Student resources
Need a research or project idea?
- Need to understand the scientific method and how it's used? This site explains it clearly.
- This site provides tons of ideas for projects in biology, engineering, physical science, earth science, meteorology, environmental science, and computer science.
- Home Science Tools has a valuable selection of ideas, as well as a link to "Science Buddies." Forgive the name and go to Science Buddies—it will be well worth your time.
Not everything you do needs to be geared to a science fair. Many students conduct serious scientific research and write their results in research papers. These resources will help you do that:
- Student Independent Science Research
- National Student Research Center
- ERIC, from the US Department of Education, is a vast database of articles. Enter your search terms (such as "writing papers" or "scientific writing"), and the database will pull up a number of relevant articles. Not all are available for free, but ERIC gives you options to find what you need through other sources.
- Contact your local university of college see if they have student research programs. Many, like MIT or Baylor, offer summer research programs for high school students. Companies also offer research opportunities or scholarships for student research, so don't be shy about asking.
Scientific journals
- Science Magazine is the publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It comes out weekly and you can find back issues on their website. There are some parts you need to be registered to access, but the registration is free. The magazine covers many topics across a broad spectrum of science and can be a good starting place to find ideas for research and study.
- Scientific American is a monthly magazine in print. On their website you can access articles more quickly and it allows you to research back issues. This is also a good source for science ideas.
- Nature is a weekly science journal meant for the more mature science reader. It covers a wide variety of science subjects, but leans to the life sciences. If your research is in another area of interest, be sure to use their navigation bar and A-Z search for other topics.
- HighWire Press: the largest archive of free, full-text science articles and journals (of which they are the publisher)--almost two million articles, from 200 journals. You can search using text, author or citation date, or just scan the A-Z list of journals to find your item of interest. You can also register, giving access to other “free” services.
- PubMed Central (PMC) a free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature. The PMC journal list comprises journals that deposit material in PMC on a routine basis and generally make all their published articles available here. All articles are free (sometimes on a delayed basis).
Would you like to share your science interests with other students?
- TestToob allows middle and high school science enthusiasts to post and view videos and to network with like-minded teens.
- Free registration is required; you must be 13 or older.
Resources for serious math & science students (or not!)
- American Museum of Natural History: Information for adults, young adults, and children.
- Did You Ever Wonder? Explore a wide range of questions related to science (from the Berkeley Lab).
- eNature: Great nature database, information, and postcards.
- Exploring Genetics: Resources for understanding the Human Genome Project, including workbooks, glossaries, visual aids, chromosome viewers, and more.
- Extreme Science: Many topics. A good site to visit when you need ideas for science projects and papers.
- Geologylink: Many good geology resources, including virtual field trips and news.
- Globe: Lots of science resources and the opportunity to participate with others around the world.
- Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century: detailed information about such engineering feats as the telephone, electrification, automobiles and so forth.
- Human Anatomy Online: A "must visit" site for detailed information about human anatomy, divided into the various systems of the body. Scroll over the human figures to see correct anatomical terms.
- Internet History of Science Sourcebook: From the ancient Near East to the Industrial Revolution to modern science.
- Passport to Knowledge: A series of interactive learning adventures on life, earth, space, and physical sciences.
- Popular Science Magazine: You'll always find interesting stuff here, including articles on science, space, technology, and more.
- Science Daily connects you to the latest research news.
- Mathematical Association of America for Students: A first-class source of information for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, and anyone interested in math. Some areas may require membership.
- The Why Files: Science Behind the News connects science to real-world events.
- Volcanoes: Provides lots of background information, much of it from the US Geological Survey. Check out both the interactives and the related resources.
If you have ideas for changes or additions, please contact Dr. Sylvia Oliver, olivers@wsu.edu.