1. The Independent Study Process
Relate your results to your hypothesis and to what others have seen. What do your results show? How can you best explain your results?
Your topic should interest you, and the results should have meaning. Don’t pick a topic whose results will not advance your knowledge and understanding.
Start Here!
Run your experiment. Be careful to record enough data and details of what you did so that you can write it up later. Try to stick to your plan but don’t be afraid to change if something doesn’t go as planned. If you have to make changes, WRITE THEM DOWN.
Find a topic
Research to see if it’s viable
Talk with your teacher
Narrow down your question or hypothesis
Design your experiment
Collect and analyze data
Draw conclusions
Present your data in a suitable format
Get feedback for your next project!
Put it all together in the format that best fits your needs. Present a logical flow from your question, to how you answered it, to what it means.
If you don’t have access to an electron microscope, your research can’t involve one. Think about materials, time constraints, your own ability in the lab and your depth of understanding of the topic.
Plan ahead!
Make data tables. Make sure you have equipment and cultures available at the right times.
Discuss your topic with your teacher to make sure that it’s safe, and that you can get the materials and time that you need. Also make sure that you can access appropriate articles on the subject so that you will know what others have done with your topic.
Make sure that your idea has a single, testable hypothesis with one variable. Not just “the effect of bleach,” for example, but the effect of the concentration of bleach.” Make sure you know exactly what you’re going to test.
Get constructive input from others. Critically analyze what you have found. What other experiments could be done to clarify your results? How can you become a better scientist and do science better?