The following evaluation criteria will be used for judging at SARSEF and the Intel ISEF 2013. It has been extensively
reviewed and revised by the Intel ISEF Judge Advisory Committee, with additional input from science,
engineering and educational experts.
One of the most significant changes from the previous guidelines is the use of different criteria for science and engineering projects. As shown below, both criteria have five sections as well as suggested scoring for each section. Each section includes key items to consider for evaluation both before and after the interview. Students are encouraged to design their posters in a clear
and informative manner to allow pre‐interview evaluation and to enable the interview to become an in depth discussion. Judges should examine the student notebook and, if present, any special forms such as Form 1C (Regulated Research Institution/Industrial Setting) and Form 2 (Qualified Scientist). Considerable emphasis is placed on two areas: Creativity and Presentation, especially the Interview section, and are discussed in more detail below.
Creativity: A creative project demonstrates imagination and inventiveness. Such projects often offer
different perspectives that open up new possibilities or new alternatives. Judges should place emphasis on
research outcomes in evaluating creativity.
Presentation/Interview: The interview provides the opportunity to interact with the finalists and evaluate
their understanding of the project’s basic science, interpretation and limitations of the results and
conclusions.
If the project was done at a research or industrial facility, the judge should determine the degree of
independence of the finalist in conducting the project, which is documented on Form 1C and Form 2.
If the project was completed at home or in a school laboratory, the judge should determine if the
finalist received any mentoring or professional guidance.
If the project is a multi‐year effort, the interview should focus ONLY on the current year’s work.
Judges should review the project’s abstract and Form 7 (Intel ISEF Continuation Projects) to clarify
what progress was completed this year.
Please note that both team and individual projects are judged together, and projects should be
judged only on the basis of their quality. However, all team members should demonstrate significant
contributions to and an understanding of the project.
NEW for 2013 Judging Criteria for Science Projects
I. Research Question (10 pts)
___ clear and focused purpose
___ identifies contribution to field of study
___ testable using scientific methods
II. Design and Methodology (15 pts)
___ well designed plan and data collection methods
___ variables and controls defined, appropriate and complete
III. Execution: Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation (20 pts)
___ systematic data collection and analysis
___ reproducibility of results
___ appropriate application of mathematical and statistical methods
___ sufficient data collected to support interpretation and conclusions
IV. Creativity (20 pts)
___ project demonstrates significant creativity in one or more of the above criteria
continued
V. Presentation (35 pts)
a. Poster 10 pts)
___ logical organization of material
___ clarity of graphics and legends
___ supporting documentation displayed
b. Interview (25 pts)
___ clear, concise, thoughtful responses to questions
___ understanding of basic science relevant to project
___ understanding interpretation and limitations of results and conclusions
___ degree of independence in conducting project
___ recognition of potential impact in science, society and/or economics
___ quality of ideas for further research
___ for team projects, contributions to and understanding of project by all members
NEW for 2013 Judging Criteria for Engineering Projects
I. Research Problem (10 pts)
___ description of a practical need or problem to be solved
___ definition of criteria for proposed solution
___ explanation of constraints
II. Design and Methodology (15 pts)
___ exploration of alternatives to answer need or problem
___ identification of a solution
___ development of a prototype/model
III. Execution: Construction and Testing (20 pts)
___ prototype demonstrates intended design
___ prototype has been tested in multiple conditions/trials
___ prototype demonstrates engineering skill and completeness
IV. Creativity (20 pts)
___ project demonstrates significant creativity in one or more of the above criteria
V. Presentation (35 pts)
a. Poster (10 pts)
___logical organization of material
___clarity of graphics and legends
___ supporting documentation displayed
b. Interview (25 pts)
___ clear, concise, thoughtful responses to questions
___ understanding of basic science relevant to project
___ understanding interpretation and limitations of results and conclusions
___ degree of independence in conducting project
___ recognition of potential impact in science, society and/or economics
___ quality of ideas for further research
___ for team projects, contributions to and understanding of project by all members
Interviews:
-Required for High School participants (1-3:30pm). If you see students not being interviewed – talk to them, even if they are not in your area of expertise!
LOOK FOR:
___ clear, concise, thoughtful responses to questions
___ understanding of basic science relevant to project
___ understanding interpretation and limitations of results and conclusions
___ degree of independence in conducting project
___ recognition of potential impact in science, society and/or economics
___ quality of ideas for further research
___ for team projects, contributions to and understanding of project by all members
Sample Questions:
What interested you in studying this topic?
When did you start your project - how long did you work on it?
How does your research relate or contribute to that which is already being done in the field currently?
What are your variables? How did you try to control variables?
What kind of data did you collect, how much, how long?
How accurate are your readings?
What future applications do you see from the results of your project?
What is the one outstanding 'point' that you learned from doing your project?
How would you improve your project if you were to do it again? Or ... if you continue it next year?
-During the Interview time (12:30-3:30pm)
make sure to be careful regarding your discussions on the floor. It is
best to hold all discussions in the confines of Hall A, away from
participant ears. There will be teachers and family in the outside
hallways waiting for their students. A stray word can be taken out of
context and misconstrued.
NO LONGER BEING USED AT SARSEF OR ISEF
Previous Judging Guidelines For Comparison
(based on previous ISEF guidelines)
for updated information and guidance.
