Research Event Guidelines

Research Guidelines

***UNLESS SPECIFIED IN THE INDIVIDUAL EVENT - FIRST GO TO YOUR EVENT FOR DETAILS - EMAIL US IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS***

ALL RESEARCH WILL BE JUDGED ON THE FOLLOWING:

 

Ability to write a research paper that is well-organized and appropriately follows each individual event’s guidelines and instructions.

The required content components for the research paper are described in each individual Event Description.

RESEARCH PAPER FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

  1. Unless otherwise specified in your event: Your written report may not exceed FIVE* PAGES - 12 pt., 1.5 spaced plus a 2-Part Appendix (see below)  *Confirm if your event lists a different page limit.

  2. Include a cover page that indicates: the title of the paper, the authors, the school, and team letter (if more than one team for your school)

 

Ability to find, evaluate and correctly use credible sources.

 

  • All research papers must be built upon information acquired from a minimum of 3 PRIMARY SOURCES.  These sources may help the students develop their scientific knowledge of the subject and/or provide an example/model on which their engineering design or scientific procedures are based.

 

PRIMARY SOURCES:  Articles found in peer-reviewed scientific journals such as Nature, Science, and Journal of Chemical Education.  Peer-reviewed professional journals are available at post-secondary academic libraries.  Open-access, peer-reviewed journals that are accessed online are acceptable.  Magazines such as Discover, Science News, Popular Science, and Scientific American, although informative are not peer-reviewed professional journals.  The Suggested Resources for Information Search found on the Information Search Guide, lists resources that peer-reviewed scientific journals may be accessed.  Note that if you are asked to log in for a particular resource, you can ask your school whether they have access to that resource, or use another freely accessible resource.  

 

  • Internet sources may also be utilized for research, but may not be the only source of information.  Resources will be evaluated by judges in terms of their authority on content, educational value, and quality (vetted, researched, and informed).   

 

  • Students are highly encouraged to seek assistance from experts beyond their coaches.  A list of all people who provided assistance should be included with brief description about the aspect of the research with which they assisted as part of your Appendix Part 1. 

 

  • For more information on using primary, peer-reviewed sources and writing citations using the ACS style refer to the following videos: NJCO Part 1: Using Research Literature and NJCO Part 2: Writing Citations in ACS Style.

  • Photocopies of the first three pages of *each* primary source used in your paper must be submitted as part of your Appendix Part 2. (Three pages are required to ensure more than an abstract is obtained).