Hi,
To give some background about myself, I am a sophomore student who has taken Honors Biology and am currently taken Honors Chemistry and have scored and A+ in both classes. I am currently doing Science Olympiad outside of school as well.
I am really interested in doing research and entering science competitions like Intel ISEF, but I am really confused about where to start and how to go about doing this. I am so used to doing outlined coursework and readings, so I feel like I lack the necessary creativity required for such a project and I feel kind of lost. I know that I have a passion for biology and chemistry, yet I feel stuck. Below is a list of some questions that I have.
1) What is the best way in which students identify problems? (Do they watch the news, read research papers, etc.)
2) How do the students come up with a solution to the problem and how do they know if their solution is viable (whether it is too complex or too simple)?
3) A lot of students who do these science fairs have a lot of assistance from their parents. However, my parents don't have a scientific background. What are some good ways to find mentors?
4) Do students come up with ideas and then go find a mentor, or do they work in a research lab first and then come up with ideas?
Thank you so much for helping me out.
Getting Started with an Idea
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Re: Getting Started with an Idea
Hello and welcome to Science Buddies,
You are asking some very good questions! Fortunately, Science Buddies has a lot of resources which will help you find answers to your questions ...
How to find a problem? You can start by browsing the Science Buddies database of project ideas. You can look at all of them or you could pick certain topics or select the level of difficulty:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... llprojects
Then you might find the Science Buddies Project Guides helpful:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ience-fair
How to know if the solution is viable?
Each project has already been tested, so you know the solution exist. Read through the different sections (background, materials, procedure) to see if you think the level of difficulty matches your skills. Look through the various topics in the Advanced Project Guides, for example:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ce-project
How to find a mentor?
Check out this section in the Advanced Project Guides:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... tem-mentor
I hope these resources are helpful! And let us know if you have more questions!
You are asking some very good questions! Fortunately, Science Buddies has a lot of resources which will help you find answers to your questions ...
How to find a problem? You can start by browsing the Science Buddies database of project ideas. You can look at all of them or you could pick certain topics or select the level of difficulty:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... llprojects
Then you might find the Science Buddies Project Guides helpful:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ience-fair
How to know if the solution is viable?
Each project has already been tested, so you know the solution exist. Read through the different sections (background, materials, procedure) to see if you think the level of difficulty matches your skills. Look through the various topics in the Advanced Project Guides, for example:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ce-project
How to find a mentor?
Check out this section in the Advanced Project Guides:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... tem-mentor
I hope these resources are helpful! And let us know if you have more questions!