Background Information, Research, and Bibliographies 

Background research is necessary so that you know how to design and understand your experiment. To make a background research plan — a roadmap of the research questions you need to answer — follow these steps:

• Identify the keywords in the question for your science fair project. Brainstorm additional keywords and concepts.

• Use a table with the "question words" (why, how, who, what, when, where) to generate research questions from your keywords. For example: What is the difference between a series and parallel circuit?
  When does a plant grow the most, during the day or night?
  Where is the focal point of a lens?
  How does a java applet work?
  Does a truss make a bridge stronger?
  Why are moths attracted to light?
  Which cleaning products kill the most bacteria? Throw out irrelevant questions.
  
  

• Add to your background research plan a list of mathematical formulas or equations (if any) that you will need to describe the results of your experiment.

• You should also plan to do background research on the history of similar experiments or inventions.

• Network with other people with more experience than yourself: your mentors, parents, and teachers. Ask them: "What science concepts should I study to better understand my science fair project?" and "What area of science covers my project?" Better yet, ask even more specific questions.

Why the Need for Background Research?

So that you can design an experiment, you need to research what techniques and equipment might be best for investigating your topic. Rather than starting from scratch, savvy investigators want to use their library and Internet research to help them find the best way to do things. You want to learn from the experience of others rather than blunder around and repeat their mistakes. A scientist named Mike Kalish put it humorously like this: "A year in the lab can save you a day in the library."

Background research is also important to help you understand the theory behind your experiment. In other words, science fair judges like to see that you understand why your experiment turns out the way it does. You do library and Internet research so that you can make a prediction of what will occur in your experiment, and then whether that prediction is right or wrong, you will have the knowledge to understand what caused the behavior you observed.

Making a Background Research Plan: How to Know What to Look For

When you are driving a car there are two ways to find your destination: drive around randomly until you finally stumble upon what you're looking for OR look at a map before you start. (Which way do your parents drive?)

Finding information for your background research is very similar. But, since libraries and the Internet both contain millions of pages of information and facts, you might never find what you're looking for unless you start with a map! To avoid getting lost, you need a background research plan.

Source: Science Buddies