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There are many different guidelines on
preparing a science project report; however, in all cases a report must
meet the needs and the expectation of the reader. It must simply answer
the questions that the reader has in mind. A good report is organized,
easy to read and free from unrelated material.
If you already
have guidelines set forth by a science fair committee or an instructor,
be sure to follow them. Otherwise, here is a format that you may use to
write a science project report.
Following are different sections of a
science project report; however, some reports may benefit from
additional sections, such as abstracts and
bibliographies.
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Title
For a science project, you probably want a catchy, clever title.
Otherwise, try to make it an accurate description of the project.
For example, I could entitle a project, 'Determining Minimum NaCl
Concentration that can be Tasted in Water'. Avoid unnecessary words,
while covering the essential purpose of the project. Whatever title
you come up with, get it critiqued by friends, family, or teachers.
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Introduction
and Purpose
Sometimes this section is called 'Background'. Whatever its name,
this section introduces the topic of the project, notes any
information already available, explains why you are interested in
the project, and states the purpose of the project. If you are going
to state references in your report, this is where most of the
citations are likely to be, with the actual references listed at the
end of the entire report in the form of a bibliography or reference
section.
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The
Hypothesis or Question
Explicitly state your hypothesis or question.
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Materials
and Methods
List the materials you used in your project and describe the
procedure that you used to perform the project. If you have a photo
or diagram of your project, this is a good place to include it.
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Data
and Results
Data and Results are not the same thing. Some reports will require
that they be in separate sections, so make sure you understand the
difference between the concepts. Data refers to the actual numbers
or other information you obtained in your project. Data can be
presented in tables or charts, if appropriate. The Results section
is where the data is manipulated or the hypothesis is tested.
Sometimes this analysis will yield tables, graphs, or charts, too.
For example, a table listing the minimum concentration of salt that
I can taste in water, with each line in the table being a separate
test or trial, would be data. If I average the data or perform a
statistical test of a null hypothesis, the information would be the
results of the project.
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Conclusion
The Conclusion focuses on the Hypothesis or Question as it compares
to the Data and Results. What was the answer to the question? Was
the hypothesis supported (keep in mind a hypothesis cannot be
proved, only disproved)? What did you find out from the experiment?
Answer these questions first. Then, depending on your answers, you
may wish to explain ways in which the project might be improved or
introduce new questions that have come up as a result of the
project. This section is judged not only by what you were able to
conclude, but also by your recognition of areas where you could not
draw valid conclusions based on your data.
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Acknowledgments
In this section, you should give credit to all who assisted you.
This may include individuals, businesses, and educational or
research institutions. Identify any financial support or material
donations received.
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References
This list should include any documentation that is not your own,
such as books or articles, that you used. Use proper bibliography
format. To include ScienceProject.com in the list of your reference,
see the FAQ section.
General
Bibliography format:
- Author of article (if
available).
- "Title of article."
- Title of book. (underlined)
- Date of edition. (Volume and
page number not necessary if articles are arranged
alphabetically).
Example:
Eiselen, Malcolm R. "Franklin, Benjamin." The World Book
Encyclopedia. 1999.
"France." Compton's Encyclopedia. 1998.
Hamzeh, Mohammad. www .ScienceProject.com. 1998 - 2007
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Cover
Page: Your report needs a cover page. The cover page may include
the project name at the center. Your name, grade and school at the
lower left (or upper left). Finally at the lower right corner write
your teacher's name and title like "Chemistry Teacher" or
"Science Teacher".
Appearances Matter
Neatness counts, spelling counts, grammar counts. Take the time to make
the report look nice. Pay attention to margins, avoid fonts that are
difficult to read or are too small or too large, use clean paper, and
make print the report cleanly on as good a printer or copier as you can.
See a Sample
Report
Different
Points of view (Writing in third person)
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