INTERNAL ASSESSMENT PACKET

Name: _________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: ____/____/__________

THIS PACKET CONTAINS PERTINENT INFORMATION FOR THE INDEPENDENT INTERNAL ASSESSMENT PORTION
FOR I.B. BIOLOGY.

IB BIOLOGY INTERNAL ASSESSMENT

Late Submissions: 1/2 credit will be given on any missed Deadline.
Everything turned in must be TYPED! Handwritten work will NOT be scored!
Your work is due on your class meeting day (W or L) according to this calendar.
September 6-16, 2016
(the number of class time spend introducing
this will be about 2hrs plus an ideal 2+hrs of
research and assembling of the research plan
done on your own time)
September 15W/16L, 2016 – Topic and Research
Plan Deadline (25 points-classwork grade)
Week of September 26- October 7 –Purchasing
and gathering of materials, I will be in constant
contact with you.
October 7 to 14 , 2016 – Work on IA in class
(daily participation grades)
November 21W/22L, 2016 – 1st draft due (30
points- worth 2nd quarter classwork grade)
January 19L/20W, 2017 – Final Draft due
(24 points-Worth a 4th quarter Test Grade)
 Introduction of IA material.
 Analysis of the criteria rubric
 Independent Research (2+hrs)
 Use Research Plan Template found on
blackboard or WL Website. Submit via
blackboard. This was your summer
assignment.
 Those plans approved can begin to Order,
purchase or gather materials
 Allow 2 weeks for delivery on some
organisms or material. Plan accordingly.
You will have 3 days to work in class (4 hrs) plus the
time you spend working at home (4+ hrs)
 Review research template
 Bring materials and equipment or show
photographs of home set up
 Set up experiment (those conducting in
school)
 Conduct experiment
 Start 1st draft write up
 Follow rubric and guidelines
 It will take me at least one month to review
approximately 60 IA’s from my 3 IB classes.
Be patient!
 I will provide oral or written advice on how
the work could be improved, but not edit the
draft.
 Once a student has officially submitted the
final version of the work it cannot be
retracted.
 Make sure you have made all of the
necessary revision discussed on 1st draft.
 No more feedback will be given after this.

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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE I.A.

Internal assessment is an integral part of the course and is compulsory for both SL and HL students. It enables
students to demonstrate the application of their skills and knowledge, and to pursue their personal interests,
without the time limitations and other constraints that are associated with written examinations. The internal
assessment requirements at SL and at HL are the same. The work submitted for internal assessment must be
the student’s own work. The teacher should play an important role during both the planning stage and the
period when the student is working on the internally assessed work. It is the responsibility of the teacher to
ensure that students are familiar with:

• the requirements of the type of work to be internally assessed

• the IB animal experimentation policy and the biology course safety guidelines
• the assessment criteria—students must understand that the work submitted for assessment must address
these criteria effectively.
• As part of the learning process, teachers should read and give advice to students on one draft of the work.
The teacher should provide oral or written advice on how the work could be improved, but not edit
the draft. The next version handed to the teacher must be the final version for submission.
• All work submitted to the IB for moderation or assessment must be authenticated by a teacher, and must
not include any known instances of suspected or confirmed academic misconduct. Each student must
confirm that the work is his or her authentic work and constitutes the final version of that work. Once
a student has officially submitted the final version of the work it cannot be retracted. The requirement
to confirm the authenticity of work applies to the work of all students, not just the sample work that
will be submitted to the IB for the purpose of moderation. For further details refer to the IB
publication Academic honesty (2011), The Diploma Programme: From principles into practice (2009)
and the relevant articles in General regulations: Diploma Programme (2011).

AUTHENTICITY
Authenticity may be checked by discussion with the student on the content of the work, and scrutiny of
one or more of the following:
• the student’s initial proposal
• the first draft of the written work
• the references cited
• the style of writing compared with work known to be that of the student
• the analysis of the work by a web-based plagiarism detection service such as SAFEASSIGN or
http://www.turnitin.com. 

• The same piece of work cannot be submitted to meet the requirements of both the internal
assessment and the extended essay.

GROUP WORK
Each investigation is an individual piece of work based on different data collected or measurements generated.
Students should work on their own when conducting the experiment and collecting data.

SAFETY AND ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION POLICY

It is a basic responsibility of everyone involved to make safety and health an ongoing commitment. It is the
responsibility of all students to read, understand and abide the rules posted in the Safety contract signed at
the beginning of the school year. Please refer as needed. All students should report any and all accidents or
incidents to the teacher.

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IB standards for work in schools are more stringent than those of university and R&D research committees as
we are not carrying out essential, groundbreaking research. Practical work in schools has other purposes such
as reinforcing concepts and teaching practical skills and techniques. Even in a practically based extended essay
the work will not be fundamental research.

• _Any planned and actual experimentation involving animals must be subject to approval following a
discussion between teacher and student(s) based on the IB animal experimentation policy.

• _Experiments involving animals must be based on observing and measuring aspects of natural animal
behavior. Any experimentation should not result in any pain or undue stress on any animal (vertebrate or
invertebrate) or compromise its health in any way. Therefore experiments that administer drugs or medicines
or manipulate the environment or diet beyond that easily tolerated by the animal are unacceptable.
Experiments resulting in the death of any animal are unacceptable.

• _Any experimentation involving humans must be with their written permission and must follow the above
guidelines. Experiments involving body fluids must not be performed due to the risk of the transmission of
blood-borne pathogens. When working with humans, you must have them sign a consent form and if under 18
then the parent must sign as well. Human participant projects are tricky and take a while. I discourage you in
doing them but if still interested, come and see me and I will give you the consent forms and guidelines.

GRADING CRITERIA
Internal assessment is an integral part of the biology course, contributing 20% to the final assessment in the SL
and the HL courses. Student work is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB. The
performance in internal assessment at both SL and HL is marked against common assessment criteria, with a
total mark out of 24.
For internal assessment, a number of assessment criteria have been identified. Each assessment criterion has
level descriptors describing specific achievement levels, together with an appropriate range of marks. The level
descriptors concentrate on positive achievement, although for the lower levels failure to achieve may be
included in the description.
Internally assessed work will be judged at SL and at HL against the criteria using the level descriptors.
• Assessment criteria are the same for both SL and HL.
• The aim is to find, for each criterion, the descriptor that conveys most accurately the level attained by the
student, using the best-fit model. A best-fit approach means that compensation should be made when
a piece of work matches different aspects of a criterion at different levels. The mark awarded should
be one that most fairly reflects the balance of achievement against the criterion. It is not necessary for
every single aspect of a level descriptor to be met for that mark to be awarded.
• When assessing your work, I will read the level descriptors for each criterion until I reach a descriptor that
most appropriately describes the level of the work being assessed. If a piece of work seems to fall
between two descriptors, both descriptors will be read again and the one that more appropriately
describes the student’s work will be chosen.
• Where there are two or more marks available within a level, the upper mark will be awarded if the student’s
work demonstrates the qualities described to a great extent; the work may be close to achieving marks
in the level above. The lower marks will be awarded if the student’s work demonstrates the qualities
described to a lesser extent; the work may be close to achieving marks in the level below.
• Only whole numbers will be recorded; partial marks (fractions and decimals) are not acceptable.
• The highest level descriptors do not imply faultless performance but should be achievable by a
student. Teachers should not hesitate to use the extremes if they are appropriate descriptions of the
work being assessed.
• A student who attains a high achievement level in relation to one criterion will not necessarily attain
high achievement levels in relation to the other criteria. Similarly, a student who attains a low
achievement level for one criterion will not necessarily attain low achievement levels for the other

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criteria. Teachers should not assume that the overall assessment of the students will produce any
particular distribution of marks.
• The assessment criteria/Rubric is posted on Blackboard and my webpage.
• There will be no pass or fail boundary, but instead on identifying the appropriate descriptor for each
assessment criterion.
• The task will have the same assessment criteria for SL and HL. The five assessment criteria are personal
engagement, exploration, analysis, evaluation and communication.
• The new assessment model uses five criteria to assess the final report of the individual investigation with
the following raw marks and weightings assigned: 
Levels of performance are described using multiple
indicators per level. In many cases the indicators occur together in a specific level, but not always.
Also, not all indicators are always present. This means that a candidate can demonstrate performances
that fit into different levels. To accommodate this, the IB assessment models use markbands and
advise examiners and teachers to use a best-fit approach in deciding the appropriate mark for a
particular criterion.

WRITING AND ASSEMBLING THE PAPER

NOTE: Papers not following these guidelines will not be accepted.

A. PAPER PAGE LIMITS

 The internal assessment task will be one scientific investigation taking about 10 hours and the write- up
should be about 6 to 12 pages long. Investigations exceeding this length will be penalized in the
communication criterion as lacking in conciseness.
 If the text is reduced, the appendix may be increased to allow for additional raw data, charts/graphs, or
illustrations but only to a maximum paper length of 12 pages.
 Write you name and candidate number on the upper, left hand side of the header.

B. THE PAPER ORDER OF COMPONENTS

 Note: Do NOT include a title page.
 Number the Pages beginning with the research question as page 1.
 The following are the required headings, and should be bolded and/or underlined:
1. RESEARCH QUESTION 8. CONCLUSION
2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 9. EVALUATION, IMPROVEMENTS & NEXT STEPS
3. HYPOTHESIS 10. APPENDIX
4. VARIABLES 11. BIBLIOGRAPHY
5. APPARATUS
6. METHOD
7. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

GO TO BLACKBOARD TO FIND SAMPLE IA ‘S

C. GENERAL WRITING GUIDELINES (Mechanics for formatting typed submissions)

 All parts of the paper must be typed/word processed in double-spaced format. (Exceptions: long
quotes, figures, legends, within literature citations).
 All parts written in passive voice and past tense.

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 The paper should be concise and proper grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation should be
used throughout the paper. You must have your parent or another adult proofread it.
 All margins—top, bottom, sides—are not less than one inch (1") on ALL pages including appendices.
 Pages must be numbered. Put page numbers in the footer, which can be within the margin and the
only exception to the one inch margin.
 The paper must be printed in no smaller than 12 pt. type size using the font Times New Roman.
 Do not use footnotes. Use parenthetical citations (Last name of Author, Year). Ex: (Smith, 2016)
 Graphs and figures made by computer should be appropriately labeled.

All classes: please apply APA formatting. See http://apastyle.org/index.aspx. A full APA sample paper may
be found here: http://supp.apa.org/style/PM6E-Corrected-Sample-Papers.pdf.

CHOOSING YOUR TOPIC

The task produced should be complex and commensurate with the level of the course. It should require a
purposeful research question and the scientific rationale for it. The sample IA’s found on Blackboard will
demonstrate that the assessment has to be rigorous and of the same standard as the assessment in other IB
courses. Some of the possible tasks include:
 a hands-on laboratory investigation
 using a spreadsheet for analysis and modeling
 extracting data from a database and analyzing it graphically
 producing a hybrid of spreadsheet/database work with a traditional hands-on investigation
 using a simulation provided it is interactive and open-ended.
Some tasks may consist of relevant and
appropriate qualitative work combined with quantitative work.

You must also demonstrate the thinking behind your ideas using their subject knowledge. The topic should be
related to Biology. The information given must be targeted at the problem rather than being a general account
of the topic matter, in order to demonstrate focus on the issues at hand.

Sometimes the hardest part of doing a science project is settling on an idea. You want to select something that
you will enjoy—that will inspire your curiosity. Since this is challenging for students, and everyone has
different interests, we have developed this section to help you. You can also find many sources out there to
help you choose a topic, but don’t be tempted to copy a procedure verbatim from the internet or from a book
you find. Those sources can be used as a guide, but you need to make the procedure your own.

It is highly recommended that is your investigation is based on a published one that you put sufficient effort
into developing making it your own and differentiating it from the source. If you don't the marks you can gain
with under the exploration criteria will be limited.

One word of caution, before you get too attached to an idea, there is a list of sensitive project topics coming
up. These projects will need special approval and they inevitably involve a significant amount of extra work.
Please read this section carefully if you are planning to work with microbes or other potentially hazardous
chemicals or devices.

Be sure to choose a project at the high school level or higher. Projects that are too simple, at the elementary
school/middle school level, will not be accepted. Check with your teacher early to avoid this frustration if you
are unsure.

Start with Your Interests! There are many categories to choose from! Make a big list of everything that
interests you. Do you wonder how these things work? Whether one way of doing something is better than
another? Decide whether these topics can be studied in a scientific experiment. A scientific experiment needs

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an independent variable (something you will manipulate) and a dependent variable (something you will
measure).

You may want to use the internet to see examples of past projects or, even better, find out what’s really being
researched in the scientific community right now – These topics can serve as inspiration, but you should not
duplicate someone else’s research exactly. Instead, think of ways to alter these examples so that they
become meaningful to your experience and project.

Be ready to provide a rationale for your choice—how can your project be used to further knowledge, build
upon good practice, or improve people’s way of life? Present sound reasoning for your project choice, and be
prepared to explain the benefits of your experiment.

Here are a few sources where you may find lists of topic titles or general topic ideas: Look for topics related to
Biology.
 Science And Plants for Schools has lots of botanical investigations and ideas
 Practical Biology brings together lots of different biology practicals for all ages of student
 Mr Rothery publishes a list of practicals commonly done to suport his A-level teaching
 Senior Biology has a list of investigation ideas for extended essays that are also suitable for individual
investigations
 Vernier dataloggers can be used in individual investigations and vernier publishes ideas and details of
how they can be used
 www.tinyurl.com/vjas2011 - All the abstracts from the 2011 VJAS are published here—browse through
for inspiration and ideas.
 www.tinyurl.com/2015calstateprojects - This site has brief descriptions of all the 2015 California State
Science Fair Projects. Very inspiring! Be sure to look at the Senior Division for High School level ideas.

Below, find some suggestions for Biology Projects.

BIOLOGY TOPIC IDEAS
General Topic Area Dependent Variable Equipment/Materials/Processes
Biochemistry o Presence of organic compounds  Chemical tests
o Enzyme activity  Chemical tests
o Ion concentration – diffusion through a  Conductivity probeware,
membrane dialysis tubing
DNA Technologies o DNA fragment movement in gel  Gel electrophoresis
o DNA fragment length  Gel electrophoresis

Genetics & Heredity o Chromosome analysis  Fruit flies, chemicals

o Fruit fly genotypes & phenotypes  Fruit flies, stereo-microscope,
o Plant genotypes & phenotypes chemicals, plants
Environmental o Water quality: Dissolved Oxygen, Nitrate  Probeware and chemical tests
Biology/Ecology level, Phosphate level, pH, Turbidity,
Salinity, Chloride, Ammonium, Calcium,
Flow rate
o Bacterial level  Petri dishes, agar
o Soil quality: pH, Nitrates,  Chemical tests, pH strips
Potassium, Bacterial level
Invertebrates o Development, Behavior or Response (to  Petri dishes, possibly
an independent variable) of specific microscopes.
invertebrate animals.  Specimens such as planarians,
daphnia etc.
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Microbiology o Number of bacterial colonies  Nutrient agar Petri dishes
o Florescence of bacteria  Inoculating loops
o Fastidious testing
o Respiration rate (Carbon  Test tubes
dioxide production of bacteria  Organisms
or yeast)
Plant Biology o Photosynthesis rate (O2 production)  Plants, test tubes, pipettes
o Transpiration rate (water loss)  Plants, potometer
o  Plant, chromatography paper
o Plant pigments and chemicals
o Presence of starch  Iodine
o Seed germination  Petri dishes or pots, seeds etc.
o Respiration in seeds  Beans, test tubes
o Genetics (phenotypes & genotypes)  Plants

Organisms may be available for purchase (See website www.carolina.com or www.freyscientific.com)

Examples:
 Protists (single celled organisms – you may use school microscopes): Amoeba, Algae, Paramecium,
Euglena (does photosynthesis and can swim to capture food), etc.
 Fungi: Mushrooms, Yeast (used to make baked goods, carbon dioxide production can be measured),
Bioluminescent fungi, Lichens (algae and fungi that live together), etc.
 Plants: Aquatic plants (oxygen production can be measured), Carnivorous plants, Moss, Flowers,
Wisconsin fast plants (good for genetic studies), Hydroponics, Plant hormones (hormones are chemicals
that can make plants move toward the light, make fruit ripen), etc.
 Animals (invertebrates only—animals with no backbone): Hydra (aquatic organism related to jelly fish),
Planaria (tiny worm that can regenerate), Mussels, Rotifers (microscopic worm-like animal), Annelid
(earthworms), Snails (land or aquatic), Daphnia (tiny, shrimp-like animal, you can see its heart beat),
Silkworms, Mosquitos (order through the school), Ants, House flies, Beetles, Milkweed bugs, Meal
worms, Praying mantis, Brine shrimp (can observe their development), etc.
 CAUTION: If thinking about working with plants, keep in mind that plants take time to grow, and
sometimes experiments with plants do not work. Remember you will need a large sample size of at
least 20 seeds per test group, and at least three test groups—that’s 80 plants, so consider carefully!

PREVIOUS IA’S TOPIC IDEAS

o Investigation 1: A study on
the effect of smoke water on
the germination and growth of
Eucalyptus pilularis
o Investigation 2: The effect
of sunlight on biomass
o Investigation 3: Fire
Ecology
o Investigation 4: Different
methods of fruit ripening and
the metabolism of starch to
glucose in nectarines
o Investigation 5: Investigating
the Effect of Time on the
Plasmolysis of Potatoes
o Investigation 6: The
structure and function of
barley amylases
o Investigation 7: The effect of
light levels on the predation of
the peppered moth
o Investigation 8: Investigating
the effect of different light
intensities on water weed
o Investigation 9: Is there a
relationship between
Countries' Human
Development Index (HDI)
level and the incidence of
tuberculosis? (1)
o Investigation 10: Is there a
relationship between
Countries' Human
Development Index (HDI)
level and the incidence of
tuberculosis? (2)

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Before you settle on a topic, GO to the library to determine how much relevant research is available. You
need to see what information is out there that can help you develop a sound hypothesis and detailed
procedure. If you have trouble finding research that is relevant to your idea, then you may need to expand
your search or alter your plan.

So go to your local or school library to see what scholarly sources you can find. The librarian can walk you
through several electronic databases, which contain reliable resources that may be used to narrow down your
topic and conduct background research.

 Why is Research important to do BEFORE you start your experiment?

 Learn about your topic! You need enough background information on your topic to ask an insightful
question, form a logical hypothesis, and validate your experiment and results.
 You need education and specific information regarding your subject being studied.
 You need to learn about the potential dangers and best materials to use while conducting your
experiment.
 You need to decide what equipment to use to collect data, and how to analyze your data findings.
 You can elaborate on theories on which your experiment is based, and strengthen your written report.
 Why is your topic meaningful? Learning about your topic helps you justify your work is an important
component of science research. How does your work affect the world around us? Why is your project
worth doing? How might your work be of benefit to your communities? Your research will help
strengthen your rationale for these questions, and make your work more fulfilling and significant.

You can also access the W-L library’s data bases through Blackboard: Log onto Blackboard, Click on the For
Students Link, Click on Secondary Online. You should be able to log on through Blackboard without a
password.

If you are having problems with your Blackboard account, from the library site of the W-L Home Web Page,
you might try these databases and passwords: e Library science with the remote access login: arlington2, and
the password student, or Gale Cengage Secondary particularly “Science in Context, with the remote access
password: va_schools.
You can also access www.questiaschool.com where your login is as follows:
Username: student’sID#@questia.com
Password: firstname (lowercase) . . . OR add “2013” at the end of the first name if the name has 4 letters or
less (erik2013)

ORDERING AND PURCHASING MATERIALS

You can purchase materials and organisms from science supplies companies like www.carolina.com or
www.freyscientific.com. It is imperative, that once your project proposal gets approved, you order your
materials. DO NOT WAIT UNITL THE LAST MINUTE TO PLACE YOUR ORDERS. Allow two weeks for delivery
after you submit order and payment. Check with me first to see what equipment is available to borrow from
school, before ordering. Organisms and Chemicals with restrictions, can be ordered through me, but you need
to fill out a form and give payment with enough time for processing.

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TOPIC & RESEARCH PLAN

SUMMARY
This is the format of your research plan. Refer to the template on blackboard.
A. Research Question [Phrased in a similar format to “What is the effect of the IV upon the DV in XXXX?”.
XXXX refers to the organism or biological material being studied.]
B. Background Information including:
a. Purpose/Problem and Rationale
 Scientific theory is used to describe and explain how the chosen IV affects changes in the
organism/biological material being dealt with.
 What is the purpose of your experiment. It must have a meaningful, purposeful research question and
the scientific rationale for it. Why did you pick this topic and why is this topic important to understand
as a student and as a global citizen?
 The justification given for choosing the research question and/or the topic under investigation
demonstrates personal significance, interest or curiosity. Explain why the chosen DV is a good
measure of change in the organism/biological material
C. Hypothesis
 The hypothesis should be based on the theory identified in the background.
 A graph should be sketched to illustrate the hypothesis] Where possible the hypothesis should be
quantified, e.g. It is expected that the optimum pH for the activity of catalase to be 6.2]
 A hypothesis is an educated guess presuming the outcome of the experiment. Form a hypothesis after
your background research and definition of the problem. Write in “If…then…because” format,
present tense.
D. Variables
 Include:
o I.V. (Independent variable) (Manipulated variable): The condition that a scientist changes when
conducting an experiment. This is the only variable that is altered, so it is the variable that causes
change. The I.V. starts the experiment and is the first/only thing that is changed by the student.
(“I” change the “I”V)!
o D.V. (Dependent variable) (Responding variable): The variable measured by the researcher. The
D.V. depends on the I.V. It is affected by the independent variable and is observed and measured.
o Experimental groups: The groups of participants or subjects receiving the variable or treatment.
o Control group: The group not receiving the variable or treatment. The control group establishes a
baseline for the experiment.
(The researcher compares the performance of the experimental group with that of the control
group to determine if the independent variable causes a change or effect).
o Controlled variables: Those variables that will remain the same throughout the experiment for all
groups.

 You have the choice of doing 5 IV values x 10-20 repeats format or 2 IV values for a population x 15
repeats format or 5 IV value X 5 different times each value x 5 repeats each
E. Apparatus
 List all equipment/materials/organisms you are planning on using.
 Include all items, quantities, concentrations, volumes, masses etc., for measuring equipment
uncertainties
F. Method
 Briefly describe the method used to manipulate the IV, including specific details of range or
increments.
 Each control and uncontrolled variable identified in the variables table should be addressed in the
method.
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 Make sure the method is clear, specific and easily replicated.
 The method clearly communicates the reasons why each step is the method is appropriate and
necessary.
 If the chosen method is based on or adapted from a published protocol then the original protocol must
be cited.
 Describe how you will collect your data and how you will analyse it, including the statistics your are
planning on using.
G. Safety and Ethical Considerations
 Comment on possible hazards, environmental, ethical and social impacts of the work, and say how
they will dealt with to minimise the impact.
H. Bibliography—It is a list of the literature cited in the text.
 Citations are used effectively to support the background.
 Textbooks should be the first port of call when looking for a citation.
 There must be a minimum of five peer-reviewed/scholarly sources.
 Each must be cited at least once in the body of the paper.
 Use APA style.
 The list is alphabetical by the last name of the first author of a citation. Use single spacing within each
listing and double space between the listings. See example below
 The American Psychological Association Style (APA) style is the most widely accepted and preferred
way of presenting documentation and supporting information when it comes to writing, especially in
terms of research and reference writing. The APA homepage is http://apastyle.org/index.aspx. A
sample APA paper may be found here: http://apastyle.org/index.aspx.
 The literature cited is a list of all books, publications, and communications cited in your paper. The
listing is alphabetical by the last name of the first author of a citation. “Scholarly” sources include
peer-reviewed reports, articles, books, etc. Those you reference should be accessible from library
digital archives (files, databases, books, etc., available for inspection, digitized and on-line for easy
access and convenience) or refereed on-line journals. Ask librarians for help if uncertain!
 One of your non-scholarly sources should be the source where you found your idea for your
experiment. Be sure your experiment is not just a copy of an experiment that was done before.
 Students may use www.bibme.com to easily put sources in the correct format. Also see
www.citationmachine.net. You may ask librarians for help with finding other online tools for proper
referencing.
 Wording in your reports and submissions should be paraphrased in your own words. Direct quotes
should be in quotation marks. Watch out for plagiarism in your final report, I will be checking all
assignments with SafeAssign!
 Google Scholar is an excellent source for finding scholarly sources.

Examples of Peer-reviewed and Scholarly References:

 McCaffrey, Cheryl A. and Raymond D. Dueser. 1990. Plant associations of the Virginia barrier islands.
Va.J.Sci.41:282-299.
 Spry, A. 1969. Metamorphic Textures. Pergamon Press, New York. 350pp.
 Storrs, Carina. 2009. One for the Ages: Bristlecone Pines Break 4,650-Year Growth Record.
<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=great-basin-bristleconepine-growth-rate-tree-
line> (24 November 2009).

Examples of Non-peer-reviewed References:

 Bristlecone Pine. 1986. <http://www.woodmagazine.com/materialsguide/lumber/wood-species-
1/bristlecone-pine/> (February 1986).

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Scientific theory is used to describe and explain how the chosen IV affects changes in the organism/biological
material being dealt with.

What is the purpose of your experiment? It must have a meaningful, purposeful research question and the
scientific rationale for it. Why did you pick this topic and why is this topic important to understand as a student
and as a global citizen? The justification given for choosing the research question and/or the topic under
investigation demonstrates personal significance, interest or curiosity.

 Written in the passive voice the subject is the recipient of the action—the subject is placed at the end
of the sentence or omitted.
o Example of passive voice: Incorrect: “The scientist placed 50ml of water in the beaker”
Correct: "50ml of water were placed in the beaker ".
o Passive voice sentences include a be-verb such as am, is, was, were, are or been.
 Include citations throughout the body using the sources in your cited literature.
 The introduction starts with a broad basis and then narrows it down to your particular field of study,
explaining the rationale for each step and decision.
 You are attempting to inform the reader about the rationale behind the work, justifying why your
work is an essential component of research in the field.
 You can include information from previous research, explanations or theories, methods or equations.
 This should be as concise as possible and give an overall review of the paper. It works upon the
principle of introducing the topic of the paper and setting it into a broad context, gradually narrowing
down to a hypothesis. A good introduction explains how you mean to solve the research problem, and
creates ‘leads’ to make the reader want to delve further into your work.
Variables (Independent, (discuss) Likely impact upon the How the variable will be
dependent, control, uncontrolled) investigation changed/ measured/controlled
Independent variable  [Explain how would  [What values have been
[Describe the independent changing this variable chosen]
variable] would effect the  [Why have these values
dependent variable] been chosen]

Dependent variable  [Explain why is the  [How will measurements

[Describe the dependent chosen variable is a good
variable] measure to answer the
research question]
Control variables
[What variables need to be kept  [Discuss how and why
constant to ensure a fair test?] these variable might
impact the data
collected]
Uncontrolled variables  [Discuss how and why
[Variables that might affect the these variable might
investigation, but are impractical impact the data
to control] collected]
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be taken?]
 [Do any calculations such
as a reaction rate need
to be done?]
 [Suggest how these
variables will be kept
constant and if necessary
how they will be
monitored]
 [Suggest how the effect
of the variable could be
minimized and/or
monitored, if possible]
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VARIABLES

PROCEDURE & MATERIALS

 [The method must describe how to manipulate the IV, including specific details of range or
increments.]

 [The method for recording results, including units and uncertainty of tools should be described.]

 [Each control and uncontrolled variable identified in the variables table should be addressed in the
method.]

 [A diagram or photo of the experimental setup helps to make a complex equipment setup clear]

 [Annotate/label diagrams and photos to give them value and explain their relevance. Annotations
maybe done in the main text as an alternative to including annotations in the diagram.]

 [Make sure the method is clear, specific and easily replicated. This is best done by getting a person not
familiar with your work to read through the method and the explain it back to you.]

 [The method clearly communicates the reasons why each step is the method is appropriate and
necessary. Much of this explanation might already be addressed in the second column of the variables
table.]

 [If the chosen method is based on or adapted from a published protocol then the original protocol
must be cited.]

 Pointers:
 Do not include any results in this section.
 Use paragraph format, not cookbook format.
 Use Passive Voice; Example: (Passive) “The chemical was placed in a solution” (vs. Active): “The
experimenter placed the chemical in the solution”.
 Include precise quantities and descriptions of materials and equipment.
 Incorporate materials used (and their precise measurements) into the paragraph of your procedure.
Example: “A solution of 50ml of vinegar was used to cover one egg”. Include descriptions, types, and
quantities of equipment, chemicals, organisms, etc. (be specific!).

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
This section consists of a passage of writing interspersed with tables and graphs. The purpose of the analysis is
to interpret the data so that a valid and detailed conclusion to the research question can be deduced later on
in the report.

[Graphs, tables, and images should be included as close as possible to their first reference in the analysis. If a
graph is not used to support the analysis it should not be included.]

Raw data and calculations should be referred to – if there is a lot of raw data place it in a appendix.

 [Qualitative data]
[This is important as it demonstrates critical thinking]
Comment on:
- Variation within the organism/biological material being are dealt with
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- Colour, texture, shape, size, heat changes
- Anything notice that might affect results, but you can’t put a number on]

 [Included data tables]

Raw and processed data maybe often be separated into different tables. However it is common practise to
include mean and standard deviation as additional columns in the table that includes the data upon which they
are based. This is a summary data table.

 [Clear table(s) with:

- Title – “Table 1: … “ this should refer to the headers
- IV should ideally be in the first column, DV should occupy subsequent columns
- Descriptive headers, e.g. not just temp, but temp of the mixture of amylase and starch
- Units and uncertainties]

 Pointers: [When quoting units use the same units as for the uncertainties, this is good practise.]

[If uncertainties differ, i.e. is larger than the uncertainty quoted in the apparatus list then a rationale must be
given]

[Use seconds rather than minutes:seconds if the variable is time. It is clearer and later avoids human errors in
data processing.]

[If stated in the method that measurements are to be taken, even if only to monitor a control variable, it still
needs to be included in the raw data.]

[Name other students who collaborated in the data collection.]

 [Calculations]

[Are calculations needed to make calculations to determine the DV? For example:
- Rate of reaction = volume, distance etc. / time
- % Change = (end – start) / start x 100
- Anything else that is appropriate?]

[If calculations are made to determine the DV then remove the uncertainty from the header. Uncertainty is
now variable and cannot be expressed as an absolute value.]

[Show calculations and sample workings. This is most easily done by screen shots of MS Excel formula.]

[The significant figures in the calculated DV should match the significant figures in the raw data. For example if
the uncertainty of raw data is ±0.01g then the % change should be 0.00 if the maximum value is greater than 1
and less than 10 and 00.0 if the maximum value is greater than 10, but less than 100.]

[Work out the mean and standard deviation of the calculated DV for each value of the IV. If no calculation is
made to determine the DV then simply the mean and standard deviation of the raw data.]

[The mean and standard deviations should be quoted in the same units and the same uncertainty, if present,
as the data they are calculated from.

[standard deviation should only be calculated if a minimum of 5 repeats is available]

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[The mean should be quoted to the same number of decimal places as the data it is are calculated from, the
standard deviation maybe quoted to an additional decimal place for clarity]

 For statistical tests:

- phrase the hypothesis in the null/alternate hypothesis format, if appropriate
- explain the steps in the calculation
- explain the meaning of the calculated values
- in the analysis explain what support the test offers for the research question]

[For non-standard calculations give a rationale for your chosen method.]

 Statistical Analysis Pointers:

 Collect as much data as possible so you can run statistical analysis on your data that is meaningful.
 Key descriptive statistics include the mean (the arithmetic average) and the standard deviation (the
amount of dispersion in the measures of a particular variable). You can use these descriptive
statistics, for example, to summarize average rates of growth in plants under different climate
conditions.
 Use the appropriate inferential statistics for your experiment to analyze your data and draw
conclusions.
 Inferential statistics refer to the range of procedures used for drawing conclusions about the
data in an experiment.
 Popular inferential techniques include tests of statistical significance (chi-square or t-test),
analysis of variance (anova test), factor analysis and linear regression.
 The nature of your science project and the types of questions you want to answer will help
determine the appropriate inferential statistical methods.
 Many statistical analysis tools are available in spreadsheet programs—all you do is input the
data and select the statistical test you want to complete; the program will provide a value that
you can interpret to determine the significance of your data.
 Often statistical tests provide a p-value that allows you to say whether a null hypothesis is
supported or rejected.
o A null hypothesis proposes that there is no significant difference between experimental
groups, or between an experimental group and a control group.
o A supported null hypothesis indicates there was no significant effect of your I.V.
o A rejected null hypothesis indicates there was a difference between groups, probably
not due to random chance.

 [Included graphs]
[For almost all investigations an appropriate graph can be added]

[Graph(s) should be of processed data, not raw data] i.e. means

[At least one graph should resemble the one used in the hypothesis]

[Graph axis labels, units and uncertainty should directly reflect the headers used in the processed data table]

[Numbers displayed on the axes should be to same number of decimal places as the data they are based on.]

[Graph titles should be descriptive and refer to the axes labels]

[Graphs should occupy a minimum of ½ a page, the larger it is, the easier it is to read]
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[The default choice of graph should be a scatter plot. If comparing means, i.e. the data is in the 2 IV values x 15
repeats format, then bar charts maybe chosen instead, though a scatter plot will work]

[If standard deviation is available error bars based upon it should be added, if not error bars should be base
upon the range.]

[The source of the error bars should be explicitly declared. It is recommended that this is included directly
under the title, but in a smaller font.]

[If the data is in the 5 IV values x 5 repeats format and a trend is apparent then a straight lines joining the data
points should be added.]

[If looking for trend/correlation, i.e. the data is in the 5 IV values x 5 repeats format]
[Comment on the processed/calculated data:
- Is there a pattern to the data? Positive/negative correlation, straight line, bell shaped curve, u-
shaped, s-shaped, does it plateau?
- Quote values in the description.

[Comment on error bars:

- How large are the error bars? The smaller they are the stronger the correlation is.
- Are there any anomalies in the raw data that explain abnormal large error bars?
- Do the size of the error bars make a valid conclusion difficult to reach?

[If comparing means, i.e. the data is in the 2 IV values x 15 repeats format]
[Comment on the processed data:
- Is one bar on the chart/mean value is higher than the other? Quote values and names of the IV
values.]

[Comment on error bars:

- Is there an overlap of error bars? The larger the overlap the less likely the means are to be
significantly different from each other.
- Does a t-test confirm the observations made in the previous point?
- Are the error bars similarly sized? If different does this indicate possible errors or simply natural
variation?
- Are there any anomalies in the raw data that explain abnormal large error bars?
- Do the size of the error bars make a valid conclusion difficult to reach? This maybe already
answered if the t-test is available]

[For all]
[Comments on the raw data should be in reference to anomalies or unusual trends, in the main when talking
about data the focus should be processed data and mean values.]

[Comment on the qualitative data:

- What impact might the qualitative data of had upon the findings?
- Does it make the measurements likely to be skewed, i.e. all too large or too small?
- Does the qualitative data indicate a possible reason for the natural variation seen in the data?
- Does the qualitative data make it more difficult to come to a valid conclusion?]

[Discussion of the size of the uncertainties compared to the magnitude of the data collected. Is the validity of
the conclusion affected?]
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CONCLUSION
Refer back to scientific theory and the citation(s):
- What do the results indicate in terms of the IV and DV?
- How does the DV link to, and help answer, the research question?
- Does the data support accepted theory?
- Are the results consistent with published data?
- Discuss the data in relation to scientific theory.]

Justify what is judged to be the level of support (use the correct language) for the hypothesis by referring to
points/arguments made previously in the analysis.

Refer back to the research question, better restate it and discuss how well it has been possible to answer it

EVALUATIONS IMPROVEMENTS AND NEXT STEPS

Evaluation of experimental errors

weakness/source of error possible effect on data and suggested improvement
magnitude of weakness/error
Independent variable
 [Appropriate range chosen?]
 [Manipulated effectively?]
Dependent variable
 [Method of measurement
effective?]
 [Precise enough equipment
used?]
Control variables
 [Was each control variable
effectively controlled or not?]
Uncontrolled errors
 [Did std dev / qualitative data
indicate any impact of
biological variation?]
 [Was effective monitoring
carried out to minimize the
impact of these variables?]
 [Could these errors be
controlled?]
Qualitative Data
 [Observations might well be
used implicitly in other
sections]
 [How might have the
observations made affected
the investigation?]

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APPENDIX
The appendix is for supplementary information. Raw data too lengthy to be included in the results section of
the text may be placed here only if absolutely necessary for understanding the paper. Remember that
summary data should be in the “Results” section. All materials in this section must meet the same
requirements as the text of the paper.

TOPICS TO AVOID

The following contains examples of topics that you will want to avoid for your science fair project.
Topic to Avoid Why?
Any topic that boils down to a simple preference or Such experiments don't involve the kinds of
taste comparison. For example, "Which tastes numerical measurements we want in a science fair
better: Coke or Pepsi?" project. They are more of a survey than an
experiment.
Most consumer product testing of the "Which is These projects are more of a marketing project and
best?" type. This includes comparisons of popcorn, only have scientific validity if the investigator fully
bubblegum, make-up, detergents, cleaning products, understands the science behind why the product
and paper towels. works and applies that understanding to the
experiment. While many consumer products are
easy to use, the science behind them is often at the
level of a graduate student in college.
Any topic that requires people to recall things they The data tends to be unreliable.
did in the past.

Effect of music or talking on plants Difficult to measure.

Effect of running, music, video games, or almost
anything on blood pressure
Effect of color on memory, emotion, mood, taste,
strength, etc.
Any topic that requires measurements that will be
extremely difficult to make or repeat, given your
equipment.
Any topic that requires dangerous, hard to find,
expensive, or illegal materials.
Graphology or handwriting analysis
Astrology or ESP
Any project in violation of state law, federal law,
state science fair rules, or International Science &
Engineering Fair rules.
The result is either obvious (the heart beats faster
when you run) or difficult to measure with proper
controls (the effect of music).
Highly subjective and difficult to measure.
Without measurement, you can't do science.
We care about your safety and your parents'
pocketbook.
Questionable scientific validity.
No scientific validity.
In brief, you may not do a project that involves:
working with bacteria (except in a designated,
qualified lab), unacceptable risk (physical or
psychological) to a human subject, collection of
tissue samples from living humans or vertebrate
animals, drugging, pain, injury to a live vertebrate
animal, or use of illegal or prohibited materials

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YOU’VE CHOSEN A TOPIC? HOW DOES YOUR TOPIC MEASURE UP?

The following table will help you check to see if the research topic/question is both narrow and interesting
enough to work.

What Makes a Good Science Fair Question For a Good Topic, You Should Answer "Yes" to All
Is the topic interesting enough to read about AND
Yes / No
work on for the next couple months?
Can you find at least 5 sources of written
Yes / No
information on the subject?
Can you measure changes to the important variables
using a number that represents a quantity such as a
count, length, width, weight, voltage, time, etc.?
Or, just as good, is your variable one that is simply
present or not present? Yes / No
For example,
o Lights ON in one trial, then lights OFF in
another trial,
o Incremental increases of your variable.
If your data is qualitative, are you able to make a
Yes / No
scale to convert it to quantitative data?
Can you control other factors that might influence
the variables, so that they do not interfere with your Yes / No
experiment?

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