Scientific report writing
- 1. Scientific Report Writing
- 3. Aim
- 4. Aim • Enable clear comunication
- 5. Aim • Enable clear comunication
- 6. Audience
- 7. Audience • Similar to you before you started the project.
- 8. Audience • Similar to you before you started the project. • The reader should be able to reproduce whatever you did by following your report.
- 10. Clarity of writing • Ideas in a logical order • Build an argument piece by piece. • Related sentences into paragraphs, paragraphs into sections. • Create a flow from beginning to end.
- 13. Supporting Material •Use figures, tables, data, equations, etc. to help tell the story as it unfolds.
- 14. Supporting Material •Use figures, tables, data, equations, etc. to help tell the story as it unfolds. •Refer to them directly in the text, and integrate the points they make into your writing.
- 15. Language and Style • The report should be grammatically sound, with correct spelling, and generally free of errors (please, use the spelling checker) • Avoid jargon, slang, or colloquial terms.
- 16. Language and Style • The report should be grammatically sound, with correct spelling, and generally free of errors (please, use the spelling checker) • Avoid jargon, slang, or colloquial terms.
- 17. Consistency of Format • Use a consistent style of headings • Do not mix formats. • Establish a template and stick to it.
- 18. Typical Sections
- 19. Typical Sections • Introduction • Methods, • Results • Discussion
- 20. Typical Sections • Introduction • here's the problem • Methods, • Results • Discussion
- 21. Typical Sections • Introduction • here's the problem • Methods, • here's how I studied it • Results • Discussion
- 22. Typical Sections • Introduction • here's the problem • Methods, • here's how I studied it • Results • here's what I found • Discussion
- 23. Typical Sections • Introduction • here's the problem • Methods, • here's how I studied it • Results • here's what I found • Discussion • here's what it means.
- 24. Title • Do not use a presentation sheet (save paper!)
- 25. Title • Do not use a presentation sheet (save paper!) • The title should be centered at the top of first page; the title is NOT underlined or italicized.
- 26. Title • Do not use a presentation sheet (save paper!) • The title should be centered at the top of first page; the title is NOT underlined or italicized. • The authors' names are double-spaced from and centered below the title
- 27. Title
- 28. Abstract What did I do in few words
- 29. Abstract What did I do in few words • A shortened version of the paper, condense the whole paper into miniature form. A sentence or two summarizing each of the main sections (introduction, methods, results, discussion) should be enough
- 30. Abstract What did I do in few words • A shortened version of the paper, condense the whole paper into miniature form. A sentence or two summarizing each of the main sections (introduction, methods, results, discussion) should be enough • Frequently, readers will only read the abstract, choosing to read the report completely or not.
- 31. Introduction What is the problem?
- 32. Introduction What is the problem? • Introduce the problem
- 33. Introduction What is the problem? • Introduce the problem • Background must be summarized briefly
- 34. Introduction What is the problem? • Introduce the problem • Background must be summarized briefly • From general information to specific information
- 35. Introduction What is the problem? • Introduce the problem • Background must be summarized briefly • From general information to specific information • The last sentences of the introduction should be a statement of objectives and a statement of hypotheses
- 36. Introduction What is the problem? "Our objective was to determine if there is a relationship between the amount of light and the growth rate of beans. We hypothesized that the more the light they got the faster they would grow”
- 37. Methods How did I do?
- 38. Methods How did I do? • This section provides all the methodological details necessary for another scientist to duplicate your work.
- 39. Methods How did I do? • This section provides all the methodological details necessary for another scientist to duplicate your work. • It should be a narrative of the steps you took not a list of instructions such as cookbook.
- 40. Methods How did I do? • This section provides all the methodological details necessary for another scientist to duplicate your work. • It should be a narrative of the steps you took not a list of instructions such as cookbook. • You should assume that the other scientist has the same basic skills that you have
- 41. Methods How did I do? • This section provides all the methodological details necessary for another scientist to duplicate your work. • It should be a narrative of the steps you took not a list of instructions such as cookbook. • You should assume that the other scientist has the same basic skills that you have
- 42. Results What did I find out? 200.00 8% 7% 150.00 35% 10% 100.00 11% 50.00 29% 0 2007 2008 2009 2010
- 43. Results What did I find out? • This section presents the results of the experiment but does not attempt to interpret their meaning.
- 44. Results What did I find out? • This section presents the results of the experiment but does not attempt to interpret their meaning. • You will not present the raw data that you collected, but rather you will summarize the data with text, tables and/or figures.
- 45. Discussion What does it mean?
- 46. Discussion What does it mean? • Say what you actually found, not what you hoped to find.
- 47. Discussion What does it mean? • Say what you actually found, not what you hoped to find. • Relate your discussion back to the objectives and questions you raised in the intruduction section. Synthesize all the evidence
- 48. Discussion What does it mean? • Say what you actually found, not what you hoped to find. • Relate your discussion back to the objectives and questions you raised in the intruduction section. Synthesize all the evidence • Recommend any improvements for further study.
- 49. Discussion What does it mean? • Say what you actually found, not what you hoped to find. • Relate your discussion back to the objectives and questions you raised in the intruduction section. Synthesize all the evidence • Recommend any improvements for further study.
- 50. Acknowledgments Who helped me out?
- 51. Acknowledgments Who helped me out? • This is an optional section.
- 52. Acknowledgments Who helped me out? • This is an optional section. • Thank people who directly contributed to the paper, by providing data, assisting with some part of the analysis, proofreading, typing, etc.
- 53. Acknowledgments Who helped me out? • This is an optional section. • Thank people who directly contributed to the paper, by providing data, assisting with some part of the analysis, proofreading, typing, etc. • It is not a dedication, so don't thank Mom and Dad for bringing you into the world
- 54. References Whose work did I use?
- 55. References Whose work did I use? • List alphabetically only the people and publications that you cited in the report (if none, omit the section) in alphabetical order by the last name of the first author
- 56. References Whose work did I use? • List alphabetically only the people and publications that you cited in the report (if none, omit the section) in alphabetical order by the last name of the first author • Provide sufficient detail to enable somebody to actually track down the information.
- 57. References Whose work did I use?
- 58. Appendices (optional) Extra information
- 59. Appendices (optional) Extra information • If necessary, one or more appendices containing raw data, figures not used in the body of the paper, sample calculations, etc. may be included.
- 60. Appendices (optional) Extra information • If necessary, one or more appendices containing raw data, figures not used in the body of the paper, sample calculations, etc. may be included. • They are considered as additional material to the report, and may not be examined by the reader at all.
- 61. so now...
- 62. so now...
- 63. It’s your turn for a scientific paper!
- 64. Think a question
- 65. Think a question Plan the scientific method to study it
- 66. Good luck!