Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair
       Encouraging and Inspiring the Students of Piedmont Virginia
                              in Science and Engineering

For judging all category awards use the following criteria:

·         the quality of the work done on a project in science, engineering or mathematics by a student, and how well that student understands the project and the area in which he/she has been working. Only secondarily are we evaluating the physical display.

·          level of laboratory, field or theoretical work and not just library research or gadgeteering.

·         a student’s own work, appropriate for their grade level (and not that of a Ph.D. candidate or a professional)

·         a project as compared with the other projects in the same category at this fair

For judging the Senior Division Awards use the following criteria:

 I.Creative Ability (30 points)

                  1.     Does the project show creative ability and originality in the questions asked?

§         The approach to solving the problem, the analysis of the data, the interpretation of the data?

§         The use of equipment, the construction or design of new equipment?

                  2.     Creative research should support an investigation and help answer a question in an original way.

                  3.     A creative contribution promotes an efficient and reliable method for solving a problem. When evaluating projects, it is important to distinguish between gadgeteering and ingenuity.

II.Scientific Thought/Engineering Goals (30 points)
If an engineering project, the more appropriate questions are those found in Engineering Goals.

Scientific Thought

                  1.     Is the problem stated clearly and unambiguously?

                  2.     Was the problem sufficiently limited to allow a plausible approach? Good scientists can identify important problems capable of solutions.

                  3.     Was there a procedural plan for obtaining a solution?

                  4.     Are the variables clearly recognized and defined?

                  5.     If controls were necessary, did the student recognize their need and were they correctly used?

                  6.     Are there adequate data to support the conclusions?

                  7.     Does the finalist recognize the data’s limitations?

                  8.     Does the finalist understand the project’s ties to related research?

                  9.     Does the finalist have an idea of what further research is warranted?

              10.     Did the finalist cite scientific literature, or only popular literature (local newspapers, Reader’s Digest)?

Engineering Goals

                  1.     Does the project have a clear objective?

                  2.     Is the objective relevant to the potential user’s needs?

                  3.     Is the solution workable, acceptable to the potential user, economically feasible?

                  4.     Could the solution be utilized successfully in design or construction of an end product?

                  5.     Is the solution a significant improvement over previous alternatives?

                  6.     Has the solution been tested for performance under the conditions of use?

III.Thoroughness (15 points)

                  1.     Was the purpose carried out to completion within the scope of the original intent?

                  2.     How completely was the problem covered?

                  3.     Are the conclusions based on a single experiment or replication?

                  4.     How complete are the project notes?

                  5.     Is the finalist aware of other approaches or theories?

                  6.     How much time did the finalist spend on the project?

                  7.     Is the finalist familiar with scientific literature in the studied field?

IV.Skill (15 points)

                  1.     Does the finalist have the required laboratory, computation, observational and design skills to obtain supporting data?

                  2.     Where was the project performed?  (home, school laboratory, university laboratory)  Did the student receive assistance from parents, teachers, scientists, or engineers?

                  3.     Was the project completed under adult supervision, or did the student work largely alone?

                  4.     Where did the equipment come from? Was it built independently by the finalist? Was it obtained on loan? Was it part of a laboratory where the finalist worked?

V.Clarity (10 points)

                  1.     How clearly does the finalist discuss the project and explain the purpose, procedure, and conclusions?  Watch out for memorized speeches that reflect little understanding of principles.

                  2.     Does the written material reflect the finalist’s understanding of the research?

                  3.     Are the important phases of the project presented in an orderly manner?

                  4.     How clearly is the data presented?

                  5.     How clearly are the results presented?

                  6.     How well does the project display explain the project?

                  7.     Was the presentation done in a forthright manner, without tricks or gadgets?

                  8.     Did the finalist perform all the project work, or did someone help?

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Last modified: 10/26/08