Starting on my first serious science research paper and I'm a bit lost. What is the most common format used for science research papers at the high school level?
Generally, a science research paper at the high school level follows the structure of an APA (American Psychological Association) format. Here's a brief breakdown:
1. Title Page: Centered in the middle of the page, list your title, your name, and your school.
2. Abstract: A brief summary of your paper, usually about 150-200 words. The abstract goes on its own new page after the title page.
3. Introduction: Here you introduce your topic, explain your research question, and provide a brief overview of your paper.
4. Method: This section details how you conducted your research or experiment. State what materials and methods you used, how you collected your data, how you analyzed it, etc. Be specific so someone else could replicate your work.
5. Results: Present your findings here. Include data, charts, graphs, or tables that help you illustrate your results, but save the interpretation for the next section.
6. Discussion: You don't merely regurgitate the results here but interpret the data and explain what it means. This is your chance to answer your research question and connect your findings to your hypothesis. Also, discuss limitations and further implications for your research.
7. Conclusion: Summarize your results and their implications. Take a step back and describe the big picture impact of your findings.
8. References: Citations for any sources/works referred to in your paper. In APA format, author name(s), year, title of the source, and publication details are necessary.
Appendices: Any additional information like raw data or interview transcripts can be included here, though this section may not be necessary for a high school paper.
Remember, consistency in your formatting (like font, header, size, line spacing) is key, and all sources must be properly credited. Your teacher might have specific guidelines, so consider asking them for a sample paper or additional resources. Good luck with your research paper!
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