Do Project Research

Research Hints

Here are some hints to make research more productive:

1. Use many references from both printed sources—books, journals, magazines, and newspapers—and electronic sources—computer software and online sources.
2. Gather information from professionals—instructors, librarians, and scientists such as researchers, physicians, nurses, and veterinarians.
3. Perform exploratory experiments if applicable for your topic. Many of the projects in Part II can be used as exploratory experiments.

How successful you are with your project will depend largely on how well you understand your topic. The more you read and question people who know something about your topic, the broader your understanding will be. As a result, it will be easier for you to explain your project to other people, especially a science fair judge. There are two basic kinds of research: primary and secondary.

Primary Research

Primary research is information you collect on your own. This includes information from exploratory experiments you perform, surveys you take, interviews you conduct, and responses to your letters.

Interview people who have special knowledge about your topic. You may include teachers, doctors, scientists, or others whose careers require them to know something related to your topic. Let's say your topic is about butterflies. Who would know about entomology (the study of insects)? Start with your science teacher. He or she may have a special interest in insects or know someone who does. Is there a museum nearby with an exhibit of butterflies? You could also try the biology department of a local university.

Before contacting the people you want to interview, be prepared. Make a list of questions that you want to ask. Try discussing what you know about your topic with someone who knows nothing about it. This can force you to organize your thinking, and you may even discover additional questions to add to your list. Once your list is complete, you are ready to make your calls.

Simple rules of courtesy will better ensure that the person called is willing to help:

1. Identify yourself.
2. Identify the school you attend and your teacher.
3. Briefly explain why you are calling. Include information about your project and explain how you think the person can help you.
4. Request an interview time that is convenient for the person. This could be a telephone, face-to-face, or e-mail interview. Be sure to say that the interview will take about 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Ask if you may tape-record the interview. You can get more information if you are not trying to write down all the answers. The person may even have time when you call, so be prepared to start the interview.
6. Be on time and be ready to start the interview immediately. Also, be courteous and end the interview on time.
7. If the interview is through e-mail, make sure your questions are understandable and grammatically correct. You might ask someone to edit them before you send them.
8. After the interview, thank the person for his or her time and for the information provided.
9. Even if you send an e-mail thank-you, you may wish to send a written thankyou note as soon as possible after the interview, so be sure to record the person's name and address.

You may write letters requesting information instead of interviewing, or write letters in addition to interviewing. Check at the end of articles in periodicals for lists of names and addresses where you can obtain more information. Your librarian can help you find current periodicals related to your topic. If your project deals with a household product, check the packaging for the address of the manufacturer. Send your letter to the public relations department. Ask for all available printed material about your topic. Sign your letter and send it as soon as possible to allow time for material to be sent back to you. You can use a form letter similar to the one shown here to make it easier to send your questions to as many different people and organizations as you can find.

Secondary Research

Secondary research is information and/or data that someone else has collected. You may find this type of information in written sources (books, magazines, newspapers, and encyclopedias) and in electronic sources (CD-ROM encyclopedias, software packages, and online). When you use a secondary source, be sure to note where you got the information for future reference. If you are required to write a report, you will need the following information for a bibliography or to give credit for any quotes or illustrations you use:

Book. Author's name, title of book, publisher, city of publication, year of publication, and pages read or quoted.

Magazine or periodical. Author's name, title of article, title of magazine, volume number, issue number, date of publication, and page numbers of article.

Newspaper. Author's name, title of article, name of newspaper, city of publication, date of publication, and section and page numbers.

Encyclopedia. Name of encyclopedia, volume number, title of article, publisher, city of publication, year of publication, and page numbers of article.

CD-ROM encyclopedia or software package. Name of program, version or release number, name of supplier, and place where supplier is located.

Online documents. Author of document (if known), title of document, name of organization that posted the document, place where organization is located, date given on document, and online address or mailing address where document is available.