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In text citations with Zotero Citation Software

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In text citations with Zotero Citation Software

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Integrates with Google Docs

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Just need to create a quick bibliography?

Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share research.
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Zotero | Your personal research assistant

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Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share research.

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Fear mongering about dihydrogen monoxide

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Fear mongering about dihydrogen monoxide

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4h58m38s02f Caldicott's Candlelight - Penn & Teller's Petition against Dihydrogen-Monoxide - TR2016a

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Download over 80 million free science papers, patents, theses and posters

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Fake websites to teach about credible sources

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Fake websites to teach about credible sources

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Don’t forget to take photos of the researcher engaged in research, but also to photo document results. Include the photos in the book.

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Summer 2020 - TBD

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Comparing two means - Is there a significant difference between the two groups?

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Carrying out a T-Test in Microsoft Excel

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The documents generated here are considered to be in the Public Domain.
They can be used, shared, and republished without need of permission.

If you like what I'm doing, support me on Patreon!

The documents generated here are considered to be in the Public Domain.
They can be used, shared, and republished without need of permission.

If you like what I'm doing, support me on Patreon!

The documents generated here are considered to be in the Public Domain.
They can be used, shared, and republished without need of permission.

If you like what I'm doing, support me on Patreon!

The documents generated here are considered to be in the Public Domain.
They can be used, shared, and republished without need of permission.

If you like what I'm doing, support me on Patreon!

The documents generated here are considered to be in the Public Domain.
They can be used, shared, and republished without need of permission.

If you like what I'm doing, support me on Patreon!

The documents generated here are considered to be in the Public Domain.
They can be used, shared, and republished without need of permission.

If you like what I'm doing, support me on Patreon!

Graph Paper Quick Picks

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Now set to: 8 1/2 x 11 Paper. Ruled in Inches.

Patreon!

If you're already on Patreon, consider a $2 donation! If you're not on Patreon yet, I can't explain how much fun it is. When you get on Patreon, come back and support graph paper, and music, and all the other wonderful things!!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The documents generated here are considered to be in the Public Domain. They can be used, shared, and republished without need of permission. If you like what I'm doing, support me on Patreon! The documents generated here are considered to be in the Public Domain.

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Animated global statistics that everyone can understand

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INTERACTIVE: Part 1: Identify the Independent and Dependent Variables with the MythBusters!

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Process Skills - METRIC - Volume - Graduated Cylinder

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Paul Andersen shows you how to create a scatter plot with a best fit line in Microsoft Excel. Click here to download the data: http://www.bozemanscience.com/storage/sample%20data.xls

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APA Manual p. 167

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Microsoft Word - AP Bio Lab-Chi Squared Test Worksheet-WL.docx.pdf

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Paul Andersen shows you how to calculate the ch-squared value to test your null hypothesis. He explains the importance of the critical value and defines the degrees of freedom. He also leaves you with a problem related to the animal behavior lab. This analysis is required in the AP Biology classroom.

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Interpreting graphs strategy

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Reading and interpreting graphs examples

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Reading and interpreting graphs examples

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Teaching resources:
Resource database

Get lessons, activities, readers, videos, and more.
FOUND 102 RESOURCES:

Galaxy classification
This is a modified version of Galactic Inquiry in which students learn about galaxy classification while also experiencing a simple simulation of peer review and community analysis.

Galaxy classification
This is a modified version of Galactic Inquiry in which students learn about galaxy classification while also experiencing a simple simulation of peer review and community analysis.

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Teaching resources: Resource database Get lessons, activities, readers, videos, and more. FOUND 102 RESOURCES: Galaxy classification This is a modified version of Galactic Inquiry in which students learn about galaxy classification while also experiencing a simple simulation of peer review and community analysis.

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Designing your very own science experiment lesson

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Overview: In this lesson, students will review the process of science and then design and carry out an experiment using pill bugs (isopods). Other organisms could be used in place of the pill bugs. Students are asked to address a specific question, test hypotheses, identify and describe variables, and make use of a control group.

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A collection of the graphics from NEED's curriculum guides. NEED graphics may be reproduced for non-commercial educational purposes.

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SEP 5 Examples of tables and graphs with questions for each pairing.

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Each interactive concept-builder presents learners with carefully crafted questions that target various aspects of a discrete concept. There are typically multiple levels of difficulty and an effort to track learner progress at each level. Question-specific help is provided for the struggling learner; such help consists of short explanations of how to approach the situation.

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Powerpoint poster templates for research poster presentations

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Research and scientific posters from Powerpoint. Free research poster templates.

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Recently, one of our judges was asked for some guidance in preparing for the judges interviews, surely the most uncertain and stressful part of any science fair. In the hope that this guidance will prove useful to others, we reproduce the response here, essentially unedited.

From: A Concerned Parent
To:An Experienced Judge
Subject: What Do JudgesReally Expect?
My daughter is having a science fair presentation tomorrow. From a judge's point of view, what is it that she really needs to know? Help please.
Thanks, A Concerned Parent

From: An Experienced Judge
To:A Concerned Parent
Subject: Re: What Do JudgesReally Expect?

As a judge,

I expect the student to have a clear understanding of what she expected to accomplish from doing her experiments, and what her data mean. My first statement to a student, after introducing myself, is to say "tell me what your project is about".

I expect the student first to tell me the reason for doing the project (e.g., "I wanted to find out if I could make paper from household waste." or "I wanted to design a more fuel-efficient car.").

I then expect the student to tell me how the experiment apparatus served to provide the answers she was seeking.

I expect an explanation of how the apparatus worked and how the data were collected. If the apparatus is small enough to be included in the display, I want the student to explain how it works. If the apparatus cannot be present at the Science Fair, then I expect to see photographs.

I expect to see a book documenting the data,

I expect that each experiment condition will have been repeated several times with similar results.

I expect the data to show a trend (or to show that there is no trend) that will lead to a conclusion which answers the questions for which the experiments were constructed.

I expect that the display about the experiment will enable me to quickly see what the experiment is about, and what conclusions were drawn from the data.

During the student's presentation, I make it a point to ask questions. There are several reasons for this, mostly having to do with making sure that I understand what the student did and why. But I also ask questions to make sure the student is thinking -- I've listened to students who went through a pitch that was like a tape recording -- I want to make sure that the student isn't just reciting a script, and that she is familiar enough with her work that she can deviate from her description for a moment to elaborate on what I ask. It is very helpful to me as a judge if the student conducts a coherent, well-organized discussion about the experiment, using the display as a visual aid to show what she is describing. I cannot judge the project versus others in the Fair if I don't understand what the student did and found.

Something that experienced Science Fair judges know is that sometimes the student just doesn't know what he accomplished. The most memorable one for me (I never met the student, only read the Abstract) had to do with mold on clarinet reeds -- we judges had the toughest time figuring out what category that one belonged in, because the Abstract didn't help us understand whether the project was about sound quality, materials degradation, how to prevent or kill the mold, what conditions caused it to grow, or how lazy someone could be about maintaining the instrument. At the very least, I expect the student to convey to me why the subject of the experiment is interesting or important.

It is not unusual for me to ask a student "what prompted you to pursue this project", and "because I had to do a Science Fair project to get an A" is just as valid as "I wanted to make sure low-flow toilets worked effectively before my parents replaced the toilets in our house".

Much of this advice will not help if the experiments have not yet been done and the data have not been tabulated. Assuming that has happened, then make sure the display tells the story, and ask your daughter tonight to set it up and spend five minutes describing it to you. She needs to figure out how to succinctly describe her work.

In the State Science Fair, we judges typically try to spend about eight minutes with each student, but a student cannot expect us to spend 20 minutes just with her; we have to move on to the next project so that all projects can get an adequate review. If a student can't find a way to talk about his work for at least five minutes, then I figure he doesn't know what he did. If a student can't completely describe his work in five minutes, then I figure his thoughts about it are disorganized. If a student can't answer questions about it, then I figure maybe he didn't do it himself.

Good judges strive to make the Science Fair a valuable experience for the students. It is an opportunity for students to apply and demonstrate skills of presentation and thought organization that will be useful during their future careers. Most of us craft our questions to inspire the students to do a better job of presenting their ideas. We regret that there are fewer judges than students, so your daughter will spend most of her time waiting between visits by judges; this is an opportunity to learn what other students around her have done and learned.
Best of luck to your daughter at tomorrow's Science Fair!

Last updated: Fri Feb 16 19:14:29 PST 2001
California State Science Fair / What Judges Expect /CalifSF@usc.edu

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Recently, one of our judges was asked for some guidance in preparing for the judges interviews, surely the most uncertain and stressful part of any science fair. In the hope that this guidance will prove useful to others, we reproduce the response here, essentially unedited.

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Common t test confusion

In addition to the number of t test options, t tests are often confused with completely different techniques as well. Here's how to keep them all straight.

Correlation and regression are used to measure how much two factors move together. While t tests are part of regression analysis, they are focused on only one factor by comparing means in different samples.

ANOVA is used for comparing means across three or more total groups. In contrast, t tests compare means between exactly two groups.

Finally, contingency tables compare counts of observations within groups rather than a calculated average. Since t tests compare means of continuous variable between groups, contingency tables use methods such as chi square instead of t tests.

Assumptions of t tests

Because there are several versions of t tests, it's important to check the assumptions to figure out which is best suited for your project. Here are our analysis checklists for unpaired t tests and paired t tests, which are the two most common. These (and the ultimate guide to t tests) go into detail on the basic assumptions underlying any t test:

Exactly two groups

Sample is normally distributed

Independent observations

Unequal or equal variance?

Paired or unpaired data?

Interpreting results

The three different options for t tests have slightly different interpretations, but they all hinge on hypothesis testing and P values. You need to select a significance threshold for your P value (often 0.05) before doing the test.

While P values can be easy to misinterpret, they are the most commonly used method to evaluate whether there is evidence of a difference between the sample of data collected and the null hypothesis. Once you have run the correct t test, look at the resulting P value. If the test result is less than your threshold, you have enough evidence to conclude that the data are significantly different.

If the test result is larger or equal to your threshold, you cannot conclude that there is a difference. However, you cannot conclude that there was definitively no difference either. It's possible that a dataset with more observations would have resulted in a different conclusion.

Depending on the test you run, you may see other statistics that were used to calculate the P value, including the mean difference, t statistic, degrees of freedom, and standard error. The confidence interval and a review of your dataset is given as well on the results page.

Graphing t tests

This calculator does not provide a chart or graph of t tests, however, graphing is an important part of analysis because it can help explain the results of the t test and highlight any potential outliers. See our Prism guide for some graphing tips for both unpaired and paired t tests.

Prism is built for customized, publication quality graphics and charts. For t tests we recommend simply plotting the datapoints themselves and the mean, or an estimation plot. Another popular approach is to use a violin plot, like those available in Prism.

For more information

Our ultimate guide to t tests includes examples, links, and intuitive explanations on the subject. It is quite simply the best place to start if you're looking for more about t tests!

If you enjoyed this calculator, you will love using Prism for analysis. Take a free 30-day trial to do more with your data, such as:

Clear guidance to pick the right t test and detailed results summaries

Custom, publication quality t test graphics, violin plots, and more

More t test options, including normality testing as well as nested and multiple t tests

Non-parametric test alternatives such as Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov

Check out our video on how to perform a t test in Prism, for an example from start to finish!

Remember, this page is just for two sample t tests. If you only have one sample, you need to use this calculator instead.

We Recommend:

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In addition to the number of t test options, t tests are often confused with completely different techniques as well. Here's how to keep them all straight. Correlation and regression are used to measure how much two factors move together.

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STEM Research p. 17-18

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Real time collaboration not allowed

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Benefits of Bubbl.us mind maps over text:

Superior clarity of structured information

Whether it's a family tree, a decision flow map, or an algorithm, mind maps have a huge advantage in presenting complexity clearly and concisely.

Better retention of complex ideas.

Visualizing complex ideas in shapes, lines, and pictures leads to much better recollection later than simple text.

Creative collaboration with others.

Visual brainstorming with a team can dramatically improve the quality of the final product because of diversity of perspectives and experiences.

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Bubbl.us - Create Mind Maps | Collaborate and Present Ideas

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Mind map and brainstorm online with Bubbl.us! Create colorful mind maps to print or share with others. Millions of people are using Bubbl.us worldwide to generate ideas, map out processes and create presentations.

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See where you rank below:

9-10: Master

You're a plagiarism expert! Continue writing originally and bolstering ideas with properly cited sources. Tweet how awesome you are and share it with your classmates, friends, or instructors!

Tweet

7-9: Pro

You're a citation pro! It appears there are areas you could still brush up on to prevent plagiarism, but overall you have a good grasp on attribution and duplication. Here are some quizzes and exercises to challenge you:

5-7: In-Training

You're still learning the ins and outs of plagiarism. You may know about plagiarism from school, but your understanding of proper citation practices and how to avoid plagiarism could be improved. To get a better understanding of what it takes to prevent plagiarism in your academic work, visit the following pages:

1-5: Newbie

According to your score, you may be in danger of plagiarizing. Don't waste any time in learning more about plagiarism before you start writing your next essay! Check out these pages to help you:

Submit your results along with your name and email below,
and we'll enter you to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

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You're a plagiarism expert! Continue writing originally and bolstering ideas with properly cited sources. Tweet how awesome you are and share it with your classmates, friends, or instructors! Tweet You're a citation pro! It appears there are areas you could still brush up on to prevent plagiarism, but overall you have a good grasp on attribution and duplication.

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Agriscience Research Project Methodology Rubric

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Note only Ch. 2 is included. It is a great book, consider purchasing the whole text from NSTA

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STEM Student Research Project.- Introduction and Research Design Chapter.pdf

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STEM Expo - Tulare County Office of Education

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The Tulare County Science & Engineering Fair is held annually in the Spring. Traditionally, over 150 projects are entered into competition and are on display for public viewing. These projects recognize the outstanding efforts and achievements in science and engineering by students throughout Tulare County.

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Plagiarism Checker - Free Online Software by EduBirdie

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Free plagiarism checker by EduBirdie - the easiest way to check my essay for plagiarism using our online tool

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Enhance your written communication everywhere you type!

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Use doctopus to manage sharing settings and facilitate ease of feedback with students

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Identifying and Locating Scholarly Research

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Sample Posters and Papers- FFA State and National Finalists

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Sample Posters and Papers- FFA State and National Finalists

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All levels

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Null and alternative hypothesis STEM Research p. 132-133

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The lesson phenomenon and some activities may aid in building skills in ethics and experimental design.

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CTE Online :: Lesson Planner :: I smell a rat! Methods and Ethics Matter

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In this section students will examine research ethics and design through the example of a controversial research paper. Students will begin to gain an understanding of experimental design that could be expected to yield reliable and accurate results by creating and testing a checklist.

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Don't believe everything you see on the internet

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Don't believe everything you see on the internet

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Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean it's true

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Literature Review: Scholarly Research Reading & Prewriting Notes Cover Page

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Wikipedia is an accurate resource, right? 

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Browse Science Projects. Award winning educational materials designed to help kids succeed. Start for free now!

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Searching the Internet for Scientific Resources

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Video: Tips for reading scholarly articles

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Video: Tips for reading scholarly articles

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Student handout: http://bit.ly/ReadingScholarlyArticles

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If I cant use Wikipedia then what can I use?

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Note citations are not in APA

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ARP1.1.c Strategies for Reading Scholarly Articles Worksheet Only

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Pseudoscience Smackdown Campaign Project Public Service Annoucement

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Examining Expectations on the Agriscience Research Project

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We are a globally renowned resource that provides assistance with English to students, teachers, professionals, and organizations across the world. Our goal is to assist clients in their development as writers - no matter their skill level.

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Purdue OWL® - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University

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We are a globally renowned resource that provides assistance with English to students, teachers, professionals, and organizations across the world. Our goal is to assist clients in their development as writers - no matter their skill level.

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Learning and Teaching Scientific Inquiry.pdf

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Based on the science buddies questions, with added space for reflection.

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Science Fair Project Checklist - Science buddies

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Not intended to be used as a slideshow for student note taking! Try a notice and wonder relating to slide 6.

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SEP 3 Planning and Conducting Investigations

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SEP 3 Planning and Conducting Investigations

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Measuring Metric Lesson Plans

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Measuring Up Metric * Unit [U2] SciGen SERP

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Students apply their understanding of the metric system by finding ways to measure some "handy" irregular shapes. This activity challenges students to think about the possibilities of measurement. Students think about all the possible ways to measure a hand. Pairs work together to agree upon how to go about measuring a hand using metric measurements.

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Learn to determine fair tests to evaluate a question.

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This scene introduces the idea of fair test through a discussion about an unfair running contest. The characters discuss why it was unfair and uncover the problems that occur when the principles of a fair test are not included. Most students have had some exposure to competitions and contests that try to determine the "best" at some skill.

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SEP 3 Planning and Conducting Investigations

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SEP 3 Planning and Conducting Investigations

# data[].attributes.body
Measuring Metric Lesson Plans

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Measuring Up Metric * Unit [U2] SciGen SERP

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Students apply their understanding of the metric system by finding ways to measure some "handy" irregular shapes. This activity challenges students to think about the possibilities of measurement. Students think about all the possible ways to measure a hand. Pairs work together to agree upon how to go about measuring a hand using metric measurements.

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SEP 3 Planning and Conducting Investigations

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SEP 3 Planning and Conducting Investigations

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Learn to make qualitative and quantitative observations.

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In this unit, students learn about making both qualitative and quantitative observations and about the difference between an observation and an inference. Students have a hands-on opportunity to practice making observations and inferences during a lab activity.

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Data Nuggets | Bringing authentic research and data into K-16 classrooms

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Free activities that bring real scientific data into the classroom, guiding students through the process of science while building their quantitative abilities.

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In this scene, three friends are discussing last night's baseball game and the slow reaction times of the batters from the opposing team. While the friends acknowledge that there could be many different reasons for these slow reaction times, Malik believes that boys have faster reaction times than girls.

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Exploring tools for research projects acitivity

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Exploring tools for research projects acitivity

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Familiarize Ss with tools prior to choosing a research question. Ideas might include rotation stations or scavenger hunts.

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Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition

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The Publication Manual of the APA, 6th ed., is the style manual of choice for writers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioral sciences.

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Practice 3 - Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

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Science and Engineering Practice 3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations Paul Andersen explains how investigations are used by scientists to answer questions and by engineers to test designs. He delineates be investigative and observational science. He demonstrates the formation of a good question the design of an effective investigation.

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SEP 3 Planning and Conducting Investigations 

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SEP 3 Planning and Conducting Investigations 

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Investigating a Question Lesson Planning Resource

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Students write an investigable question, hypothesis, and procedure. They will conduct an investigation and record data on a data table. Students examine patterns in data and write a claim, evidence, and reasoning statement. They will create a poster that displays the findings of their investigations.

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S take quiz and several suggested ideas are made.

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You may print and distribute up to 200 copies of this document annually, at no charge, for personal and classroom educational use. When printing this document, you may NOT modify it in any way. For any other use, please contact Science Buddies.

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Empirical Data

You were wearing your favorite black sweater today when you noticed the white flakes on your shoulders. It's time to head to the store for some dandruff shampoo! Upon reaching the shampoo aisle, you notice many choices. You choose the bottle of dandruff shampoo that claims its effectiveness is proven by empirical data. Why would this shampoo be more likely to work?

We can answer this question by understanding what we mean by empirical data. Empirical implies that the information is based on experience, and data is information we gather about something. Thus the information acquired by scientists through experimentation and observation is called empirical data. Gathering empirical data is an essential part of the scientific process.

It looks like you did not simply chose a dandruff shampoo on a whim. You knew that if the shampoo's effectiveness was backed up by empirical data it had a proven track record of success.

Scientific Method

We mentioned that gathering empirical data is essential in science. So, where does empirical data fit into the scientific method? The scientific method involves observing a phenomenon, forming an idea about what you observed, testing your idea with an experiment to see if it is correct, recording the results of your experiment, and analyzing the results to arrive at a conclusion.

The result of the experiment is the empirical data. It is information that has been tested and found to be true. Any conclusion you reach is backed up by this evidence.

Let's think about your dandruff shampoo again as an example. Shampoo researchers observe that a need exists for a reliable dandruff shampoo. They come up with a shampoo formula they think will be an effective dandruff treatment. The researchers then test the shampoo on people with dandruff and find that it cures dandruff in 95 out of 100 people it is tested on within two weeks of use. The information found through research is the empirical data. In this case, empirical data can be used to say that the shampoo will work on 95% of all dandruff problems within two weeks.

Types of Empirical Data

Empirical data can be gathered through two types of research methods: qualitative and quantitative.

Qualitative data is data that can be categorized based on qualities like appearance, texture, or taste. This type of data involves descriptions and can be observed but not measured. In our dandruff shampoo experiment, the qualitative data would be categorizing the shampoo as successful or unsuccessful in treating each test subject's dandruff. Quantitative data is a measurement and will always be represented by a numerical value. It refers to measurable units such as liters, inches, or hours. The quantitative data in our shampoo experiment was the two weeks' time it took for the shampoo to cure a person's dandruff.

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empirical data: definition & example - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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Empirical Data: Definition & Example - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You were wearing your favorite black sweater today when you noticed the white flakes on your shoulders. It's time to head to the store for some dandruff shampoo! Upon reaching the shampoo aisle, you notice many choices. You choose the bottle of dandruff shampoo that claims its effectiveness is proven by empirical data.