1. How to do a Science
Project ?
The Research Paper

2. Parts of a Research
Paper
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Purpose
• Hypothesis
• Materials
• Procedure/Experimental Process
• Results
• Conclusion
• Credits/Reference Page/Sources

3. Title Page
• Your project's name (it can be
in the form of a question) Your
name, school and grade.
• This page is NOT NUMBERED
Example: Project Name
Student Name(s)
Garrett Middle School
Grade

4. Table of Contents
• List the parts of your report (Introduction,
Hypothesis and Research,
Procedure/Experiment, etc)
and the page numbers where they begin.
(This will be done last).
• This page will not be numbered.
• Example:
1
5

5. Introduction
• This is an SUMMARY/overview
of your research PAPER
• The introduction is a
statement of your purpose,
along with background
information that led you to
make this study.
• Includes all parts of the
scientific method.

6. Intro (continued)
• It should contain :
-background info/review of literature
-brief statement of your problem, how you plan to
investigate it & a hypothesis based on your
research/background info.
(In other words, it should state what information or
knowledge you had that led you to hypothesize the
answer to the project's problem question. Make
references to information or experiences that led
you to choose the project's purpose). In other
words, MAKE your background info RELEVANT !!!!!
MAKE IT CONNECT TO THE RESEARCH you are
doing!!

7. Intro (continued)
• Does not have to exceed 3
pages.

8. Purpose
• Explain the point of the
experiment.
• Why was this so important that
it had to be tested.
• What implications will your
study have in the future?
• “Worthiness”

9. Purpose (continued)
• One comprehensive statement
Purpose
pg 3
Purpose
The purpose of
This study was
to investigate
………

10. Hypothesis
• Your educated prediction.
• What you think the results will
be and why.
• Does not have to exceed a
sentence or two
• You do not express the “REAL”
results in this section.

11. Hypothesis ( continued)
• ONE BRIEF COMPREHENSIVE STATEMENT
Pg 4
Hypothesis
It is hypothesized that
the ……..

12. Materials
• List what you used in the experimental
research.
Materials
1 box of chalk
1 generator
2 wire hangers
1 Hot plate

13. Procedure
• Explain what you did in detail.
• Drawings/Diagrams can be included.
• Procedural Steps should be in
outline or paragraph form
• Write the experimental procedure
CLEARLY so that anyone could
follow them and expect to get the
same results . “like a recipe”

14. Procedure (cont)
• Example: outline format

15. Results
• Describe what happened, what
you observed. Show your data
• BE CLEAR
• Just report the facts. You are
not drawing any conclusions at
this point.

16. Conclusion
• Describe your interpretation of your
results.
• Look over your notes, charts, and log and
write what you think your data shows.
• You can put your opinions here. Was your
hypothesis (what you expected to happen)
correct?
• Don't be afraid to say that you might have
made a mistake somewhere. Great
discoveries can come from what we learn
from mistakes!

17. Conclusions (cont)
• This is where you will give further
thoughts & details about your
results.
• You can put your opinions here. Was
your hypothesis (what you expected
to happen) correct?
• Don't be afraid to say that you might
have made a mistake somewhere.
Great discoveries can come from
what we learn from mistakes!

18. Conclusion (continued)
• Be sure to state the limitations
of your project
• Be sure that you have
considered all variables & how
they had an effect on your
experiment. How did they
influence the outcome?

19. Reference Page
• List of books, articles,
pamphlets, people you talked to
and any other sources you used
for researching your idea and
writing your paper.
• Giving credit to the sources
you used.

20. Reference Page
FORMAT
Last name of author (or person
you talked to), First name, "Title
of article or chapter", Title of
source (book title , magazine title
or "Conversation"), Place where
published: Publisher name, Date,
volume: pages.

21. Reference Page
(examples)
• (Ex1)Jones, Thomas A., "The
Development of the Chick"
Animal Development Magazine,
June 1976, Vol. 16:27-34.
• (ex2) Peracchio, Laura,
Telephone Conversation, Feb.
15, 1993.

22. Now, Get to Work !!!!!