Intel ISEF Display and Safety Regulations Maximum Size of Project at the Intel ISEF 30 inches (76 centimeters) deep 48 inches (122 centimeters) wide 108 inches (274 centimeters) high from floor to top of project At the Intel ISEF, fair-provided tables will not exceed a height of 36 inches (91 centimeters). Project must be positioned at the back of the booth and parallel to the rear of the booth. Maximum project sizes include all project materials and supports. If a table is used, it becomes part of the project and may not itself exceed the allowed dimensions nor may the table plus any part of the project exceed the allowed dimensions. At the Intel ISEF, any project with a component that will be demonstrated by the Finalist may be demonstrated only within the confines of the Finalist�s booth. When not being demonstrated, the component plus the project may not exceed allowed dimensions. Not Allowed at Project or in Booth 1) Living organisms, including plants 2) Taxidermy specimens or parts 3) Preserved vertebrate or invertebrate animals 4) Human or animal food 5) Human/animal parts or body fluids (for example, blood, urine) 7) Laboratory/household chemicals including water (Exceptions: water integral to an enclosed apparatus or water supplied by the Display and Safety Committee) 8) Poisons, drugs, controlled substances, hazardous substances or devices (for example, firearms, weapons, ammunition, reloading devices) 9) Dry ice or other sublimating solids 10) Sharp items (for example, syringes, needles, pipettes, knives) 11) Flames or highly flammable materials 12) Batteries with open-top cells 13) Awards, medals, business cards, flags, endorsements and/or acknowledgements (graphic or written) unless the item(s) are an integral part of the project (Exception: Intel ISEF medal(s) may be worn at all times.) 14) Photographs or other visual presentations depicting vertebrate animals in surgical techniques, dissections, necropsies, or other lab procedures 15) Active Internet or e-mail connections as part of displaying or operating the project at the Intel ISEF 16) Glass or glass objects unless deemed by the Display and Safety Committee to be an integral and necessary part of the project (Exception: glass that is an integral part of a commercial product such as a computer screen) 17) Any apparatus deemed unsafe by the Scientific Review Committee, the Display and Safety Committee, or Science Service (for example, large vacuum tubes or dangerous ray-generating devices, empty tanks that previously contained combustible liquids or gases, pressurized tanks, etc.) Allowed at Project or in Booth, BUT with the Restrictions Indicated 1) Soil or waste samples if permanently encased in a slab of acrylic 2) Postal, Web and e-mail addresses, telephone and fax numbers of finalist only 3. Photographs and/or visual depictions if: a) They are not deemed offensive or inappropriate by the Scientific Review Committee, the Display and Safety Committee, or Science Service. b) Credit lines of their origins: �Photograph taken by�� or �Image taken from�� are attached. (If all photographs being displayed were taken by the Finalist or are from the same source, one credit line prominently displayed is sufficient.) c) They are from the Internet, magazines, newspapers, journals, etc., and credit lines are attached (If all photographs/images are from the same source, one credit line prominently displayed is sufficient.) d) They are photographs or visual depictions of the Finalist. e) They are photographs of human subjects for which signed consent forms are at the project or in the booth. (Human Subjects Form 4 or equivalent photo release signed by the human subject must be included in the paperwork and properly checked on the Official Abstract and Certification.) 4) Any apparatus with unshielded belts, pulleys, chains, or moving parts with tension or pinch points if for display only and not operated 5) Class II lasers if: a) Operated only by the Finalist. b) Operated only during Display and Safety inspection and during judging c) Labeled with a sign reading "Laser Radiation: Do Not Look Into Beam." d) Enclosed in protective housing that prevents physical and visual access to beam. e) Disconnected when not operating. 6) Class III and IV lasers if for display and not operated 7) Any apparatus producing temperatures that will cause physical burns if adequately insulated. Electrical Regulations at the Intel ISEF 1) Finalists requiring 120 or 220 Volt A.C. electrical circuits must provide a UL-listed 3-wire extension cord which is appropriate for the load and equipment. 2) Electrical power supplied to projects and, therefore, the maximums allowed for projects is 120 or 220 Volt, A.C., single phase, 60 cycle. Maximum circuit amperage/wattage available is determined by the electrical circuit capacities of the exhibit hall and may be adjusted on-site by the Display and Safety Committee. For all electrical regulations, "120 Volt A.C." or "220 Volt A.C." is intended to encompass the corresponding range of voltage as supplied by the facility in which the Intel ISEF is being held. 3) All electrical work must conform to the National Electrical Code or exhibit hall regulations. The guidelines presented here are general ones, and other rules may apply to specific configurations. The on-site electrician may be requested to review electrical work on any project. 4) All electrical connectors, wiring, switches, extension cords, fuses, etc. must be UL-listed and must be appropriate for the load and equipment. Connections must be soldered or made with UL-listed connectors. Wiring, switches, and metal parts must have adequate insulation and overcurrent safety devices (such as fuses) and must be inaccessible to anyone but the Finalist. Exposed electrical equipment or metal that is liable to be energized must be grounded or shielded with a nonconducting material or with a grounded metal box or cage to prevent accidental contact. 5) Wiring which is not part of a commercially available UL-listed appliance or piece of equipment must have a fuse or circuit breaker on the supply side of the power source and prior to any project equipment. 6) There must be an accessible, clearly visible on/off switch or other means of disconnect from the 120 or 220 volt power source. Handouts/Official Abstract and Certification at the Intel ISEF The Intel ISEF Scientific Review Committee defines the "official abstract and certification" as an UNALTERED original abstract and certification as stamped/embossed by the Intel ISEF Scientific Review Committee. If the Scientific Review Committee requires a Finalist to make changes to the abstract and certification submitted with registration papers, the revised version will be stamped/embossed, will replace the earlier version, and will become the Finalist�s official abstract and certification. The only abstract allowed anywhere at a project is the official abstract. The term "abstract" may not be used as a title or reference for any information on a Finalist�s display or in a Finalist�s materials at the project except as part of displaying the official abstract. An original stamped/embossed official abstract and certification must appear on the display board or in a vertical position at the project. Handouts to judges and to the public must be limited to UNALTERED photocopies of the official abstract and certification. IItems Required to be Visible at the Project at the Intel ISEF Note: All forms required to be visible must be vertically displayed. � Original Official Abstract and Certification as approved and stamped/embossed by the Intel ISEF Scientific Review Committee � Completed Intel ISEF Project Set-up Approval Form SRC/DS2 (Received on-site at the Fair) � Registered Research Institutional/Industrial Setting Form (1C) - if applicable � Continuation Projects Form (7) - if applicable Additional Items Required to be at the Project But Not Displayed at the Intel ISEF � Human Subject Forms (4) (or equivalent form provided by a registered research institution) for human subjects of the research, surveys, photographs, etc. (if applicable) are confidential information, must not be displayed, but must be available in the booth in case asked for by a judge or other Intel ISEF official. Human Subjects Form (4) or an equivalent photograph release signed by the human subject is required for visual images of humans (other than the finalist) displayed as part of the project. � Other forms [including, but not limited to, Checklist for Adult Sponsor/Safety Assessment Form (1), Research Plan (1A), and Approval Form (1B)] which are required for the project or for Scientific Review Committee approval do not have to be displayed as part of the project but must be available in the booth in case asked for by a judge or other Intel ISEF official. General Intel ISEF Information and Requirements 1. No changes, modifications, or additions to projects may be made after approval by the Display and Safety Committee and the Scientific Review Committee. 2. A project data book and research paper are not required but are recommended. 3. The only acceptable informed consent form for use at the Intel ISEF is the official Human Subjects Form (4) in the International Rules for Precollege Science Research or an equivalent form provided by a registered research institution (see Form 1C) or, in the case of display of photographs only, an equivalent photograph release signed by the human subject. 4. Prior years� written material or visual depictions may not be displayed on the vertical display board, except that the project title displayed in the Finalist's booth may mention years or which year the project is (for example, "Year Two of an Ongoing Study"). Continuation projects must have the Continuation Project Form (7) displayed. 5. Finalists using audio-visual or multi-media presentations (for example, 35mm slides; videotapes; images, graphics, animations, etc., displayed on computer monitors; or other non-print presentation methods) must be prepared to show the entire presentation to the Display and Safety inspectors before the project is approved. 6. No photographs or any other visual depictions may be included in any manner at a project or in the booth if they are deemed visually offensive or inappropriate by the Scientific Review Committee, the Display and Safety Committee, or Science Service. This includes, but is not limited to, visually offensive photographs or visual depictions of invertebrate or vertebrate animals, including humans. The decision by any one of the groups mentioned above is final. 7. If a project fails to qualify and is not removed by the Finalist, Science Service will remove the project in the safest manner possible, but is not responsible for damage to the project. 8. Any copies of disks, CD's, printed materials, etc. (including unofficial abstracts) designed to be distributed to judges or members of the public which are confiscated by the Display and Safety Committee will be discarded and will not be returned to the Finalist. 9. Project sounds, lights, odors or any other display items must not be distracting. 10. Project must be positioned at the back of the booth and parallel to the rear of the booth. 11. Finalists must be present at their projects for the Display and Safety inspection. The inspection is a process that takes place between the Finalist and inspector; therefore, no other persons should be present representing the Finalist beyond an interpreter if necessary. 12. Any project with a component that will be demonstrated by the Finalist must be demonstrated only within the confines of the Finalist�s booth. When not being demonstrated, the component plus the project may not exceed allowed dimensions 13. No food or drinks, except small containers of bottled water for personal consumption, are allowed in the exhibit hall. The Scientific Method The following is a review of the Scientific Method with some key questions and directions on how to design and conduct an experiment. Problem/Purpose � What is your goal? � What idea are you trying to test? � What is the scientific question you are trying to answer? Hypothesis � Explain how you think your project can demonstrate your purpose. � Make a prediction regarding the outcome of your experiment. � State the results you are predicting in measurable terms. Procedure � Give a detailed explanation of how you will conduct the experiment to test your hypothesis. � Be clear about the variables (elements of the experiment that change to test your hypothesis) versus your controls (elements of the experiment that do not change). � Be very specific about how you will measure results to prove or disprove your hypothesis. You should include a regular timetable for measuring results or observing the projects (for example, every hour, every day, every week). � Your procedure should be like a recipe - Another person should be able to perform your experiment following your procedure. Test this with a friend or parent to be sure you have not forgotten anything. Materials � List all materials and equipment that were used. � Your list of materials should include all of the ingredients of the procedure recipe. Observations/Data/Results � Keep a detailed journal of observations, data, and results. Your journal should contain data measurements and written notes about what you are sensing (hearing, seeing, or touching) about your experiment. � If appropriate, photograph your project results or phases of the project to help your analysis and possibly to demonstrate your experiment on your exhibit board. Analysis � Explain your observations, data, and results. This is a summary of what your data has shown you. � List the main points that you have learned. � Why did the results occur? What did your experiment prove? � Was your hypothesis correct? Did your experiment prove or disprove your hypothesis? This should be explained thoroughly. Conclusion � Answer your problem/purpose statement. � What does it all add up to? What is the value of your project? � What further study do you recommend given the results of your experiment? What would be the next question to ask? � If you repeated this project, what would you change? Writing Your Abstract Each student who completes a science fair project must write an abstract to be displayed with the project. An abstract gives the essence of the project in a brief but complete form � it should not exceed 250 words. Judges and the public should have a fairly accurate idea of the project after reading the abstract. The abstract must focus on the current year's research and give only minimal reference to previous work. Details and discussions should not be included in the abstract, but may be put in the longer, written research paper (if required), or given on the project exhibit board. Finalists at the Intel ISEF are required to use the on-line system for submitting their abstract. Regional and local fairs use the Official Abstract Form (not necessary for most local fairs). It is also required that the abstract does not include acknowledgements (such as referencing mentor or university laboratory). Sample Abstract Click the color-coded links for explanations of each of the four sections in the sample abstract: � Blue (Purpose of the Experiment) � Green (Procedures used) � Red (Observations/Data/Results) � Pink (Conclusions) Sample Abstract Effects of Marine Engine Exhaust Water on Algae Mary E. Jones Hometown High School, Hometown, PA ________________________________________ This project in its present form is the result of bioassay experimentation on the effects of two-cycle marine engine exhaust water on certain green algae. The initial idea was to determine the toxicity of outboard engine lubricant. Some success with lubricants eventually led to the formulation of "synthetic" exhaust water which, in turn, led to the use of actual two-cycle engine exhaust water as the test substance. Toxicity was determined by means of the standard bottle or "batch" bioassay technique. Scenedesmus quadricauda and Ankistrodesmus sp. were used as the test organisms. Toxicity was measured in terms of a decrease in the maximum standing crop. The effective concentration - 50% (EC 50) for Scenedesmus quadricauda was found to be 3.75% exhaust water; for Ankistrodesmus sp. 3.1% exhaust water using the bottle technique. Anomalies in growth curves raised the suspicion that evaporation was affecting the results; therefore, a flow-through system was improvised utilizing the characteristics of a device called a Biomonitor. Use of the Biomonitor lessened the influence of evaporation, and the EC 50 was found to be 1.4% exhaust water using Ankistrodesmus sp. as the test organism. Mixed populations of various algae gave an EC 50 of 1.28% exhaust water. The contributions of this project are twofold. First, the toxicity of two-cycle marine engine exhaust was found to be considerably greater than reported in the literature (1.4% vs. 4.2%). Secondly, the benefits of a flow-through bioassay technique utilizing the Biomonitor was demonstrated. Purpose of the Experiment � An introductory statement of the reason for investigating the topic of the project. � A statement of the problem or hypothesis being studied. Procedures Used � A summarization of the key points and an overview of how the investigation was conducted. � An abstract does not give details about the materials used unless it greatly influenced the procedure or had to be developed to do the investigation. � An abstract should only include procedures done by the student. Work done by a mentor (such as surgical procedures) or work done prior to student involvement must not be included. Observation/Data/Results � This section should provide key results that lead directly to the conclusions you have drawn. � It should not give too many details about the results nor include tables or graphs. Conclusions � Conclusions from the investigation should be described briefly. � The summary paragraph should reflect on the process and possibly state some applications and extensions of the investigation. An abstract does not include a bibliography unless specifically required by your local fair. The Intel ISEF requires the bibliography as part of the research plan to be provided on Form 1A. Student Science Fair Checklist START EARLY! Many students begin planning their research at the end of the school year so that they can conduct research during the summer and fall. 1. Find a topic that interests you and research what is already known about the topic. 2. Narrow the topic to a specific scientific problem and develop an experiment to solve that problem. (See the attached Scientific Method sheet to help plan your experiment. ) 3. Discuss the project with your parents and teacher and review with them the ISEF Rules and Regulations (http://www.sciserv.org/isef/teachers/rules_regulations.asp), noting the specific rules that might apply to your type of research (i.e. are you working with human subjects or animals or working with hazardous substances?). 4. Develop a hypothesis (Scientific Method) and develop a procedure. 5. Write a detailed research plan about how you will conduct the research and complete the required Intel ISEF forms (only for those using live animals at this time). You then must obtain the appropriate approvals as needed before the start of experimentation (this only pertains to those using live animals). 6. Once your approvals and forms are in order, begin your experimentation following your research plan and any revisions that those supervising or approving your research have recommended. 7. Make observations and collect data in a project journal (all participants must keep a journal) 8. Interpret the data and observations 9. Draw conclusions 10. Finalize your project for presentation. 11. Write the research paper and abstract (go to the following link for example abstracts, http://www.sciserv.org/isef/teachers/abstract.asp). 12. Create the project exhibit board being sure to follow the Display and Safety Regulations (see attached sheet). 13. Practice your presentation and prepare to answer judges' questions. 14. Present the project at your school Science Fair, and/or your regional Intel ISEF-affiliated fair.