Project
Material Guidelines (revised 3/2/2023)
SEFMD has established the following guidelines, in consultation with the Society for Science & the Public and the Judging Advisory Committee as well as with the SRC and D&S Committees to establish the project materials that will be used during judging. These guidelines have been established to address a judging process that will occur remotely and through a digital medium
a. All
Senior Division Projects should complete and submit the following forms (not
required but recommended for SEFMD, Required for ISEF)
1. Form 1, Form 1A, Form 1B
b. In
addition, if applicable (these ARE required if needed)
Form 1C (Regulated Research
Institutional Setting Form)
Form 7 (Continuation Form)
plus
all other forms if necessary
a. The project presentation replaces the project poster used during in-person fairs. Appendix II provides complete instructions of the format requirements and recommendations.
b. There are three suggested templates based on project type:
i. Science Projects,
ii. Engineering Projects and
iii. Mathematics/Computer Science Projects.
c. Project presentations will be required to be submitted by a set deadline and will then be locked for Display & Safety inspection prior to competition.
All judges will have access to these optional materials, just as they would at a finalists booth, but there is no guarantee that the judges will review them.
1. Video Demonstration/Simulation/Animation (1 minute maximum)
If a project is best explained by showing a demonstration, simulation or animation, you may include the demonstration/simulation/Animation. This component should be part of the 2:00 video presentation (which is extended to 3:00 if a video demonstation/sumulation/animation is included).
SEFMD does not require any project to include a research paper. However, many students have completed such a paper through the research process and would include it at their booth during an in- person fair. If you have prepared such a paper, you may upload it to share with judges, though judges are not required to review it.
SEFMD does not require any project to submit a laboratory notebook. However, many finalists have this record of their research timeline and process and typically have it available at their booth. A student may upload a PDF of up to 4 pages of a lab notebook to provide evidence of its use, but it is strongly advised NOT to share the notebook in totality to protect your intellectual property.
Up
to THREE additional photos may be uploaded that are critical to the
project. These photos may show a
particular item in detail, an overview of the project, or whatever the student
feels is necessary for the judges to fairly evaluate
the project.
· The quad chart summarizes the project in a single page for a quick overview by the judges.
· Appendix III provides complete instructions with format requirements and recommendations as well as sample templates.
· The Quad Chart will be required for projects that compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair
· Quad chart should NOT include bibliography, or acknowledgements but SHOULD include photo credits.
All finalists must submit a finalist questionnaire that includes all of the ISEF paperwork required for their project. Minimally, all projects must have Checklist Forms 1, Student Checklist Form 1A, Project Plan/Summary and Approval Form 1B. The forms that are to be made available at your project booth for the judges to review are 1) the Official Abstract and if applicable, the Regulated Research Setting Form 1C and/or the Continuation Form 7.
· Abstract (250-word format)
The abstract summarizes the information contained in the rest of this
document. An abstract includes: (a) the research
question or engineering problem, (b) procedures used, (c) data, (d)
interpretation and (d) conclusions. It also may include any possible research
applications. It should be limited to these essential elements. There is not a separate form for the abstract
it is part of the normal entry form process
· Regulated Research Institutional Setting Form 1C (if applicable)
In 2021-2022, when many Regulated Research
Institution laboratories and facilities are closed to student researchers, the
ISEF SRC has suggested that a Form 1C be used when support from mentors and
those in a laboratory setting has been provided, even when the student received
this support remotely. This can also include situations in which a high school
teacher is supporting laboratory activities on behalf of a remote student to
help clarify the students involvement in each step of the project.
· Continuation Form 7 (if applicable)
Any project that is a continuation of a previous years work must
document that additional research is new and different on Continuation Form 7.
Note that projects that were conducted between January 2021 and March 2021 that
competed at an ISEF-affiliate fair, may not be presented in 2022 without
meeting the continuation criteria.
Display & Safety inspections will include a review of all submitted materials and enforcement of the display guidelines as published in the International Rules and Guidelines. This includes providing appropriate credits for photographs, graphs and other visuals and in having any permissions of individuals depicted in any project materials (on the board, slides or in the video) available.
The final timing of the SEFMD judging process is as shown in the calendar of events and summarized below
·
Deadline for original submission of project: February 17, 2023
·
Final deadline for submission of revised
abstract and additional paperwork: March
3, 2023, 5 PM
·
Final deadline for any revised display
paperwork deemed unacceptable by the Display and Safety Committee (occurs
between March 5 and March 9) within 24 hours of notification
· Session 1 judging (without interviews): March 7 March 10
You may prepare your Project Presentation for Virtual SEFMD using any software tools that you desire, but the final document submitted for display to the judges and the public must satisfy the following requirements.
1.
The Project Presentation must be a single PDF
document limited to no more than 12 pages.
2. You must use a page size no larger than standard 8½X11
3. The PDF document must open with default magnification Fit Page so that the entire page is visible at the same time. Recognizing that almost all judges will view your Project Presentation on screens that are wider than they are tall, you should create all pages in Landscape mode.
4. Your PDF document must not have instructions to open in full screen mode. Eliminating this mode automatically precludes page transitions and embedded videos or animations, so do not attempt to include these in your Presentation. (There is provision elsewhere in your submission for an optional video if you need something to move in order to illustrate your project.)
5. The page background color must be white or a light color.
6. Text color must be predominantly black, but limited color for emphasis is acceptable.
7. All text should be readable easily when viewing the entire page at once. The smallest allowable font size of body text is 14 pt. Exception: You may use a smaller font size, down to 10 pt., for figure captions or photo credits.
8. All Project Presentation elements must conform to D&S rules as if placed on a physical poster for display to judges and the public. Passing a Display & Safety inspection will be required to compete.
1. Do not use non-standard fonts or colors to stand out from the crowd or to be entertaining. It is recommended that you use a font such as Arial, Calibri, Helvetica or Century Gothic.
2. Page titles should all be the same size. That size should be larger than headings within each page. In turn, headings should be larger than body text. For readability, we recommend body text be no smaller than 18 pt.
3. Avoid long expository paragraphs. State your points succinctly.
4. Use bullets to set out individual points of interest. Use numbered lists when the ordering of points of interest is important (e.g., instructions to be followed in order, or items needing a reference anchor for citation elsewhere in your Presentation).
5. All body text should adopt a common font style and size. Similarly, all heading text should adopt a common font style and size. There is no recommendation for the style and size relation between body and heading styles.
Display
& Safety Rules Highlight for Project Presentation Materials
(please see Display & Safety Rules for full text)
Photographs, visual images, charts,
tables, graphs must be appropriate and credited.
a)
Any photograph/visual image/chart/table and/or graph is allowed if:
i) It is not deemed
offensive or inappropriate (which includes images/photographs showing
invertebrate
or
vertebrate animals/humans in surgical, necrotizing or dissection situations) by
the Scientific
Review
Committee, the Display & Safety Committee, or SEFMD.
ii)
It has a credit line or origin (Photograph taken by
or Image taken from
or Graph/Chart/Table
taken
from
). If all images, etc. displayed were created by the finalist or are from
the same
source,
one credit line prominently and vertically displayed on the document is
sufficient. All
images
MUST BE properly cited. This includes background graphics, photographs and/or
visual
depictions
or the finalist or photographs and/or visual depictions of others for which a
signed
photo/video
release form is in a notebook or logbook. These signed release forms must be
available
upon request during the inspection process but may not be displayed.
* All Images MUST BE properly
cited. This includes student-created
logos, background graphics, photographs and/or visual depictions of the
finalist or photographs and/or visual depictions of others
*
All visual depictions of others require a signed photo/video release form is in
a notebook or logbook at the project booth.
These signed release forms must be available upon request during the
set=up and inspection process but may not be displayed
NOT ALLOWED in your Presentation
Materials
1) Any information on the project display or items that are
self-promotions or external endorsements are NOT allowed in
the project presentation.
a)
The use of logos including known commercial brands, institutional crests or
trademarks, flags unless integral to
the
project and approved by the SRC.
b)
Personalized graphic/logos that are developed to indicate a commercial purpose
or viability of an
established
or proposed business associated with the project. The only exception is a
student-
created
logo may displayed at the project once (once in the presentation and once in
the Quad
Chart, if included).
c) Any reference to the patent status of the
project.
d) Any items intended for distribution such as
disks, CDs. Flash drives, brochures, booklets,
endorsements,
giveway items, business cards, printed materials or
food items designed to be
distributed
to judges or the public.
2) Any awards or medals, except
for past or present ISEF medals that may be worn by the finalist.
3) Postal addresses, World Wide
Web, email and/or social media addresses, QR codes,
telephone
and/or fax numbers of a project or finalist.
4) Active internet or email
connections as part of displaying or operating the project at ISEF or SEFMD
5) Any changes, modifications, or
additions to projects including any attempt to uncover, replenish or return
removed
language
of items after the approval by the Display & Safety Committee and the SRC
has been received is prohibited.
If desired, choose one of the following templates to create your presentation. Do not include information not specified in this template. If you are submitting a continuation project, include only information related to this years research unless otherwise directed in the instructions below. You may include graphical elements as they would explain or illustrate your work and can be contained within the overall page limits.
Each of the seven (7) required sections in each template must start on its own page and be in the order provided. Titles per section are provided as recommended titles, but alternate titles may be used. Each section may extend beyond one page as long as the total does not exceed 12 maximum pages
TEMPLATE I: Science Projects TEMPLATE II: Engineering Projects
TEMPLATEIII: Mathematics/Computer
Science Projects
Project
Presentation Template: Science Project
max of 12 pages
sample template: http://www.sefmd.org/Resources/Science_SlideTemplate.pptx
·
The following should be included:
o Temporary Project ID. This is the ID associated with your entry.
o Project Title
o Do NOT include: Finalist Name (s), School, Location of work performed (eg, Oakland University, U of M)
·
Explain what is known or has already been done
in your research area. Include a brief review of relevant literature. If this
is a continuation project, a brief summary of your prior research is
appropriate here. Be sure to distinguish your previous work from this years project.
·
What were you trying to find out? Include a
description of your purpose, your research question, and/or your hypothesis.
·
What did you do? What data did you collect and
how did you collect that data? Discuss your
control group and the variables you
tested.
·
DO NOT include a list of materials.
·
Include tables and figures which illustrate your data.
·
Include relevant statistical analysis of the data.
·
What do these results mean? Compare your results
with theories, published data, commonly held beliefs, and expected results.
·
Discuss possible
errors. Did any questions or problems arise that you were not expecting? How did the data vary between repeated observations of similar
events? How were results affected by uncontrolled events?
·
What do these results mean in the context of the
literature review and other work being done in your research area? How do the
results address your research question? Do your results support your hypothesis?
·
What application(s) do you see for your work?
·
This section should
not exceed one page. Limit your list to the most important references.
·
List the references/documentation used which were not of your own creation
(i.e., books, journal articles).
·
It is permissible to include a short statement
acknowledging support from supervisors, research groups and others that had a
direct role in your project.
Project
Presentation Template: Engineering
Projectmax of 12 pages
sample template: http://www.sefmd.org/Resources/Engineering_SlideTemplate.pptx
· The
following should be included:
o Temporary Project ID. This is the ID associated with your entry.
o Project Title
o Do NOT include: Finalist Name (s), School, Location of work performed (eg, Oakland University, U of M)
· What problem were you trying to solve? Include a description of your engineering goal.
· Explain what is known or has already been done to solve this problem, including work on which you may build. You may include a brief review of relevant literature.
· If this is a continuation project, a brief summary of your prior work is appropriate here. Be sure to distinguish your previous work from this years project.
· What did you do? How did you design and produce your prototype? If there is a physical prototype, you may want to include pictures or designs of the prototype.
· If you tested the prototype, what were your testing procedures? What data did you collect and how did you collect that data?
· DO NOT include a separate list of materials.
· How did your prototype meet your engineering goal?
· If you tested the prototype, provide a summary of testing data tables and figures that illustrate your results.
· Include relevant statistical analysis of the data.
·
What do these
results mean? You may compare your results with theories, published data, commonly held beliefs, and/or expected results.
·
Did any questions or problems arise that you were not expecting? Were these problems caused by
uncontrolled events? How did you address these?
·
How is your prototype
an improvement or advancement over what is currently available?
· Did your project turn out as you expected?
· What application(s) do you see for your work?
·
This section should
not exceed one page. Limit your list to the most important references.
·
List the references/documentation used which were not of your own creation
(i.e., books, journal articles).
·
It is permissible to include a short statement
acknowledging support from supervisors, research groups and others that had a
direct role in your project.
Project
Presentation Template: Mathematics/Computer Science Projectmax of 12 pages
sample template: http://www.sefmd.org/Resources/Math_CompSci_SlideTemplate.pptx
· The
following should be included:
o Temporary Project ID. This is the ID associated with your entry.
o Project Title
o Do
NOT include: Finalist Name (s), School, Location of work performed (eg, Oakland University, University of Michigan, Ford
Research Center, etc)
· Explain what is known or has already been done in your research area. Include a brief review of relevant literature.
·
If this is a continuation project, a brief
summary of your prior work is appropriate here.
Be sure to distinguish your previous work from this years project.
· Introduce the concepts and notation needed to specify your research question, methods, and results precisely.
·
Define relevant terms, and explain
prior/background results. (Novel concepts developed as part of your project can
be presented here or in Section 4-Findings, as appropriate)
· What did you discover and/or prove? Describe your result(s) in detail. If possible, provide both formal and intuitive/verbal explanations of each major finding.
· Describe
your methods in general terms. Then:
Present rigorous proofs of the theory results or, if the arguments are long, give sketches of the proofs that explain the main ideas.
For numerical/statistical results, include tables and figures that illustrate your date. Include relevant statistical analysis. Were any of your results statistically significant? How do you know this?
·
How do the results address your research
question? And how have you advanced our
understanding relative to what was already known?
·
Discuss possible limitations. Did any questions or problems arise that you
were not expecting? What challenges do
you foresee in extending your results further?
·
What application(s), if any, do you see for your
work?
·
This section should
not exceed one page. Limit your list to the most important references.
·
List the references/documentation used which were not of your own creation
(i.e., books, journal articles).
·
It is permissible to include a short statement
acknowledging support from supervisors, research groups and others that had a
direct role in your project.
A quad chart is a single page divided into
four quadrants providing a high-level summary of the project. It is intended to
be bulleted information that a judge could review at a quick glance and then
proceed to the Project presentation for more details. Follow the model below
that corresponds to the Project Presentation template you selected.
1. The page should be created so that the entire page is visible at the same time. The page should be created in Landscape mode, no larger than standard 8 ½ x 11.
2. The page background color should be a light color and text color predominantly dark to support readability.
3. The minimum allowable font size is 14 pt and larger fonts are encouraged for readability. Exception: You may use a smaller font size, down to 10 pt., for figure captions or photo credits.
4. Text should be in list or bulleted form and as brief as possible. This chart is intended as a high-level summary that can be read at a glance.
5. All four quadrants of your Quad Chart should each be the same size with a single border line delimiting each, as in the examples below.
6. The Title section should be only tall enough to include the required elements which are the same as the abstract header. The project title should be the largest header size of the document or easy identification of the project. (See section on Quad Chart Title.)
7. The Quad Chart should include all appropriate photo credits, should not include a bibliography, references, or acknowledgments, and must adhere to all Display & Safety rules.
Approximate examples of the format of a Quad Chart are listed below.
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Science
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Q1: Research Question |
Q3: Data Analysis & Results |
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Q2: Methodology |
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Q4: Interpretation & Conclusions |
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Engineering Project Quad Chart (EQ#) |
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EQ1:
Engineering Problem & Project Objectives |
EQ3:
Data Analysis & Results |
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EQ2: Project Design |
EQ4: Interpretation & Conclusions |
· In the upper right-hand corner, list the Temporary Student ID
· Line one is the title of your project
· Student Name, School Name, etc is NOT to appear on the Quad Chart
· This should reflect material in #2 of the Project Presentation Template.
· Please state the research question or engineering problem being addressed
· A leading core graphic or visual is encouraged, but not required.
· This should reflect material in #3 of the Project Presentation Template.
· Please provide a succinct, bulleted summary of the methodology/project design
· This should reflect material in #4 and 5 of the Project Presentation Template.
· It is advised that this quadrant should primarily be a graphic representation of relevant data and results.
· Text should be kept to a minimum.
· This should reflect material in #5 and # 6 of the Project Presentation Template.
Record a video (maximum duration 2 minutes) explaining your project. The target audience for this video is members of the general public. While judges will have access to this video, it will not be the focus of their project review they will concentrate on the other materials. The video must comply with all Display & Safety Rules, particularly those involving logos, acknowledgements and properly crediting images/graphs/photos.
1. Introduce Yourself: State your FIRST name (not full name) and rather than reciting your project title, consider explaining your project in a single sentence.
2. Explain Your Project: Summarize your research into main points:
a. What did you do?
b. What did you find?
c. What conclusions did you draw?
· You can use any props or visuals you may have that are within the Display & Safety guidelines.
Tip: this video is a summary statement about your
project and the scientific or engineering design process you followed; it is
not intended as an advertisement or sales pitch.
· We encourage you to be prominently displayed in the video (as opposed to having the video be prominently your slides).
· Do not include anyone in your video other than the student researchers of the project.
These videos will not be edited. To ensure your video is the best representation of your work, please keep these best practices in mind while filming:
· Please speak in English.
· Film yourself in a well-lit and non-distracting environment so the viewers focus stays on you and your work.
· For best results, film your video horizontally (landscape).
· Keep the camera still and in place during filming.
· Speak clearly and loudly enough that the recording is able to pick up every word you say.
· Avoid long pauses.
· Listen to your video after recording to ensure your voice is clear and audible, and that the video has not picked up too much background noise.
The video must be uploaded to YouTube. Based on limitation of the judges as determined last year, Google Drive is NOT permitted. The YouTube hyperlink must be used to enter online. Refer to the training video on how to upload a video. After uploading the video, be sure to click on the show to make certain that you can open the video.