Science Fair Logbooks

Keeping a Logbook One of the most important aspects of doing a science fair project is documentation. Every experiment should be reproducible and the entries in your notes should be sufficient for someone else to reproduce the experiment.

Keeping a Logbook You will work out your thinking and the development of your problem in the notebook. The scientific notebook is a bound or spiral book with pages that are not removable. The validity of your documentation partly depends upon insuring the work has not been tampered with or pages removed.

Teams Each member of a team must have their own logbook.

Setting up a Logbook

Step 1 Write your name on the front cover of the logbook. On Page 1 write: Your name Your partner’s name (if you are in a team) Title of your project Somerset Berkley Regional High School Teacher: Mr. Croft

Step 2 Number every page in order at the upper corner along the outside edge of the pages. 24 25

Step 3 Leave Page 2 blank.

Step 4 On Page 3, write the Table of Contents: Table of Contents Choosing a Project…………. Page 5 Literary Research……..……. Page Daily Log………………...…. Page Experimental Research..……. Page

Step 5 Leave Page 4 blank.

Step 6 Choosing a Project – Page 5 Record all project ideas from the summer assignment and any submitted since then. For your accepted topic provide: A summary of your topic Problem (in the form of a question) Hypothesis (If… then…)

Step 7 Literary Research Record any reference sources used for your research paper. Staple your research paper into this section. Leave a couple pages to include any future research that needs to be recorded (websites, books, notes, etc.).

Step 8 Daily Log Record what you do every time you work on your science fair project. Start each entry on a new page. Date each entry.

Step 8 Daily Log – You can already add entries! Working on Summer Assignment (1-3+) Submitting Science Fair Topics (1+) Topic Approval (1) Working on Research Paper (2-3+)

Step 9 Experimental Research – last ¼ of the logbook Staple your procedure into the beginning of this section. This section includes: Data Observations Graphs Analysis of your results after each trial

General Guidelines Separate the sections of your logbook with adhesive tabs. Record everything - no detail is insignificant. Cross out mistakes with a single line (do not cover up the entire entry – whiteout, marker, etc.).

General Guidelines Tape, staple, or glue computer print-outs, photographs, etc. into the logbook. You should take pictures throughout the experimentation phase of your project for your logbook and display board.