A research plan must be created before your start your project. It should outline every aspect of the project including materials involved, processes that will be followed, how results will be obtained and evaluated and how the project will be cleaned up. A research plan should not be something as simple as "I will build a bridge" or "I will see what color people like best." 

A research plan should provide sufficient information such that someone else could replicate your project. The level of detail in a research plan will depend upon the project. The more involved a project is the more details required in the research plan. 

In general a research plan should details about:

• Materials and participants (where applicable) including people and animals
• Safety Considerations
• Steps involved in performing the research or building something
• How the project will be evaluated
• Clean up after project is completed including disposal details when applicable

A detailed research plan is required prior to project precertification if a review is requested.