Once you have picked a topic that interests you for your science fair project, ideally you must do some background research on the topic. This will yield you enough information to allow you to make a good hypothesis to experiment on for the project.

You can collect information from the library, science related websites and even your friends and teachers. This information will be the basis for your making up your hypothesis and so you need to be sure that the information you have is accurate and relevant.

So how do you know if the information from the background release is good or bad? The first indicator is the source of the information. If it comes from a teacher it has more credibility than if it comes from your classmate.  Of course you will have to ensure that the teacher has no bias towards one point of view.

Another factor is the age of the information. As you know new discoveries can out date old knowledge in science very fast. So make sure that the information that you collect is the latest in the field. Also ensure that you made no mistakes in understanding that information. Errors in the hypothesis could creep in if you did not know what the information you accessed actually meant. This would effectively ruin the science project.

In the last blog post the importance of background research was proved beyond doubt for any science fair project topic. In this one we talk of dividing that background research into three parts that will allow you to actually do comprehensive and relevant research.

You have picked the hypothesis and now it is time to isolate the keywords in the possible hypothesis and the topic that you are researching. This will allow you ease of access if you are using the internet based search engines for your research. It will also allow you to organize your research data better. So the first part of background research is to pick your keywords.

Now comes the second and more difficult part. This is writing the research questions. Unlike the hypothesis that covers the whole topic, the research questions will ask very specific queries. These would be related to the different stages of the experiment that you are conducting for the hypothesis. Make these questions as graphic and specific as possible to help the project.

The third part is to take cognizance of the different concepts and areas of science that you are dealing with while conducting the science fair project experiments. This will allow you to research the topic better in a traditional library. Once your background research is through, you can move in to the next phase of the science project.

Once you have picked a topic and made a hypothesis that you wish to test for your science project you need to begin your research. The background research that you put into your project can make a world of a difference to the quality of project you finally end up with.

By writing a comprehensive background research plan you will save yourself considerable time and effort. This research will help you identify the techniques and the equipment that you can use in the topic that your science fair project is based on.

The actual reading you do during the research phase will also give you a better idea of the theory behind the topic that you have chosen for the hypothesis. It will allow you to make your prediction in the hypothesis better.

Another important part of research is networking with other people working on similar projects. You need to talk to others who are involved in experiments like the ones you are contemplating doing. Find out the practical problems that may crop up during the experiments and ask how they deal with them.

A general question does not lead to good research. Make your research questions as specific and graphic as possible.  That way you will probably have most of the answers even before you begin working on the actual science fair project.

If you are the kind of student who likes to prepare well in advance for any eventuality, you would like to go through this set of ten questions that you must ask yourself before you settle on a topic for your science fair project.

Question 1 – Is the topic interesting to you.

As you will be working on the science fair project for a fair amount of time the project needs to interest you.

Question 2 – Can the variables in the project be measured with ease?

As you will need to present your results in a tangible manner it is important that the variables be measured properly.

Question 3 – Is the equipment available?

Every experiment needs some equipment and you need to make sure that you can access the right equipment to conduct your experiments.

Question 4 – Is it safe to experiment without adult supervision?

Some experiments involving heat or electricity are best performed in the presence of a knowledgeable adult.

Question 5 – How much will the materials cost?

It may be a simple enough experiment but if you have costly materials involved it may be difficult to conduct repeat experiments.

Question 6 – how much time will the project need?

You need to have some schedule planned out for the successful culmination of the science fair project.

Question 7 – Is the project a common one?

Please do not do the ordinary projects. Pick one which is going to tell the judges that you enjoy being challenged.

Question 8 – Does the project follow the rules of the science fair?

Some materials or experiments, such as those on another human being, may be restricted in the rules of the science fair and now is the time to check this information out.

Question 9 – Do you have at least 3 written sources to read?

While it may be simple you will still need to quote some written sources for your hypothesis.

Question 10 – Will you have support?

It is often not possible to go solo on a science fair project so it would be a good idea to team up with someone.

If using the scientific method is becoming confusing as applicable to your science fair project, consider this the answer to your problem. These simple five steps are all it takes to apply the scientific method to your project.

Frame a Question

The question you ask will be the crux of this science project. So think deep before you stick with the one you are going base the project on. If it is something that interests you all the better.

Do some research

Check what you will need to do to answer this question. Is there a procedure that you can perform on your own? Do you need any specialized equipment, and if you do, can you get access to some?

Now make a hypothesis

A hypothesis is an educated guess. This guess is the supposed answer to the question that you framed at the beginning of the scientific method. The research you do will help make you form a good hypothesis.

Experiment to test the hypothesis

Once you decide how you are going to test the hypothesis get experimenting. Make sure you keep good records of all the experiments that you perform. This will help you prove or negate the hypothesis at the end of the science fair project.

Present your results

This is the final outcome which you bring to the science fair. You are able to answer the question that you asked through a hypothesis using the scientific method. Now you need to communicate just how you did that.