A Guide to Preparing a TUBITAK 2204A Project

Thu, 15 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I wrote this post to help students who are currently preparing a project.

Below, I explain what you should do step by step. I hope this helps you build your own roadmap.

1. Choosing Your Field and Topic

First, decide which field you want to work in. Then comes one of the hardest parts: choosing an original topic. Write down your ideas and investigate them.

Originality is not only about the title; your approach also matters. If you do not add a meaningful original contribution, your project may feel like it was built just to participate. Your project should solve a clearly defined problem.

If you want to increase your project’s impact, interdisciplinary work is a strong option. In my case, my main field was mathematics, and I combined chaotic systems with DNA-inspired ideas to build an encryption method.

2. Literature Review

After choosing your topic, your next step is a solid literature review.

Define good keywords and search them on platforms such as Google Scholar, DergiPark, TRDizin, ScienceDirect, and PubMed. You can also use AI tools to brainstorm keywords. Review what others did, then identify your own contribution.

It helps to archive papers and revisit them multiple times.

3. Project Plan and Method

Once your plan becomes clearer, store all data and references in an organized way (for example, in Drive). You may need them later for analysis, visuals, or your final report.

Find an academic mentor if possible. Do not assume people will not reply. Build a list of academics in your target area (university, expertise, department, contact info) and email them one by one. Platforms like YOKAKADEMIK can help.

4. Report Writing

Be very careful in this stage. I personally wrote my report in an academic-paper style, although styles may vary. I strongly recommend clear academic language.

Do not leave the report to the last minute. Just like a paper, it needs iteration. In my case, I drafted the methods section multiple times before finalizing it.

I recommend starting from the abstract. It helped me set direction for the methods and the rest of the document.

“Should we write the report only after everything is done?” In my experience, the best approach is writing it in parallel with your project.

Even if your project is strong, a poorly structured report can prevent it from being understood. Always follow the latest official TUBITAK guidelines and templates.

Citations are critical. One common mistake is insufficient in-text citation, which can reduce your ethics score.

5. Evaluation Criteria (Summary)

Reports are scored out of 100 using 20 criteria (5 points each). Main dimensions include:

Feasibility (methods and sub-goals)
Creativity
Originality
Ethical compliance
Results and recommendations
Target audience
Intervention/product
Comparison
Output
Time management

6. Presentation and Poster Preparation

Prepare your poster and slide deck carefully. A good flow is: introduction, objective, methods, findings, and conclusions. Do not memorize every word, but do not rely on full improvisation either.

Mastery of your topic makes a huge difference, especially during jury questions. Do not fear questions; they are asked to understand your project. Emphasize applicability and originality.

After regional rounds, present your improvements in the final presentation even if they were not in your initial report.

Personal Tips

This is a long process; 3 months can be short for producing something truly original.
Keep regular communication with your advisor.
Explain your project in a clear, simple, and scientific way.

Good luck!

Project Guide | Efe Ali Mert