When we are in school it happens that we are excited for all the events and we can’t keep our excitement to ourselves. All the events be it science expo, bake sale, literature fair, etc. it chills our spine to its core. But what is fun for us at one point of time can become the biggest of our headaches.
Scientists are born by experimenting with the knickknacks in the garage. Biggest and smartest scientists have done this thing. Most of the children spend their time watching television and science does not amuse them as much as it does to other kids who can`t seem to keep their hands off anything which fascinates them or amazes them. For the kids who enjoy experimenting do not find science projects boring, but it is something they always look forward to. But for some it is the biggest nightmare and their parents also share the same feeling.
But nothing is impossible and all those who run away from science can also start liking it. We just have to follow some routine steps. First step is to find out which topic or particular field you are interested in. Once the field of interest is clear, then the student has a vision in his mind as to how to go about the project. After selecting the topic which seems perfect for the project, it would be good and appropriate to discuss with the teachers and friends about the topic. You can use magazines, TV commercials, books, science fair journals to find out the best way to go about the project.
After deciding the area of interest for the project, it is a time when we start working for the project so the starting step is to start writing everything that you think you might need for the project. After that a plan with details about the steps to complete the project has to be formed.
Before starting with the experiments, it would be good to do a background check to get some information on the topic. Such as if you have selected the topic on capability of humans to swim, then it is advised to first go through all the available literature and some concepts which exist such as for this particular topic theory given by Archimedes is significant. Before starting with the project, it is always good to take the opinions of experts and do some research about the topic.
After reviewing the literature and taking expert opinion, the next step is to form a hypothesis which will make sure that your experiment does not divert from the main topic which you have selected. Forming a hypothesis is a standard step which ensures to limit the research to the main topic as diverting from the topic wastes time and resources. By forming a hypothesis, the person gives a direction to the project and the goal which has to be achieved.
Forming a hypothesis is a smart step to give direction to the project and after it the person needs to design the experiment. Design or blueprint of the experiment will help in keeping track of the experiment and the steps taken by the person. Making a blueprint helps avoid mistakes as the person has the option to refer the blueprint back if any procedure seems to be out of the order.
Day by day we complete one experiment. While performing the experiment, it is advised to write down each and every step followed and keep a track of time and note it. Each and every reaction which happened and each and every result have to be logged. It is good to keep a log of your activities as it gets easier to track the mistakes by going through the log. It is a practice which is followed by all the scientists to log their activities so it gets easier for their successors to perform the same experiment and learn from it and verify the conclusions reached by the conductor of the procedure.
After performing the procedures and writing the results in the journal, the next step is to collect the information. After collecting the information, the person has to analyze the data or results got after conducting the procedure. The analysis of results will show if the results are in favor or not which means that if the desired results were produced or not. If the desired results are not produced then the procedure has to be repeated. After repeating the procedure, it is the time to analyze the results again and compare them from the previous results and see what is the difference and if there is any difference then how is it different. After doing this the procedure performed has to be analyzed thoroughly and it has to be checked that if any of the variables whether controlled or independent had a different impact. After analyzing the data, it is time to draw the conclusions from the results. Now it is the time when our research pays off, which means that if the experiment was successful or not. After confirming that the results prove the hypothesis, the most important task which is left is to prepare a report which talks about your experiment in a concise manner. The report or summary has to be precise yet clear. There should not be any ambiguous statements or vague remarks. If there is any need, then construct a model of your project to tell about the functioning of your project. And last but not the least, the person who conducted the experiment or carried out the project has to be very thorough with the whole procedure and results and should be ready to answer all the questions asked by the evaluators to avoid any confusions.
A science project can be better prepared by following a strict plan or procedure. Science runs by hard and fast rules and if the rules are followed in strict manner, the results produced can be very effective. And if there is a slight diversion from the procedure or if you miss any step in the whole project could fall apart.
