Independent Investigation Guidelines

No title page

You need a have your name and candidate number in the top left hand corner of the first page. The entire investigation should 6-12 pages in length. I suggest that you use a clear font like Helvetica or Arial (12 pt) and 1.5 line spacing. You want to make your lab easy to read for the Moderator who will likely be reading through dozens of labs. The lab should be written in “Third Person” except when discussing your personal engagement, at which time you will have to use “First Person” (Figure 1).

Title • The DV and IV should be in the title

Introduction: • This MUST include all background information that the reader needs to understand

your research question and mechanism.

• This MUST include a explanation of personal engagement (What led you to this particular research question?).

• Use MLA or APA to reference your sources

• You may want to use figures to help illustrate you ideas more clearly.

Research question:• Make sure that it is clearly stated (the IV and DV should be clear)

Hypothesis:• Make sure that it is clearly stated. You MUST have a mechanism described (with the

appropriate referencing)

Independent Variable: State it clearly with units

Dependent Variable: State it clearly with units

Controls: State what factors you controlled and how it was controlled.

Figure 1: First, second, and third person are ways of describing points of view. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/first-second-and-third-person/

Independent Investigation Guidelines

Materials: • A complete list of the materials that you used to complete the experiment

• If you used any measuring devices make sure that you include the uncertainty

Procedure:• A complete, step by step method you used to complete your investigation.

• If you used an apparatus, a clear description of the set up (photos may be helpful)

Raw Data:• see checklist

Sample Calculation:

Processed Data:• see checklist

Graph • see checklist

Conclusion:• see checklist

Works cited:• see checklist

Personal Engagement - (2)

Exploration - (6)

Analysis - (6)

Evaluation - (6)

Communication - (4)

The Lab is due on March 9 This is a HARD DEADLine

Your I.I. is marked out of 24 in the following catalogues (see checklist):

Remember, it does not matter whether your data allows you to accept or reject your hypothesis (that is you do not get more marks for accepting your hypothesis). What matters is how you collect, display, analyze and interpret your data.