Science Research Program Guide - Secondary Programs Home ...

Activities should include training in the use of Literature Resources such as:
� The Internet
� Data bases
� Citation indexes
� Scientific abstracts
� Sourcebooks
� Journal articles
� Handbooks
� Reference books
Mentors
Some projects may require equipment, facilities, supervision, and expertise potentially beyond
the resources of the science research class. For example, a student doing cancer cell growth
rates may require a specialized lab in order to conduct the research.
In such cases, the teacher should help the student secure a mentor that meets the criteria
according to the ISEF rules. Mentors can play a variety of roles in the student's research
project. They can simply advise and guide or they can take a more active role by directly
supervising the student's work. Mentors may be teachers, university professors, engineers,
scientists or other professionals that are qualified experts in the field related to the student's
specific research.
Students should be encouraged to obtain a mentor whenever possible, as it offers significant
advantages. The student often is allowed access to technologies and experiences that would
otherwise be unavailable to a student without a mentor. The added expertise of a mentor will
likely enhance the scientific validity and accuracy of the student's research project. Finally, the
forging of such contacts may create a support system that will enhance the science research
program in the future.
Mentors can be contacted and recruited in a variety of ways such as email, letters, and
telephone. Major sources include post-secondary institutions, professional organizations, state
and federal agencies, private industry, and other science research teachers (Refer to the
Additional Resources section of this document).
Research Design
The research design is the framework for the entire project. It must be based on a sound
scientific method or strategy that will successfully test the hypothesis. This part of the project
must therefore be very carefully crafted in order to answer the research question conclusively.
Uncontrolled, extraneous or intervening variables may mask or confound the independent
variable's influence on the dependent variable. Many valid research design strategies exist,
each with their specific assumptions, objectives, and limitations. The most common major
research design categories are true experimental, quasi-experimental, ex-post facto
(retrospective), correlation studies, descriptive studies, and computer/mathematical modeling.
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