PreparationtotheYoungPhysicists’Tournaments’2015IlyaMartchenko,1*AndreiKlishin,2RezaMontazeriNamin,3StanisławŚwidwiński,4AliaksandrMamoika,5andStanisłaŭPiatruša51UniversityofFribourgandLundUniversity;2MassachusettsInstituteofTechnology;3SharifUniversityofTechnology;4YaleUniversity;5BelarusianStateUniversityFirstdaydraft//July11,2014CallforcooperationIfyouareinterestedintheideabehindtheKit—tostructuretheearlierknowledgeaboutthephysicsbehindtheproblemsandtoencouragestudentstocontrasttheirpersonalcontributionfromtheexistingknowledge—yourcooperationiswelcomeIfmorecontributorsjointheworkontheKitfor2015,orplanbringingtogethertheKitfor2016,goodeditionsmaybecompletedearlierItwouldbeofbenefitforeverybody,studentsandteamleaders,whowouldhaveanearlyreference(providingafirstimpetustothework)andastrongwarningthatIYPTisallaboutappropriate,novelresearch,andnotabout“re-inventingthewheel”jurors,whowouldhaveabrief,informalsupportingmaterial,possiblymakingthemmoreskepticalandobjectiveaboutthepresentationstheaudienceoutsidetheIYPT,whobenefitsfromthestructuredreferencesine.g.physicspopularizationactivitiesandphysicsteachingtheIYPT,asacommunityandacenterofcompetence,thatgeneratesvibrant,state-of-the-artresearchproblems,widelyusedinotheractivitiesandatothereventsandalsotheauthor(-s)oftheKit,whocouldrapidlyacquireacompetenceforthefutureactivitiesandhaveagreatlearningexperienceDoyoulikewhattheIYPTorganizersdo?Watchthepromovideo:Follow@iyptand@iyptarchiveonTwitteriyptTheIYPTisseekingforsponsorsIfyoudonotdonatetoday,anotherprojectoftheIYPTwillbeputonholdBeingasupporteroftheIYPToffersuniquepublicity,powerfulrewards,andmuchmoreDiscovertheexcitingopportunitiesat@iypt.orgIBANCH8109000000913308784BICPOFICHBEXXXHowtostructureareport?Whatleveliscompetitive?Howtosetthegoals,fixthepriorities,andsetthedirectionofthework?Howwerepeopleresolvingparticularissuesinthepast?LookthroughthehistoricalsolutionsintheArchive:-)anopportunityforgoal-orientedcriticallearningexamples,notguidelinesthosesolutionsweregood,butyoursshouldbebetter!HowtotackletheIYPTproblems?MeettheUK1991teamTheIYPTArchivemissedthenamesoftheUKteammembersattheIYPT1991ThenamesarefoundthankstoGordonWoods,UKvisitorin1991!TwophotosshowtheteamonthestairsofPhysicsbuilding,MoscowStateUniversity:-)ThebasicgoalofthisKitisnotinprovidingstudentswithastart-to-finishmanualorinlimitingtheircreativity,butinencouragingthemtoregardtheirworkcritically,lookdeeper,haveabetterbackgroundknowledge,beskepticalinembeddingtheirprojectsintothestandardsofprofessionalresearch,and,asofafirstpriority,beattentiveinnot“re-inventingthewheel”Anearlyexposuretothecultureofscientificcitations,anddevelopingaresponsibleattitudetowardmakingownworktrulynovelandoriginal,isassumedtobeahelpfullearningexperienceindevelopingnecessarystandardsandattitudesGoodexamplesareknownwhentheKithasbeenusedasaconcisesupportingmaterialforjurorsandtheexternalcommunity;thebenefitswereinhavingthecommonknowledgestructuredandbettervisibleEveniflinkedfromiypt.org,thisfileisnotanofficial,bindingreleaseoftheIYPT,andshouldundernocircumstancesbeconsideredasacollectionofauthoritative“musts”or“instructions”forwhatevercompetitionSeriousconclusionswillbedrawn,uptodiscontinuingtheprojectinitscurrentform,ifsystematicmisuseoftheKitisdetected,suchasexplicitfailureofcitingproperly,replacingownresearchwithacompilation,orinterpretingtheKititselfasabinding“userguide”Allsuggestions,feedback,andcriticismabouttheKitarewarmlyappreciated:-)ImportantinformationHabitsandcustomsOriginalityandindependenceofyourworkisalwaysconsideredasofafirstpriorityThereisno“correctanswer”toanyoftheIYPTproblemsHavingadeepbackgroundknowledgeaboutearlierworkisamustTakingideaswithoutcitingisaseriousmisconductCriticallydistinguishingbetweenpersonalcontributionandcommonknowledgeislikelytobeappreciatedReadingmoreinanon-nativelanguagemaybeveryhelpfulLocallibrariesandinstitutionscanalwayshelpingettingaccesstopaidarticlesinjournals,booksanddatabasesTheIYPTisnotaboutreinventingthewheel,orinnovating,creating,discovering,andbeingabletocontrast ownwork withearlierknowledgeandtheachievementsofothers?IsIYPTallaboutcompeting,oraboutdevelopingprofessionalpersonalstandards?RequirementsforasuccessfulIYPTreportNovelresearch,notasurveyoracompilationofknownfactsBalancebetweenexperimentalinvestigationandtheoreticalanalysisComprehensible,logicalandinterestingpresentation,notadetaileddescriptionofeverything-you-have-performed-and-thought-aboutClearunderstandingofthevalidityofyourexperiments,andhowexactlyyouanalyzedtheobtaineddataClearunderstandingofwhatphysicalmodelisused,andwhyitisconsideredappropriateClea