Final Report Guidelines

 

This page contains information about format, content, and how to submit your final report. Another page is provided to offer assistance writing your final report.

Every team is required to submit an electronic copy of the final report via e-mail — e.g. as a Microsoft Word document (team_xx_report.doc) attached to an e-mail message to finalreport@challenge.nm.org

Teams are further encouraged (but not required) to produce an HTML version of the final report. An award for the "Best HTML Version of a Final Report" will be given during the Awards Ceremony.

Email your ELECTRONIC-COPY to: finalreport@challenge.nm.org

 

Your report should focus on your project rather than on the experiences of your team. The report must show that you conducted a scientific investigation, obtained results, and arrived at some conclusions. Be sure to include the following:

  • an executive summary that is shorter than one page
  • a statement of the problem that you have investigated
  • a description of the method you used to solve your problem
  • the results of your study
  • the conclusions you reached by analyzing your results
  • the software, references, tables, and other products of your work
  • your most significant original achievement on the project
  • an acknowledgment of the people and organizations that helped you

Be sure to follow the rules that govern the submittal of final reports so that your team is not disqualified. Please keep a copy of your report in case any problems arise in delivering it or copying it for the judges.

You will also need to bring a camera-ready copy of your report to Los Alamos when you do your presentation for the judges. Camera-ready means that the printing is of good enough quality to reproduce well. Please follow these guidelines for your report:

  • Use 8.5- by 11-inch paper.
  • Allow one-inch margins at the top, bottom, and sides.
  • Spacing should be 1 1/2 or double spaced.
  • Place a binder clip at the top left corner. (Please do not use any other form of binding for the report - No Staples!)

Include a cover page in your final report with the following information: your project name, team number, school, team members, sponsoring teacher, and project mentor.

This sample cover page shows you what information you should give and how you should arrange it. When you prepare your cover page, you will change the words shown in italic type face to the proper information for your team and project.

Carefully check your final report for spelling and typographical errors.