Be sure to keep a detailed, day-by-day record of your work on your project.  Start a logbook right away!  Your logbook may be a simple spiral notebook and written in pencil or ink, or you may type it.  If you type it, please assemble it in a folder or binder when you attach it to your Fair display.

Names: Pencil in your name on your logbook, because you will erase your name when entering the fair.  Your logbook should not contain your name or those of your partners, or your name of your school, district, or teacher.  You should not have anything in your logbook that could identify you or your school.

Photographs: If you have photographs in your logbook or on your display, you should not be able to identify any people involved.  Students often take photographs of just their hands performing the work, in order to ensure that no faces are visible.  Some students put a round "sticker" or  label over the face in a photo to block the identity.

Sequence Number: If your project qualifies to go to Queeny Park for the Academy of Science - St. Louis Science Fair, your project will be assigned a sequence number.  Please enter this number on the inside front cover of your notebook, so that if your log should become separated from your project we can identify the project it came from.

Tips for a Top Quality Log Book:

1. Make sure to write a statement of your problem and your hypothesis
2. Carefully hand-write or type your logbook
   1. Note: write in your logbook to record everything you do with your project
3. Identify any mistakes by drawing lines drawn through them BUT not erasing them. In this way, the reader can see where you changed your mind, or discovered an error.
4. Include the results of your trials, if you are doing an experiment.  Be detailed!
5. Include your thoughts and observations as your research continues.
6. Include explanations of what you believe your results mean or how you interpreted them.
7. Include information that you found at the library, on the Internet, or from magazines, etc. that relate to your research and include the titles, authors, date of publication and pages you read or gathered information from.