Science Research
Module
Getting Started
Writing proposal
Topics
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Introduction to experimental research
Writing proposal
• Choosing a research topic
• Hypothesis, objectives
• Proposal Assessment Rubrics
• Plagiarism
SOP for science project safety
Experimental Research
Category (Cat#1)

Involves
• formulation of hypothesis &
objectives
• Designing experiments to collect
data
• testing and analyzing the
data obtained
• Drawing a conclusion
Getting started – Crafting ideas,
hypothesis, objectives
Ideas/choosing a topic:
 Ask questions
• do your reading up (literature search)
• find out what has been done
• identify area/topic of interest
• think of a question you want to
answer
• identify a problem you want to solve
 Sources of ideas: books, magazines,
journals (scholarly papers), online
sources, people, HCI Projects
Competition website
Sources of ideas
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Science buddies website http://www.sciencebuddies.org/
All Science Fair Projects - http://www.allscience-fair-projects.com/category0.html
Cyber Fair http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/
welcome.html
The WWW Virtual Library:Science Fairs -
http://physics.usc.edu/%7Egould/ScienceFairs/
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Pubmed (scholarly papers) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/
Scirus - http://www.scirus.com/
National student research center http://youth.net/nsrc/sci/sci.index.html
HCI Library online resources http://www.hwachong.edu.sg/ContentPage.
asp?SID=8
Feasibility of ideas

Evaluate ideas:
• Interest
• Availability of
materials/equipment/expertise
• Availability of funds
• Level of difficulty
• Duration
• Results obtainable?
Getting started – Crafting ideas, hypothesis,
objectives
Hypothesis:
 A hypothesis is a possible explanation
for something you have observed.
 Turn your research questions into
hypothesis (statement)
Question: Do fruit peels contain anticancer compounds?
Hypothesis: Fruit peel extract contain
anti-cancer compounds
 One hypothesis per project
Getting started – Crafting ideas,
hypothesis, objectives
Objectives
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list what you will set out to do/measure to test your
hypothesis
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E.g.
Question: Do fruit peels contain anti-cancer
compounds?
Hypothesis: Fruit peels contain anti-cancer compounds
Objectives:
1. To prepare extracts from fruit peels
2. To screen fruit peel extracts for anti-tumour
compounds
3. To identify anti-tumour compounds in the fruit
extracts
Exercise
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Question: Does chitin from crab
shells have a greater ability to bind to
fats?
Hypothesis:
Chitin from crab shells has a greater
ability to bind to fats.
Objectives:
1. To extract chitin from crab and prawn
shells for comparison.
2. To compare the abilities of crab
and prawn shells to bind to fats
Writing a proposal
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Refer to rubrics
Sample proposal
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
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Plagiarism is using other people's
work, words, ideas without
acknowledging. Includes copying
the exact words and citing the
author.
Do not plagiarise.
Paraphrase your readings
Summarise what you read in your
own words
Keep the key words
SOP for projects safety
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Students to fill in parents consent for lab
work (submit today)
Mentors to assess nature of project if it
involves the following:
• Biohazard materials/organisms
• Chemical hazards
• Potentially hazardous devices/equipment

Apply for approval by Science Research
Council (SRC, SSEF) after prelim judging
(i/c – Mrs Goh Cheng Wai)
Approval of research plan by teacher-mentor.
Obtain parental consent for laboratory work.
Projects involving
potentially hazardous
biological agents,
substances or
devices
Projects not involving
potentially hazardous
biological agents,
substances or
devices
Seek approval from SRC and
external experts***
Proceed with
experimentation
External experts vet through protocols to
ensure all safety requirements are met
Can the
project be
carried out
using the
school’s
resources?
No
Are there any
available
external
resources ?
Yes
Consult relevant project coordinators and
technicians regarding safety & availability of
resources
Proceed with
experimentation
Continued next
page
*** submit after prelim
round for SSEF projects
No
Redesign the research
or reject proposal
Are there any
available external
resources?
Yes
Teacher mentors approach the
organisation individually or
through Research Coordinators
Redesign the research
or reject proposal
No
Can the external
organization
accommodate the
request?
Yes
Approve research plan,
obtain parental consent
& proceed to conduct
research in external
organization
Risk Assessment
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All groups are required to do a risk
assessment
Attach form (signed by mentor) to
proposal for submission
Deadline for submission of proposal +
form: 31 Mar 2011
Forms to be signed by mentor and
submitted to Mdm Lim Cheng Fui (Senior
Lab Manager, Science Research
Centre@HCI) if you want to start lab work
before 31 Mar 2011
Questions?
References
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Knisely Karin (2005) A student handbook for
writing in Biology, 2nd Edition. W.H. Freeman and
Company. [574 Kni]
Discovery school website (2006) Science Fair
Studio. Available:
http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/sci
fairstudio/handbook/scientificmethod.html [last
accessed 30 Dec 06]
VanCleave, Janice (1997) Guide to the Best
Science Fair Projects. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Wedgwood, Marilyn (1987) Tackling Biology
Projects. Macmillian Education Limited.[570 Wed]