Choosing a Science Fair Project Topic

Primary Areas for Finding a Topic: Your Interests, Experiences, and Resources

The first step in the process of selecting a topic is simple but extremely important: pick an area of science in which you have some particular interest, experience, or resources available to you. You may wonder if this is really necessary, especially if your science fair project is a required part of your science class grade for the semester. You may think that any project topic will do as long as it helps you to make the grade. If you are thinking this way, please think again. Even if you did not choose to do a science fair project, picking a topic that you are interested in or know something about is really important! There are several reasons why. First, you are going to be with your project topic for quite possibly a few months or longer. If you don’t pick the right topic, you will be bored stiff! Second, if you want to do a top-notch job, you will need to choose something that you can feel passionate about. It’s guaranteed to be reflected in your work. Third, you are going to have to live the life of a dedicated researcher for a period of time. If you don’t have any idea what kind of work the project entails, you won’t get very far. “A Study of the Applications of Single Crystal Carbon Nanotubes” may sound like a winning topic, but if you know absolutely nothing about this subject, have no experience with this area of science, and do not have the materials or resources to help you with this topic (see “Find a Good Mentor” later in this chapter), it’s probably not going to work for you. Do yourself a favor and look closely at your interests, experience, and resources before settling on a topic. And remember, there is nothing worse than being unhappy with your topic and feeling like you’re stuck with it. Do not be afraid to get out of it and find another topic if you do happen to become bored or disinterested with your original idea.

Think about Your Interests

One suggestion to help you in approaching your topic is to make a list of general science categories that you really like. Then go through your list and classify each category into subcategories of interest. For example, if one of the categories you listed was medicine and health, some subcategories might include nutrition, diet, and perhaps vitamin supplements. Chances are good that you will find yourself more interested in one area of science than another. Such preferences usually indicate good possibilities for topics. If, for example, you chose vitamin supplements as your subject, you should then try to identify a particular aspect of this subject that you want to investigate. For example, do you want to study the effects of plant compounds known as polyphenols in inhibiting the damaging effects of free radicals, or do you want to see how they interact with certain overthe- counter drugs? If one of the categories you listed was zoology, some subcategories might include wildlife, birds, and environmental conditions affecting their lives. If you chose environmental conditions affecting the life of birds, you should determine whether you want to study something like the atmospheric conditions that influence their migration, or how atmospheric conditions affect their life span. These are just a few examples of how you would develop a topic from your selected subject area. For more lists of scientific categories and subcategories that can be broken down into topics. Remember, your best choice for a topic is a subject in which you have a particular interest. While it is helpful to have some knowledge of the topic before you choose it, this is not essential. Unless you pick a topic that is very challenging, if you are interested and resourceful, you will learn what you need to know.

Think about Your Experiences

Another way to select a topic is to examine your past experiences. Do you have any skills or experience in a particular area of science? For example, perhaps you dismantled your personal computer to troubleshoot a problem and noticed that the microprocessor was rather hot. Perhaps you wondered if the heat would be detrimental to the microprocessor or if there was some type of device or material inside your computer that protected the microprocessor from the heat. Your curiosity might have led you to read about heat sinks, which are designed to draw heat from microprocessors. As you read about heat sinks you might have wondered if the metal composition of a heat sink would affect its ability to draw the most heat. Such an experience makes an excellent example of how you would derive a topic from a past experience.

Another way to find a topic from past experiences is to recall any unusual experiences you have had. For example, perhaps you once felt that your eyesight sharpened whenever you ate a certain vegetable, or perhaps you discovered a rare type of moss growing on a tree stump in your backyard that repelled insects. You may have wondered whether the material that enabled your watch dial to glow in the dark also emitted radiation that was affecting your environment. Or, you might remember personal experiences that lead you to investigate or conduct research because the subject was near and dear to you. For example, perhaps your beloved pet cat developed feline fatty liver disease, an often fatal disease for cats that usually does not show any symptoms until it is too late to treat. Your difficult experience with your pet cat might have led you to research the subject to see how you could help your cat, and it may have provided you with the opportunity to work closely with your family veterinarian in the diagnosis and treatment of your cat. Personal experiences such as these are excellent sources for project ideas.

Tap into Your Resources

While thinking about your interests and past experiences, do not forget the personal resources you have at your disposal. They are excellent to consult for a topic and can become very instrumental to you as you progress through your science fair project. So think about people you know and how they might be able to assist you in finding your topic. In the example of the feline fatty liver disease, such an experience might have fostered a good relationship with the family veterinarian, an excellent personal resource to consult about developing a zoological science idea into a science fair project topic. In the example, the family veterinarian might be able to assist you in your study and testing of feline fatty liver disease. The great thing about personal resources is that they are all around you and their advice is free (hopefully). These individuals do not have to be scientists, engineers, or doctors in order for you to tap into their background and find a great topic. For example, start in your own home. What does your mom or dad do professionally? If your dad works in building and construction, he might be a great resource for a topic that would investigate something like the durability of concrete. As you talk more and more with him about this subject you may be able to develop a topic such as the effects of spray-coated fiber reinforcement on the strength of concrete. If your cousin is an accomplished violinist, he or she might be a great resource for a topic that would investigate instrument sound quality, pitch, and so on. As you talk to him about the subject, you might come up with a topic such as the effects of rosin on the sound quality of a violin. If your next-door neighbor works for your state’s department of transportation, he might make an excellent resource for a topic that might investigate traffic patterns, traffic lights, and rush hour traffic, which could lead to a topic in this area. Personal resources, such as family, friends, and professional contacts, can help you to find a great topic.

Secondary Areas for Finding a Topic: Scientific Abstracts, the Internet, Traditional Periodicals, and Current and Local Topics of Interest

Research Scientific Abstracts

Another possible source for a good topic is scientific abstracts. Abstracts can be located in bound scientific journals that are usually available at your local college or university library. These specialized journals are used primarily by science professionals. Articles are generally grouped into two classes: research experimental reports and reviews of scientific literature. Monthly issues are published in accordance with a cumulative subject and author index that is published annually. But remember, if you look through scientific abstracts, be sure to examine them in a field of study that you are interested in.

Research the Internet and Electronic Periodicals

Since so many great Web sites come and go over a short period of time, it was not feasible to list all of the great science fair topic idea Web sites online at the time this book was written. However, the 10 Web sites and electronic scientific magazines listed on the following page have great content and have been online for a while, so we hope they will still be around by the time you read this. They offer terrific resources and ideas that you can use to generate a science fair topic.

Research Magazines and Other Traditional Periodicals

Another area to investigate if you have not already thought of a topic is the periodical literature in your field of interest. Go to your local library and look through the most recent magazines and newsletters in the field you have chosen. These are effective aids in finding and researching a topic because they are concise and up-to-date. Magazines such as National Geographic (www.nationalgeographic.com), Discover Magazine (www.discover.com), Popular Science (www.popsci.com/popsci), Popular Mechanics (www. popularmechanics.com), Mother Earth News (www.motherearthnews.com), Scientific American (www.scientificamerican.com), and Prevention (www. prevention.com) and most computer and technology magazines are the best traditional journals to consult while searching for an original topic.

Research Current Topics or Local Topics of Interest

Keep in mind, too, that a successful project tends to be one that works with a new technology, problem, issue of current interest, or a novel approach to an ongoing problem. For example, back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the main concern of many Americans was the energy crisis issue, so projects that involved energy themes fared well at that time. In the 1990s and even today, environmental issues remain popular. And now, in the new millennium, many students have been interested in projects with themes concerning all aspects of wireless communications, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, urban planning problems, and medicine and health issues. A good place to look up current issues or technologies is America Online. Just type in the key words “health,” “science,” or “computers” and you will retrieve many recent news articles in these subject areas that can be helpful in finding a topic that is related to a subject of popular current interest. Also, while browsing America Online be sure to check out the key word “science fair.” It brings up some helpful content and advice for doing a science fair project and includes a few message boards where you can interact with other students to get ideas or advice for your science fair project.

Another area to tap into is your own backyard. Certain topics and problems are ideal for your geographic location. For example, a review of science fair projects at a current regional science fair in Texas revealed that some projects focused on issues relating to oil refineries, weather, and space science, while at a recent Florida regional fair, projects dealt with the eradication of insects, marine and aquatic sciences, and agriculture. These geographically localized areas of science can provide some terrific topics that may be ideal for you in terms of your location, whereas they might not be as ideal for students located elsewhere. Take advantage of where you live and your local resources.

Other Areas for Finding a Topic: Local, State, or Regional Science Fairs, and Science Fair Workshops

One of the best ways to get ideas is to surround yourself with them. If you are still having trouble finding a science fair project topic, try visiting a local school, regional, or state science fair. If you cannot get to the science fair in person, turn to Appendix B in the back of this book, which contains a list of over one hundred actual science fair project titles taken from award-winning science fair projects at a variety of recent state and regional Intel ISEF–affiliated science fairs. The topics are broken down by Intel ISEF categories of science. Or log on to the Internet and visit some of the Intel ISEF. You will get to see the quality of science fair project work performed by middle school and high school students at some of these Web sites, as well as what topics are current and interesting to you.

Attend a Science Fair Workshop

Many state and regional science fairs hold workshops for students during the summer and fall to help students understand the science fair project process overall, as well to show them how to focus in on a particular scientific field and narrow it down into a specific scientific question or problem for the upcoming year’s science fair. Many of these workshops offer smaller sessions in various fields of science, mathematics, and engineering. By attending one of these workshops, not only will you be able to develop your science fair project topic, but, you will have the opportunity to meet some valuable contacts. You could even find a mentor to guide you in your research, and perhaps assist you in accessing valuable testing equipment or the facilities of a research laboratory. More information about working with a mentor appears later in this chapter.

A word of caution: While it is beneficial to visit a local, state, or regional science fair to see what a winning science fair project looks like and to get ideas, do not attend a science fair for the purpose of copying another student’s work. Not only would this be plagiarism, but you would not achieve success by showing up at the following year’s science fair with the identical project that won at a previous year’s fair. Science fair administrators and judges will easily remember a winning entry from a previous fair and would possibly disqualify your entry if they sense you copied another student’s work.