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Name:
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 School
Version
#1 		School
Version
#2
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Title Page
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- student name and paper title, center justified
- no photo
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Abstract - 10 points
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Provide the following items in this order:
1. Motivating background (something the audience will care about).
2. Problem statement or knowledge gap (what need does your research address).
3. What you did to solve the problem (methodology).
4. Summary of your main results/conclusions.
5. Implications of your findings (link back to the background - So what? Now what?)

- Address novel approaches
- Continuation papers: need to detail Phase 1 and Phase 2 in abstract
- On its own page (page 2)
- 250 words or less		0 pts

Not present

2 pt

Barely present or Vague		4 pts

Inconsistent or confusing
6 pts

Fair

8 pts

Good

10 pts

Excellent

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Introduction - 80 pts
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Overview of Research Problem
Clearly explained:
- Clear and concise summary of the topic
- Brief overview of general problem
- Identify the gap (problem statement sentence)
- State thesis
- Includes statistics to introduce and justify the problem (cited all sources but not general knowledge)
- Convey the importance of the topic (why should the reader care?)
- 1-2 paragraphs containing 4-7 sentences each		0 pts

Not present

2 pt

Barely present or Vague		4 pts

Inconsistent or confusing
6 pts

Fair

8 pts

Good

10 pts

Excellent

10
Review of Literature
- Funnel Effect: Tells the story from broad background through previous research leading to specific problem
- Simply stated, in order, well connected, well cited, noting gaps

- Between 5-15 concise paragraphs
- Each paragraph expresses ONLY ONE main idea or concept
- Each paragraph contains one or more citations from journal articles with cited sources for each key idea (Smith, 2012). May be multiple sources for the same idea (Lewis, 2011; Smith, 2010)
- Includes at least 1 figure from peer-reviewed sources (APA format)**

If you completed phase two of the same/similar project then clearly explain how phase one led to phase two

-Errors: Non-scientific, non-supported, non-justified, confusing, vague statements, unclear transitions between paragraphs		20 pts

Confusing
or no clear
funnel effect present

AND

Consistent
Errors

24 pts

Barely present or Vague
funnel effect present

AND

Many
Errors
28 pts

Inconsistent
funnel effect

AND

Some
Errors




32 pts

Fair
funnel effect

AND

Few
Errors



36 pts

Good
funnel effect

AND

Very Few
Errors



40 pts

Excellent
funnel effect that flows and tells a "story"

AND

No
Errors
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Summary
- Summary paragraph(s)
- Return to your thesis statement
- State next steps for this research
- Clear and concise summary of the review
- 1-2 paragraphs containing 4-7 sentences 		0 pts

Not present

2 pt

Barely present or Vague		4 pts

Inconsistent or confusing
6 pts

Fair

8 pts

Good

10 pts

Excellent

12
Figures & Tables
- Use 1-2 of these to explain previous research
- Captions help to explain the images and are a smaller font
- Caption must be in text box that does not extend beyond the graphic (APA format) or beyond the one inch margins
- Titles & captions are on same page as picture/graph
- Figures/Tables are referenced in-text before the figure/table appears, at the end of the relevant sentence like this: (Table 2). Or, “As seen in Table 2, BMI increased an average of 14% over time...”
- Figures/Tables are always Titled ABOVE the figures/tables. A note should be placed BELOW the table/figure. The note should detail what the author wants to reader to learn from the figure.
- Referenced in-text before the table/figure appears, at the end of the relevant sentence like this: (Table 2). Or, “As seen in Table 2, BMI increased an average of 14% over time...”
- Citations for figures should be in parentheses at the end of the caption (Figure by R. McNelis)		0 pts

Not present

1 pt

Barely present or Vague
2 pts

Inconsistent or confusing		3 pts

Fair
4 pts

Good
5 pts

Excellent
13
Section Formatting
- Between 2-4 pages including P. G. H.
- Uses correct "Tier" headings
- Broken up into subsections with descriptive headings in APA format
- 1 inch margins and 1.5x spaced
- Times New Roman, (size 11)
- Left justify
- Page #s and Date submitted (MM/DD/YY) on bottom right (beginning on intro page) and update with each draft
0 pts

5 or more errors		2 pts

4 errors		4 pts

 3 errors		6 pts

2 errors		8 pts

 1 error		10 pts

No errors
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Spelling, Grammar & Syntax
- Spelling and Grammar are correct
- Must be in past tense
- Avoid using "we","I", "our","my" … BUT use first person for key personal contributions where appropriate to the discipline		0 pts

9 or more errors		1 pts

7-8 errors
2 pts

5-6 errors
3 pts

3-4 errors
4 pts

1-2 errors
5 pts

No errors
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Problem(s), Goal(s) & Hypothesis(es) - 15 pts
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The "PGH" needs to align with the Abstract

Problem Statement (Gap)
-Label section as "Problem Statement(s)"
-Should be bulleted (not a paragraph)
-Based on the previous research, it is CLEAR what the gap in knowledge is?
** If more than one "Problem" then number each of them
** If you completed phase two of the same/similar project then clearly label the P.O.H. of each phase		0 pts

Not present

1 pt

Barely present or Vague		2 pts

Inconsistent
or
Confusing		3 pts

Fair

4 pts

Good

5 pts

Excellent

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Goal(s)
-Label section as "Goal(s)"
-Should be bulleted (not a paragraph)
-States how the project addressed the problem statement(s)
** If you completed phase two of the same/similar project then clearly label the P.G.H. of each phase
** If multiple objectives address one problem then label them as "Goal 1a, Goal 1b etc..."
** If there are multiple problem statements then there must be the same number of goals.		0 pts

Not present

1 pt

Barely present or Vague		2 pts

Inconsistent
or
Confusing		3 pts

Fair

4 pts

Good

5 pts

Excellent

18
Hypothesis / Hypotheses
-Label section as "Hypothesis" or "Hypotheses"
-Should be bulleted (not a paragraph)
-States the prediction with justification for each specific hypothesis
** Some engineering projects may not need a hypothesis but require clear objective(s)
** If you completed phase two of the same/similar project then clearly label the P.G.H. of each phase
** If multiple hypotheses address one objective then label them as "H1a H1b etc..."
** If there are multiple goals then there must be the same number of hypotheses		0 pts

Not present

1 pt

Barely present or Vague		2 pts

Inconsistent
or
Confusing		3 pts

Fair

4 pts

Good

5 pts

Excellent

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Name:
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 School
Version
#1 		School
Version
#2
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Methodology - 65 pts
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Role of Mentor (title of the subsection)
- Clearly state work you had assistance with (by your mentor) followed by "I completed all remaining work in this paper."
*You would not do this in a peer-reviewed journal article, but this is a high school paper and it is required.		0 pts

Not present
1 pt

Barely present or confusing		2 pts

Inconsistent or confusing		3 pts

Fair
4 pts

Good

5 pts

Excellent

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This section describes a general overview of what your methodology should accomplish. See discipline specific templates for subsection suggestions.

Explanation
- Must include sufficient detail for complete replication of the experiment
- All standard lab techniques should be named. There is no need to describe all the steps of standard techniques (e.g. PCR or Western Blot)
- Should be written in passive voice (Ex. instead of “I performed the Western Blot in order to.." the passive voice would state “The Western Blot was performed in order to..”)
- Highlight unique contributions made by you wherever appropriate. This can also be added to your discussion section
- Broken into subsections with clear and concise headings that are mirrored in the Results
- Justify and explain why certain steps were taken
- Explain and justify which statistical tests were used and why (should be last paragraph)
- For student driven/created methodologies, should be incredibly detailed and discuss failures and recovery

Equipment & Materials
- Your paper will be read by scientists so simply say you used a 1 Molar solution. You do not need to describe how to make a 1 Molar solution.
- If you used the same method as another researcher, cite their paper and simply state what changes you made to their protocol, if any.
- Cite all important equipment, cell lines, databases, software... (Ex. “A flow cytometer [Model 34, Beckman-Coulter] was utilized...”) (Ex. “The murine MBRM.157 macrophage cell line will be purchased from the American Tissue Culture Collection.”)

-Errors: Non-scientific, non-supported, non-justified, confusing, vague statements, unclear transitions between paragraphs (To avoid these errors, be sure to justify your methodology. Ex. "Western blot was performed in order to…" or "PCR was conducted so that …")		20 pts

 Little or no
explanation

AND

Consistent
Errors		24 pts

Poor
explanation

AND

Many
Errors		28 pts

Random or Confusing explanation

AND

Some
Errors		32 pts

Fair
explanation

AND

Few
Errors
36 pts

Good
explanation

AND

Very Few
Errors
40 pts

Excellent
explanation

AND

No
Errors
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Figures & Tables
- Captions help to explain the images and are a smaller font
- Caption must be in text box that does not extend beyond the graphic (APA format) or beyond the one inch margins
- Titles & captions are on same page as picture/graph
- Figures/Tables are referenced in-text before the figure/table appears, at the end of the relevant sentence like this: (Table 2). Or, “As seen in Table 2, BMI increased an average of 14% over time...”
- Figures/Tables are always Titled ABOVE the figures/tables. A note should be placed BELOW the table/figure. The note should detail what the author wants to reader to learn from the figure.
- Referenced in-text before the table/figure appears, at the end of the relevant sentence like this: (Table 2). Or, “As seen in Table 2, BMI increased an average of 14% over time...”
- Citations for figures should be in parentheses at the end of the caption (Figure by R. McNelis)		0 pts

Not present
1 pt

Barely present or confusing
2 pts

Inconsistent or confusing
3 pts

Fair
4 pts

Good
5 pts

Excellent
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Section Formatting
- Between 2-5 pages and it must include sufficient detail for complete replication of the experiment.
- Written in past tense
- Broken up into subsections with descriptive headings in APA format (see discipline specific templates)
0 pts

5 or more errors		2 pts

4 errors		4 pts

 3 errors		6 pts

2 errors		8 pts

 1 error		10 pts

No errors
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Spelling, Grammar & Syntax
- Spelling and Grammar are correct
- Must be in past tense
- Avoid using "we","I", "our","my" … BUT use first person for key personal contributions where appropriate to the discipline		0 pts

9 or more errors		1 pt

7-8 errors
2 pts

5-6 errors
3 pts

3-4 errors
4 pts

1-2 errors
5 pts

No errors
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Name:
30
 School
Version
#1 		School
Version
#2
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Results - 30 pts
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- Follows order of Methodology
- Headings & subheadings included (should mirror Methodology)
- At least one figure (chart/graph/image) or table to support each key result
- Results are free of any and all interpretation (absolutely no opinions)
-Results are clear and concise
-Errors: Non-scientific, non-supported, non-justified, confusing, vague statements, unclear transitions between paragraphs		15 pts

Confusing
or no Clear
Explanation

AND

Consistent
Errors


18 pts

Barely Present or Vague
Explanation

AND

Many
Errors

21 pts

Inconsistent
Explanation

AND

Some
Errors



24 pts

Fair
Explanation

AND

Few
Errors



27 pts

Good
Explanation

AND

Very Few
Errors



30 pts

Excellent
Explanation

AND

No
Errors



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Figures & Tables
- Captions help to explain the images and are a smaller font
- Caption must be in text box that does not extend beyond the graphic (APA format) or beyond the one inch margins
- Titles & captions are on same page as picture/graph
- Figures/Tables are referenced in-text before the figure/table appears, at the end of the relevant sentence like this: (Table 2). Or, “As seen in Table 2, BMI increased an average of 14% over time...”
- Figures/Tables are always Titled ABOVE the figures/tables. A note should be placed BELOW the table/figure.
- The note should detail what the author wants to reader to learn from the figure.
- Referenced in-text before the table/figure appears, at the end of the relevant sentence like this: (Table 2). Or, “As seen in Table 2, BMI increased an average of 14% over time...”
- Citations for figures should be in parentheses at the end of the caption (Figure by R. McNelis)
- If you created a figure, cite yourself at the end of the figure caption: (“Figure by Last Name, First Initial”)
- All data summarized BOTH in text form AND figure form (graph, table, chart)
- Significant data should have an asterisk next to the number. Use more asterisks for lower values
 *p < .05 **p < .01 ***p < .001
- Equations are double-spaced, centered and with the equation # right-justified
- Graphs have keys and are large enough to read
- Graphs and keys must be legible in black and white and in color
- Tables have descriptive title, both axes are labeled, units are present
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Discussion - 30 pts
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- Interprets the data and explains their relevance
- Begin with most important findings
- Was the objective(s) accomplished?
- Each hypothesis is supported or refuted. E.g., “For our first hypothesis that...we reject the null in favor of…”
- Engineering projects without a hypothesis refer back to objective.
- Potential limitations, including confounding variables, are discussed without apology (do not use “Unfortunately…”, “However...”, etc.)
- Highlight relevant failures and challenges that you overcame
- Limitations should be spread throughout the discussion, where relevant (no subsection)
- Headings & subheadings included
- Explanation of statistical tests used
- Why those tests were used?
- What was the statistical significance
- Specific reference to how the results of this study were similar, different and/or improved upon previous studies. E.g., “Similar to Smith in 2014, ..." or "Unlike Jones in 2010, ....."
-Errors: Non-scientific, non-supported, non-justified, confusing, vague statements, unclear transitions between paragraphs		10 pts

 Little or no
explanation

AND

Consistent
Errors
12 pts

Poor
explanation

AND

Many
Errors
14 pts

Random or Confusing explanation

AND

Some
Errors		16 pts

Fair
explanation

AND

Few
Errors
18 pts

Good
explanation

AND

Very Few
Errors
20 pts

Excellent
explanation

AND

No
Errors
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Implications and applications
- Make this a Tier 2 or 3 subheading under Discussion
- What is the potential impact of your findings?
- How can your results be applied?
- If you truly found something new, check with your mentor first and then say so: “We report a novel finding...” or “This result is heretofore unreported in the literature...”
- Explains what direction future studies should take
- Justifies the reason WHY those future studies are important		0 pts

 Little or no
explanation

AND

Consistent
Errors
2 pts

Poor
explanation

AND

Many
Errors
4 pts

Random or Confusing explanation

AND

Some
Errors		6 pts

Fair
explanation

AND

Few
Errors
8 pts

Good
explanation

AND

Very Few
Errors
10 pts

Excellent
explanation

AND

No
Errors
37
Conclusion - 25 pts
38
- 1 paragraph clear, concise review that achieves the following:
- Synopsize the key findings
- Restate your thesis and summarize your important evidence. Include all novel discoveries.
- Synthesize and explain what the findings mean and imply – show how they answer the gap
- Circle back to the big-picture problem and show how your work has realistically addressed that
- If you genuinely plan on continuing the research, that can be noted here
- Ends with a powerful, impact statement (e.g. relevance to society)
- This paragraph needs to stand on its own and be exciting!!
0 pts

Not present or not clear



2 pts

Barely present

4 pts

Inconsistent
6 pts

Fair
8 pts

Good
10 pts

Excellent
39
Formatting (Results, Disc., Conc.)
- Between 3-5 pages
- Uses correct "Tier" headings
- Broken up into subsections with descriptive headings in APA format
0 pts

5 or more errors		2 pts

4 errors		4 pts

 3 errors		6 pts

2 errors		8 pts

 1 error		10 pts

No errors
40
Spelling, Grammar & Syntax
- Spelling and Grammar are correct
- Must be in past tense
- Avoid using "we","I", "our","my" … BUT use first person for key personal contributions where appropriate to the discipline		0 pts

9 or more errors		1 pts

7-8 errors
2 pts

5-6 errors
3 pts

3-4 errors
4 pts

1-2 errors
5 pts

No errors
41
References - 10 pts
42
(APA format)
- References listed in alphabetical order
- Reverse "Hanging" indentation where the 2nd and 3rd line are indented		0 Pts

5 or more errors		2 Pts

4 errors
4 Pts

3 errors
6 Pts

2 errors
8 Pts

1 errors
10 Pts

0 errors
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