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How to Create a Winning Project. |
- Pick a Worthy Topic
- Pick a topic that interests you, challenges you, and hasn't been done in every science fair since the dawn of time. Let's face it, it's difficult to find a totally unique subject, but judges are not impressed with topics they've seen again and again. There's no substitute for diligent and exhaustive research when looking for a suitable topic.
- Avoid Cookbook Topics
- If you find detailed cookbook-like instructions for a project, it's usually been done to death. Publications and web sites offering these types of projects are of limited help.
- Find a Mentor
- Find a mentor who's an expert in the area you're studying. Read articles, find one you like and understand, then contact the author and ask a intelligent question about it. If he or she answers, then attempt to keep the conversation (via e-mail) going. With luck it will develop into a mentoring relationship. Nearby colleges and universities are also good sources for mentors. Note: finding a mentor is the single most important element for developing a quality project.
- Find a Sponsor
- Find a sponsor who can help you get the resources you need for your project. Often this is a well connected teacher. It's good if your mentor and sponsor can be the same person, but the sponsor does not need to understand all the technical details of your project. He or she does need to understand how to get things done.
- Research Background Information in Detail
- Read and learn as much as possible about your subject. You should know how to explain it and answer questions beyond the immediate project. If you have done a thorough job of research in picking your topic, background research will be easy.
- Collect Lots of Data
- Generate and replicate lots of data points. The single biggest weakness of science fair projects is the fact that they tend to draw sweeping conclusions with inadequate amounts of data.
Analyze Data With Statistical Tools: Use statistical analysis. Again, this is a major weakness of many projects. Graphs alone are not as powerful as graphs with statistical analysis.
Put Together a Powerful Presentation: Yes, your backboard's quality is very important but nothing can compensate if you are unable to talk about your project. Put together a short jargon-free presentation for judges who are not experts on your project and a second more technical one for judges who are, then practice, practice, practice. Have a knowledgeable person ask you questions to make sure you are prepared beyond your presentation. How you communicate is a major factor in how judges will perceive your project.
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Computer Related Projects |
There's a saying that eventually biology turns into chemistry; chemistry turns into physics; and physics turns into math. The underlying thought: any movement towards mathematics results in greater certainty and speed of development. Mathematical models are incredibly powerful for predicting things like whether a bridge will collapse or an aircraft fly.
However, getting mathematical models to converge on a solution can be all but impossible. Computers can frequently solve these problems with ease using a variety of techniques including numerical algorithms, Monte Carlo simulations and brute force calculation power. Computer models are revolutionizing science.
The use of computers is no longer limited to math and computer science projects. Use the ideas below for search terms in Google or the Wikipedia as possible starting points for researching your topic.
- Artificial Intelligence: This attempt to simulate the human brain functions. This includes neural networks which are computer programs which learn.
- Artificial Life: Uses computer simulations to derive general theories about life. the Scientific American article "ARTIFICIAL LIFE: Boids of a Feather Flock Together" is a great place to start.
- Cellular automata: Cellular automata are computer programs that try to simulate life at the cellular level. They attempt to explain how undifferentiated cells can divide and become complex structures such as appendages.
- Chaos Theory: This deals with non linear systems which can become chaotic. It includes various forms of turbulence, animal populations, climate and the stock market.
- Fractals: These use relatively simple iterated equations to produce elaborate graphics.
- Number Series: There are many different type. Computers are commonly used to discover new members of various series. This includes the search for perfect numbers, mersenne primes, etc.
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Want a Hot Topic? Try Bioinformatics |
Bioinformatics combines biology and computer Science. Currently, genome information is coming in faster than it can be analyzed. Many web sites are available with genetic sequence data as long strings of made up of the letters A, C, G, and T. It's relatively easy from a programming standpoint to write programs which analyze these strings for various forms of information.
Where to Start:
Dolan DNA Learning Center: the world's first science center devoted entirely to public genetics education with a web page featuring everything from video clips to Geneboy, a tool for exploring bioinformatics.
South Carolina DNA Learning Center: located at Clemson University offers all kind of training including hands-on Saturday courses open to the public.
Gene Gateway: an huge site with all kinds of genome information. This is the place to start when looking for sequence data.
Entrez Nucleotides database: contains an exhaustive amount of human genome sequence data from several sources organized by chromosome. Identifies areas of chromosomes thought to be associated with susceptibility to numerous types of diseases, disorders, and defects.
Bioalgorithms Web Site: A web site to accompany the book An Introduction to Bioinformatics Algorithms (see below). The site offers just the right amount of information to help get started in bioinformatics.
Some References
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Bioinformatics for Dummies
(Paperback) by Jean-Michel Claverie, Cedric Notredame This book is highly recommended by readers at Amazon.com and, for a technical book is reasonably priced. It's one of the best places to start learning about the field.
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An introductory college text that is readable and packed with useful information. One of the best starting points for getting into bioinformatics.
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