How to Do a Research Paper for a Science Project

Writing a scientific research paper requires concentration and attention to detail.

For some students, the most difficult part of doing a science project is having to writing a research paper in conjunction with it. Research papers in science serve to underscore and support the research performed during the science project. If written correctly, the paper will legitimize the findings of the paper. Doing a research paper of this nature requires that you pay considerable attention to detail and write in a clear concise manner the reader can easily understand.

Instructions

1. Research topics of interest to do preliminary work before starting your science project or experiment. Determine whether or not there has been substantial research or experimentation in the area you are planning on researching. Doing so can help determine the feasibility of your project. If you find that your project has been attempted unsuccessfully in the past, you will need to determine why and whether you can make changes to the research model to make the experiment work.

2. Create your project or experiment and collect the necessary materials. Develop a starting hypothesis about what you think the outcome of the experiment will be. Conduct your research to determine whether your initial hypothesis was correct. Record all of the necessary data to document your experiment and ensure the accuracy of your research. Repeat the experiment several times to ensure the accuracy of your initial results.

3. Create an outline for your paper based on your experiment and the data you have recorded. The outline should have an introduction, body and conclusion, as should the paper. Use the outline to guide your writing as you construct the paper. The body of the outline should contain all of the steps used in your project.

4. Write the introduction to your paper. The introduction should contain a general description of the project and state your initial hypothesis. Provide the reader with just enough information to keep them interested in reading the rest of the paper. Don't reveal the results of your project at this point.

5. Construct the body of the paper, relying upon the data you collected during the experiment. This part of the paper should provide a detailed description of the project and the results of each step along the way. For each time you repeated the project, include a description of that attempt within the body of the essay.

6. Conclude your paper by reaffirming or negating your initial hypothesis based on the data you collected during your experiment. Tie the remainder of the paper together by discussing your belief as to why the experiment worked or why it did not.

References

• American University in Cairo: How to Write an Essay