Student Area - Rules - Research Summary Format

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[Student Area|Teacher Area|Judge Area] Rules and Regulations
Animal Experimentation
Required Scientific Papers
Required Papers Guide
Research Involving Humans
Reference List Format
Research Summary Format

Research Summary Format

The components of the format of the Research Summary are described
below.

Title Page
See here for correct format.

Table of Contents
The list of topics or matter contained in the paper including page numbers.

Acknowledgments
A listing of persons or agencies that gave the student guidance and helped with this research. It may include a single individual, an organization, a hospital, or some other agency.

Purpose and Hypothesis
An explanation of what is to be accomplished by doing this research. A description of the expected outcome should be included.

Review of Literature
A discussion of the nature of the work that has been done on this problem. Materials with a copyright date of 1995 or later should be used whenever possible or appropriate. No references to the literature are to be placed in footnotes. Citation to particular pages in the text should be in the form (Smith, 1997, p. 10); for a general citation in the text (Smith, 1997). This citation should be placed at the end of the sentence to which it refers. The style for citations is based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 4th ed., (APA style) which is the official style manual for The Illinois Junior Academy of Science.

Materials and Methods of Procedure
A listing of the materials used in the research. How the materials in the research problem were used should be included. Drawings and/or photographs are appropriate if they enhance or clarify the explanation.

Results
A clear, concise presentation of the data accumulated as a result of the procedure. Drawings, charts, graphs, and other items pertinent to the project should be included. Caption all photographs. Label all drawings,
charts, graphs. Always label axes of the graphs. Attractive charts and graphs, either computer generated or hand drawn are important in conveying results.

Conclusions
A concise evaluation and interpretation of the data and/results. Opinions of the results may be expressed in this section. The conclusion should be limited to results of the investigation and should refer to the stated
purpose and hypothesis. The effect of experimental error was estimated and considered while drawing conclusions.

Reference List
A list of published articles, books, and other communications, including works either quoted or paraphrased that are actually cited in the Review of Literature. Do not include general reference works, such as encyclopedias. This listing should be done alphabetically by author’s last name and should be placed at the end of the paper. The correct style for listing references can be found here.

A specific format is to be followed in the writing of the Research Summary.

The paper should be an accurate resume of the research done by the student and should reveal the experimentation and/or observations which have been made.

This paper may not exceed the 30-page limit. A clear and concise presentation is important in scientific communication; eliminate excess wordage, get to the point, say what is necessary, and then STOP! Strive for short, simple sentences. See this PDF for a handy checklist.