International Virtual Science Symposium

IVSS: Report Requirements

Students and teachers should review the required components and available resources below before submitting a report for an International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS). Once all necessary items are included in a report, submit it using GLOBE’s Student Research Report Tool. Note: IVSS student research reports should be submitted through the "Upload a Research Report" tool on the IVSS page during the IVSS submission period, which is 5 December 2024 to 5 March 2025 for the 2025 IVSS.

    Requirements vary by grade level. Projects submitted after the due date will not be scored. Submitted reports can be updated through the "Edit My Reports" link under the "Upload a Research Report" tool before the report is published on the website.

    Learn more about how each grade level is judged for IVSS reports.


    Required Components for IVSS

    Due to the abbreviated timeline, students may submit a full research project or a research project proposal. While we welcome projects from all GLOBE regions, IVSS projects and proposals must be submitted in English due to the abbreviated timeline. Students may use translation tools, such as Google Translate, DeepL, Canva, or similar tools to translate their IVSS projects. Unfortunately, projects submitted in languages other than English will not be accepted. All projects must incorporate GLOBE data, collected following GLOBE protocols or from the GLOBE database.

    1. Completed Written Report

    Reports must include:

    • Title
    • Abstract or summary
    • Introduction
    • Methods and materials
    • Results and data
    • Discussion
    • Conclusion
    • Citations
    • Badge descriptions
    • Appendix with raw data

    The complete research report must be submitted as a PDF or Word doc (DOCX/DOC). Reports that use more than one language should be submitted as a singular file. Reports that are not submitted as these file types will not be accepted for judging. Reports written in languages other than English should include the report headings and abstract translated in English.

    To download a report template, visit the IVSS Student Resources page

    2. Badge Descriptions

    Students can earn virtual badges to showcase the science and engineering practices demonstrated in their IVSS projects. All scored projects earn the "I am a Student Researcher" badge. Research teams should include a short summary of how their work on the research project earned each badge requested. Learn more about IVSS badges available.

    Note: Reports may earn up to three additional badges.

    3. Report Cover Image (Thumbnail Image)

    An image to be displayed on the student report page of the website.

    4. Media Release Forms

    All reports with images or videos should include at least one media release form. If there are no identifiable images of people, please indicate this on a media release form. Everyone who is identifiable in a photo or video must complete their own media release form. Include the title of the IVSS project on the Media Release forms. Save all media release forms as one file per report.

    Academic Integrity Guidelines 

    Students are expected to write their research reports, prepare presentations, conduct research, and analyze data on their own. Educators and scientist mentors are encouraged to provide feedback, facilitate learning, and offer additional instructional support, as needed, but may not write or directly contribute to student research reports or presentations. Students are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity on their IVSS projects. Students should not engage in any form of dishonesty such as plagiarism, misrepresenting research findings, or cheating. 

    Ethical Use of Generative AI

    Students may not use generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) to write their reports or to create their presentations. Acceptable use of generative AI may include brainstorming research questions, fine-tuning grammar and language, and the analysis of large datasets, such as predictive modeling; data processing; image analysis; and/or the development of code for analyses. 

    Students should acknowledge the work of others by providing accurate citations and attributing sources properly in their IVSS projects. If generative AI (i.e. ChatGPT) is used for any part of the investigation, it must be cited. For more information, review Citing ChatGPT and other Generative AI Tools in Student Research created by the U.S. GLOBE Coordination Office.