Keep a Research Journal

When you are planning a science report or project, it helps to keep a "research journal." Here's how:

Choose a notebook to serve as your journal. A simple spiral-bound one works well.

As you mull over ideas, jot them down. These are the beginnings of your research.

Once you have a research topic (such as "diabetes" or "islet cell transplants"), write it down and begin to write questions that interest you. Coax out more specific questions as you go.

Use your topic and questions to begin research. At the library and on the Internet, select sources to read.

Take notes on what you read, along with title, author, publication, date, publisher, and page numbers - this is information you will need for your bibliography and citations of sources.

In your reading, look for referrals to other sources, such as organizations like JDRF, experts in the field, and companies that might have relevant information. You might request brochures, interviews, or other information from them. Record all of these potential sources in your journal.

As you design your experiment or project and carry it out, you will also use your journal to record data and make notes.

You can see how one simple notebook can keep your project on track!