GLOBE Mission EARTH's Research Assistant Sara Mierzwiak can help you with your research!
How to share your results
Want to share your research into the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE) with the rest of the world? This page will show you how!
Check out the steps below on how to conduct a research investigation using the data you collect, and then display that information on the GLOBE Student Research Poster.
You can also learn how to upload your poster to GLOBE Mission EARTH's webpage for Student Research, where it will be viewed by Dr. C and the rest of the UHIE community. We can even give you feedback on your research!
And if you need additional help, you can always Contact Us.
STEP 1: Map Your Data
Once you've collected your data and entered it into the GLOBE website by following the steps on the How to Collect YOUR Data page, you can view your data in map format by visiting GLOBE's Visualization System. Use the zoom and filter tools to locate your data on the map. You can also use the map tools to change how your data points are displayed, and change the Basemap of the background map if you'd like. When you have a map you like, simply grab a screenshot and save it. You can then use that image to display your data in map format on your GLOBE Student Research Poster. If you want to compare your data with other data around the world as shown in the GLOBE Visualization System, you can do that, too! Just take additional screenshots and save them for your poster (the poster is shown in Step 4 below).
STEP 2: Analyze Your Data
Once you have at least one good map of your data, you should also display your data in a graph or chart so you can better analyze it. What kind of graph or chart you choose to display your data is totally up to you. Check out this cool resource showing you a variety of graph and chart options: Choose and Design Your Perfect Chart. You can also ask your teacher for help. Once you have your data displayed in a graph or chart, look at it carefully and ask yourself some questions, such as: Are there any trends in the data? Are some data points similar and others different? And if so, why do you think that is? Then, you can use these thoughts to help you develop your research question.
STEP 3: Ask a Research Question
Now that you have a good map and at least one graph or chart of your data, you can develop your research question. A good research question should be simple enough to be answered by the data you collect. For example, you could ask, "Which is hotter: the asphalt parking lot or the grassy field on my school grounds?". Or you could ask, "What is the effect of cloud cover on the surface temperature of the sidewalk?". You could even ask whether your Air Temperature data has an effect on your Surface Temperature data. All of these questions are easily answered by data you can collect yourself by participating in the UHIE study. Of course, you can conduct more in-depth research if you want, just ask for guidance from your teacher or Contact Us.
STEP 4: fill in the GLOBE research poster template
The GLOBE Student Research Poster Template is where you can put all of your information about your project. It also has "sentence starters" that will help you to fill it out. Follow the instructions in each section to help you fill in the information about your project. A good rule of thumb is to fill out the Abstract section last, after everything else is done, because the Abstract should just be a short summary of the whole project.
Don't forget to include some photos on your poster! They don't have to include you in them (if you don't want a photo of yourself on your poster), but a photo of your Infrared Thermometer (IRT) could be great to include. Or, a photo of the sites where you collected your data! Remember: photos can really help to tell your research story. And don't forget to cite your references, like the GLOBE Website and the GLOBE Visualization System!
STEP 5: Write a Short Report
Don't worry! The report to go along with your poster doesn't have to be too long! In fact, there is no minimum number of pages! However, you do need to write out a report to go along with your poster. You can copy all of the information from your poster, and then add in more details in the Discussion and Conclusions sections if you'd like. You can even add more photos and graphs into the report if you want. There is no template for this report, just be sure to include all of the major sections as shown in the poster: Abstract, Question/Hypothesis, Introduction, Research Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions and Bibliography.
STEP 6: Upload Your Poster and Report to GLOBE Mission EARTH'S Student Research Page
GLOBE Mission EARTH has a webpage just for student research! On our Student Research page, you can view research projects from other students (and teachers)! You can filter the search results to find reports related to the UHIE by searching for those projects that include Surface Temperature. You can also leave comments for each person, and once your project is uploaded, everyone can leave comments on your work, too! Please note that if you have included photos of yourself in your poster or your report, you need to have a Photo Media Release form signed by your parent or guardian.
step 6 (optional): participate in a student research symposium!
There are many opportunities for you to share your research with the rest of the GLOBE community! Research from students of all ages (K-college) is encouraged! The GLOBE Program hosts the International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS) every year, and there are also GLOBE Regional Student Research Symposia each year. Finally, GLOBE Mission EARTH also hosts a Student Research Symposium for our local students and teachers. Want more information? Feel free to Contact Us!
What is the GLOBE SCIENCE PROCESS?
It's the same process that students all around the world follow to conduct their own scientific research. You can use this process to investigate the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE) around you, and then share that information with the UHIE community!
Check it out by scrolling through the document below!
GLOBEResearchProcess.pdfWANT MORE INFORMATION?
Check out GLOBE's "Steps in the scientific process" website
The GLOBE Program has a special website dedicated to walking students like you through the scientific research process.
Here's a quote from their website:
"Science is something you can do! The scientific process is about asking questions, pursuing answers, and using evidence to support your results. With that in mind, you don't have to be a professional to start conducting science in your own community."
Check it out by clicking here: https://www.globe.gov/do-globe/research-resources/student-resources/be-a-scientist/steps-in-the-scientific-process.
CONTACT US