Developing Ideas How Can I Develop a Good Science Research Project Idea?? As you are going through the steps below, keep the following important questions in mind: Is this a high school level idea? Does this research have a clear independent variable? Can the variables be easily measured? Does this project involve items from the CANNOT LIST? Is it realistic? Does it have value to society? 1. Focus Your Efforts Refer to the list of ISEF categories that are available and select 2 or 3 that you would like to focus on. The list is available from the website below or a list can be provided by your teacher. http://www.societyforscience.org/isef/project_categories#AS 2. Examine Successful Projects Previously Completed by LCPS Students Review the projects completed last year that competed in the Loudoun County Regional Science Fair. Go to the link below to see a list of categories and the projects done in each group. Below the list are the abstracts (summaries) of each project. You may NOT copy a project directly but it may give some ideas. The link is listed below. http://cmsweb1.lcps.org/5091091113525313/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB= 0&C=103161 3. Examine Award Winning Projects at the International Science Fair Review winning projects from the previous International Science Fair (ISEF). These projects may be more sophisticated than you can do but could lead you to an idea. http://www.societyforscience.org/document.doc?id=205 Developing Ideas 4. Visit Websites Summarizing Current Research Go to some of the website listed below to see the types of research currently being done around the world. Science News http://www.sciencenews.org/ Science Daily http://www.sciencedaily.com/ Live Science http://www.livescience.com/ Science Magazine http://news.sciencemag.org/ 5. Go to University Websites Go to university websites (choose some that you may be interested in attending one day). Go to the Academic section and look for the department that represents the areas you are interested in. Look around that page for the link to RESEARCH. Every university department conducts research but you may have to look around for. See what students and researchers are doing and think about how you could adapt or simplify the idea. The link below has a list of universities known for their research in each of the ISEF categories. You can also ask your teacher for a copy of the list. http://cmsweb1.lcps.org/5093042522757/lib/5093042522757/_files/WEBSITES_by_Catgory.pdf 6. Visit Government Agencies/Professional Organizations Browse around some of the resource listed below. Focus on your areas of interest and look for topics of interest to you. Think about how you could conduct research in that area. Department of the Interior http://www.doi.gov/index.cfm NASA Website http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html NOAA Home page http://www.education.noaa.gov/ National Science Foundation http://www.nsf.gov/ EPA Office of Research and Development http://www.epa.gov/ Department of Energy http://www.energy.gov/ US Geological Survey http://www.usgs.gov/ Department of Agriculture http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome Department of Transportation http://www.dot.gov/ National Institute of Health http://www.nih.gov/ American Chemical Society http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content Developing Ideas American Geologic Society http://www.geosociety.org/ Virginia State Science Fair 2009 winners from the State Fair http://vssef.gmu.edu/ 7. Visit Science Fair Project Websites Most of the ideas on these websites are too elementary for you to do or the answers are already well known. However, it is another way to start thinking of your own idea. Be cautious when using these sites. http://www.sciencebuddies.org/ http://www.sciencefair-projects.org/ http://www.juliantrubin.com/fairprojects.html http://www.sciencefairadventure.com/ There is no easy, quick way to find a project idea that you will be happy with and satisfies your teacher’s requirements. You MUST put forth time and effort to find something you are interested in. Time invested now will make your project much more enjoyable and successful. The Cannot List No people surveys No mold on bread No vertebrate animals (how many mice will your parents allow in your house?) No acid on plants (been there, done that) No blood/weapons/drugs No brainwashing No plants and different colored lights No plants listening to music (they don’t have ears!) No plants watching TV (or eyes!) No memory retention No mice and mazes No models No partner projects No drunk fish or anything else No consumer comparisons (paper towels, taste tests, laundry detergent, battery life, light bulbs, popcorn) No sleep deprivation on teenagers (we know you do not get enough sleep and therefore get cranky!) Developing Ideas Websites by Category ANIMAL SCIENCE 1. VA TECH A. AG AND LIFE SCIENCE http://www.cals.vt.edu/ B. VETERINARY MEDICINE http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/ 2. JMU BIOLOGY http://www.jmu.edu/biology/ 3. UNIV. OF MISSOURI http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/ 4. UNIV. OF TENNESSEE http://animalscience.ag.utk.edu/ 5. UNIV. OF MINNESOTA http://www.ansci.umn.edu/ BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES 1. YALE PSYCHOLOGY http://www.yale.edu/psychology/ 2. COLUMBIA http://www.columbia.edu/cu/psychology/ 3. FLORIDA STATE http://www.psy.fsu.edu/ 4. CORNELL http://www.psych.cornell.edu/ 5. MICHIGAN http://www.lsa.umich.edu/psych/flash.asp BIOCHEMISTRY 1. UVA http://www.virginia.edu/bmg/ 2. UNIV. OF TEXAS http://www.uta.edu/chemistry/ 3. UNIV. OF IOWA http://www.biochem.uiowa.edu/ 4. UCLA http://www.chemistry.ucla.edu/ 5. UNIV. OF ARIZONA http://www.biochem.arizona.edu/ CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 1. UNIV. OF ILLINOIS http://mcb.illinois.edu/departments/microbiology/ 2. UVA CELL BIO http://www.virginia.edu/cellbiology/ 3. UNIV. OF MARYLAND http://www.cbmg.umd.edu/ 4. UC BERKELY http://mcb.berkeley.edu/ 5. TULANE http://tulane.edu/sse/cmb/index.cfm EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE 1. JMU GEOGRAPHY http://www.gis.jmu.edu/ 2. JMU GEOLOGY http://www.jmu.edu/geology/ 3. UNIV. OF WASHINGTON http://www.ess.washington.edu/ 4. UC BERKELEY http://eps.berkeley.edu/ 5. PENN STATE http://www.ems.psu.edu/ ENGINEERING 1. VA TECH http://www.eng.vt.edu/main/index.php 2. UVA BIOMEDICAL http://bme.virginia.edu/ 3. PURDUE https://engineering.purdue.edu/Engr/ 4. UNIV. OF KENTUCKY http://www.engr.uky.edu/ 5. CORNELL http://www.engineering.cornell.edu/ 6. MICHIGAN BIOMEDICAL http://www.bme.umich.edu/ Developing Ideas ENERGY AND TRANSPORTATION 1. COLUMBIA http://energy.sipa.columbia.edu/ 2. NORTHWESTERN http://ceet.mccormick.northwestern.edu/ 3. WISCONSIN http://www.energy.wisc.edu/?page_id=1323 4. UC DAVIS http://www.its.ucdavis.edu/index.php 5. VERMONT http://www.uvm.edu/~transctr/?Page=cleancty/default.php ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES 1. VA TECH NATURAL RESOURCES http://www.cnr.vt.edu/ 2. JMU BIOLOGY http://www.jmu.edu/biology/ 3. JMU ISAT http://bsisat.jmu.edu/ 4. UVA http://www.evsc.virginia.edu/ 5. UNIV. OF OREGAN http://envs.uoregon.edu/ MATH 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. JMU MATH http://www.math.jmu.edu/ JMU STATISTICS http://www.math.jmu.edu/stat/index.shtml PRINCETON http://www.math.princeton.edu/ RUTGERS http://www.math.rutgers.edu/ TEXAS TECH http://www.math.ttu.edu/ MEDICINE AND HEALTH 1. WISCONSIN http://www.med.wisc.edu/ 2. UNIV. OF KANSAS http://ph.kumc.edu/ 3. GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV. http://www.gwumc.edu/ 4. UNIV. OF CINCINNATI ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH http://www.eh.uc.edu/ 5. TULANE http://www.sph.tulane.edu/ MICROBIOLOGY 1. JMU BIOLOGY http://www.jmu.edu/biology/ 2. MIAMI http://microbiology.muohio.edu/ 3. UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA http://www.uga.edu/mib/ 4. STANFORD http://microimmuno.stanford.edu/ 5. UVA http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/basic-science/departments/microbiology/home-page PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY 1. JMU PHYSICS http://www.math.jmu.edu/ 2. UNIV. OF MARYLAND http://umdphysics.umd.edu/ 3. UNVERSITY OF ARIZONA http://www.physics.arizona.edu/physics/ 4. HARVARD http://www.physics.harvard.edu/ 5. UNIV. OF TEXAS-AUSTIN http://www.ph.utexas.edu/ PLANT SCIENCES 1. JMU BIOLOGY http://www.jmu.edu/biology/ 2. UNIV. OF HAWAII http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/ 3. UNIV. OF WISCONSIN http://www.botany.wisc.edu/ 4. UNIV. OF WYOMING http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/Botany/ 5. UNIV. OF FLORIDA http://www.biology.ufl.edu/