All Arizona students in grades 9-12 enrolled in public, private, or home schools are eligible to participate (Refer to Eligibility Requirements for more). Participants may attend as Observers, Oral Presenters, or Poster Presenters. Students must participate in all symposium activities. An adult chaperone must accompany students. The Arizona JSHS will provide housing and meals for the two-day event to all students and their chaperone. If you choose NOT to stay in the hotel, you must indicate this on the Registration Form. All students are required to participate in all planned Arizona JSHS events, including the opening dinner.

Students must be nominated by a teacher, mentor or adult sponsor to participate as Oral Presenter. Students will need to discuss attending the symposium with the principal and science teacher from their school.

Based on the content and quality of their papers (refer to the Paper/Abstract/SOA Guidelines and Examples for specific format of abstract/papers that you must adhere to), 25-30 Oral Presenters will be selected to present at the Arizona JSHS event. Presentations are given before a group of peers, teachers, and judges. By applying to be an Oral Presenter you are committing to attending the National JSHS if you place 1st, 2nd, 3rd. 4th or 5th. Oral Presenters must be US citizens or permanent resident.

The Arizona JSHS will also have a Poster Session. For any student who would like to present their research in a poster format.

The following is a breakdown of Symposium attendees' guidelines:

• Oral Presenters are required to submit an Abstract / Paper / Statement of Outside Assistance (SOA). Oral Presenters are will have up to a 12 minute research presentation to present on their research project. Followed by a maximum 6-minute question period. (See Oral Presenter Guidelines and Paper/Abstract/SOA Guidelines and Examples for more)


• Oral Presenters at the AZJSHS will be competing for 3 tuition scholarships.


• 1st Place $2000


• 2nd Place $1500


• 3rd Place $1000



• First and Second Place AZJSHS Winners will have an opportunity to be Oral Presenters and compete for additional scholarships at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium.


• Third Place AZJSHS Winner will have the opportunity to present a poster at the National JSHS Poster Competition.


• Forth and Fifth AZJSHS Winners will be invited to attend the National JSHS as Observers.


• Cost for meals, housing and transportation to the National JSHS is provided by the Academy of Applied Science. Students must stay for both days at the Arizona JSHS event and if you are an Arizona JSHS scholarship winner, you must be committed to attend the National event.


• Approximately 75 additional students will be invited to attend the Arizona JSHS regional symposium as Observers and Poster Presenters.


• Poster Presenters will display poster for judge review. (You will not be present) (See Poster Presenter Guidelines for more)


• Students who wish to attend as Observers or Poster Presenters may attend without teacher nomination however, students must have an adult chaperone to attend any portion of the event.


• All Students will participate in cultural events, tours, opening dinner, student presentations, and awards ceremony. Students must participate for both days (See Important Dates for important due dates and event schedule).

Teachers are invited to attend the symposium but it is not mandatory.

There are no pre-approval forms for experimentation; however, students and teachers should refer to Research Methods.

All the Guidelines/Rules/Papers/Abstracts below for Arizona JSHS are the same as those required by the National JSHS Guidelines.

For registration go to the provide online Arizona JSHS Online Registration Form.

If you have any questions, please contact the Arizona National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (AZJSHS) Office, via E-mail first.

Students who present their research at the Arizona Junior Science and Humanities Symposium are required to demonstrate...

• Their original, creative, and innovative contributions to a research problem.


• An understanding of the scientific and/or technological principles underlying the research problem.


• Appropriate research design, procedures, and reproducibility of experimentation.


• Interpretation of data and conclusions.

See specific Judging Criteria.

Enrollment Eligibility

• All Arizona Students in grades 9-12 enrolled in public, private, or home schools are eligible to participate.


• All Student Participants and their chaperones are required to register before the Arizona JSHS deadline (Refer to the Online Registration Form for registration).


• All Student Participants are required to be able to attend all Arizona JSHS events (See Important Dates for important due dates and event schedule).


• All Student Participants are required to have a chaperone with them at all Arizona JSHS events (See Important Dates for important due dates and event schedule).


• All Student Participants are required to meet all Arizona JSHS deadlines (See Important Dates for important due dates and event schedule).

Team Projects

• Students may present a report on work done as part of a class project, or as a science fair project or summer research project.


• However, students should report on their individual contributions to research. If students are part of a larger group, the presentation should focus on the individual contributions in the larger research project and properly acknowledge the contributions of other students, mentors, and/or teachers.


• For team research that cannot be divided into individual presentations, a team leader should be selected to present the results of the group work.


• In this case, all Arizona JSHS directives applying to individual research investigations will apply to group research investigations.


• In the event the group presenter of the winning Arizona JSHS group is unable to present at the National level, this opportunity will be passed on to the next ranking project.


• This decision is made since the judges' evaluations and scores pertain to the individual presenter.

Research Involving Non-Human Vertebrates or Human Subjects

Research involving non-human vertebrates or human subjects must be conducted under the supervision of an experienced teacher or researcher and follow state and federal regulatory guidance applicable to the humane and ethical conduct of such research. This must be acknowledged in the students' written report.

Scholarship Eligibility

• Students must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or U.S. territory to be eligible for the government-sponsored scholarship awards.


• Foreign nationals may continue to present their research at Arizona JSHS for the recognition of outstanding research pursuits.


• Former Arizona JSHS winners and/or foreign nationals may continue to present their research for the recognition of outstanding research pursuits.


• Scholarships are awarded only to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Scholarships are only awarded to one member of a team presentation.


• Student presenters who are part of a team must notify the Arizona JSHS of which student finalist will receive scholarship funding should the team presentation earn Arizona JSHS awards.

Scholarship Conditions

Student scholarship recipients must...

• Demonstrate full-time enrollment as an undergraduate student at an accredited institution;


• Pursue an undergraduate degree in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics discipline, as defined by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council in their combined directory titled Organization and Members;


• Maintain at least a B (3.0) equivalent grade average.

• Oral Presenter are will have up to a 12 minute research presentation to present on their research project.


• Oral presenters are required to have done a Statement of Outside Assistance (SOA), an Abstract, and a Research Paper on their research project.


• It is recommended that you use a form of allowed Presentation Aid. A PowerPoint Presentation is the most preferred type of presenting aid.

Session Timing

• The research presentation may not exceed 12 minutes, followed by a maximum 6-minute question period.


• A session moderator will aid the student speaker in maintaining this schedule and in fielding questions from the audience.


• The procedure for maintaining the time includes a 10-minute signal for the student, and finally a 12-minute signal.


• At the 12-minute point, the student speaker must stop the presentation even if he or she has not finished.

Questioning Period

Following the presentation, the session moderator will ask for audience questions. The speaker may entertain questions while the exchange appears interesting and relevant. The session moderator will not allow questions intended to harass the student speakers. The speaker should repeat a question before answering so the audience may understand the entire dialogue.

Aids to the Presentation

• Audio-Visual Aids Equipment Available


• Available audio-visual equipment in each session at Arizona JSHS includes:


• LCD projector;
• Projection screen;
• A laser pointer.


• Additionally, PC-based computers will be in each session room configured with Microsoft 2010 PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat. The use of Macintosh computers or use of other software requires students to bring their own equipment. Equipment operators will not be available in each session. Students should number visuals in sequence so an assisting operator or the presenter can easily re-show one. Many times, visuals are re-shown during the questioning period.


• No written handouts or models are permitted. Software such as PowerPoint and computer action video may be used to prepare or drive slides or overheads.

• VCR and Computer Usage


• If using LCD projectors and computers, students must…


• Review Guidelines for Preparing PowerPoint Presentations (Refer to PowerPoint Presentations Guidelines for examples and guidelines).


• Embed any video, or other presentation developed through other software, into PowerPoint 2007.


• Save the PowerPoint presentation to an IBM-compatible CD or Zip drive, and use that saved file on available PC-based computer and LCD systems.


• Prepare for any equipment problems by bringing back-up overheads.


• Start computer equipment that may be brought to the symposium prior to the designated presentation time. No additional presentation time will be allowed to cue up a presentation.


• If using video, students must comply with the following ground rules…


• The video component cannot make up more than one (1) minute of the presentation.


• No audio or background music is permitted other than sounds that are an integral part of the research. Recorded or mechanically produced narration is not permitted. Narration must come from the speaker.


• Videos (and audio, if any) may be used only for those aspects of the presentation that cannot adequately be presented by slides or overheads. Video material presented must be an integral part of the research and should not be a substitute for presentation of data.


• Videos must not be used for presentation of common procedures, illustrating equipment or showing laboratory facilities.


• Videos should illustrate work that was done and should not be used for stimulation or aesthetic value.

Guidelines for Preparing PowerPoint Presentations

Even if you are an experienced presenter, please take a moment to read the following information completely.

PowerPoint presentation example and reference: Presentation Tips PowerPoint Sample

Requires PDF Viewer

Speaker ready room and practice sessions. Student speakers should plan to rehearse and test equipment prior to the formal presentation. The location and schedule for rehearsals will be announced at the Arizona JSHS. PC-based computers, with a CD-Rom and floppy drive, will be in each session room configured with Microsoft 2000 PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat. The use of Macintosh computers or use of other software requires students to bring their own equipment.

• Steps to Ensure Your Success


• When building your presentation, make sure you include any external files utilized in the same folder as your presentation. When creating your media for transportation copy the entire folder to the disk. To ensure the success of your presentation, remember to make a backup copy of your files and transport that media in a separate piece of luggage. Please also be reminded to bring back-up overheads in the event of equipment or software problems. If you have inserted movies into your PowerPoint presentation, we will require that you check your presentation in the Speaker Ready Room.


• Movies: We can only accept movies that have been created with standard compression codecs that are in use by Windows. Save your files as AVI’s or MPG’s only, using the following codecs:


• Cinepak
• Intel Indeo Video R3.2
• Indeo 5.10
• Intel RAW
• Mpeg2


• It is imperative that you check your movies in the Speaker Ready Room if your presentation contains video files.


• We recommend a small test you can do to check whether your movie file will work in PowerPoint To determine the compatibility of the movie, follow these steps:


1. Click Start, and then click Run.


2. In the Open box, type the appropriate command for your operating system.

In Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), type:
Mplayer.exe
In Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 or Microsoft Windows 2000/XP, type:
Mplay32.exe


3. Click OK. Media Player is started.


4. On the File menu, click Open.


5. Select the movie that you want to verify. Click Open. The video will play, if it is the correct format.


• Please be observant of the size of your video files. Please also be reminded of the rules for the utilization of video in the Arizona JSHS paper presentations.


• Pictures: Images inserted into PowerPoint are embedded into the presentation. Images that are created at a dpi setting higher than 75 dpi are not necessary and will only increase the size of your presentation. Try to avoid overloading your presentation with unnecessary images. JPG images are the preferred file format for inserted images.


• Fonts: We can only supply fonts that are included in the base installation of Windows. Any font other than these will need to be embedded into your PowerPoint presentation. The fonts we suggest using are Times New Roman, Arial and Tahoma. Use of fonts not included in Windows can lead to words that bleed into graphics or bullets, which may be the wrong style.
  
  
• You can embed the fonts into your presentation by following these steps..


• Office XP


1. Click File, and then Save As.


2. On the Tools drop down menu select Save Options


3. At the bottom of the menu you will see an Embed TrueType Fonts check box. Check the box.


• Office 2000


1. Click File, and then Save As.


2. On the Tools drop down menu select Embed TrueType Fonts.

• Users of Apple Computers


• If you are producing your presentation on an Apple computer please be aware of the following issues. If you are using PowerPoint 2001, it is recommended that you install the Microsoft Office 2001 Service Release 1 before creating your presentation. You can find this at:
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/download/office2001/sr1.asp


• Movies: QuickTime is not native to Windows computers. PowerPoint only supports QuickTime movies up to version 2.5. To insure the best chance of success create your movie s as AVI files. In addition use Cinepak for compression instead of Sorenson. Movies saved as AVI’s have the best chance of success on a Windows machine. You can also convert your movies to the mpeg format in QuickTime Pro/. You must test your movies and presentation on a Windows machine before finalizing your show.


• Images: Use common image formats that are cross platform such as JPG, PNG, GIF, and BMP.


• Fonts: Use common cross platform fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial, and Courier. It may be necessary to load your presentation onto a Windows machine. If this occurs, many custom Mac fonts will not translate properly. Animations: Use simple entry animation effects, such as fly in/out, appear, and dissolve. Do not use exit animations: PowerPoint 2000 for Windows does not support exist animations. Furthermore, PowerPoint 2001 for Mac and PowerPoint X for Mac do not support PowerPoint XP for Windows animations. If you are creating a presentation in PowerPoint XP for display on a Macintosh computer, avoid using any animations.

Guidelines for Preparing PowerPoint Presentations were provided by National JSHS

Requires PDF Viewer

Suggestions for Oral Presentations

Oral Presentation example: JSHS Student Video 1

Oral Presentation example: JSHS Student Video 2

• Remember, you are the expert.


• No one in the audience knows as much about your research investigation as you. Therefore, remember to explain your research in enough detail so the audience will understand what you did, how you did it, and what you learned.


• Whenever possible, avoid jargon or unnecessary terminology.


• If it is essential to use specialized terms, remember to explain the specialized term briefly. Give your audience enough time to understand what you are trying to convey.


• Graphs, tables and other representation help explain your results.


• Keep them simple and uncluttered. Focus on important information; for example, remember to name the variables on both axes of a graph, and state the significance of the position and shape of the graph line.


• Deliver your presentation at a comfortable pace.


• It helps to practice your presentation before a non-specialized audience. Practice will help perfect the presentation and the timing. Do listen to the advice of your non-specialized audience but also get help from a teacher or other advisors as needed.

For more on giving an oral presentation refer to Tips for Preparing and Making Oral Presentations.

Guidelines for Oral Presenter were provided by National JSHS

Requires PDF Viewer

Oral presentation examples were provided by HS3 high school STEM symposium

Above poster layout is a suggestion rather than a strict template, extra copies of the abstract and a research report are not required.

Definition

• The poster is a hybrid between a research paper and an oral presentation.


• The primary purpose of a poster is to communicate:


• What was done
• What data was obtained
• The researcher's conclusions
• Recommendation for future research


• A poster is more concise since the author is not present to explain and elaborate on the research work. You should typically have a single page for each major section of the poster.

Composition

• The poster contains the following sections:


• Title
• Student’s name and regional symposium
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgements

Display

• Tri-fold poster boards (2 Ply, 36” w x 48” h) must be used by poster presenters.


• Tables will be supplied.


• Posters should be readable from a distance of 4 feet.


• The Title should be at least one inch (72 pts) in height. The student’s name and regional should be included and should be (48 pts). All other lettering should be in 24-point font size.
(Point size indicated above is suggested size only)

• The poster should be balanced and organized in a logical, sequential order.


• Keep the amount of text to a minimum.


• There should be more emphasis on graphics, tables, charts, and graphs.


• You can use photographs in addition to other illustrations. Figures may be in color.


• No hazardous materials allowed. No Laptops are to be used. No specimens, no apparatus, no chemical reagents, no models are to be used during the presentation. Only printed material, affixed to the poster, will be allowed for the poster presentation.


• No electric outlets and no Internet connections will be available.


• All materials must be prepared (printed) and “poster ready” in advance of arriving at the Arizona JSHS and ready to be tacked onto the poster board. Printers will not be available.

Poster Presenter Session Process

• Poster presenters will not be present during the judging process.


• In this case your poster should concise since you will not be there to explain and elaborate on the research work.

Guidelines for Poster Presenter were provided by National JSHS

Requires PDF Viewer

Research Paper

Research Paper example: Kayla Loomis Paper Sample

Requires PDF Viewer

Research Paper example: Arun Thottumkara Paper Sample

Requires PDF Viewer

All Arizona JSHS participants must submit a research paper in electronic format.

The Research Paper will be submitted after FINAL ACCEPTANCE into Arizona JSHS.

The Research Paper will be submitted as an attached PDF file by E-mail.

The research paper should be done in APA Experimental Report format.

• The paper should be a minimum of 5-6 pages and a maximum of 20 pages, not including appendices, tables, and figures.


• The paper should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, and carefully edited.


• Photography, graphs, tables, diagrams, charts, or other graphic representation presented in the paper must be simply presented and comply with the maximum file size limit of 1.8 MB.


• A maximum size limit for the electronic research paper is 1.8 MB.


• A recommended outline for the research paper includes:


• Title Page, or Cover Page (stating the student’s name, school address, and title of the research)


• Acknowledgement of Major Assistance Received


• If applicable, state that “Research Involving Non-Human Vertebrates or Human Subjects was conducted under the supervision of an experienced teacher or researcher and followed state and federal regulatory guidance applicable to the humane and ethical conduct of such research”


• Title Page


• Table of Contents


• Abstract


• Acknowledgments


• Introduction


• Materials and Methods


• Results (data or findings)


• Discussion and Conclusions


• References, or Literature Cited


• Appendices (if necessary but please keep in mind that the introduction is far more valuable in the judging process than appendices of raw data)

The research paper is used as a supporting document to the abstract during the judging process. The judges read both the abstract and paper.

For more on writing a research paper refer to How to Write a Research Paper.

For information on APA experimental report format refer to OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab

Guidelines for Research Paper were provided by National JSHS

Requires PDF Viewer

Example Research Papers were provided by Arizona JSHS 1st place winner of 2011, Kayla Loomis, The effects of doxorubicin and PXD101 on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cell lines DB and SU-DHL-4 and Nationalist Finalist, Arun Thottumkara, Oxidation of Benzyl Ethers to Benzoate Esters Using a Novel Hypervalent Iodine Reagent

Requires PDF Viewer

Abstract

Abstract example: Kayla Loomis Abstract Sample

Requires PDF Viewer

All Arizona JSHS student participants must submit a 200-word formal abstract in electronic format.

The 200-word formal abstract will be used for FINAL ACCEPTANCE into Arizona JSHS as an Oral or Poster Presenter. You will submit formal abstract after registration as been confirmed.

The 200-word formal abstract will be submitted as an attached PDF file by E-mail.

ALL Arizona JSHS student participants will also be required to include an abstract as a section in their research paper

• The format for the 200-word abstract includes: 1 inch margins, keyed in 10 or 12 point font (Times or Times New Roman). Abstracts must be adequate in length but not exceed these specifications.


• The header preceding the abstract body must include:


1. Title of the Research
2. Authors Name(s)
3. High School, High School City, High School State
4. Name of Teacher/Mentor/Sponsor and His or Organization. Precede the individual's name with a subheading (i.e. teacher, mentor, sponsor)
5. Include One Line of Space Between the Heading and the Abstract Body


• Abstracts will be published in the Arizona JSHS publication, and distributed to all symposium attendees. Please carefully proofread your submission, since abstracts will not be typed or edited.


• The abstract should accurately convey the essential nature of the research conducted and the most significant conclusions reached. A further purpose of the abstract is to attract the interest and curiosity of the non-specialist reader and thus encourage exchange, discussion, and elaboration between various authors and between authors and readers.

For more on writing abstract refer to How to Write a Abstract.

Guidelines for Abstract were provided by National JSHS

Requires PDF Viewer

Example Abstract were provided by Arizona JSHS 1st place winner of 2011, Kayla Loomis, Oxidation of Benzyl Ethers to Benzoate Esters Using a Novel Hypervalent Iodine Reagent

Requires PDF Viewer

Statement of Outside Assistance (SOA)

All Arizona JSHS student participants must fill out a statement of outside assistance (SOA) in an online form.

Statement of outside assistance (SOA) online form link will be E-mail to you for completion after FINAL ACCEPTANCE.

The Statement of Outside Assistance (SOA) will be submitted after FINAL ACCEPTANCE into Arizona JSHS.

At the Arizona JSHS, the first round of judging will occur where a scientist or expert in the field reviews the students' written reports. Resulting from this review, selected (25-30) students are invited to orally deliver their research before the Arizona JSHS. Selected presentations will represent the finest efforts of high school students in the state or region toward original laboratory research, field research, or applied research. Judging of the oral presentations is the final step to select student participants who will advance to the National JSHS.

At the Arizona JSHS, student research presentations will be organized in concurrent sessions. The organization of the sessions at the Arizona JSHS is based upon the number of oral participants. 1st Place finalists from each session will then present again in one concurrent session. Military-sponsored scholarships and other awards will be made to 1st place finalists and runner-up finalists from in this session. The finalists will be invited to participate as oral presenters, poster presenters, or observers in the National JSHS.

• The Judging Team
• The Arizona JSHS Judging Team includes individuals


1. Who hold either a Ph.D. or equivalent experience, or
2. Who are actively engaged in research.


• Judges will have general experience in the fields of research that are represented by the Arizona oral presenters. Specialized experience in each field presented at the Arizona JSHS is not possible; therefore, student presenters are reminded of their responsibility to communicate their results so that they may be understood by both the non-specialized audience and by the judges. Judges are selected also for their interest in encouraging the students' interests and future development in the sciences, engineering, or mathematics.


• The judges review the presenter's presentations as follows...


• All of the written reports (e.g. abstract and paper) are read. The paper is used as supporting documentation during the judging process. The oral presentations are evaluated by each member of the assigned session judging team. The questioning period, which follows the oral presentations, aids judges in clarifying the student's depth of understanding, the amount of work and level of effort, and the individual contributions to the research problem. Following the sessions, the individual session judging teams meet and deliberate to select finalists from each session.


• Judges utilize the Arizona JSHS Judging Score Sheet as a tool and consider the weight of each factor during their deliberations.
Requires PDF Viewer


• The Arizona JSHS Office, Academy of Applied Science; and the Arizona JSHS Judging Panel recognize the enormous effort that students undertake in conducting their research. Therefore, our objective is to ensure an equitable competition by selecting qualified judges and by communicating the rules of competition to both students and judges. We realize that in any competition of this nature differences of opinion about the judge's interpretations may occur.


• It is the policy of the sponsors of the JSHS Program (e.g. the Army, Navy, and Air Force) to support the interpretations and final decisions of the judge's panel. Recommendations regarding the future conduct of the Arizona JSHS judging process, or requests to clarify the rules of competition can be directed to the attention of the Director, National JSHS Program, Academy of Applied Science, 24 Warren St., Concord, NH 03301.

• The Judging Criteria
• Arizona JSHS recognizes students for original research achievements in the sciences, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM). The overall test is that students demonstrate valid investigation and experimentation aimed at discovery of knowledge.


• Arizona JSHS judges evaluate the oral presentations using the below criteria. Arizona JSHS judges will use a total score of 30 points for each of the six criteria with each criteria weighted on a scale from 1 to 5. The scores are tallied for each presenter and used as the basis for discussion among judging team members where each criterion is considered (See Arizona JSHS Judging Score Sheet to examine how judges score).
Requires PDF Viewer


• Statement and Identification of Research Problem
• Scientific or Engineering Thought
• Creativity and Originality
• Research or Engineering Design, Procedures, and Results
• Discussion/Conclusions
• Skill in Communicating the Research Results -- Oral presentation and Written Reports
• Acknowledgement of Sources and Major Assistance Received