Publish your project!

What do you do after you've collected your data, made your charts and graphs, and realize you've found a new way to make chewing-gum flavor last forever? First, clean up any mess you may h.ave made (your parents and teachers will thank you). Then, announce your findings to the world.

That's what real scientists do. They publish their research in scientific journals, magazines read by other scientists and anyone else who wants to learn about the latest discoveries.

Some people think that publishing research is the most important and exciting part of doing science. Why? Because that's when scientist lay their research on the line.

It can be risky business. When other scientists'read about Dr. Frank N. Stein's experiments in the Journal of New Life, for example, they might not believe his conclusions. But they can follow Stein's procedure and analyze the results themselves. If they get the same results, they confirm Stein's original research. If they get different results--or discover a better method--they can publish their findings. Either way, everyone learns, asks more questions, and the process of scientific discovery continues. But bigwig scientists aren't the only ones who can publish their work. Now you can publish your research in a scientific journal just for teens. It's called The Student Researcher, and it's published four times a year by students and teachers at the National Student Research Center at Mandeville Middle School in Mandeville, Louisiana.

The journal is filled with science projects done by students around the country. You can also read it on the Internet, where it's called The E-journal of Student Research (see address, right).

All you have to do to get your project published in The Student Researcher is write up an abstract--a summary of your science project. A good abstract contains all the main ideas and supporting details of your research, says John Swang, director of the National Student Research Center. For specific instructions, see the abstract format below.

When you think your abstract is finished, have your teacher look over your work and help you make corrections. Then mail your final paper to:

National Student Research Center Mandeville Middle School 2525 Soult Street Mandeville, LA 70448

Or send it by E-mail to: [e-mail]

The Student Researcher editors may ask you to make some changes or provide additional information before they publish your work. But they'll always let you know when your paper will be printed. And, they'll send you a copy. Good luck!

How to write an abstract for publication in The Student Researcher

Title: Put the title of your project here.

Student Researcher(s): List your name(s) here.

School Address: Include the name and mailing address of your school here.

Grade: What grade are you in?

Teacher: What's your teacher's full name?

I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis: Briefly describe or define your topic. What did you want to find out? State what you thought would happen in your research project in the form of a hypothesis, an educated guess based on what you already know about the topic.

II. Methodology: How did you test your hypothesis? List all the materials you used. Identify all variables and controls. Explain your step-by-step procedure in enough detail so that another researcher could repeat your experiment.

III. Analysis of Data: Include a detailed summary of your data here. What did your charts, graphs, and analysis show, especially regarding your hypothesis?

IV. Summary and Conclusion: Briefly summarize your data analysis and explain how your findings led you to support or reject your hypothesis. Describe any limitations or shortcomings in your study.

V. Application: How does what you learned from your research apply to the world outside the classroom? For example, can you generalize your findings for a larger population or use your findings to help solve a problem in the world? You may also want to include suggestions for further research.