OAS Science Day Standards 2023-2024
SCIENCE DAY PROGRAM UPDATE 2023-2024
August 23, 2023
To all State Science Day Officials, District Councils, Teachers, Mentors, Judges and Students,
The Ohio Academy of Science and Junior Academy Council continue to seek ways to provide the Science Day Program for students. The program ProjectBoard will be implemented this year, providing students with expanded research project guidance and resources. The below Science Day Standards apply to the 2024 State, District and Local Science Days. Please review them carefully.
Plans for 2024 include: State Science Day – due to continuing COVID-19 restrictions, the OAS has been unable to secure a venue large enough for an in-person judging event. The 2024 SSD will be held as an on-line virtually judged competition in early April. However, Superior-rated projects as well as other nominated projects will be invited to present their projects (in-person symposium style) at a State Science Day Celebration, held in May at The Ohio State University. A number of additional select awards will be presented, along with keynote speakers, activities, campus department lab tours and food.
District Science Days – All regionally-hosted District Science Days will be in-person only. District Science Days will be required to use ProjectBoard for event registrations. Project registration requirements will be detailed in the ProjectBoard information provided and must be complete to participate. If a District cannot provide an in-person District Science Day, students from that District may participate in a separate virtually judged District Science Day administered by the OAS office, to be known as “District 18”.
Judging Scorecards: The single judge scorecard (rubric) used in 2022 and 2023 will be updated/modified and shall be used at State Science Day and all District Science Days. It is advisable that District Councils also distribute the judge scorecard to all local and county science day administrators within their respective District to provide the best continuity of judging possible state-wide.
As a reminder, an Engineering Design project is any project where a prototype is designed, built and tested. Not all Engineering projects are considered Engineering Design, and not all Engineering Design projects fall under an Engineering topic category. Regardless of the topic category, Engineering Design projects should be identified by students under the Statement of Purpose included in their Research Plan and Final Project Report. Likewise, Meta-Analysis projects need to be identified by the student. It is important that these projects be identified correctly so that judges assess each project accordingly. Definitions for both are included in the Science Day Standards.
Topic Categories: 2024 topic categories and sub-categories will follow ISEF list found here: https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/categories-and-subcategories/all-categories/
Sincerely,
Michael Woytek, CEO
THE OHIO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 2022-2023
SCIENCE DAY STANDARDS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
II. Scientific Inquiry, Meta-analyses Research and Engineering Design Projects
III. General Information
a) Grade Levels
b) Adherence to the Standards by Teachers
c) Project Duration
d) Sampling and the Use of Statistical Analysis
e) Policy Statements: Preventing, Detecting and Penalizing Plagiarism in Science Projects
f) Team Project Policies
g) Expectations of Display: Present Results
h) Safe Project Displays
i) Items ALLOWED at Project with the Restrictions Indicated
j) Items NOT ALLOWED at Project Display
k) Eligibility for District Science Day
l) Eligibility for District Science Day Under Extraordinary Circumstances
m) Policy for District Procedures for Registering Students for State Science Day
n) Eligibility for State Science Day
o) Preparation for State Science Day
IV. Required Material
a) Abstract
b) Research Report
c) Research Plan
d) Additional Student Research Plan for Special Protocols or Adult Supervision
e) ISEF and Consent Forms
V. Judging Information
a) Instructions to Judges
b) Judging- The Process
c) Judging Criteria for Individual and Team Projects
d) The Criteria Interpreted
e) Ranking vs Criteria
f) Re-judging Criteria to be used at Local, District and State Science Days
g) Judging Ethics
VI. Additional Policies & Procedures
a) General Harassment
b) Sexual Harassment
c) Accommodation of Students with Disabilities
I. Introduction to Student Participants
Participation in a Science Day should be a rewarding experience. It offers an opportunity:
1) to learn and practice the principles of scientific research, 2) to meet others
interested in scientific study, and 3) to earn recognition for academic excellence.
Thus, those involved should
not be limited to a particular type of student as the accurate prediction of a student’s
potential is impossible until he or she has attempted a project several times. Most
will not achieve perfection on the first attempt, but proficiency will come to those
who are persistent.
When issues arise that are not covered in these standards, the student or teacher should seek guidance from the latest edition of the Rules for the International Science and Engineering Fair. (See http://student.societyforscience.org/international-rules-pre-college-science-research).
Teachers, other professionals, scientific organizations, industries, and parents can and will give much valuable aid if the request is made in the proper way. Reasonable response time, courtesy, and consideration coupled with sincere expressions of appreciation will eliminate many of the rough spots for a young scientist. Remember, others may advise and give aid, but they must not do any work for the participant.
II. Scientific Inquiry, Meta-analyses Research and Engineering Design Projects
Not all scientific inquiry projects require a physical experiment be completed by the student researcher. Meta-Analysis research projects, or more precisely, “Statistical Meta-analyses”, are projects which collect, process,
or produce statistical data from multiple publicly available scientific studies or
data reports, combining and/or using the information to explore a relationship that
had not previously been explored, or to evaluate the combined data in a broader scope.
Meta-analysis projects require a well-documented lab journal with background and research notes; source data and graphs; and a research report including relevant background, research question and hypothesis and how it relates to the background; discussion of experimental design and procedures used by source researchers; data analysis and interpretation, conclusion, and bibliography. Meta-analysis projects do NOT require the researcher to perform first-hand physical experiments.
Just as scientific inquiry projects require: 1) the identification of a problem or question and 2) a proposed hypothesis
that might offer a solution to the problem or answer the question, so too, engineering and technological design projects require: 1) a problem or needs statement and 2) a
design statement that identifies such limiting factors and criteria for success or
meeting the design as cost or affordability, reliability (mean time between failure
MTBF), material limits (strength, weight, resistance to corrosion, color, surface
texture, ease of manufacture or reproducibility), operating environment or conditions
(temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, caustic condition), ergonomics (human
factors), health and safety and general ease of use or operation.
In a manner like the development of methods used to test a hypothesis, engineering
and technological design projects must test the “design statement” to see how close
the prototype, for example, comes to meeting the design criteria. A prototype developed
for an engineering or
technological design project must achieve stated design objectives and satisfy specified
constraints. Generally, the results of an engineering or technological design project
will describe the extent to which the prototype met the design criteria. An inquiry
project shall state the extent to which the results derived from experimentation validate
or invalidate a hypothesis. Thus, a hypothesis is to inquiry as design is to engineering
and technology. In all cases, the students must present the results of repeated trials.
Use the figure below to determine whether your project is testing a hypothesis or
a design/engineering.
a) Grade Levels
Participants in local science days may be in any grade level. Each Junior Academy
Council District Science Day has the option of accepting participants in grades 5-12
or 7-12. For 2024 there will be no requirement for a local fair “Superior” rating
to qualify for a District Science Day. Projects should be reviewed by a teacher or
mentor prior to registration. District SRC should also review. Any project completed
and approved will be eligible.
b) Adherence to the Standards by Teachers
Teachers promoting local student research projects and conducting local science days
leading to District and State Science Days, are expected to have their students follow
the official Science Day Standards outlined here. Included in these Standards are
the Judging Criteria for both
Individual and team projects that teachers should use locally and that must be used
at all District Science Days. The Ohio Academy of Science discourages the assignment or use of special points or
a scoring rubric unique to local science days and does not permit their use by District
or State Science Days.
c) Project Duration
A student research project shall be used for only one year. It must not be repeated
nor given to another person to represent his or her work. Each student may enter only
one project which covers research done over a maximum of twelve (12) continuous months
between January of the year before the Science Day and May of the year of the State
Science Day. A project may continue only if it involves new or revised objectives,
hypotheses, or methods, and presents substantially new or different results each succeeding
year.
d) Sampling and the Use of Statistical Analysis
Projects must provide adequate sampling and analyze results using statistics. This
may require a great deal of time and many trials. Due to the nature of projects, it
is not possible to state minimum sample sizes. Science or mathematics teachers, mentors,
or advisors should be consulted to
determine an adequate number.
Almost all scientific research involves statistics. A scientist should not draw a
conclusion based on a single measurement or observation. Scientists usually repeat
the same measurement three or more times and use statistics to express its reproducibility
or significance. If the term
“significant” is used, then the actual statistical test of significance must be stated.
Other scientists may repeat the research to see if they can replicate the stated results.
Sampling of subjects is of utmost importance. Students doing behavioral studies using
vertebrates should learn
what is the minimum number of subjects needed for adequate sampling. In project abstracts
and reports always state the number of trials or the population samples as (N = number).
e) Policy Statements: Preventing, Detecting and Penalizing Plagiarism in Science Projects
• Any claim of plagiarism in a project made prior to, during or within one week after
State Science Day shall be judged as usual, but all scores, ratings, and awards shall
be retained until a review of the project is completed by the Academy office and/or
its delegated inspectors. If the
project is found to be plagiarized, the registration fees for State Science Day as
well as awards and ratings will be forfeited. The district and school from which the
project originated will be contacted. The student(s) future project(s) will be required
to pass a review prior to presentation
in any Academy Science Days.
• Scientific fraud and misconduct are not condoned at any level of research or competition.
Such practices include plagiarism, forgery, use or presentation of other researcher’s
work as one’s own, and fabrication of data. Fraudulent projects will fail to qualify
for competition in affiliated
fairs or the ISEF.
f) Team Project Policies
• A team shall consist of a maximum of three students. Those students cannot be separated
by more than a single grade level in grades 5-8. Students from any combination of
grade levels in grades 9-12 can constitute a team. A District Science Day may only
allow a maximum of two students per team due to local space limitations. Teams may
not have more than three members at a local science day and then eliminate members
to qualify for District or State Science Day. In a subsequent academic year, a continuing
team project may be converted to an individual project or vice versa.
• Team projects shall be accepted at all District Science Days. Individual and team
projects shall be considered equally when District science day directors select projects
to fill quotas to attend State Science Day.
• All currently active team members must be present to receive an official recorded
score. Team projects with a missing participant at an in-person judged event will
be evaluated with comments but a final score will not be given. Such projects will
not be eligible for sponsored awards. Also,
all team members must contribute to the presentation in a virtually judged competition
for the project to be scored and/or awards given. This will be in effect at District
and State Science Day.
• Each team shall appoint a team leader to coordinate the work and act as the primary
spokesperson. However, each member of the team should be able to serve as spokesperson,
be fully involved with the project, and be familiar with all aspects of the project.
• The final work should reflect the coordinated efforts of all team members.
• Full names of all team members must appear on the abstract and registration forms.
At in- person events, the Judges will be instructed to ask each team member for a
one or two sentence description of what they consider to be their most important contribution.
g) Expectations of Display: Present Results
There will be several options for displays at in-person District Science Days. Each
District Council may determine which option or options may be used in their respective
District.
1. Traditional tabletop Tri-Fold poster. Table-top display dimensions shall not exceed
36 inches (91 cm) wide by 30 inches (76 cm) deep. The top of the display shall not
be more than 85 inches (216 cm) above floor level or 55 inches (140 cm) above a 30-inch-high
table. There shall not be any
lettering or display materials extend more than 1 cm from the vertical front surface
of a display board.
2. Printed Quad Chart. May be attached to a tri-fold poster or flat poster with braces
to hold upright. The top of the display shall not be more than 85 inches (216 cm)
above floor level or 55 inches (140 cm) above a 30-inch-high table. There shall not
be any lettering or display materials extending more than 1 cm from the vertical front
surface of a display board.
3. Tabletop Laptop presentation of digital QuadBoard and/or slide presentation from
ProjectBoard, simulation, modeling, animation, or data display integral and essential
to the project results.
4. Screen projected presentation of digital QuadBoard and/or slide presentation from
ProjectBoard, simulation, modeling, animation, or data display integral and essential
to the project results.
Students are expected to present the results of their original research and experimentation/design plan. They are not expected to perform, demonstrate, or repeat an experiment for judges or visitors. Students should have already completed an experiment or conducted many research trials, and thus have adequate results in the form of charts, graphs, data tables, and a required research notebook (printed or digital in ProjectBoard) — all recorded with dates — which should be with project display. Equipment used in research is not required for a presentation but is permitted if needed to explain a procedure to judges. Use photographs or drawings of equipment on the poster boards, in the technical report and in the research notebook or in ProjectBoard, to document and explain the equipment used. Items on the display backdrop/poster board, or in ProjectBoard should be used as visual cues to keep the students’ oral presentation to the judges on track or to refer to when responding to questions. The whole project, in simple form, should be visible on the poster board or in ProjectBoard. Abstracts, a research notebook, technical reports, and additional data should be in folders (paper or digital) for immediate reference. At in-person events with physical displays, “the score of the student’s project may be impacted by the violation(s) if either the physical dimensions or physical items rules are not followed.”
Displays for virtually judged Science Days (District 18 and State Science Days) are provided via ProjectBoard, including the
Abstract, the Final Report and a video which may include a PowerPoint (or similar
software program) presentation of the same visual information required of poster
presentations and an oral presentation as would have been provided to judges at an
in-person Science Day.
h) Safe Project Displays
Project displays at in-person events shall not involve materials or elements that
might be dangerous to exhibitors, judges, or onlookers. However, it is understood
that some hazardous materials or devices may be necessary in a research project. The
experimenter should always exercise the greatest care and conduct these phases of
the work under qualified supervision and follow all protocols as required and listed
by the Rules of the International Science and Engineering Fair.
These materials or elements cannot be on the display poster, on the display table,
or under the table at an in-person Science Day.
i) Items ALLOWED at Project with the Restrictions Indicated
For in-person Science Days, physical posters should display an abstract and data tables,
diagrams, charts, photographs, and graphs that summarize results. The same items should
be included if using digital presentation from ProjectBoard. Research notebooks, Final
Research Reports, research plans and documentation of research protocols are expected,
and may be in physical notebooks or folders on the table, or digitally provided in
ProjectBoard for use by science day officials and judges. Information such as postal,
web and e-mail addresses, telephone and fax numbers is allowed only for the exhibitor.
The only photographs or visual depictions of identifiable or recognizable people allowed
are photographs of the exhibitor, photographs taken by the exhibitor (with displayed
individuals documented permission), or photographs/graphics for which credit is displayed
(such as from magazines, newspapers, journals, websites, or other electronic media).
Battery-powered computers may be used only for project slide presentation or visualization
of digital QuadBoard on ProjectBoard, simulation, modeling, animation, or data display
integral and essential to the project results.
List of Items Permitted at Project Display at In-Person Science Day
Equipment or materials used, or developed, as part of this project may be displayed
if:
• It fits within the display dimensions described in Section III, Part g. (free-standing
floor exhibits not permitted, must fit on table); and
• It is not listed in Section III, Parts h and j; and
• It meets Safety Regulations found in Section III, Part j, and is deemed safe by
the Display and Safety Committee upon inspection.
Permitted items may include Engineering Design prototypes and equipment designed and built to complete scientific research and to collect data for a project, assuming it meets the criteria above. (Note: All items included in project display must fit within the display dimensions described in these Science Day Standards, Section III. General Information, part g) “Expectations of Display”.)
j) Items NOT ALLOWED at Project Display
• Living organisms, including plants
• Soil, sand, rock, cement and/or waste samples
• Taxidermy specimens or parts
• Preserved vertebrate or invertebrate animals
• Human or animal food as part of the exhibitor demonstration of the project.
• Human/animal parts or body fluids (for example, blood, urine) NO exceptions for
teeth, hair, nails, dried animal bones, histological dry mount sections, and completely
sealed wet mount tissue slides.
• Petri dishes or culture tubes with living or dead cultures
• Plant materials (living, dead, or preserved) that are in their raw, unprocessed,
or non-manufactured state (Exception: manufactured construction materials used in
building the project or display)
• All chemicals including water (exception: sealed bottled water for human consumption)
• All hazardous substances or devices (Example: poisons, drugs, firearms, weapons,
ammunition, reloading devices)
• Large vacuum tubes or dangerous ray-generation devices (exceptions: computer monitors
on battery-operated notebook computers when used for computer modeling projects)
• Items that may have contained or been in contact with hazardous chemicals (Exception:
Item may be permitted if professionally cleaned and document for such cleaning is
available)
• 3-D Printers
• Dry ice or other sublimating solids
• Sharp items (for example, syringes, needles, pipettes, knives)
• Flames or highly flammable materials (including magnified light sources). A Fresnel
Lens cannot be used in conjunction with a light source - it becomes an open flame.
• Any apparatus producing heat above room temperature (e.g., heat lamp, hotplates,
Bunsen burner)
• Batteries with open-top cells or wet cells
• Glass, or glass objects, (including mirrors in hologram or laser apparatus), unless
deemed by the Display and Safety Committee to be an integral and necessary part of
the project (for example, glass that is an integral part of a commercial product such
as a computer screen)
• Any apparatus deemed unsafe by the Scientific Review Committee, or the Display
and Safety Committee (Example: empty tanks that previously contained combustible liquids
or gases, pressurized tanks, etc.)
• The Display and Safety Committee reserve the right to remove any project for safety
reasons or to protect the integrity of the State Science Day and its rules and regulations.
• Awards, medals, flags, etc. (Exceptions: Academy membership or State Science Day
lapel pins)
• Organizational/school/mentor/grant provider/etc. logos or reference statements.
Other Display Safety Regulations (at in-person events)
• Any inadequately insulated apparatus producing extreme temperatures that may cause
physical burns is not allowed
• Any apparatus with unshielded belts, pulleys, chains, or moving parts with tension
or pinch points must be for display only
• Project sounds, lights, odors, or any other display items must not be distracting.
Exceptions to this rule may be permitted for judging demonstrations. Approval must
be given prior to judging. Exhibitors must endeavor to limit the distraction to be
as brief as possible. Extended distraction(s) may cause the exception to be revoked
by the Safety and Display Committee.
Electrical Regulations at State Science Day (at in-person event)
• No AC electrical power will be provided or shall be used.
• Battery powered devices must be protectively enclosed. Any enclosure must be non-
combustible. All external non-current carrying metal parts must be grounded.
• Energized wiring, switches, and metal parts must have adequate insulation and over-current
safety devices (such as fuses) and must be inaccessible to anyone other than the student(s)
for the project.
Laser Requirements (at in-person events)
Any Class 1 or Class 2 lasers, along with only Class 3A or 3R lasers, are allowed
to be used provided a finalist avoids indiscriminate exposure to other finalists,
judges, or visitors (except if passed through magnifying optics such as microscopes
and telescopes, in which case they may not
be used). No other lasers may be used or displayed.
• Any laser must be labeled by the manufacturer so that power output can be inspected.
Lasers without labels will NOT be "cleared."
• LED's that consume over 1 watt, unless they are in a commercial light bulb/fixture
or otherwise shielded, will not be allowed.
• Lasers will be confiscated with no warning if not used in a safe manner. Serious
offenses may result in failure to qualify.
Due to unavailability of electrical power supply at State Science Day, use of lasers
is limited to battery-powered equipment (Laser classifications defined: https://www.rli.com/resources/articles/classification.aspx)
k) Eligibility for District Science Day
Students shall be admitted to only one District Science Day per year. District Science
Days shall not accept duplicate projects from the same school.
For 2024, there will be no requirement for a local fair “Superior” rating to qualify for a District Science Day. Projects should be reviewed by a teacher or mentor prior to registration. District SRC should also review. Any project completed and approved will be eligible.
A local or county science day is expected to use the same forms, follow the same rules and criteria on safety and judging as the District and State Science Days.
Each District is expected to accept only students who live in the boundaries of that District, except for existing agreements between districts.
Under unusual circumstances, the director of the home district may request the director
of the temporary district for permission for one or more students of the home district
to participate in the temporary district for one year only. The director of the home
district must contact the
director of the temporary district directly to request to be made and permission be
granted. Specifically, the director of the temporary district will NOT accept requests
for transfer by any representative other than the director of the home district.
If permission is granted, the home district will send to the temporary district one
(1) accommodating judge for every three (3) accommodated students sent, with a minimum
of one (1) accommodating judge. If permission is granted, the accommodated student
will: 1) pay their fees to
the temporary district, 2) be eligible for prizes from the temporary district, at
the discretion of the temporary district director, and 3) be counted in the State
Science Day quota for the temporary district, at the discretion of both district directors
if they are eligible to go to State Science
Day. The only exception is they will not be eligible to participate in the Regional
Science and Engineering Fair (RSEF) at the home district if not permitted by the affiliation
agreement of the RSEF with ISEF.
In lieu of the above policies & procedures, any student unable to participate in their
respective District Science Day may instead register for the OAS administered virtually
judged “District 18 Science Day”. Those students may not be eligible for any District
level awards; however, a Superior
rating will make the project eligible for State Science Day.
l) Eligibility for District Science Day Under Extraordinary Circumstances
Does not apply. Requirement for a Local or County Science Day Superior is waived for
2024.
m) Policy for District Procedures for Registering Students for State Science Day
Students selected to enter State Science Day following an in-person District Science
Day are expected to be present for the announcement of their eligibility for State Science
Day. If a student anticipates that he or she will not be present for announcement and
receipt of registration instructions and materials, he or she must designate in advance
of the event and in writing an adult to be responsible for obtaining the registration
materials, and promptly delivering the materials to the absent student. Absence from the announcement does not relieve the student of the
responsibility to meet the registration deadline. The District Science Day Director shall have final authority for selection of State
Science Day registrants who are certified as eligible to the executive office of the
Ohio Academy of Science by noon on the first Monday after the district
science day. Students selected to enter State Science Day following a virtually judged District
Science Day will be notified via email. This notice will include registration instructions
and deadlines.
n) Eligibility for State Science Day
All Superior-rated projects from a District Science Day may register to be judged
at the State Science Day competition. District quotas do not apply for 2024.
o) Preparation for State Science Day
District Science Day Directors may meet with all eligible students, parents and teachers
or mentors in advance of State Science Day judging to coach and prepare students for participation in State Science Day.
a) Abstract *REQUIRED for all Student Participants*
All students at Local, District, and State Science Days shall have an abstract and
written research report, which documents that the student has researched relevant
literature, stated a question and/or tested a hypothesis or technological design statement,
collected and analyzed data, and
drawn conclusions.
Abstracts of 250 or fewer words are required and must be submitted with applications
for both District and State Science Days. The abstract must contain a heading that
includes a project title and name(s) of the author(s). The heading does not contribute
to the word count. The purpose of an
abstract is to provide a summary of the project that will inform interested individuals
of the contents. The wording must be written in a manner that any scientifically minded
individual, who may not be familiar with the topic, can quickly understand the project’s
important points. Keep the
wording brief and concise and use complete sentences.
Summarize in a few sentences:
• Background information necessary to understand the project and its importance
• The problem that was investigated and the hypothesis or technological design statement
• Outline the materials and methods used in the actual experimentation
• Summary of the results obtained from experimentation
• The conclusions drawn from results
• The importance or potential applications that the research offers
b) Final Research Report *REQUIRED for all Student Participants*
*Scientific fraud and misconduct are not condoned at any level of research or competition.
Such practices include plagiarism, forgery, use or presentation of other researcher’s
work as one’s own, and fabrication of data. Fraudulent projects will fail to qualify
for competition in affiliated fairs or the ISEF.
• All written reports and logbooks (paper or digital) must disclose and cite where
appropriate the specific source(s) of the idea for the project. Citations must be
fully documented with references such as author(s), date, publication, and URL, if
website.
• The Ohio Journal of Science follows the citation and reference plan of the 8th
Edition of Scientific Style and Format: The CSE (Council of Science Editors) Manual
for Authors, Editors and Publishers.
• Research Report must follow an accepted form of technical writing such as: MLA,
APA, and others.
Required Final Research Report
Each project must include a research report covering in detail all the work, references
consulted, and acknowledgement of assistance received. The experimental data, statistics,
notes, and computations should be recorded in a research notebook. The report should
include a description of
the work, the results, and the conclusions. This report should follow an accepted
form of technical reporting and be checked for correct punctuation, spelling, and
grammar preferably by an English teacher. If possible, the report should contain illustrations
in the form of photographs, sketches, graphs, data tables or chart that contribute
to the effectiveness of the material presented. The Ohio Academy of Science recommends
the following format for sections of the research report:
• Title Page including the date and name of student
• Table of Contents (optional for reports fewer than 10 pages)
• Abstract
• Background Information
• Problem and hypothesis or problem and design statement
• Methods and Materials used to study the problem
• Results, including an analysis of collected data with graphs, tables, photographs,
and diagrams to illustrate investigation
• Conclusions and Implications for further research
• References or Literature Cited
c) Research Plan *REQUIRED for all Student Participants*
All students who participate in District and State Science Days shall complete a research
plan prior to beginning their experimentation or research trials. Modifications in the plans are permitted during the process of research. The modifications
must be prepared and dated as a research plan. If the modifications involve new protocols
that must be approved before experimentation, it must be approved before the student
resumes experimentation. The initial research plan must be kept if any data obtained
before the modification will be used in the final project.
A student research plan shall include: 1) The name and address of each student involved
in the research, 2) The teacher’s name or name of research supervisor, 3) Whether
the project is a continuation of work or a new project, 4) Where the work will be
done (home, school, research
institution, industry, or in the field), 5) The project title, 6) The research question
(s) or problem, 7) The hypothesis or technological design statement, 8) The experimental
methods or procedures, and 9) At least five major references specifically applicable
to the proposed research; e.g., science journal articles, books, or internet sites.
For internet sites, research plans must cite the complete URL, a title of the report,
the name of the author if known, and the date of the publication or update of the
site.
If the proposed research involves vertebrate animals, then the research plan must also: 1) provide a detailed justification for their use, 2) briefly discuss non-vertebrate alternatives and 3) give an additional animal care reference for the species being used.
d) Additional Student Research Plan for Special Protocols or Adult Supervision
*REQUIRED*
These projects include those associated with:
• Human subjects
• Nonhuman vertebrate animals including observation projects
• Potentially hazardous biological agents including microorganism, recombinant DNA
technologies, or human or animal fresh tissues, blood or body fluids
• Controlled substances and alcohol and tobacco
• Hazardous substances or devices including certain chemicals, equipment, firearms,
radioactive substances, and radiation
e) ISEF and Consent Forms *REQUIRED for all Student Participants*
An on-line Consent and Release Form must be read and marked as agreed to by all students
and parents to register in District and State Science Days.
The International Science and Engineering Fair Forms
The documents for the ISEF are available at https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/. Procedures of a particular year must be used by all students who participate in
District and State Science Days of the same year. These rules require adherence to
special student research protocols and
supervision, including prior approval of student research projects by local scientific review committees (SRC) or, in the case of human subjects, institutional
review boards (IRB). Local schools or counties must appoint and manage these committees. Depending upon the project(s), committee members must have sufficient professional
expertise by way of education and experience to review both human subjects and non-human
vertebrate projects.
a) Instructions to Judges
The attitude and conduct of the judges determine the success of any Science Day Activity.
Therefore, it is vital that each judge understands thoroughly his or her duties and
obligations. All judges need to have a genuine interest in young people combined with
a desire to offer encouragement and guidance in their efforts to pursue learning in
the various fields of science.
For in-person and virtually judged Science Days, students shall have an opportunity to present their project to two judges (in-person or online video presentation, respectively), one of whom (where possible) should be a K-12 teacher. This may be achieved as a team of judges or separately, with the scores averaged. Although judges should discuss the performance of the student, each judge shall score independently of the other judge and shall not reveal the scores to the other judge(s) or to the student. Only Science Day officials may inform the student of the scores or ratings after judging.
For in-person Science Days:
• Judges should have full knowledge of all The Ohio Academy of Science’s requirements
and expectations for Science Day participants.
• Judges should introduce themselves upon approaching a student and attempt to establish
a friendly rapport to help reduce the participant’s tension. Judges are expected to
be exceptionally courteous to all students.
• The student should first be asked to give her/his oral presentation of the project
while judges listen carefully to the complete presentation. Secondly, Students are
expected to answer questions about her/his work on the specific problem. It is also
proper for Judges to ask questions within the discipline or subject matter involved
at the student’s level of learning.
• Judges should feel free to question the participant on the materials and tools
used, the methods of construction, terms used, the sources of information, and the
amount and type of assistance enlisted in the preparation of the project.
• Judges should take an active part in the evaluation; silence may be interpreted
as disinterest or boredom, which can have a very discouraging effect on the participant.
• Judges are required to check through the abstract, the research plan, and research
report to determine their quality. A check of the references will assist in making
fair determination of the scope and depth of the literature search. The quality and
quantity of the references should be
considered to evaluate the student’s research methodology.
• Judges should determine the span of sustained interest in the particular field
of science, as well as the approximate amount of time spent in developing the project
being evaluated. Some premium should be granted for considerable extended interest
and effort to encourage this quality
of persistence.
• Judges are to review the Project Data Book/notebook/logbook for the project. Note
the number of entries, the dates, as well as the number of subjects or specimens used.
Is the number adequate to generalize to the larger group what the sample is intended
to represent?
• Judges are expected to write statements to the student/s in a professional manner
on the back of each score card. The scorecard will be returned to the student; thus,
the comments should reflect reasons for the rating, as well as suggestions for improvement.
• Judges are expected to discuss the final scoring of the project a considerable
distance from the participant(s), since disclosure of scores is delayed until judging
is completed.
For online virtually judged Science Days (District 18 and State Science Days):
• Judges will review each project Abstracts, Final Report, and video presentation
independently through the online platform.
• Judges are expected to write statements to the student/s in a professional manner
in the space provided through the online platform. The scores and comments will be
provided to the student, thus the comments should reflect reasons for the rating,
as well as constructive suggestions for
improvement of the project and its presentation.
b) Judging – The Process
The score received by a project is the average of the scores of the two judges. Fractional
scores should be rounded up.
Minimum number of points for each rating:
Individual and Team Projects: Superior 36, Excellent 24, Good 12, Satisfactory 4 (Satisfactory not given at State
Science Day).
All students at local, District or State Science Days shall have an abstract and a written Final Report, which documents that the student has searched relevant literature, state a question and/or tested a hypothesis or technological design statement, collected and analyzed data, and drawn conclusions. For a superior rating, an individual student shall receive a minimum of 36 points, or 45 points for a team, based on the criteria of: 1) Depth of Understanding, 2) Experimental or Engineering Design, 3) Oral, Written & Visual Communication, 4) Originality and Creativity.
c) Judging Criteria for Individual and Team Projects
Individual and Team Projects will be judged on the following criteria:
• Depth of Understanding (considering student’s age and grade level) - max. points
= 10
• Experimental or Engineering Design - max. points = 15
• Oral, Written & Visual Communication - max. points = 10
• Originality and Creativity - max. points = 5
Each criterion is rated with cumulative of 40 points being the maximum:
• Superior range = 36-40 points
• Excellent range = 24-35 points
• Good range = 0-23 points
d) The Criteria Interpreted
The following explanations interpret the various criteria on which the student’s project
or exhibit will be judged. The bullets do not have pre-determined numerical value.
Depth of Understanding (considering the student’s age and grade level)
• Adequate age-appropriate background research (journals, textbooks, websites, etc.)
relevant to the project which provides basis for hypothesis and age-appropriate use
of terms and principles.
• Supplements answers with relevant information reflecting knowledge gained during
the project.
• Describes how project applies to the student, the community, and the natural world
(i.e., the “why” would this project be important for people to know).
• Age-appropriate exploration of science in subject, depth of investigation, and/or
sophistication of project.
Experimental Design
• The project addresses a clear, focused problem or question with hypothesis that
is testable using scientific methods. If Meta-Analysis project, then hypothesis is
testable using data from multiple peer-reviewed research papers. If Engineering Design
project, addresses a clear, focused Engineering Design problem or need; criteria for
success are identified; preliminary designs prepared; prototype is created and tested
with results clearly communicated.
• The project plan and data collection methodology identifies variables and controls
and is not a summary of already known science. If Engineering Design project, student
identifies and applies established engineering principles in their design.
• Reproducible and sufficient data are collected, or if Meta-Analysis project, enough
scientific data is synthesized from other sources to address question/problem. Data
used were collected using appropriate and safe scientific protocols. If Engineering
Design project, then the student used materials and processes effectively to correctly
build prototype or model.
• Data are properly analyzed. Appropriate graphs and/or tables illustrate the data.
Statistics appropriate to the age of student are correctly used. If Engineering Design
project, sufficient testing of prototype or model is completed; data is properly measured,
presented and analyzed.
• Includes discussion of results and forms valid conclusions reached from the data
obtained with sources of error identified. If Engineering Design, then the prototype
successfully meets the criteria that were established for the project.
Oral, Written & Visual Communication
• Written: Final Research Report (includes relevant background information, research
question and testable hypothesis, experimental design and procedures, data acquisition
techniques, data analysis, conclusion and works cited). For Engineering Design projects,
include an Engineering Design statement, design plan and discussion of prototype development
and testing.
• Oral: Correct and concise explanation of project, design, and analysis. Responses
reflect an accurate understanding of experimental results and limitations of, expansions
of, and/or impact of the project.
• Visual: Logical organization of material, neatly displayed, graphics and legends
appropriate to project, easy to read and understand. Photos and graphics cited.
Originality and Creativity
Project displays originality in concept, relative to grade level (i.e., not "cookbook",
not classroom lab, not a simple extension of "found" idea). The project is a new idea,
concept, principle, insight or non-obvious approach. There is novel association or
relationship of previous knowledge and particularly rigorous analyses that reveal
previously unknown relations, etc.
e) Ranking vs Criteria
Except to fill quotas for participation in District and State Science Days, The Ohio
Academy of Science does not rank students at local, District or State Science Days.
Rather, Judges for the Academy compare students against the judging criteria described
above.
f) Re-judging Criteria to be used at Local, District and State Science Days
Teachers promoting local student research projects and conducting local science fairs
or science days leading to District Science Days and to State Science Day are expected
to have their students follow the official Science Day Standards outlined herein.
Included in these Standards are the
following Re-judging Criteria for both individual and team projects that teachers
should use locally and that must be used at all District and State Science Days.
• Two judges will judge each project for the Ohio Academy of Science ratings.
• If each judge grants a total score within anyone rating category (Superior, Excellent,
or Good), that specific rating (Superior, Excellent or Good) will be granted to the
student and no re-judging is permitted.
• Re-judging is automatic if all three of the following conditions apply:
o The judges’ final ratings are in different categories,
o The average of the judges’ scores is in the lower category, and
o If the judges differ in their total points by more than five points.
No project will be re-judged at State Science Day based solely on rating. Individual districts, however, may choose to re-judge based on rating provided a consistent policy is developed and consistently applied within the individual district.
Under exceptional circumstances, a project may be re-judged at a District Science Day with the approval of the District Science Day Director or designee.
Under exceptional circumstances, a project may be re-judged at State Science Day with the approval of the CEO of The Ohio Academy of Science, or the Director of the Junior Academy Council or designee.
g) Judging Ethics
Judges shall:
• Return judging cards immediately to Science Day officials if (1) you know the student,
(2) the project is out of your area of expertise, or (3) there are language issues
that may impair communication
• Keep in mind that the Mission of the Ohio Junior Academy of Science is to discover
and foster interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics among students
in grades 5-12
• Have no prior involvement with the participant or project
• Adhere to all Ohio Academy of Science Guidelines
• Judge students against CRITERIA, not against other students
• Listen carefully to student’s complete presentation
• Be always attentive and courteous to students
• Evaluate theoretical and applied projects without bias toward either
• Provide written, constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement
• Seek written permission from students to photograph them
• Not photograph students or projects during judging
• Avoid discussion of ratings with others prior to public release
V. Additional Policies & Procedures
a) Harassment Generally – Policy (In-person or Online Communications)
This policy prohibits harassment of any kind against any student, volunteer, or employee
by an adult, another student, volunteer, Science Day committee member or employee,
or third party for any reason including, but not limited to: age, national origin,
race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status,
disability, ancestry and/or veteran status. Harassment includes but is not limited
to slurs, epithets, threats, derogatory comments, unwelcome jokes, and teasing.
Any student or other person who feels that he or she is a victim of such harassment at an Ohio Science Day program should promptly report the matter to a member of the Event Staff or a Committee member (of the respective State or District Science Day Committee) or other adult authority who must immediately present it to the proper Science Day authority. If a Science Day employee or adult volunteer becomes aware of such a situation, he or she is under the responsibility to report it to the proper Science Day event authority (Ohio Academy of Science-CEO or Junior Academy Council Director for State Science Day, or District Council Chair or designated council member for each respective District Science Day). Upon receipt of an allegation(s), the appropriate representative of the Host Institution will be contacted and an investigation will be initiated following the established policy & procedure of the Host Institution. All such reports will be handled as confidentially as possible. The Science Day event authority or the Host Institution, or both organizations, may take appropriate disciplinary action against any person found to have violated the harassment policy. This includes contacting appropriate law enforcement agencies if deemed necessary.
No adverse action or retaliation will be allowed to be taken against a person who reports a violation or who participates in an investigation of this policy in good faith. Knowingly false accusations are prohibited and will be treated by disciplinary action comparable to that which would be applied to actual misconduct.
b) Sexual Harassment – Policy (In-person or Online Communications)
Sexual harassment of or by any person in attendance at any Science Day event (State
or District level) is prohibited. Sexual harassment includes but is not limited to
unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and/or verbal or physical conduct
of a sexual nature including, but not limited to, drawings, pictures, jokes, teasing,
or uninvited touching.
In accordance with this policy, unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors,
sexual demands, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature will constitute
sexual harassment when:
• The conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an affected
person’s performance, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment;
or in third party situations, one or more individuals are reasonably offended by the
sexual interaction, conduct, or communications between others.
• The conduct has the effect of creating actual, perceived, or potential conflicts
of interest, favoritism, disruption, or lack of objectivity.
Any student or other person who feels that he or she is a victim of sexual harassment
at an Ohio Science Day program should promptly report the matter to a member of the
Event Staff or a Committee member (of the respective State or District Science Day
Committee) or other adult authority who must immediately present it to the proper
Science Day authority. If a Science Day employee or Adult volunteer becomes aware
of such a situation, he or she is under the responsibility to report it to the proper
Science Day event authority (Ohio Academy of Science- CEO or Junior Academy Council
Director for State Science Day, or District Council Chair or designated council member
for each respective District Science Day) Upon receipt of an allegation(s), the appropriate
representative of the Host Institution will be contacted and an investigation will
be initiated following the established policy & procedure of the Host Institution.
All such reports will be handled as confidentially as possible. The Science Day event
authority or the Host Institution, or both organizations, may take appropriate disciplinary
action against any person found to have violated
the harassment policy. This includes contacting appropriate law enforcement agencies
if deemed necessary.
No adverse action or retaliation will be allowed to be taken against a person who reports a violation or who participates in and investigation of this policy in good faith. Knowingly false accusations are prohibited and will be treated by disciplinary action comparable to that which would be applied to actual misconduct.
c) Accommodation of Students with Disabilities at Science Day – Policy
When teacher, parent or student gives advance notice of a disability which would affect
the student’s ability to attend or remain all day at a Science Day, without some accommodation
regarding access or schedule, the event administrators should determine the exact
needs of the student and identify solutions which would allow the student to present
their project as best they can. This may include access to facilities for project
presentation, seating if not in a wheelchair, restroom access, early judging and to
be excused from staying for awards if needed. Student would still need to meet established
judging criteria and earn a Superior rating to move on.
If no advance notice is given, event committee should consider options on a case-by-case
basis, with goal to accommodate the student’s needs if possible. If unable to accommodate
needs, give involved parties an explanation why and provide them the opportunity to
suggest other ideas or
options not considered by event committee (student may have been in similar situations
in the past).