Science Fair Research Paper
Title Page - 10 points
 Abstract - 10 points
 Table of Contents - 10 points
 Introduction - 10 points
 Background - 30 points
 Experimental Resources - 10 points
 Experimental Procedures - 30 points
 Data Analysis - 20 points
 Conclusions - 30 points
 References - 10 points
 Appendix - 10 points
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GENERAL GUIDELINES - 10 POINTS
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APA format
Times New Roman Font
Font Size of 12
1 inch margins
Double-spaced
SPELLING & GRAMMAR - 10 POINTS
Correct spelling
No fragments or run-ons
Correct verb tense
Correct punctuation
(including commas)
 Correct capitalization
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Entire Paper = 200 points
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Data Analysis
 section needs to say the results
 Don’t need EVERY observation
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Conclusions
 No “proved”; just “supported”
 Only make conclusions based on your results
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Make sure your pg. #’s match your T.O.C.
DO NOT PLAGARIZE!!
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No contractions
Spell out numbers less than 10 (unless they
are decimals or your actual data)
Only use SI units (no inches!!!!!)
Indent new paragraphs
Be consistent!!!
Commas, commas, COMMAS!!
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Use commas in certain conventional
situations, such as dates, addresses,
salutations and closings in letters, and certain
titles and names.
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Separate items in dates and addresses
 After Friday, November 23, 2012, address all
orders to Emeryville, CA 94608.
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After the salutation of a personal letter
 Dear Mr. Adams,
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After the closing of any letter
 Sincerely,
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Abbreviations, such as Jr., Sr., or M.D.
when they follow persons’ names.
 Please welcome Allen Davis, Sr
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Words in a series
 All my cousins, aunts, and uncles came to our family
reunion.
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Phrases in a series
 The children played in the yard, at the playground, and
by the pond.
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Short independent clauses
 The engine roared, the wheels spun, and a cloud of dust
swirled behind the sports car.
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Two or more adjectives preceding a noun
 Are you going to that hot, crowded, noisy mall?
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The last comma before
the last “and” in a series
like “red, white, and
blue” is called a serial
comma, Harvard
comma, and most
commonly, the Oxford
comma.
Technically, using the
Oxford comma is a style
choice, and people
disagree on its usage.
Items in a series
Identify each series in the following sentences, and
add commas where necessary.
1. With a quick powerful leap, the stunt person
bounded over the burning balcony.
2. One summer when we were little, I had
had measles and he had
chickenpox.
mumps you
3. I took a flashlight a sleeping bag extra tennis
shoes and a parka on our camping trip.
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Comma splices happen
when a comma is used
to splice together two
complete sentences
when that isn’t the
function of a comma.
Example:
“Harrison was happy
when school was closed,
he was not looking
forward to his biology
test.”
THE COMMA IS NOT
ENOUGH.
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There are three ways to combine independent
clauses.
Remember that independent clauses have a
subject, a verb, and a complete thought. They can
stand alone as a sentence by themselves, which
makes them INDEPENDENT.
▪ Sean likes to ride his motorcycle. He always wears a helmet.
▪ This is an example of separating two independent clauses into
two sentences.
▪ Sean likes motorcycles, but his girlfriend doesn’t.
▪ This is an example of using a comma AND a coordinating
conjunction (Remember FANBOYS! The acronym stands for
“for, and, nor, but, or, yet, & so.” Those are the coordinating
conjunctions.
▪ Sean works on his motorcycle every Friday; it should be in great
condition!
▪ This is an example of combining independent clauses by
slapping a semicolon between them.
Independent clauses
Identify whether the following items are missing commas
(M) or are correct as is (C). For items missing commas, add the comma
where needed.
1. She liked the story but she did not like the ending.
2. High school graduates may go on to college
may begin working immediately.
or
3. A few rowdy spectators tried to grab the star
the bodyguards formed a ring around him.
so
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Use commas to set off elements that
interrupt the sentence.
 Direct address
 Nonessential information
 Parenthetical expressions
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When someone is being
directly addressed, his or
her name needs to be
followed by—or
surrounded by—a
comma or commas.
Examples:
Yes, Jimmy, your shirt is
too tight.
Thank you, Morgan.
Mr. Colson, may I borrow
a pencil?
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Restrictive elements are
phrases or clauses in a
sentence that cannot be left
out without changing the
meaning of the sentence.
Restrictive elements are not
surrounded by commas.
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Examples:
Dogs that howl make me
crazy.
The boy who threw up on the
Vortex wished he had stayed
home.
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Nonrestrictive elements are
phrases and clauses in a
sentence that can be left out
because they do NOT change
the meaning of the sentence.
Nonrestrictive elements are
surrounded by commas.
Examples:
Bacon, a popular breakfast
food, is becoming more
scarce.
The town is near the capital,
which is thirty minutes from
the border.
Commonly Used Parenthetical Expressions
after all
generally speaking
nevertheless
at any rate
however
of course
consequently
I believe
on the contrary
for example
in the first place
on the other hand
for instance
moreover
therefore
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Of course, I am glad that he called me about
the extra movie tickets.
She is, in fact, a dentist.
Interrupters
Identify whether the following items are missing commas
(M) or are correct as is (C). For items missing commas, add the comma
where needed.
1. My favorite painting Mona Lisa is displayed at the
Louvre in Paris.
2. Did you know Amy that one of Faith
story quilts sold for $40,000?
Ringgold’s
3. You are, I hope, planning to go to the
with me.
museum
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Use a comma to set off certain introductory
elements.
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Mild exclamations such as well, oh, or hey
 Hey, that’s an unusual pet you’re walking.
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Introductory words such as yes and no
 Yes, it’s my pet iguana.
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Introductory participial phrases
 Switching on the flashlight, the ranger led the way to
the caves.
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Two or more introductory prepositional phrases
or one long one.
 By the time I get home from school, I am ready for a
snack.
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Introductory adverb clauses
 After he sang, the audience applauded.
Introductory elements
Identify whether the following items are missing commas
(M) or are correct as is (C). For items missing commas, add the comma
where needed.
1. In Mexico a favorite dish is a corn tortilla
with beans.
2. If you’d like more variety in your diet you
more whole grains to your meals.
could add
3. Because the soybean is high in protein it has
been a principal crop in Asian countries for more than
five thousand years.
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AFFECT-to influence
ex: Lack of sleep affects the quality of your
work.
EFFECT-n., result, v., to accomplish
ex: The subtle effect of the lighting made the
room look ominous.
ex: Can the university effect such a change
without disrupting classes?
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TO-toward
ex: I went to the University of Richmond.
TOO-also, or excessively
ex: He drank too many screwdrivers and was
unable to drive home.
TWO-a number
ex: Only two students did not turn in the
assignment.
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THEIR-possessive form of they
ex: Their house is at the end of the block.
THERE-indicates location (hint: think of "here
and there")
ex: There goes my chance of winning the
lottery!
THEY'RE-contraction for "they are"
ex: They're in Europe for the summer--again!
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ACCEPT-to receive
ex: He accepts defeat well.
EXCEPT-to take or leave out
ex: Please take all the books off the shelf
except for the red one.
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ITS-of or belonging to it
ex: The baby will scream as soon as its
mother walks out of the room.
IT'S-contraction for it is
ex: It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
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THAN-use with comparisons
ex: I would rather go out to eat than eat at the
dining hall.
THEN-at that time, or next
ex: I studied for my exam for seven hours, and
then I went to bed.
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Keep tenses consistent within sentences
Do not change tenses when there is no time
change for the action.
INCORRECT:
During the movie, Sam stood up and then
drops his popcorn.
CORRECT:
During the movie, Sam stood up and then
dropped his popcorn.
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When Mary gets here, everyone will stare.
Didion’s memoir examines grief; it is based on the
death of her husband
Don’t use past tense in your essays unless you are
referring to a past event or a completed study,
finding, or argument found in scientific literature.
 PAST EVENT:
 The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July
4, 1776.
 SCIENTIFIC STUDY:
 12 patients showed that the vaccination was effective.
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