a neat line through it. Make entries as you go. Don’t wait until later or you may forget the data! Entries should be made only on the days the work was done. (Never make an entry that states, “Today I did not work on my project.”) Date EACH entry and enter the TIME.(Ex: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 pm.) Initial all pages (to the right of the page numbers).

Set-up DETAIL: Front Cover of Logbook (You will type this up on white paper and tape on front exterior of SF LOGBOOK in CENTER) First and Last Name, Dec 2014-Jan 2015 _____________ (topic title)

SET up DETAIL NUMBERING PAGES *ALL pages numbered (cover-to-cover); *on BOTTOM/ CENTER, used or not, *student initials (cover –to-cover) *appear to the RIGHT side of digits next to page numbers as completed Consistent entries; written on only FRONT sides of pages

Setting up (Inside) SECTIONS Pg. 1 FRONT/Bottom/Center! LEAVE BLANK now (will fill in as Title Page) Pg 2,3,4 FRONT/Bottom/Center! Write in header of each page: Pg 2-4 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOLD next Page to serve as a divider RESEARCH NOTES Pg RESEARCH NOTES FOLD next Page to serve as a divider RESEARCH PLANS Pg RESEARCH PLANS FOLD next Page to serve as a divider EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Pg EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES FOLD next Page to serve as a divider RAW DATA Pg RAW DATA FOLD next Page to serve as a divider CONCLUSIONS Pg CONCLUSIONS

OVERVIEW: Setting up (Inside) SECTIONS (Pg 1 Title Page) Pg 2-4 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOLD NEXT PAGE Pg 5-10 RESEARCH NOTES (list resources, interviews, bibliographic info.) FOLD NEXT PAGE Pg RESEARCH PLANS includes brainstorming, thoughts, problems and direction FOLD NEXT PAGE Pg EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES formulation of problem, hypothesis, experiment is evident, modified as experiment progresses FOLD NEXT PAGE Pg RAW DATA FOLD NEXT PAGE Pg CONCLUSIONS

Setting up DETAIL Page 1 (Drop down 3 lines from top) (skip a line between each statement) (You will have white space at top and bottom of page) (YOUR First and Last Name) Factory Shoals Middle School 3301 Shoals School Road Douglasville, Georgia Dec Jan 2015 _____________________ (Title of Project)

Table of Contents How to MAKE ENTRIES Table of Contents: pages 2-4, filled in as work progresses Entries are dated, and show TIME Create a HEADER BAR at top of pg 2, 3, & 4 DATE / START TIME- END TIME / TASK made only on days when work was done; Make entries ONLY to show work XX (no entries stating “Today I did not work on my project” etc. )XX

Setting up DETAIL: SECTIONS Pg 2-4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Pg 5-10 RESEARCH NOTES (resources, interviews, bibliographic info) Pg RESEARCH PLANS includes brainstorming, thoughts, problems and direction Pg EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES formulation of problem, hypothesis, experiment is evident, modified as experiment progresses Pg RAW DATA evidence of experimentation, variables, controls; materials, measurements (listed in METRIC units) Pg CONCLUSIONS

Setting up DETAIL: SECTIONS Pg 2-4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Pg 5-10 RESEARCH NOTES (resources, interviews, bibliographic info) Pg RESEARCH PLANS includes brainstorming, thoughts, problems and direction Pg EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES formulation of problem, hypothesis, experiment is evident, modified as experiment progresses Pg RAW DATA evidence of experimentation, variables, controls; materials, measurements (listed in METRIC units) Pg CONCLUSIONS

Setting up DETAIL: SECTIONS Pg 2-4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Pg 5-10 RESEARCH NOTES (resources, interviews, bibliographic info) Pg RESEARCH PLANS includes brainstorming, thoughts, problems and direction Pg EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES formulation of problem, hypothesis, experiment is evident, modified as experiment progresses Pg RAW DATA evidence of experimentation, variables, controls; materials, measurements (listed in METRIC units) Pg CONCLUSIONS

Setting up DETAIL: SECTIONS Pg 2-4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Pg 5-10 RESEARCH NOTES (resources, interviews, bibliographic info) Pg RESEARCH PLANS includes brainstorming, thoughts, problems and direction Pg EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES formulation of problem, hypothesis, experiment is evident, modified as experiment progresses Pg RAW DATA evidence of experimentation, variables, controls; materials, measurements (listed in METRIC units) Pg CONCLUSIONS

Setting up DETAIL: SECTIONS Pg 2-4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Pg 5-10 RESEARCH NOTES (resources, interviews, bibliographic info) Pg RESEARCH PLANS includes brainstorming, thoughts, problems and direction Pg EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES formulation of problem, hypothesis, experiment is evident, modified as experiment progresses Pg 51—70 RAW DATA evidence of experimentation, variables, controls; materials, measurements (listed in METRIC units) Pg CONCLUSIONS tables, charts, graphs of results, comments and questions about observations as experiment progresses, outcomes

Reminders: Making Entries Use a BLACK ink pen that has the type of ink that will not smear when wet. Write or print neatly! Never remove a page from a logbook — no matter what! Never erase data. If you make a mistake, draw a neat line through it. Make entries as you go. Don’t wait until later or you may forget the data! Entries should be made only on the days the work was done. (Never make an entry that states, “Today I did not work on my project.”) Date EACH entry and enter the TIME.(Ex: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 pm.) Initial all pages (to the right of the page numbers).