---

Frequently Asked Questions

The Science Buddies website is designed to make it easy for teachers, students, and parents to find the information they need. If you have a question about using our materials, or are having a problem using the website, you might find the answers below. If you are unable to find the information you need, please contact us at scibuddy@sciencebuddies.org.

General

• How can I find out my password?
• Can I print your resources for use in my class?
• Can I use images from your website?
• Can I link to the Science Buddies website?
• Do you have a newsletter?
• Will you link to my site?

Science Buddies Project Ideas

• Why do your projects not include all the information (like the variables and results)?
• Why do some of your projects not contain an Experimental Procedure?
• What does the "difficulty" rating on your project ideas mean?
• Who is the author of the Project Idea (or resource) I used?

Using the Science Buddies Website

• What browser do I need to use the Science Buddies website?

Volunteers

• Can I get involved?

---

General

• How can I find out my password?
  As a user of the Science Buddies website, you may have two different user accounts: your Science Buddies account and your Ask an Expert account. To retrieve a lost password for your Science Buddies account, please click here. To retrieve a lost password for the Ask an Expert forums, click here.
• Can I print your resources for use in my class?
  Our Terms and Conditions of Fair Use explain our guidelines for using our materials. If your needs exceed the limitations of our Terms and Conditions, please contact us at scibuddy@sciencebuddies.org.
• Can I use images from your website?
  Many of the images used on the Science Buddies website and in our Project Ideas are owned by other sites and/or photographers and are used with permission. Please refer to the "caption" under the images to see if a source is listed.
• Can I link to the Science Buddies website?
  Certainly! We would love to have you link to our site and help spread the word about Science Buddies. We have set up a Linking to Science Buddies page that will help you get the appropriate source code to use on your page.
• Do you have a newsletter?
  Yes! We send out a monthly electronic newsletter to all of our registered Science Buddies members. If you are interested in receiving our free newsletter, please sign up. Already a Science Buddies member? You can manage your subscriptions by logging in and clicking the "My Science Buddies" tab.
• Will you link to me?
  Science Buddies does not currently accept advertising or place advertising-related links in their resources and materials.

Science Buddies Project Ideas

• Why do your projects not include all the information (like the variables and results)?
  Identifying the variables for your project, formulating your hypothesis, and working through the steps of the project to make observations and gather results are all parts of conducting a science project! You'll learn a lot about your project from working through the steps of the Scientific Method. If you have questions about various parts, like the variables or the hypothesis, the resources in our Project Guide are filled with information that can help. If you find that you are still having trouble, you can use our free Ask an Expert forums to get assistance from our team of Experts.
• Why do some of your projects not contain an experimental procedure?
  Many of our Project Ideas contain full background materials and a complete step-by-step experimental procedure, which can be used to conduct the experiment. Some teachers, however, prefer that students select a project for which they will devise their own experiment. The Science Buddies Project Ideas directory contains many "Abbreviated Project Ideas," which offer an overview and bibliographic material designed to get a student started. "Abbreviated Project Ideas" are identified by an asterisk (*) (following the title) in the directory of Project Ideas.
• What does the "difficulty" rating on your project ideas mean?
  Science Buddies Project Ideas are ranked on a scale of 1-10, and many projects are shown as spanning a difficulty "range" (e.g., 1-3). These ranges are not directly linked to grade levels, as classes and curriculums vary. When a project is listed as appropriate for a difficulty "range," the majority of the project will be written for the lower end of the range. Optional steps in the procedure or variations at the end of the project can be used to help students make the project more advanced. We have a chart that shows how the difficulty ratings match up to grade levels.
• Who is the author of the Project Idea (or resource) I used?
  Many Science Buddies Project Ideas or resources are worked on by a number of staff scientists and team members. The page or project you used might not have a single author listed. If it does not, please list Science Buddies as the source in your bibliography (see below). Some Project Ideas do have an author listed, and you can find that information near the bottom of the Project Idea under "Credits."

  The following examples show the format for attributing Science Buddies materials:

  • A Project Idea with a named author:
    
    Agee, S. (2008, February 20). Growing a Soil Menagerie. Retrieved November 12, 2010, from http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Geo_p038.shtml
    
    
  • A Project Idea with no named author:
    
    Science Buddies. (2008, November 10). Disinfectants. Retrieved November 12, 2010, from http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/MicroBio_p020.shtml
    
    
  • A general Science Buddies resource or page:
    
    Science Buddies. (n.d.). Chemistry Safety Guide. Retrieved November 12, 2010, from http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Chem_Safety.shtml
    
    

Using the Science Buddies Website

• What browser do I need to use the Science Buddies website?
  The Science Buddies website supports Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. Certain functions on the site also require that JavaScript is enabled.

Volunteers

• Can I get involved?
  Yes! We welcome the help of students, teachers, and professionals who are excited about science and want to contribute to the Science Buddies mission of encouraging and increasing science literacy. We offer several volunteer roles. To find out more visit www.sciencebuddies.org/volunteer.