| Every exhibit
must display a copy of the project abstract.
Each judge will receive copies of the abstracts
for the projects they will be judging; the
abstract is the first part of the exhibit
that the judges see. The abstract at the display
must be an exact copy of the abstract
submitted with registration.
The abstract is a short summary
of the project. The maximum length of an abstract
is 250 words. The body of the abstract is
generally one paragraph. Science projects
and engineering projects are different, so
there are directions for each.
For a Science Project
First, begin the abstract with a statement
that indicates the purpose, problem or focus
of the investigation. The second part of the
abstract provides further information needed
to understand why the study was conducted.
For example, you may describe prior research
findings as a context for your question. By
the time the reader reaches the end of this
part of the abstract, it is essential the
question you are investigation is clear. The
third essential section is a brief summary
of your procedures. Let the reader know the
most important aspects of the design of your
experiment. Mention any unusual or newly developed
methods. Lastly, close the abstract with a
direct statement of findings - a conclusion
you might wish to see printed in a local newspaper's
science section. Be sure to tell how your
question mentioned previously was answered
or perhaps not answered.
For an Engineering or Programming
Project
Begin by explaining very clearly what you
are designing. First state your design goal
and the constraints on your design. The second
part of the abstract provides further information
needed to understand why the design is important
or interesting. In the third part use a few
sentences to describe your design itself.
It is good to break your design into subsystems
and tell what they do. Include how your design
is supposed to meet the goals above. Describe
how your design was tested. Lastly, close
the abstract with a direct statement of findings
- a conclusion you might wish to see printed
in a local newspaper's science section. Be
sure to include how well your design met the
goals mentioned at the beginning of the abstract.
If you must submit the abstract before obtaining
reportable results, say so at the end of the
abstract, being very careful to have defined
the goals you described as your design. For
further information on engineering projects
click
here.
Abstracts must be submitted at
the NWSES online registration site.
For good examples of abstracts
click here.
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