Grow your project idea by looking into the topic you’ve chosen to see what research is already being done. Learning more about the topic might spark new ideas, narrow your question, or help you better understand the specific issues that you want to test and find solutions for.

When doing research keep these tips in mind:

• Choose reliable and trustworthy sources – Information from government, university or academic sources is usually reliable. News articles can be great for learning about research being done, but you should then look up the original studies. Blogs, YouTube, social media, or Wikipedia can be great starting points but shouldn’t be considered reliable sources or used as references (learn how to choose good research sources for your STEM project here).
• Research makes your project better – The best projects include research not only at the beginning but throughout to help overcome obstacles, improve the process or understand results. This is your chance to become an expert! Research also gives you an idea of what results might be possible, which is important when planning what you will test and how.
• Use your logbook to track your research – This will help you remember where different ideas and information came from and make it easier to list all your references at the end of your project (learn more about setting up your logbook here).