Deciding on a Project Category

 

When students register online they are required to select a category in which to compete.  This is a very important decision since putting the paper in the wrong category can cause it to be rejected by the Screeners.  Here are some hints to help students decide on the correct category for their projects.

  • What is being tested in the experiment?  Is the student testing a physical property or a chemical property?
  • What is the application of the project?  How would your results be used?  Are you doing a chemical analysis (Chemistry) of blood which would have medical implications (Medicine & Health)?  Are you studying plants (Botany) in order to determine if they can filter pollutants out of the air (Environmental)?
  • Think about what will your findings reveal.  Does this give you some direction as to the category placement?
  • What was the original question?
  • Consider the list of Past Entries by Category.  If a project could be entered in more than one category and compete equally well in either, then the decision could be made based on the history of past entries, putting the project in the category with the fewest.

 

Examples of Past Projects Submitted in the Wrong Category

  • The Effect of Gender on the Ability to Orient to Different Sounds - submitted in Medicine & Health.  This is not really related to health.  It should be in Behavioral & Social Sciences.
  • The Effect of Salinity on the Speed at Which Ice Melts - submitted in Engineering.  This project should have been submitted in either Chemistry or, since the student's question dealt with icebergs & glaciers, Earth & Space Sciences.
  • The Ability of Fish to Recognize Different Colors of the Visible Spectrum - submitted in Behavioral & Social Sciences.  All animal behavior projects go into Zoology.
  • The Effect of Increased Mass of Objects on the Distances Traveled Against Gravity - submitted in Earth & Space Sciences.  This project deals with mass and the force of gravity, which are physical properties.  It was moved to Physics and the student won 2nd place.
  • The Effect of the Number of Fins on the Stability of Model Rockets - submitted in Earth & Space Sciences.  Deals with the design of the rocket and should therefore be in Engineering.
  • The Effect of the Brand of Popcorn on the Number of Kernels Popped - submitted in Behavioral & Social Sciences because it dealt with the behavior of popcorn.  This is testing a physical property and should be in Physics.
  • The Effect of the Amount of Acidity in a Fruit on how Quickly it Rots - submitted in Environmental Science.  It deals with the biochemical changes in the fruit and should be in Biochemistry.
  • The Effect of Different Brands of Hand Sanitizer on the Number of Bacterial Colonies Grown - submitted in Zoology.  Almost all projects that involve micro-organisms should go into Microbiology.
  • The Effect of Different Packaging Materials on a Dog's Ability to Detect a Smell - submitted in Physics.  The question deals with the dog's ability to smell through various packages and should therefore be in Zoology.
  • The Effect of pH Value on the Germination and Growth of Marigolds - submitted in Behavioral & Social Sciences.  This should be entered in Botany.
  • The Effect of Different Storage Materials on Meat Moisture Loss During Freezing - submitted in Medicine & Health.  This project should have been submitted in Physics.
  • The Effect of Different Light Schedules on the Amount of Energy Conserved in Schools - submitted in Earth & Space Sciences.  Moved to Environmental Science and the student won 2nd place.
  • The Effects of Low Carbohydrate Diets on Physical Performance - submitted in Physics.  This is dealing with health and should be in Medicine & Health.
  • The Effect of Fabric Type on the Fire Resistance of Children's Clothing - submitted in Medicine & Health.  This is dealing more with the burning rate based on the chemical treatment of the cloth and should be in Chemistry.
  • The Effect of Exercise on Blood Pressure - submitted in Behavioral & Social Sciences.  Since it deals with a person's health it should have been put into Medicine & Health.
  • The Effects of Alto Sax Reed Water Saturation on the Pitch of a Sustained Note - submitted in Engineering.  This is not dealing with the design of the reed, nor is it comparing different reeds.  It should therefore be put into physics.
  • The Effect of a Simulated Automobile’s Velocity on the Maximum Nodal Displacement in the Simulated Vehicle - submitted in Engineering.  While this project could compete in Engineering, it is also a simulation and could also compete in Computer Science.  Since there are usually very few students competing in Computer Science this would be a good choice.
  • The Effect of Different Amount of Water on the time it Takes for Lima Bean Plants to Germinate - submitted in Environmental Science.  This project was not investigating pollution so it should be put into Botany.

 

Miscellaneous Areas of Concern

  • Behavioral & Social Sciences is only for projects dealing with HUMAN behavior.  The behavior of anything else should go in another category.
  • Projects which measure lung capacity, heart rate or blood pressure should most likely be placed in Medicine & Health.  Many of these projects show up in Behavioral Science but the experiments have nothing to do with behavior.  (Example:  The Effect of Exercise on Heart Rate or The Effect of Video Games on Blood Pressure.)
  • Animal behavior projects should be put into Zoology.
  • The ripening or decay of fruit should go into Biochemistry.
  • Earth & Space Sciences is not for model rockets.  The space science involved in this category is astronomy - the study of planets, stars, etc.
  • Environmental Science deals with pollution and its effects.
  • Microbiology deals with micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi (bread mold, yeasts, etc.)
  • Project dealing with fermentation could be put into either Biochemistry or Microbiology.  It would depend on the application of the project or the question being addressed.
  • The treatment of stains on fabric should be in Chemistry.
  • Projects dealing with the length of time that batteries last should be put into Chemistry.
  • Projects in which the student is designing something, building and testing a model and then modifying the design to solve a problem should be put into Engineering.

Expanded Category Descriptions

  • Behavioral & Social Sciences
    • Human Behavior
    • Sociology
    • Learning
    • Educational testing
    • Perception
    • Public opinion surveys
    • Anthropology
    • Gender studies
    • Developmental psychology
    • Other

 

  • Biochemistry
    • Chemistry of life processes
    • Blood chemistry
    • Protein chemistry
    • Molecular genetics
    • Enzymes, including the browning or ripening of fruit
    • Hormones
    • The process of fermentation
    • Metabolism
    • Other

 

  • Botany
    • Study of plant life
    • Plant growth
    • Seed Germination
    • Agriculture/Agronomy
    • Forestry
    • Plant Ecology
    • Photosynthesis
    • Plant Physiology
    • Hydroponics
    • Other
  • Chemistry
    • The science of matter.
    • The composition of substances and
    • The properties and reactions of substances
    • Projects involving chemical reactions
    • Materials science
    • Polymers & Plastics
    • Fuels
    • Physical, organic, inorganic or analytical chemistry
    • Rust and corrosion
    • Other
  • Computer Science
    • Algorithms,
    • Data bases
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Networking & communications
    • Computer graphics
    • Software engineering
    • Programming
    • Operating systems
    • Computer hardware
    • Computer simulations or virtual reality
    • Encryption
    • Computational science
    • Other
  • Earth & Space Sciences
    • Astronomy or planetary science
    • Geology
    • Soil science
    • Oceanography
    • Weather & climate
    • Tectonics
    • Paleontology
    • The study of earthquakes or tsunamis
    • The study of hurricanes or tornadoes
    • Other
  • Engineering
    • Materials engineering
    • Civil engineering
    • Construction engineering
    • Chemical engineering
    • Industrial engineering, processing
    • Electrical engineering
    • Mechanical engineering
    • Solar engineering
    • Robotics
    • Vehicle Development
    • Aerospace or Aeronautical engineering, aerodynamics
    • Renewable energies
    • Other
  • Environmental Science
    • The study of air, water or land pollution
    • Sources of pollution
    • Control of pollution
    • Air, soil or water quality
    • Ecology
    • Land resource management, forestry
    • Waste management & recycling
    • Bioremediation
    • Other
  • Mathematics
    • Algebra
    • Analysis
    • Applied mathematics
    • Geometry
    • Probability & statistics
    • Calculus
    • Number theory
    • Other
  • Medicine & Health
    • The study of human and animal diseases
    • Disease diagnosis & treatment
    • Dentistry
    • The study of medicines, their use and effectiveness
    • Pathology
    • Nutrition
    • Allergies
    • Genetics
    • Physiology and pathophysiology
    • Molecular biology of diseases
    • Speech & hearing
    • Other
  • Microbiology
    • The study of bacteria or viruses
    • The study of fungi such as bread mold, yeast
    • The study of protozoans
    • Antibiotics
    • Antimicrobials
    • The genetics of microbes
    • Other
  • Physics
    • Atoms, molecules, solids
    • The effect of energy on matter
    • Optics & lasers
    • Sound and acoustics
    • Superconductors
    • Thermodynamics
    • Semiconductors
    • Magnetics & electromagnetics
    • Nuclear & particle physics
    • The theory of physics
    • Forces
    • Other
  • Zoology
    • The study of animals - either vertebrates or invertebrates
    • Animal behavior
    • Animal ecology
    • Animal physiology
    • Development, metamorphosis
    • Animal pathology
    • Animal husbandry
    • Circadian rhythms
    • Animal nutrition & food preferences
    • Other