Guidelines/templates
A page within JSHS
Guidelines: Wisconsin/Upper Michigan JSHS
- Any high school student, grades 9–12, from Wisconsin or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is eligible to present a paper on an original research project if all requirements are met.
- Students may present a report on work done as part of a class project, science fair project, or summer research project.
- Students should report on individual contributions to research. If students are part of a larger group, the presentation should focus on individual contributions in the larger 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 JSHS directives applying to individual research investigations will apply to group work.
- In the event the group presenter of the regional 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.
To be considered:
Students will be required to select a research topic (categories described below), conduct an experimental, field, observational, or applied research study, and submit an abstract and paper describing their discoveries.
Paper review and selection for regional event:
Qualified scientists will review the papers and students whose papers are selected will be invited to present their findings orally or in a poster session at the regional symposium on January 18–19, 2025. The top ten research papers will be invited to present orally at the regional JSHS and all others will present their work in a poster session.
- The student’s teacher or parent/guardian will be required to accompany the student to the regional symposium.
- Please review the deadline dates to know when and what items need to be submitted to participate.
- Environmental science (pollution and impact upon ecosystems, environmental management, bioremediation, climatology, weather)
- Engineering; technology (including renewable energies, robotics)
- Physical Sciences—physics; computational astronomy; theoretical mathematics
- Chemistry (including chemistry-physical, organic, inorganic; earth science-geochemistry; materials science, alternative fuels)
- Life sciences (general biology-animal sciences, plant sciences, ecology; cellular and molecular biology, genetics, immunology, biochemistry)
- Medicine and Health; Behavioral and Social Sciences
- Mathematics and Computer science/computer engineering; applied mathematics-theoretical computer science
- Biomedical Science
- Statement of research assistance (see template).
- Abstract of research paper is limited to 200 words (see template).
- The paper should be a minimum of 5–6 pages and a maximum of 20 pages double-spaced, including appendices and references.
- PowerPoint for research paper presentation (review guidelines at https://jshs.org/national-symposium/rules-categories/)
- Look over judging rubric when writing paper and preparing for presentation.
- Presentation of paper must not exceed 12 minutes. Questions from judges will not exceed 6 minutes.
- A session moderator will aid the student speaker in maintaining this schedule and in fielding questions from the audience.
- The procedure for maintaining time includes a 10-minute signal for the student, and finally a 12-minute signal.
- Available audio-visual equipment in each session include: 1) LCD projector; 2) projection screen; 3) laser pointer; and 4) PC-based computer with PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat.
- No written handouts or models are permitted.
- 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 representations 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.
- The first round of judging will occur when students’ written abstracts and reports are reviewed by a scientist or expert in the field.
- Judging of the oral presentations is the final step to select student delegates who will advance to the National JSHS.
JSHS Abstract template
The format for the 200-word abstract includes: 1 inch margins, keyed in 12 point font (Times New Roman). Abstracts must be adequate in length, but not exceed these specifications. The header proceeding the abstract text includes:
- Title of the research
- Your name
- Name of your high school, high school city, and state
- Name of your teacher/sponsor/mentor and his or her organization. Precede the person’s name with a subheading (i.e., teacher, mentor, sponsor)
- Include one line of space between the heading and the body of the abstract.
Abstracts are distributed to all symposium attendees. A good abstract is written to summarize the research paper. 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.
JSHS Research Paper template
- The paper should be a minimum of 5–6 pages and a maximum of 20 pages, including appendices. The paper should be double-spaced using 1 inch margins and 12 point font (Times New Roman).
- Photographs, graphs, tables, diagrams, charts, and 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:
- A title page, or cover page stating the student’s name, school address, and title of the research;
- Acknowledgement of major assistance received – signed by teacher or mentor;
- As applicable, statement 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”
- Table of contents
- 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 and 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.
JSHS Research Poster template
Materials for the poster may be pre-printed or hand written and may be attached to a tri-fold board as one large sheet or in pieces. Posters for competition must include and or meet the following standards:
- Tri-fold poster boards will be provided and will be available for participating students when they arrive at the regional JSHS. Other materials that will be provided include staplers, stick pins, double sided tape, clips, markers and scissors. The poster ready, printed materials must fit within the dimensions of the poster board.
- Poster board dimensions are 36" high x 48" wide. The poster board includes two folds; fold dimensions are 12” x 24” x 12”.
- Header boards are allowed and must be no larger than 10” high x 36” wide. The Header board should only contain a title. Header boards are not provided by JSHS.
- 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. These items should be cited on the poster board.
- Photographs in addition to other illustrations may be used. Figures may be in color.
- No hazardous materials are allowed. No laptops, tablets or other electronic devices 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.
- All materials must be prepared (printed) and “poster ready” in advance of arriving and ready to be tacked onto the poster board. Printers will not be available.
Student finalists presenting their research paper at the National symposium must complete this form and submit with final research paper.
Please have the supervising teacher and/or supervising scientist sign form. If you did your work without a teacher or supervising scientist, you will need a signature from your parent and a brief description of their role in your research.
Resources for parents/teachers/mentors supporting high school students
