Science investigatory projects (SIP) may be conducted by scientists in any branch of science and at all experience levels. Students, for instance, could conduct a project to enter it into a science fair, or simply because it is part of their assigned projects in the classroom.
Fully qualified, professional scientists may also conduct a project for a whole range of reasons or purposes. Just how important such a project ultimately is, depends on whether it is a student or professional subject, the branch of science it is conducted in and of course the context in which the project was undertaken.
Science Investigatory Project - Basic Definition
A SIP is a scientific process involving the use of scientific methods within a specific area of investigation or inquiry. Scientific methods include five steps, namely:
For instance, a student may be given a SIP to determine the effect of salt on the temperature of frozen water. The assignment itself identifies the problem, namely: How does salt affect temperatures when added to frozen water?
The student then proposes some answers. There are three possibilities here, namely no effect, temperature rises or temperature falls. These answers are then tested by adding salt to the frozen water and measuring the temperatures before, immediately after and maybe at specific intervals after adding the salt.
All information is noted and subsequently analyzed, or compared. The student is then able to finalize his SIP by drawing a conclusion based on the information he has gathered.
Application and Importance of a SIP
A SIP has applications in all physical sciences, such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology or medicine, as well as disciplines of social sciences and economics, statistics or computational finance. In each discipline, scientists can potentially make discoveries of great importance to society. SIPs provide practical experience of scientific methods to students and, if conducted by professionals, may lead to important, life-improving discoveries.
Fully qualified, professional scientists may also conduct a project for a whole range of reasons or purposes. Just how important such a project ultimately is, depends on whether it is a student or professional subject, the branch of science it is conducted in and of course the context in which the project was undertaken.
Science Investigatory Project - Basic Definition
A SIP is a scientific process involving the use of scientific methods within a specific area of investigation or inquiry. Scientific methods include five steps, namely:
- Identification of the problem
- Proposition, or formulation, of possible answers to the problem
- Testing the proposed, or formulated, answers
- Gathering and analytic evaluation of all relevant data
- Drawing conclusion based on the available data
For instance, a student may be given a SIP to determine the effect of salt on the temperature of frozen water. The assignment itself identifies the problem, namely: How does salt affect temperatures when added to frozen water?
The student then proposes some answers. There are three possibilities here, namely no effect, temperature rises or temperature falls. These answers are then tested by adding salt to the frozen water and measuring the temperatures before, immediately after and maybe at specific intervals after adding the salt.
All information is noted and subsequently analyzed, or compared. The student is then able to finalize his SIP by drawing a conclusion based on the information he has gathered.
Application and Importance of a SIP
A SIP has applications in all physical sciences, such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology or medicine, as well as disciplines of social sciences and economics, statistics or computational finance. In each discipline, scientists can potentially make discoveries of great importance to society. SIPs provide practical experience of scientific methods to students and, if conducted by professionals, may lead to important, life-improving discoveries.