TL;DR
This page helps you choose the type of research for high school that fits your project. Pick original research if you want to collect or analyze your own data and enter science fairs or hypothesis-driven journals; pick a literature review if you’re new to a field, short on time or resources, or want to map what’s already known. Jump to the comparison table, the “If you… choose” table, the middle-ground options, how journals and competitions treat each, or how to upgrade a review. Still unsure? Apply to Horizon to plan either kind of project with a PhD mentor.
What is original research, in plain terms?
Original research means you answer a question by producing new evidence. Evidence like this is called data, meaning the information you collect. You might run an experiment, send out a survey, analyze a dataset in a new way, or build and test a model. The key test is simple: if someone asked, “What did you find that wasn’t known before?”, you could give an answer, even a small one.
Here are a few examples from different subjects:
- Lab or STEM: You test whether different colors of light change how fast basil seedlings grow, and you measure each plant every day.
- Social science: You survey students at your school about sleep and then compare the answers to see if they match.
- Data analysis: You download public air quality data (a dataset anyone can use) and look for a pattern nobody has checked in your town.
Most original research has a method (how you collected evidence), results (what you found), and a discussion (what it means). Our guide to the key components of a high school research paper shows how the pieces fit. Most projects also start with a hypothesis, a testable prediction, or a research question. If you’ve never written one, read What Is a Hypothesis?
What is a literature review, and is it original research?
A literature review reads, compares, and synthesizes published studies on one question. “Literature” here just means the papers already written about your topic. Many of them went through peer review, meaning other experts checked the work before publication. Our glossary covers more terms like this. In a review, you produce a new way of organizing what’s known, not new data.
So, is a literature review original research? No, not in the sense that journals and science fairs use the term, because it doesn’t collect new data. A good review still makes an original argument about where the field stands and what’s missing. That’s real scholarship, and it takes skill.
The term can be confusing, so here’s the difference. A literature review can be one section inside a research paper, where you set up the background for your own study. It can also be a standalone paper, often called a review article. This post is about the second kind. Want the steps? Read How to Write a Literature Review in High School.
Original research vs. a literature review: side by side
The two types differ most in what you hand in at the end. The table below compares them on the points that usually shape a plan. One term appears in it: IRB, short for Institutional Review Board, a group that checks that research with people is safe and fair. Time and resources often decide the choice before anything else does, so read those rows first.
| Factor | Original research | Literature review |
| What you produce | New evidence from your own data | A new synthesis, which is an organized argument about published studies |
| Time needed | Usually longer, plus time for setup and approvals | Usually shorter to start, but synthesis takes real time |
| Resources you need | Depends on the question: a lab, software, participants, or a public dataset | Library or database access and a way to track your sources |
| Do you collect data? | Yes, or you analyze existing data in a new way | No |
| Do you need IRB approval? | Often, if people take part. See Do High School Researchers Need IRB Approval? | Almost never |
| Where you can submit it | Science fairs, hypothesis-driven journals, and many student journals | Journals and courses that accept review papers |
| Best for | Testing an idea and entering competitions | Learning a field, mapping what’s known or preparing for a study |
Source: Horizon analysis of ISEF rules, JEI and JSR submission guidelines, October 2026
The biggest difference is new evidence versus new synthesis.
Which type of high school research fits you?
The best type of research for high school depends on your goal, your time, and what you can access. Start with what you want the project to do, then find the row below that sounds most like you. Some state and regional fairs follow ISEF rules, and some add their own, so check yours. If you’re a parent helping out, one good question to ask is: what do you want to be able to say when the project is done?
| If you… | Choose |
| Want to enter ISEF or a state science fair | Original research |
| Want to submit to a journal that only takes hypothesis-driven work | Original research |
| Are new to the field and don’t know the open questions yet | A literature review first |
| Have a few weeks, not a few months | A literature review |
| Have no lab access but can use public data | Original research using secondary data (data someone else already collected) |
| Are interested in history, policy, or theory | A review or argument-based paper (check your teacher’s or journal’s rules) |
| Are taking AP Research | An original investigation; check your rubric |
| Want to test whether a past result holds up | A replication study |
Source: Horizon analysis of ISEF rules, JEI and JSR submission guidelines, October 2026
What you produce matters more than the label. Pick the type based on the question you actually want to answer. If your question needs new evidence, plan original research. If it asks what researchers already know or where they disagree, a review fits. For help choosing a question, see How to Choose a Research Topic as a High School Student.
Middle-ground options between a review and original research
You don’t have to pick one extreme. These four options sit in between.
Systematic review
A systematic review follows a fixed, written plan for how you search for studies and decide which ones to include, so someone else could repeat it. It’s stronger than a regular review because the search is open and less likely to cherry-pick results. Most systematic reviews use PRISMA, a checklist for reporting what you did.
Meta-analysis
A meta-analysis pools results from several studies into one combined result. It needs basic statistics, so it’s a stretch for most beginners. Some journals judge meta-analyses case by case, so check the current guidelines first.
Secondary data analysis
Here you analyze an existing public dataset to answer a new question. This counts as original research because your analysis produces a finding nobody had before. It usually doesn’t need IRB review when the data is public and de-identified, which means names and other personal details are removed. The ISEF human participants rules list this kind of data review as exempt, but your school or fair still makes the final call. To see where open datasets fit, read 10 Best Ways to Get Research Opportunities in High School.
Replication study
A replication study repeats a published experiment or analysis to see whether the results hold. It’s a good first project, and it still produces new evidence.
Once you pick original research, you’ll need a method.
How do journals, competitions, and AP Research treat each type?
Rules vary widely from one venue to the next, and they can change. We checked these pages in October 2026. Read the current guidelines before you plan anything.
| Venue | Takes original research? | Takes review papers? | Notes |
| ISEF (Society for Science) | Yes | No. The rules say literature reviews and “library” research are not recommended or appropriate | Projects with human participants need IRB approval before you start |
| Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI) | Yes, if it clearly tests a hypothesis in the natural sciences | No. Reviews are listed under types it does not accept | Meta-analyses are decided case by case |
| Journal of Student Research (JSR), High School Edition | Yes, it lists research articles | Yes, it lists review articles | Also lists AP Capstone research and research projects |
| AP Research | Yes. You design and carry out a yearlong investigation with a method that fits your question | Check your course rubric before planning a review-only paper | Ends in a paper of 4,000 to 5,000 words |
Source: Horizon analysis of ISEF rules, JEI and JSR submission guidelines, and the College Board AP Research course page, October 2026
A venue’s rules should shape your project type before you start writing. For ISEF, see ISEF: How to Qualify. To find more places to submit, browse 15 Research Journals for High School Students and 15 Research Competitions for High School Students. No venue guarantees publication or acceptance, so plan for the chance that you’ll try more than one. If your first choice doesn’t take your project type, it’s much easier to change course early than halfway through.
How long does each type take, and which is harder?
Is a literature review easier than original research? A review is easier to start, but it isn’t easy to do well. The hard part is synthesis: connecting studies and saying something new about them. Reading is the smaller task.
Original research usually takes longer, mainly because of setup, data collection, approvals, and things going wrong. A survey might get few replies. An experiment might fail on the first try. A mentor can help you plan for these delays. A review gets harder as your topic gets wider, so narrow it early. Original research gets harder as your experiment or sample gets bigger, so start small.
In short, each type uses your time differently. For a closer look at timelines, read How Long Does It Take to Write a Research Paper? and Writing a Research Paper in 90 Days.
How to turn a literature review into original research
A review can be the first step toward original work, and many strong projects start this way. Follow these steps.
- Finish your review and write down the gap. A gap is a question the studies disagree on or never tested. Tools like Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar help you check what’s already been published.
- Turn the gap into a research question or a hypothesis. Keep it narrow enough that one person could answer it with the time and resources you have.
- Pick the cheapest method that could answer it. Options include public data, a short survey, a small experiment, or a replication. Smaller is better for a first project.
- Check whether you’ll need IRB approval before you collect anything. The IRB guide explains how.
- Reuse your review as the introduction and background section of the new paper. Trim anything that doesn’t set up your question, then add a methods section that explains what you did.
Your review does double duty, because it becomes the first third of your research paper.
Frequently asked questions
No. It synthesizes existing work instead of producing new data. It can still make an original argument about the field.
A research article reports new findings, with methods and results. A review article summarizes and compares many studies.
It’s easier to start, but still demanding to do well. Synthesis is the hard part.
Yes, with a narrow question and the right support. See 14 Research Programs for Complete Beginners.
Original research. The ISEF rules say literature reviews are not recommended or appropriate, and your local fair may have its own rules too.
Yes. Most research papers do this, with the review serving as the background section.
It depends on the assignment. Ask for the rubric and check whether “new data” or “synthesis” is being graded.
Yes. A mentor can help you scope the question so it fits your time and resources. Horizon pairs you 1:1 with a PhD scholar or professor for several months of guided research that ends in a roughly 20-page paper. Learn more in What Does a Research Mentor Actually Do? or see the Horizon programs.
Choosing your project type
The right project matches the question you want to answer and the time you have. Pick the one you can finish well, not the one that sounds fancier. Worried about picking a project you can’t finish? Apply to Horizon or join an info session to talk through your idea.
Resources
External sources
- Society for Science, ISEF Rules for All Projects
- Society for Science, ISEF Human Participants rules
- Journal of Emerging Investigators, Topics We Accept (hypothesis-driven research guidelines)
- Journal of Student Research, High School Edition
- College Board, AP Research course page
- PRISMA, PRISMA statement
More from Horizon
- How to Write a Literature Review in High School
- What Is a Hypothesis? How to Write and Test One in High School
- Do High School Researchers Need IRB Approval?
- Research Journals for High School Students
- Research Competitions for High School Students
- What Are the Key Components of a High School Research Paper?
Image source: Horizon Academic Research Program