Research
Problem Identification – For teams to rate Accomplished or higher, they must be able to clearly articulate a well-defined
problem statement. Sometimes teams will present a set of issues related to the challenge but not focus on a specific
problem. For example, global climate change is a very broad problem that could have many causes. A more specific and
well defined problem that would make a more appropriate FLL Project might be something like reducing greenhouse gas
emissions from coal burning power plants.
Sources of Information – The key things to look for here are quality, variety and number of sources. Accomplished
teams should include at least one professional they have communicated with as a source. Note that books or news
articles or magazines that a team reads via the internet should be considered as three different types of sources.
Exemplary teams will consider a wider variety of good quality sources as well as seek out and learn from professionals.
Professionals are considered to be people who have specialized knowledge about a particular area. For example, a
biomedical engineer might be considered a professional when it comes to research concerning robotic arms used to
replace lost limbs. Another example could be a shipping logistics manager who is consulted when researching how food
is shipped long distances while still maintaining quality.
Problem Analysis – Accomplished teams will analyze a problem sufficiently to form their own conclusions. For example,
a team that performs its own tests of various ice melting materials to determine their effectiveness when researching
the problem of motor vehicle movement in snowy and icy climates is a good example of a team performing its own
analysis.
Review Existing Solutions –Teams should perform a good faith effort to review existing solutions and determine the
originality of their solution. Teams are not expected to perform an exhaustive literature search including the very latest
scientific journals to determine originality.