Task Guidelines
Students develop a research question/project goal on a topic of their own choosing in an area of personal interest. They submit an inquiry proposal (see Inquiry Proposal Form, p. 55) for the teacher’s approval, and teachers provide feedback that helps students refine their research questions/project goals. Once the inquiry proposal is approved, students begin their background research (i.e., review of previous scholarship) on their topic.
With assistance from the teacher, students may identify one or more expert adviser(s) — internal or external to the school — to serve as an additional resource. The expert advisers should be experts in the chosen discipline or field that the student is investigating or in the research method that the student chooses to employ.
Under the teacher’s guidance — and using the expert advisers’ expertise as needed — students design or choose a method to collect data and information and then analyze, evaluate, and select relevant and credible evidence to develop a logical, well-reasoned argument or aesthetic rationale that results in an academic paper of 4,000–5,000 words. The argument or aesthetic rationale must directly address the research question/project goal. If the academic paper is accompanied by an additional piece of scholarly work (e.g., performance, exhibit, product), this work is not formally assessed but is viewed by the teacher and panelists to contextualize the student’s research.
With assistance from the teacher, students may identify one or more expert adviser(s) — internal or external to the school — to serve as an additional resource. The expert advisers should be experts in the chosen discipline or field that the student is investigating or in the research method that the student chooses to employ.
Under the teacher’s guidance — and using the expert advisers’ expertise as needed — students design or choose a method to collect data and information and then analyze, evaluate, and select relevant and credible evidence to develop a logical, well-reasoned argument or aesthetic rationale that results in an academic paper of 4,000–5,000 words. The argument or aesthetic rationale must directly address the research question/project goal. If the academic paper is accompanied by an additional piece of scholarly work (e.g., performance, exhibit, product), this work is not formally assessed but is viewed by the teacher and panelists to contextualize the student’s research.
Academic Paper
The academic paper must contain the elements listed in the following table. These elements should be presented in a style and structure appropriate to the discipline in which the topic resides (e.g., psychology, science, music).
Presentation and Oral Defense (POD)
All students will develop a 15–20 minute presentation (using appropriate media) and deliver it to an oral defense panel of three evaluators.
The presentation provides an opportunity for students to present the research question/project goal, method/process, and conclusions — similar to what a university student would do at the undergraduate level. The presentation should focus on the student’s initial assumptions and hypotheses/ideas, the research question/project goal decided upon, and how the information collected to address the question supports his or her scholarly work. It should also address different perspectives and how those perspectives relate to the student’s own findings and conclusions. Students explain and distill their argument(s), explain the rationales for their choices, and describe their research findings in order to communicate effectively to an audience of nonexperts. Students may choose any appropriate format for their presentation as long as the presentation reflects the depth of their research.
The presentation provides an opportunity for students to present the research question/project goal, method/process, and conclusions — similar to what a university student would do at the undergraduate level. The presentation should focus on the student’s initial assumptions and hypotheses/ideas, the research question/project goal decided upon, and how the information collected to address the question supports his or her scholarly work. It should also address different perspectives and how those perspectives relate to the student’s own findings and conclusions. Students explain and distill their argument(s), explain the rationales for their choices, and describe their research findings in order to communicate effectively to an audience of nonexperts. Students may choose any appropriate format for their presentation as long as the presentation reflects the depth of their research.