CHAPTER 04
Conducting Your
Research
Learn how to execute your research effectively by maintaining organized records, troubleshooting challenges, adapting your approach, and managing your project from start to finish like a scientist.
4.1Lab Notebook Basics
A lab notebook is your project's memory. It documents your procedures, observations, data, and decisions so you can stay organized, troubleshoot problems, and reproduce your results. Remember to record everything, including mistakes and unexpected outcomes.
Anatomy of a Good Lab Notebook
Date: October 3, 2026
Project: Testing the Efficiency of Graphene Oxide Water Filters
Objective:
Measure how graphene oxide coating thickness affects lead removal.
Procedure:
Prepared three filter membranes with varying coating thicknesses (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/cm²). Passed 100 mL of contaminated water through each filter.
Observations:
The 1.5 mg/cm² filter clogged after ~60 mL. Repeated the trial with a new membrane.
Raw Data:
| Coating | Lead Removed |
|---|---|
| 0.5 mg/cm2 | 71% |
| 1.0 mg/cm2 | 86% |
Next Steps:
Repeat the final trial and calculate average removal efficiency.
Keeps your work in chronological order and helps track your project's progress over time.
Documents what you did so the experiment can be accurately repeated by you or someone else.
Preserves your original measurements, ensuring your analysis is transparent and accurate.
Clearly states the purpose of the experiment so you know exactly what you are trying to accomplish.
Records qualitative details and unexpected events that may explain your results later.
Keeps your project organized by outlining what should be completed for your next lab session.
4.2Troubleshooting & Pivoting
Every researcher encounters failed experiments, contradictory results, broken equipment, contaminated samples, and rejected hypotheses. What separates strong researchers isn't avoiding these setbacks; it's knowing how to respond to them.
Is It Time to Pivot?
-
Unexpected Result
Can you identify the cause?
YES Fix the problem → Repeat experimentNO Read more literature → Ask mentor or expert -
Still Not Working?
Can the research question be narrowed or adjusted?
YES Pivot your methodologyNO Consider a new direction
If your project goes exactly according to plan, you're probably doing something wrong. Research is built on trial and error, constant refinement, and problem-solving.
Common Problems
Experiment Doesn't Work
Don't panic. Ask yourself:
- Did I follow the procedure correctly?
- Were my controls appropriate?
- Is there an equipment issue?
- Should I repeat the trial?
One failed trial is not a failed experiment.
Results Don't Support Your Hypothesis
Good. Research is about discovering the truth, not proving yourself right. Unexpected results often lead to the most interesting discussions.
Literature Contradicts Your Findings
Instead of assuming you're wrong, investigate why. Ask:
- Different methodology?
- Different population?
- Different sample size?
- Different assumptions?
Differences can become your discussion section.
Resources Become Unavailable
Look for alternative methods. Can you:
- simulate it?
- use a public dataset?
- simplify the experiment?
- collaborate with another lab?
Adapt before abandoning the project.
You're Running Out of Time
Prioritize. Finish fewer experiments well instead of many experiments poorly. Strong conclusions beat incomplete data every time.
4.3 When Things Go Wrong
Every researcher encounters failed experiments, contradictory results, broken equipment, contaminated samples, and rejected hypotheses. What separates strong researchers isn't avoiding these setbacks; it's knowing how to respond to them.
Take a look at real problems ISEF finalists faced and how they overcame them:
STS Scholar
What was a major failure or setback in your project and how did you overcome it?
One if the biggest setback in my 2025 project is when the current source broke down and my scuffed solution was just to manually switch the direction of the measurement
What was the biggest challenge you faced during your project, and how did you overcome it?
During the implementation of my project, I faced a problem in applying or testing it in the laboratory to verify our numerous hypotheses. The unavailability of resources for implementation in Egyptian laboratories, due to their high cost, made me anxious for a while about the possibility of failure. However, I immediately researched extensively until I found a way to implement my project: initial in silico testing. After proving the success of our project, we directly approached major specialized universities for assistance and began in vitro testing, with plans to implement it in vivo. Research and perseverance are the most powerful weapons against laziness and for maintaining your momentum. It's natural to encounter significant and difficult obstacles, but always remember that every problem has a solution. Therefore, maintain your hope and ambition, and keep searching until you solve the problem. Don't give up from the start.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during your project, and how did you overcome it?
I didn't have access to a lot of data or labs because I didn't have a mentor who could connect me with sources. It can seem challenging and isolating but I got there eventually. There's a lot free information and data on the web, you just need to know where to look and how to use it.
Grand & Special Award
What was the biggest challenge you faced during your project, and how did you overcome it?
for me, the biggest challenge was when I had sunk 6+ months into my project, and I didnt have any successful robots yet. it was really demotivating for me, but I just perservered and kept refining it until I had a working model.
Special Award
What was the biggest challenge you faced during your project, and how did you overcome it?
Time was my biggest challenge. I had to schedule everything very precisely to be able to complete my research in time.