CONDUCTING THE RESEARCH
A. ETHICS AND INDIVIDUALITY OF WORK
Ethics. Through the annual Research Symposium, the VJAS promotes scientific research at the highest ethical level. The work presented by students must be their own and must not include such things as plagiarism, fabrication of data, and presenting someone else’s work as his/her own.
Plagiarism is the act of taking someone else’s ideas or work and passing them off as on one’s own (Oxford English Dictionary). The VJAS committee and the VAS strongly believe that every researcher needs to act with integrity in reporting and presenting their work. Ideas taken from other sources not originating from the researcher must be properly credited. The expectation is that authors’ text is to be their work and not derived from other sources. This includes the use of AI (artificial intelligence) to write any portion of the research paper. Any paper found to be plagiarized will be disqualified and the sponsor contacted.
Multiple Authored Projects.
The VJAS requires each participant to work independently unless engaged in a joint project with no more than three additional participants. If a multiple-authored paper is accepted for presentation, all authors must attend the Symposium and participate in the oral presentation. The $45 paper submission fee is paid per paper, not per student. The team leader should ensure that the $45 fee is paid for the team. Students who are members of a team are responsible for correctly registering in Reviewr.
Sponsors and Mentors.
The “Student Sponsor” (i.e., a teacher at the student’s school) is the student’s official advisor for the research project and research paper and is required to sign the Student Entry Form for the research paper via electronic signature (as well as any other forms that must be submitted). Acts as a liaison among VJAS and the students. Other teachers at the student’s school, parents, faculty at colleges and universities, and industrial researchers, among others, may serve as advisors, consultants, or supervisors provided that the student conducts and understands his/her research.
Any student (whether in a traditional school setting, home-schooled, or virtual schooled) who worked in a research facility (in-person or virtual) or received significant help from a professional other than their teacher (or instructor) must complete and submit the Mentor and/or Research Facility Form. This includes working in (or collaborating with) a laboratory or receiving significant help from a parent or family friend. The student enters the name and email of their mentor. The mentor will be sent the form to complete and then submit on Reviewr. The student submission will not be complete until the Mentor and/or Research Facility Form is uploaded to Reviewr by the student applicant. If unsure if this form is required, it should be completed.
B. PLANNING AND DESIGNING THE RESEARCH
Some financial support for research is available through the VJAS office. Funds are provided from the proceeds of the Phil Robinson Virginia Naturally 5K Run held in previous years. These monies will NOT cover travel expenses OR materials schools normally have. Upon completion of the research, these materials become the school's property. Grants usually do not exceed $100.00. Each student applying for support must complete the Research Grant Application and submit it and any supporting information to the VJAS Director by November 1.
Notification of awards and checks are sent directly to the sponsor within three weeks. When a student requests funds, it is a commitment to submit a paper and attend and present at the Symposium if selected. If these conditions are not met, this is a violation of the fund, and monies must be returned to the Phil Robinson Research Fund. It is up to the sponsor receiving these funds to guide the students through the process and if they decide not to attend to reimburse the Academy. If the sponsor does not do this then it may lead to not receiving funds in the future.
Ethics. Through the annual Research Symposium, the VJAS promotes scientific research at the highest ethical level. The work presented by students must be their own and must not include such things as plagiarism, fabrication of data, and presenting someone else’s work as his/her own.
Plagiarism is the act of taking someone else’s ideas or work and passing them off as on one’s own (Oxford English Dictionary). The VJAS committee and the VAS strongly believe that every researcher needs to act with integrity in reporting and presenting their work. Ideas taken from other sources not originating from the researcher must be properly credited. The expectation is that authors’ text is to be their work and not derived from other sources. This includes the use of AI (artificial intelligence) to write any portion of the research paper. Any paper found to be plagiarized will be disqualified and the sponsor contacted.
Multiple Authored Projects.
The VJAS requires each participant to work independently unless engaged in a joint project with no more than three additional participants. If a multiple-authored paper is accepted for presentation, all authors must attend the Symposium and participate in the oral presentation. The $45 paper submission fee is paid per paper, not per student. The team leader should ensure that the $45 fee is paid for the team. Students who are members of a team are responsible for correctly registering in Reviewr.
Sponsors and Mentors.
The “Student Sponsor” (i.e., a teacher at the student’s school) is the student’s official advisor for the research project and research paper and is required to sign the Student Entry Form for the research paper via electronic signature (as well as any other forms that must be submitted). Acts as a liaison among VJAS and the students. Other teachers at the student’s school, parents, faculty at colleges and universities, and industrial researchers, among others, may serve as advisors, consultants, or supervisors provided that the student conducts and understands his/her research.
Any student (whether in a traditional school setting, home-schooled, or virtual schooled) who worked in a research facility (in-person or virtual) or received significant help from a professional other than their teacher (or instructor) must complete and submit the Mentor and/or Research Facility Form. This includes working in (or collaborating with) a laboratory or receiving significant help from a parent or family friend. The student enters the name and email of their mentor. The mentor will be sent the form to complete and then submit on Reviewr. The student submission will not be complete until the Mentor and/or Research Facility Form is uploaded to Reviewr by the student applicant. If unsure if this form is required, it should be completed.
B. PLANNING AND DESIGNING THE RESEARCH
- Early planning is important. A research plan/proposal of the anticipated project should be submitted to the student sponsor (advisor) for review. Such a review of the problem to be studied ultimately saves time, effort, and money and results in a better investigation.
- When the problem to be studied has been identified, researching background information and the works of others facilitates focusing on a general topic to a definite hypothesis.
- Careful research design utilizing experimental controls, identification of variables, analysis of data, and creativity are considered fundamental to a successful research project.
- A simple experiment using readily available materials in an ingenious fashion may indicate higher capabilities than a complex subject that is neither well designed nor understood. On the other hand, certain research must be in compliance with designated regulations, and an electronically signed Certification Statement must be completed on Reviewr at the time of paper submission, when vertebrate animals, human subjects, recombinant DNA, cells and tissues, and pathogenic agents, toxic or controlled substances, etc. are involved in the research. (See “Regulations and Certifications” in Section V.)
- Projects and investigations may take the form of traditional investigations or may be developed from data sets obtained through various citizen science projects and online databases.
- Appropriate safety guidelines must always be part of your research plan, followed carefully, and documented in your records and research paper. At any time the director deems the presentation of a paper exposes the VJAS to liability due to improper supervision, safety protocols, and/or the breaking of state or federal law during the project, the director may remove the paper from being presented at the symposium.
- Discuss your research plan with your Student Sponsor (advisor), and mentor, if applicable. After approval of the research plan and experimental design, the researcher may proceed with experimentation.
- A written record is an important part of every research investigation, including the safety precautions followed. Each aspect of the experimental design should be recorded, including all collected data, observations, and experimental notes.
Some financial support for research is available through the VJAS office. Funds are provided from the proceeds of the Phil Robinson Virginia Naturally 5K Run held in previous years. These monies will NOT cover travel expenses OR materials schools normally have. Upon completion of the research, these materials become the school's property. Grants usually do not exceed $100.00. Each student applying for support must complete the Research Grant Application and submit it and any supporting information to the VJAS Director by November 1.
Notification of awards and checks are sent directly to the sponsor within three weeks. When a student requests funds, it is a commitment to submit a paper and attend and present at the Symposium if selected. If these conditions are not met, this is a violation of the fund, and monies must be returned to the Phil Robinson Research Fund. It is up to the sponsor receiving these funds to guide the students through the process and if they decide not to attend to reimburse the Academy. If the sponsor does not do this then it may lead to not receiving funds in the future.