ISEF Student Checklist (1A) and Research Plan Guidelines

Student Checklist (1A) Form Requirements

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Student Checklist (1A) is a mandatory form required for ALL science fair research projects under the International Rules: Guidelines for Science and Engineering Fairs 2023–2024 published by societyforscience.org/ISEF (Page 32). The form documents key administrative data, experimental timing, research locations, and data sources.

  • 1. Student and Team Information:
    • 1a. Student / Team Leader: Full name, current grade level, email address, and phone number.
    • 1b. Team Member: Name of second team member (if applicable).
    • 1c. Team Member: Name of third team member (if applicable).
  • 2. Title of Project: The full official title of the research project.
  • 3. School Details:
    • School Name
    • School Phone Number
    • School Address
  • 4. Adult Sponsor Information:
    • Adult Sponsor Name
    • Phone Number and/or Email Address
  • 5. Regulatory Pre-Approval Status:
    • Checkbox indicating whether the project requires pre-approval from Institutional Review Board (IRB), Scientific Review Committee (SRC), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), or other regulatory bodies (Yes / No).
    • Tentative Start Date (mm/dd/yy).
  • 6. Continuation and Progression Tracking:
    • Checkbox indicating if the project is a continuation or progression from a previous year's study (Yes / No).
    • Mandatory Attachments if marked Yes:
    • Attach the previous year's Abstract.
    • Attach the previous year's Research Plan/Project Summary.
    • Complete and attach Continuation/Research Progression Form (7) explaining explicitly how the current project is new and different from previous years.
  • 7. Experimentation and Data Collection Timeline:
    • Actual Start Date: (mm/dd/yy)
    • End Date: (mm/dd/yy)
  • 8. Location of Experimentation (Check all that apply):
    • Research Institution
    • School
    • Field
    • Home
    • Other (with specification line)
  • 9. Data Source Classification:
    • Collected self/mentor
    • Other (requires detailed description or URL)
  • 10. Non-Home and Non-School Work Sites:
    • Must list the name, physical address, and contact phone/email for all non-home and non-school work sites utilized, regardless of whether work was conducted virtually or on-site.
  • 11. Research Plan/Project Summary Attachment:
    • Mandatory attachment of a completed Research Plan/Project Summary adhering strictly to explicit instructions.
  • 12. Abstract Requirement:
    • An abstract is required for all projects after experimentation is complete.

Research Plan and Project Summary General Guidelines

Research Plan/Project Summary Instructions Header

A complete Research Plan/Project Summary is required for ALL science fair projects and must accompany Student Checklist (1A) in accordance with Page 33 of the International Rules: Guidelines for Science and Engineering Fairs 2023–2024 (societyforscience.org/ISEF).

  • Pre-Experimentation Written Research Plan:
    • All projects must have a Research Plan written prior to experimentation.
    • The initial Research Plan outlines research questions, theoretical rationale, detailed methodology, and safety risk assessments before work begins.
  • Handling Research Modifications and Addendums:
    • Addendums for Changes: If modifications occur during research, changes can be added to the original research plan as an addendum.
    • Re-approval Triggers: Certain procedural shifts may require returning to the IRB or SRC for appropriate secondary review and approval.
    • Project Summary Designation: If no additional approvals are required, the addendum serves as a project summary explaining the actual research conducted.
    • Exemption: If no changes are made relative to the original research plan, no separate project summary is required.
  • Engineering Design and Mathematics Projects:
    • Projects involving engineering design or mathematics are frequently less detailed in their initial project plan and undergo continuous evolution throughout research.
    • If changes occur in engineering or math studies, a project summary explaining what was done is required and must be appended to the original research plan.

Core Structure of the Research Plan and Project Summary

The Research Plan/Project Summary must comprehensively include the following structural sections:

  • a. RATIONALE:
    • A brief synopsis of the background supporting the research problem.
    • Full explanation of why the research is important.
    • Explanation of any societal impact resulting from the research (if applicable).
  • b. RESEARCH QUESTION(S), HYPOTHESIS(ES), ENGINEERING GOAL(S), EXPECTED OUTCOMES:
    • Clear definition of questions, testable hypotheses, engineering benchmarks, or expected results.
    • Explicit description of how these elements logically derive from the rationale.
  • c. DETAILED METHODOLOGICAL DESCRIPTIONS:
    • Procedures: Exhaustive step-by-step description of all procedures and experimental design, including precise methods for data collection and data source identification. Must describe only student-performed work, explicitly excluding tasks completed by mentors or lab technicians.
    • Risk and Safety: Complete identification of potential risks, hazards, and necessary safety precautions.
    • Data Analysis: Full description of procedures and statistical tests used to analyze experimental data and results.
  • d. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
    • Comprehensive list of major academic references (science journal articles, books, scientific websites) from the initial literature review.
    • Vertebrate Requirement: If vertebrate animals are used, at least one reference must specifically be an animal care reference.

Subject-Specific Research Plan Instructions

Four specific research domain classifications require additional detailed information in the Research Plan/Project Summary:

  • 1. Human Participants Research:
    • a. Participants: Specify age range, gender, and racial/ethnic composition. Explicitly identify any vulnerable populations included (minors, pregnant women, prisoners, mentally disabled, or economically disadvantaged individuals).
    • b. Recruitment: Detail recruitment locations and invitation procedures.
    • c. Methods: Detail explicit subject activities. State if surveys, questionnaires, or standardized tests are used; if using non-original instruments, state how they were obtained and detail permission approvals. State the frequency and duration of involvement for each subject.
    • d. Risk Assessment: Detail physical, psychological, temporal, social, or legal risks and discomforts. Describe strategies to minimize risks and list potential benefits to participants or society.
    • e. Protection of Privacy: State whether personally identifiable information (PII) (names, phone numbers, birth dates, email addresses) is collected. State if data is confidential or anonymous. For anonymous data, explain collection procedures. For non-anonymous data, detail confidentiality safeguards, data storage location, access rights, and post-study data destruction plans.
    • f. Informed Consent Process: Describe how subjects are informed regarding study purpose, task requirements, voluntary participation, and their right to withdraw at any time.
  • 2. Vertebrate Animal Research:
    • a. Alternatives and Justification: Discuss potential alternatives to vertebrate animal use and provide explicit justification for using vertebrates.
    • b. Impact: Detail potential contributions or broad scientific impact of the research.
    • c. Operational Procedures: Detail procedures to minimize discomfort, distress, pain, and injury, including precise chemical concentrations and pharmaceutical drug dosages.
    • d. Animal Details: Specify exact animal numbers, species, strain, sex, age, source, and statistical justification for numbers used.
    • e. Housing and Care: Describe housing infrastructure and daily veterinary/husbandry oversight.
    • f. Disposition: Detail final disposition procedures for animals at the conclusion of the study.
  • 3. Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Research:
    • a. Assessment and Sourcing: State the organism source, Biosafety Level (BSL) assessment process, and resulting BSL determination.
    • b. Safety Protocols: Detail physical safety precautions and biohazard waste disposal methods.
  • 4. Hazardous Chemicals, Activities & Devices:
    • a. Safety Framework: Describe the formal Risk Assessment process, supervision protocols, safety precautions, and disposal methods.
    • b. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS): MSDS/SDS sheets are not required to be submitted with the paperwork.