Research Plan Template
Student name(s):Luke Van Herik
Research Plan (to Accompany Form 1A)
A) Rationale
Include a brief synopsis of the background that supports your research problem and explain why this research is
important and if applicable, explain any societal impact of your research.
This can determine how the water quality potential difference can be explained by the schools many factors, and this
can give insight into whether the water is healthy for students and is up to standard.
B) Research Question(s), Hypothesis(es), Engineering Goal(s), Expected
Outcomes.
How is this based on the rationale described above?
Research Question(s): How does the water quality differ in each school; how the schools age affects the water quality.
Hypothesis(es): older schools have worse water quality
Engineering Goal(s): to make charts to compare the water
Expected Outcomes: the purer samples will be from the newer schools
Procedure(s)
Detail all procedures and experimental design including methods for data collection. Describe only your project. Do
not include work done by mentor or others.
Part 1(Getting samples)
51 sample tubes
Sharpie
51 pieces of labeling tape
17 envelopes
17 letters with directions
Procedure:
1. Attach the labeling tape to tubes
2. Label the tubes for a certain high school (3 per high school)
3. Put the labeled samples in envelopes (3 per envelope
4. Label the envelopes for each school
5. Put directions in each envelope for the school’s science teachers
6. Give envelopes to Mrs. Allard
7. Mrs. Allard gives the envelopes to the high school science teachers
8. The teachers follow the directions to gather drinking water by using the sample tubes
9. The science teachers give the now filled sample tubes back to Mrs. Allard
10. Mrs. Allard gives the tubes back to me
Part 2(Testing the water)
Color coded strips to test water
Sample tubes filled with schools drinking water
Procedures
1. Uses multiple strips on all the tubes
2. Organize the tubes into groups of 3 based on school
3. Take out the ph. test and group them with the other ph. test from the same school
4. Take another test for chlorine and common metals then organize them
5. Take another test for bacteria and Ph and organize them as well to prepare for data testing.
Risk and Safety
Identify any potential risks and safety precautions needed.
Research Plan Template
Data Analysis
Describe the procedures you will use to analyze the data/results.
1. I will look at the color variation and determine the range of the water quality
2. I will create a pie chart to determine the percentage of schools with good or mediocre or bad water
3. I will create a bar graph to tell exactly how many of the samples were in a certain color group
4. To show the results for each tubes water quality for each school by writing the schools name and putting
three color coded tally marks corresponding to the color from the ph. Test
5. I will do all this for each of the parts of water testing in the kit, including metal, chlorine, and lead.
IF Applicable
Below are subject-specific guidelines for additional items to be included in your
research plan/project summary as applicable.
Human participants research:
a. Participants: Describe age range, gender, racial/ethnic composition of participants. Identify vulnerable populations
(minors, pregnant women, prisoners, mentally disabled or economically disadvantaged).
b. Recruitment: Where will you find your participants? How will they be invited to participate?
c. Methods: What will participants be asked to do? Will you use any surveys, questionnaires or tests? What is the
frequency and length of time involved for each subject?
d. Risk Assessment: What are the risks or potential discomforts (physical, psychological, time involved, social, legal,
etc.) to participants? How will you minimize risks? List any benefits to society or participants.
e. Protection of Privacy: Will identifiable information (e.g., names, telephone numbers, birth dates, email addresses)
be collected? Will data be confidential/anonymous? If anonymous, describe how the data will be collected. If not
anonymous, what procedures are in place for safeguarding confidentiality? Where will data be stored? Who will have
access to the data? What will you do with the data after the study?
f. Informed Consent Process: Describe how you will inform participants about the purpose of the study, what they
will be asked to do, that their participation is voluntary and they have the right to stop at any time.
Vertebrate animal research:
a. Discuss potential ALTERNATIVES to vertebrate animal use and present justification for use of vertebrates.
b. Explain potential impact or contribution of this research.
c. Detail all procedures to be used, including methods used to minimize potential discomfort, distress, pain and injury
to the animals and detailed chemical concentrations and drug dosages.
d. Detail animal numbers, species, strain, sex, age, source, etc., include justification of the numbers planned.
e. Describe housing and oversight of daily care
f. Discuss disposition of the animals at the termination of the study.
Potentially hazardous biological agents research:
a. Give source of the organism and describe BSL assessment process and BSL determination.
b. Detail safety precautions and discuss methods of disposal.
Hazardous chemicals, activities & devices:
• Describe Risk Assessment process, supervision, safety precautions and methods of disposal.
