Alaska Statewide
High School Science Symposium

Steps to Complete

Outlined below are important steps you should complete as you carry out your research project. Detailed guidelines can be found on the Student Resourcespage. Additional helpful information can be found at the JSHS website under Guidelines.

1. Select a project idea.
2. Seek additional assistance from a mentor.
3. Carry out a literature review to gather background information. This may help you develop a more specific project idea, formulate an hypothesis, and design the experiment itself. The information you gather may also be useful as you write the introduction to your paper.
4. Write a problem statement.
5. Formulate an hypothesis.
6. Design your experimental method.
7. Have your project approved by your teacher or mentor. Complete the Project Approval Form and all additional forms required for your project, with proper signatures, BEFORE beginning any experimentation. (See Project Approval for ASHSSS.)
8. Conduct the experiment: make observations, collect and organize data.
9. Analyze the results.
10. Formulate your conclusion(s), based on the results obtained. Is your hypothesis supported or rejected?
11. Write a scientific paper that conforms to ASHSSS guidelines. (See How to Write Your Scientific Paper and Scientific Paper Evaluation Form.).
12. Write an abstract that conforms to ASHSSS guidelines. (See How to Write an Abstract.) Include the abstract as part of your scientific paper and prepare a formal abstract. (See Formal Abstract Guidelines and Formal Abstract Example.)
13. Submit all materials required for registration to the ASHSSS Director. (See How to Register for the ASHSSS.) Materials must be received by the deadline noted on the inside front cover. KEEP A COPY OF ALL DOCUMENTS AND FORMS THAT YOU SUBMIT.
14. Student speakers for the ASHSSS are selected based upon evaluation of their written paper. (See Scientific Paper Evaluation Form for details.) Students selected to present their projects at the ASHSSS should:
    1. Develop an oral presentation of their project. (See Presentation Guidelines, Suggestions for Your Presentation, and ASHSSS Judges Score Sheet for details.) Students may also choose to revise their abstract and/or scientific paper. (Revised versions of abstracts and/or papers may be submitted at the ASHSSS meeting.)
    2. IF using a computer during the presentation, test equipment and software compatibility at UAF the Friday before the ASHSSS meeting.
    3. Present their project at the ASHSSS meeting and attend the presentations of fellow participants.
    4. Attend the awards banquet Saturday evening (location and time to be announced). All student participants are invited and each participant may bring one guest at no cost. Additional guests may pay to attend the banquet (cost to be announced). Reservations and payment for additional guests should be sent to the Director, if possible by the Monday before the ASHSSS meeting. Payment may also be made on the day of the ASHSSS meeting, at registration or at the awards banquet. (Payment in advance is preferred, as it allows adjustments to be made, if necessary, to accommodate an increased number of banquet attendees.)
15. Students who earn 1st and 2nd in their session on Saturday are advanced as finalists to a second round of judging on Sunday, to determine the overall winners. At the awards banquet Saturday evening, finalists be scheduled for their Sunday presentation and will receive their Judges Score Sheets from Saturday’s competition. Finalists may choose to revise their presentation for Sunday, and may submit a revised abstract and/or paper on Sunday.