Investigatory Project Essay

1. Get an idea. All of the following steps will base on your idea. Make sure it doesn’t break any rule or else you might get disqualified. You can search for it if you don’t have any idea. 2. Form a title. Usually titles are in a form of a question. This are examples. The question can start in how, does and many other. Does temperature affect the growth of molds? Does salt affect the density of water? 3. Research your idea. You have to know your idea more. You can do this by reading, surfing the Internet or discussing it. Knowing your idea more will help you construct your work. 4. Form a hypothesis. Hypothesis will be your prediction in the idea that you choose. You don’t need to research for this. You just have to guess. Make sure it is accurate and clear. 5. Plan your experiment. Your experiment will confirm your hypothesis. Make sure the experiment will answers or really confirms the hypothesis. 6. Plan your materials. You will need on your experiment. Make sure they are easy to buy and cheap. As much as possible, plan materials that is already in your house. 7. Test your experiment. Use the steps that you have planed. If all else fails try a different step or a different material. If you really want to win the science fair, this will be a big step for you. 8. Observe the result. Sometimes it is in a form of a graph but it depends on your work. You can write it in a journal so you can review it. 9. Have a conclusion. Now that you have confirmed your hypothesis, it’s time to write a conclusion. You can answer the question in your title. You may also tell if your hypothesis is correct or not. Again, make sure it is accurate and clear. Most of us have conducted an investigatory science project without even knowing it—or at least without knowing that’s what it was called. Most science experiments performed, from elementary to high school students and all the way up to professional scientists, are investigatory projects. What’s an Investigatory Project Exactly? An investigatory project is basically any science experiment where you start with an issue or problem and conduct research or an investigation to decide what you think the outcome will be. After you’ve created your hypothesis or  proposal, you can conduct a controlled experiment using the scientific method to arrive at a conclusion. What’s the Scientific Method? Remember, however, that a successful investigatory science project does not necessarily have to result in the intended outcome. The purpose of these projects is to think critically, and if the solution doesn’t work out, that doesn’t mean your project will fail. What Kind of Investigatory Projects Are There? In order to conduct a great investigatory experiment, you have to ask an interesting question and be able to conduct an experiment that can hopefully answer that question. The harder and more intriguing the initial question is, the better the resulting investigation and experiment will be. I’ve listed a few examples below of some of the best investigatory experiments out there, so hopefully you’ll have no problem coming up with an idea. Project #1: Making Soap Out of Guava Basic hygiene should be available to everyone, but what about people who live in areas without easy access to grocery stores or pharmacies? This is a great question that makes you think about scientific alternatives to store-bought soap. Below is an example project that creates soap from guava leaf extract and sodium hydroxide, but there’s no shortage of materials you can use to replace the guava, like coconut oil or a fat like lard, butter or even the grease from your kitchen. Doing an investigatory project considers as a major achievement of any students in Science. Through scientific investigation, they learn how to apply the acquired knowledge, scientific concepts, theories, principles and laws of nature. They can use their higher-order process or thinking skills in conducting a research. Let us provide you a brief description of the parts of the Science Investigatory Project Report below. Title The Title should be clear and precise. It has an objective or purpose. It should not be written too long or too short. By just reading the title, you can determine what the investigative study is all about. Abstract The Abstract should be one or two paragraphs only. It includes your research problems, the method or procedure that you used and the findings or conclusion of the study. Chapter I 1. Introduction and Its Background The Introduction is about one page only wherein it includes the background of the study and its rationale. It usually leads into the research problem. 2. Statement of the Problem The Statement of the Problem has two categories namely: the general problem and specific problems. Usually, one general problem and three specific problems which derived from the general problem. The research problems should be specific, reliable,valid, measurable, objectively stated. It can be a question form or in a declarative statement. 3. Formulation of the Hypothesis The Formulation of the Hypothesis has two types namely: the null hypothesis and affirmative hypothesis. Hypotheses is a scientific guess which intends subject for thorough investigation. It is recommended to use null hypothesis in your research project. 4. Significant of the Study The Significant of the Study indicates how important is your investigatory project for the people, environment and community as a whole. It is really relevant in the changing world or global impact into the field of technology. 5. Scope and Delimitation of the Study The Scope and Delimitation of the Study covers the range of your research. It includes the period of research, the materials and equipment to be used, the subject of the study or the sample of the study, the procedure and the statistical treatment to be used. 6. Definition of Terms The Definition of Terms has two types: the Dictionary-derived definitions and the Operational definitions which derived from how these terms were used in your research. Chapter II Review of Related Literature and Studies Related Literature The Related Literature are statements taken from science books, journals, magazines, newspapers and any documents from authorized scientists, Science experts or well-known Science agencies. These statements can support your study through their concepts, theories, principles and laws. Footnoting is important on this part. Related Studies The Related Studies are those researches which may be local and foreign studies who can attribute to your research or can support your investigation scientifically. Footnoting is also important on this part. Chapter III Methodology has several parts namely: the subject of the study, the procedure and the statistical treatment 1. The Subject of the Study The Subject of the Study includes your population and the sample. It applies the sampling techniques to obtain a good sample of the study. Your sample should be valid and reliable. 2. The Procedure The Procedure is the step by step and systematic process of doing your research. It includes the materials with right amount of measurements, the appropriate equipment to be used in doing the scientific investigation. It consists of several trials with control variables, independent variables and dependent variables. Gathering of data is essential in any kind of research. It is recommended to use control and experimental set-ups to arrive at valid conclusion. 3. The Statistical Treatment The Statistical Treatment comes in various ways. It can be mean, median, mode, percentage, Chi-square, standard deviation, T-test, Pearson r, Spearman rank or Anova I or Anova II. It is recommended to use T-test in any experimental research. Chapter IV Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data 1. Presentation of Data, Analysis and Interpretation of Data The data gathered should be presented in order to be analyzed. It may be presented in two forms namely: through table or graph. You may use both of them if you want to clearly figure out your data. A table has labels with quantity, description and units of measurement. Graph has several types namely the  line graph, bar graph, pie graph and pictograph. Choose what type of graph that you prefer to use. Analyze the data that had been gathered, presented in table or graph scientifically. You interpret the data according to what had been quantified and measured. The numerical data should be interpreted clearly in simple and descriptive statements. 2. Results Results show the findings or outcomes of your investigation. The result must be based according to the interpreted data. Chapter V Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation 1. Summary The Summary briefly summarizes your research from Chapter I to Chapter IV which includes the research problems, methodology and findings. It consists of one or two paragraphs only. 2. Conclusion The Conclusion is the direct statement based on findings or results. It should answer your hypothesis and research problems. 3. Recommendation The Recommendation is given based on your conclusion. You may give few recommendations which you think can help the fellow Science students, researchers, consumers or the entire community where people live in.