A science log – or a research log – is basically a detailed record (like a journal) of what happened during your research and in your experiment. The log is usually written in paragraph form, although there may be charts to record data, and photographs to further document what happened. Here are five things that a science log will do:

It keeps your research together. Most people use a spiral bound notebook and hand write their science experiment log, but you can also type your log or even use a voice recorder and then transcribe your entry. It’s important that the log demonstrate that it was created as you were doing your experiment. Your log won’t be as neat as a science report. One of our “Vitamin Citrus” science logs had orange juice spilled on it – and we used it anyway!

It provides a detailed account of your experiment. Depending on the length of your experiment, this could be a daily record, or literally a minute to minute account of what you have done. Suppose your experiment is “Which type of fertilizer is best for growing parsley?” An entry might read, “On day five, we noticed that the plants with organic fertilizer had really started getting taller than the control that was only getting water.” Or…”On day seven, we noticed that the plants fertilized with manure had started to wilt a bit and had yellow tints to the leaves.” You might include measurements on each entry.

If you are doing one of our 24 Hour Science Projects, your log will record changes at much more frequent intervals. Our experiment “Undercover Sneeze” tests how far ‘germs’ spread when the mouth is covered and when it is not. An entry may say, “When we popped the balloon, some of the paper punches hit the cardboard hands and bounced back toward the middle. The other ones spread out toward the edge of the grid.” Your entries should also include any data:

Inside circle – 29
Middle circle – 42
Outside circle – 15

It explains any difficulties you had with your experiment. In the experiment, Egg-sperimenting with Eggs, sometimes the eggs break. (We warn you of this, and recommend that you start with more eggs than you will ultimately use.) If this happens, you record it in your log. “One of the eggs burst while in the vinegar and water solution, and was discarded. Another one broke while we were rubbing the shell. We also discarded this.”

It gives you a place to express your thoughts about your research. You can share ideas on how your research could be improved or expanded. For example, “I wondered how treating hair with home remedies – like mayonaise or raw egg – would change its strength. I may use this for another experiment.” You might also say, “I wasn’t sure how the formula for calculating surface are worked, so I did some research on a math site until I understood what I was doing.” Or you can share improvements you made on the procedure. “Although the experiment directions called for using Scotch tape, we found that duct tape was more effective in holding the track in place.”

When you finish your research, your lab notebook will be the most important place you’ll get information for your science project display. It will have all the details of your studies and your experiments, including data, procedure, and results. Your science log will hold all of your research and discoveries, and will remind you – and your teachers and judges – of what you learned and the hard work you did while working on your science experiment.

PS The first step to a science log is having something to ‘log’ about! We have twenty great science projects, ready for you to research, explore and learn! Get your step by step science project guide from Middle School Science Projects