Step 1: Decide On an Area of Interest.
An advanced science project isn't something you can do in a weekend, or even in a month! It takes many hours of thought and work, so the topic needs to be something in which you're interested and it needs to be fairly specific. The first step in coming up with a topic is to pick an area of science in which you're interested. You can start with something general like "biology," but from there you need to refine your interest to a sub-area, such as "the biology of aging," or a question in which you're intrinsically interested, like "How do people's cells change as they age?".
There are many ways to arrive at an area of interest. Perhaps you've already done a science fair project that you want to significantly expand and take to the next level. Or maybe you have an intrinsic interest on which you'd like to build. Do you have a hobby, like building model airplanes, astronomy, or setting up aquariums, from which you can draw inspiration? Maybe there's a question that's always stuck in your mind that you'd really like to get to the bottom of. Other people, especially mentors, as discussed in the next section, can also be a great source of ideas. For a glimpse into how six different award-winning students found their science project topics, check out the roundtable discussion about Finding an Idea for an Advanced Science Fair Project.understand the scope of the time and energy commitment you're making. This roadmap will help you understand the steps needed to tackle an advanced science project. You can find out additional details by reading through the articles and personal blogs in the Advanced Science Project Guide and by taking a look at Sample Projects from Advanced Competitions.