| One of the final and most important elements of | | | | language any person could understand since not |
| a science fair project is the report. While your | | | | everyone that will read your report with be well |
| presentation board will present the hypothesis, | | | | versed in scientific terminology. |
| basics of experiment and key results your report | | | | The body of your |
| will include expand on your hypothesis, include all | | | | report should include the following sections: |
| details of the experiment and all results. In my | | | | abstract (a brief summary), introduction, |
| study for this article I came across a list of | | | | explanation of methods, results, conclusions and |
| questions that your report will revolve around. | | | | bibliography (works cited). The abstract is very |
| Again I must give credit to Salvatore Tocci and | | | | important due to the fact that it will be the |
| his book How To Do a Science Fair Project. Here | | | | primary section that science fair judges will read |
| are the questions you must ask: | | | | thoroughly if not the only one. The abstract |
| 1. What problem or question is being | | | | should be three to four paragraphs that |
| investigated? | | | | summarize the main parts and points of the rest |
| 2. What background information exists | | | | of your report. It will actually be easier to write |
| on this topic? | | | | your report, then the abstract rather than the |
| 3. What equipment and materials were | | | | other way around. |
| used in your experiments? | | | | The introduction of your |
| 4. What procedures were followed to | | | | report can be viewed as an expanded version of |
| solve the problem or answer the question for this | | | | your hypothesis. Add to it what the project |
| project? | | | | attempted to prove and also what variables were |
| 5. What observations were made during | | | | used in the experiments. The explanation of your |
| the course of the investigation? | | | | methods should be precise enough that a reader |
| 6. What information and data were | | | | could duplicate your experiment using your report. |
| recorded? | | | | You will want to explain each step in the |
| 7. What conclusions were made | | | | experimentation process and may want to use |
| regarding the original problem or question? | | | | pictures, graphs or charts to help readers |
| 8. What suggestions were included for | | | | understand what you are explaining. The results |
| further research work to solve the problem more | | | | section will simply be inserting the actual results of |
| convincingly or answer the question more | | | | your experiment. No interpretation is needed, |
| thoroughly? | | | | simply state the facts. You may also include |
| 9. What new problems or questions | | | | details on failures, errors or unexplained results. |
| were uncovered by the project? | | | | The conclusion of your report is the section that |
| 10. What sources were used? | | | | includes interpretation of your results. This is |
| Use these questions to gather the main sources | | | | where you will determine if your hypothesis was |
| of content for your report. Keep your report | | | | supported or not. The last element is to properly |
| clear and concise and make sure that you answer | | | | cite all of your sources and references. Be sure |
| all questions. Science fair judges are more | | | | to include author names, titles, page numbers and |
| impressed with quality over quantity. Write in a | | | | even publishing information (publisher & year). |