Transcript Take the University Challenge: Writing in the Sciences

Take the University Challenge:
Writing in the
Sciences
The Academic Skills Centre
So you want to be a scientist?
• Be curious
• Think critically
• Follow convention
• Present your findings
Scientific Writing
• Answer the question(s)
• Be clear and concise
– Creativity in thought rather than writing style
• Follow conventions of discipline
– Read the instructions!
• Demonstrate your understanding of the topic
Assignments
• Problem sets
• Lab reports
• Essays and research papers
Lab Reports
Why?
• Prepare to become a
scientist
– Report findings to the
scientific community
– Contribute to body of
research
– Follow style of journal
articles
• Demonstrate
understanding
– How does the practical
relate to the theory?
www.icts.uiowa.edu
How?
Scientific Method
QUESTION
What is the problem or observation?
RESEARCH
Learn about the topic – what have others found out?
HYPOTHESIS
What do you think will happen?
EXPERIMENT or STUDY
Collect data to test your hypothesis
ANALYSIS
Summarize the results of your experiment or study
INTERPRET
Do your results support the hypothesis?
COMPARE
How do your results compare to those of other studies?
WHAT’S NEXT?
What’s the next question to be answered?
Sections of Lab Reports
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
Basic sections
“IMRAD”
Title
Abstract
Conclusions
Appendices
References
Additional and
optional sections
Sections of a Lab Report
QUESTION
What is the problem or observation?
Introduction
REASEARCH
Learn about the topic – what have others found out?
HYPOTHESIS
What do you think will happen?
Methods
Results
EXPERIMENT or STUDY
Collect data to test your hypothesis
ANALYSIS
Summarize the results of your experiment or study
INTERPRET
Do your results support the hypothesis?
Discussion
COMPARE
How do your results compare to those of other studies?
WHAT’S NEXT?
What’s the next question to be answered?
Sections of Lab Reports
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
• Frame research within
broad context
• Present relevant
background information
• State hypotheses,
predictions, and
rationale
Sections of Lab Reports
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
• Describe how you
conducted the experiment
or study
– Materials, procedure,
subjects, location, analysis
and statistics, etc.
• Provide enough detail to
allow a reader to repeat
what you did
• Use full sentences!
Sections of Lab Reports
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
• Summarize data
collected
– Report, don’t interpret!
– Raw data in appendix
only
• Present data in tables
and/or figures
– Refer to in text
Sections of Lab Reports
Introduction
Methods
• Interpret results
– Did the data support your
hypothesis and predictions?
– Remember – you cannot
prove, only support or reject
• Compare to other studies
Results
Discussion
– Are your results in line with
previous findings? If not, why?
• Implications of your research
• How could you improve your
study and/or what would you
study next?
Writing Style
Writing Style
• Always use full sentences
• Sentences should be
– Concise
– Direct
– Active
• Therefore
– Avoid unnecessary words, phrases, and jargon
– Put the main verb early in the sentence
– Use the active voice whenever possible
Writing Style
Voice
Passive voice
• Objective
– Obscures who/what is
doing the action
• Was the norm in
scientific writing
– Indirect and
cumbersome
Active voice
• Subjective
– Highlights who/want is
doing the action
• Becoming much more
common and
encouraged
– Direct and clear
• Object – Verb –
• Subject – Verb –
Subject
Object
• E.g., “The plants were • E.g., “I measured the
measured…”
plants…”
Writing Style
Tense
• Past or present?
• Use past tense when
– Referring to your study
(you completed it in the
past)
– Another study done in
the past
• Use present tense the
rest of the time
Tips For Better Reports
Tips For Better Reports
Plan Ahead - Lab
• Read the lab manual BEFORE the lab
– Make sure you fully understand what you’re doing and
why – if you don’t, ask!
• Prepare tables for recording data
• Write out hypothesis and predictions BEFORE
beginning the experiment/study
• Take notes during your lab
– Note any changes in the methods and any new details
• Plan time to write your report as soon as possible
after your lab
Tips For Better Reports
Plan Ahead - Writing
• Begin with an outline
• Suggested order of writing:
– Methods
– Results
– Discussion
– Introduction
– References
– Abstract (if required)
– Title
Tips For Better Reports
Remember! Scientific Method
QUESTION
What is the problem or observation?
REASEARCH
Learn about the topic – what have others found out?
HYPOTHESIS
What do you think will happen?
EXPERIMENT or STUDY
Collect data to test your hypothesis
ANALYSIS
Summarize the results of your experiment or study
INTERPRET
Do your results support the hypothesis?
COMPARE
How do your results compare to those of other studies?
WHAT’S NEXT?
What’s the next question to be answered?
Tips For Better Reports
The Hourglass Analogy
• Structure your report like
an hourglass
• Begin with the big
picture, narrow to your
hypothesis, experiment,
and results, then expand
throughout your
discussion
Tips For Better Reports
Follow Instructions
• This is REALLY IMPORTANT!
• Formatting
– Spacing, fonts, margins, pages
• Sections
– Title page, abstract, conclusions, appendix
required?
• Tables and figures
– Embedded or separate?
• Referencing style
– Often follows a peer-reviewed journal
Tips For Better Reports
Tables and Figures
• Must stand alone – titles must be fully descriptive
• Tables
–
–
–
–
Title above
Don’t use vertical lines
Display units
Define abbreviations
• Figures
– Title below
– Ensure details visible in black and white
– Label axes
Tips For Better Reports
Referencing
• When should you reference?
– Whenever you write something that is not your
original thought or general knowledge
• It may be difficult to know if something is considered
general knowledge – if in doubt, reference!
• This includes the methods from your lab manual
– Most sentences should therefore be referenced
• What sources should you use?
– Lab manual, textbook, peer-reviewed literature
– NEVER cite Wikipedia or other questionable
sources
Tips For Better Reports
Referencing
• How should you reference?
– Paraphrase almost always; avoid direct quotations
• The purpose is to include what was said, not how
something was said
– In-text citations and reference list
• Abbreviated in-text citation directly follows each
paraphrase
• Reference list provides full reference information and
follows report
– Follow instructions in lab manual – very carefully!!
– Try referencing software
• E.g., RefWorks – free from library
Tips For Better Reports
REVISION
Come Talk to Us!
• Do you want to ask
questions about
something you heard
today?
• Come see us at the
Academic Skills Centre
during special 10 minute
drop-in sessions!
Special Drop-in Appointments
Wednesday, Sept. 4, Thursday, Sept. 5, and
Friday, Sept. 6
10-minute drop-in appointments
(first come-first served)
Academic Skills Centre
Champlain College 206
9am-4pm