By Sophia Ramirez
The science fair is an exciting opportunity to engage with a real-world issue or answer a real-world question.
Starting the science fair process can be scary, but SARSEF is here to help! This guide will go step-by-step through the science project development process. By the end of the guide, you will be able to turn your topic of interest into your science fair project.
Picking a Topic
First, consider what you are interested in. Anything can be an area for research & building new solutions. The science fair is an excellent opportunity to engage with your community and the larger world around you. You will also have an easier time sticking with a project if you are passionate about the topic.
Consider hobbies, future careers, or something in your daily life that makes you ask questions or want to make change in your community.
General Question
You have to refine our general topic into a more general question. This is also the first step where you begin to consider if we are doing a science experiment, or an engineering project.
Start with literature research. This is where you learn from other sources about the basics and current research in your chosen field. Find trustworthy sources, like peer-reviewed papers, colleges, or books. You can always reach out to a teacher or other mentor to double-check if a source is trustworthy.
After you have a better understanding of your topic, look for questions, concerns, or misunderstandings. These are the basis for your general question, which will guide the rest of your project.
Science Experiment or Engineering Project?
You need to decide if you want to complete a science experiment or an engineering project.
Consider the following questions: Am I building something to solve a problem? Or, am I collecting data to answer a question?
If you answered that you’d like to solve a problem, you most likely want to build something for an engineering project. If you answered that you’re collecting data to answer a question, you most likely want to conduct a science experiment.
Science Experiment Basics
A science experiment involves collecting data to answer a testable question. We usually write our testable question with this format: How does A affect B?
Your testable question contains your variables- or the elements that are being studied. You will develop a test where you control variables to see the results. You may have heard of the terms independent and dependent variables.
The independent variable is the thing we will change between our trials. It is usually the first part in our testable question. The first variable affects or changes the second variable.
The dependent variable is the thing that changes in response to the independent variable, it is also the thing we measure. It is usually the second part of our testable question.
You need to devise a test where you change the independent variable, measure the dependent variable, but keep every other variable the same. For your experiment, you will have to spend a lot of time devising this test- take lots of notes, make models, and really plan it out.
Following these steps will give you the first draft of our science experiment. This process required making a testable question, defining the variables, developing a test, and controlling the other variables. With this method, you can collect data to answer your testable question.
Engineering Project Basics
If you are interested in building something to solve a problem, you want to conduct an engineering project. An engineering project requires a problem statement and a method to solve the problem.
A problem statement is a clear definition of the thing you want to improve. Write a clear statement of the issue, including things you learned during the literature research step. You also need to define success. Consider what needs to occur for your problem to be solved.
Then, start planning the construction of something to solve the problem. This will require a lot of planning and research, to learn from solutions that other people have tried. Make models and drafts before you begin construction. After the first construction is built, measure your variables to gauge success. Then, go back to the drawing board and make changes to your original design. These are called different iterations, or versions that will get better at solving the problem. Just like how a science experiment needs multiple trials, an engineering project will require repetition.
Mixing Science & Engineering
Science experiments and engineering projects can overlap, and you may need to incorporate pieces from both types of research.. Science and engineering guidelines are useful for developing a plan, but real research can be messier and more complicated. For example, you may need to build something to collect data, or collect data to build something.
This is why it is so important to take detailed notes, collect data, and be transparent about what happens during the research project. Science is not about being correct, it’s about understanding why something happened. Scientists and engineers borrow techniques from each other all the time. They also make errors and are incorrect all the time. The most important thing is to acknowledge it, explain your reasoning and explain how everything could have affected your results
Review
Let’s recap:
- Focus on your personal interests
- Spend a lot of time developing your general question and consider if you want to create a testable question or a problem statement.
- Do background research- read literature and learn from the scientists who came before you
- Take detailed notes, be transparent about what happens during the science project- point out where you made errors and explain the effect on the project
- Blur the lines! Consider what is needed to answer your question- you may need to build things AND collect multiple forms of data.
We hope that with this introduction, you can feel more confident as you begin your research project.
Good luck scientists!