Writing Scientific Reports

Presented by: Maeve Gallagher

Student Learning Development
Student Counselling Service
student.learning@tcd.ie
http://student-learning.tcd.ie
In this workshop we will
 Review purpose and qualities of scientific
writing
 Look at the component parts of the lab
report – structure and format
 Explore the writing process
 Consider the best approach to writing lab
report
 Show examples of strong student writing
Students often
 Write “shorthand”
 To sound scientific and objective
 Focus on facts and details rather than
analysis
 Imply analysis and reasoning without
making the argument explicit
 Assume reader will read meaning into text
 Ignore problems in usage, spelling,
grammar and punctuation
Technical Communication- 5Cs
1. Clarity
2. Conciseness
3. Concreteness
4. Coherence
5. Context

From:http://www.eng.uwi.tt/engdocs/TechnicalReportWriting_
2007.pdf
Lab Report: Component Parts
 Abstract  This is the order in
 Introduction which you read lab
 Methods report
 Results  Not the order in which
you write it!
 Discussion
 Conclusion
Typical Report Structure
 Title page
 Abstract/summary
 Introduction
 Methodology
 Findings/results
 Analysis and discussion
 Summary and conclusions
 Recommendations
 References/bibliography
 Appendices
 From: Study Guide 7: Reports, Learning Development, University of
Plymouth (2008)
Lab Report Component Parts
 Introduction
 Background & objectives; scope & limitations; previous
work/research
 Methods
 Procedures & materials
 Results
 Data presented; tables, figures, calculations
 Discussion
 Link to introduction; interpretation; alternative
explanations
 Conclusion – summary main point
 References – sources referred to in report
Structure
 Can’t change component parts
 But can
 Make interesting and readable by focus on
internal structure of sections
 Way sections flow together
 What info included, left out, emphasized
 Report tells a story!
Writing Process
 Start with the data – not the introduction
 Narrow them down to a few figures
 Assemble them into a story board
 Find the trends in the figures. Find the one
thing that ties them together
 Tell your readers how to read your figures
and what the main point is
 Then map out the story that tells what the
main point is
Writing Process
 Start with Methods and Results sections
 Connect results with how you got them
 Then connect your interpretation of results
(Discussion) to scientific assumptions or
principles (Theory)
 Connect what you set out to do
(Introduction) to what you found
(Conclusion)

From Mya Poe, MIT, Technical Writing

INTRODUCTION SECTION
“The introduction states the objective
or purpose of the experiment and
provides the reader with important
background and/or theory to the
experiment.”

See
http://www.ecf.utoronto.ca/~writing/hand
book-lab.htmlhttp://www.ecf.utoronto.ca/
writing/handbook-lab.html
Writing prompts for the introduction
 What kind of problem did you work on?
 Why did you work on this problem?
 What should the reader know or
understand when he/she is finished
reading the report?
Student Sample
The purpose of this lab is to observe
the conservation of momentum and
energy in one dimension in a real life
setting. We will study this concept
through the motion of carts colliding
on a track. The velocity for one or
two carts will be determined before
and after their collision.
Revised sample
The purpose of this lab was to
observe the conservation of
momentum and energy in one
dimension in a real life setting. This
concept was studied through the
motion of carts colliding on a track.
The velocity for one or two carts
was determined before and after
their collision.
Statement of purpose (in intro) should
be reflected in conclusion
Overall this lab was a success. The purpose was
to observe the conservation of momentum and
energy in one dimension in a real life setting. The
study of this concept was accomplished through
the motion of carts colliding on a track. In
addition, the experiment determined the velocity
for one or two carts before and after the collision.
During the course of the experiment the
conservation of both momentum and energy was
noted, and the final velocities of the carts was
accurately determined.
Writing prompts for theory
 Which research question did you set out to
answer?
 What was your expected answer or
assumptions about the outcome of this
investigation?
 Hypothesis?
 Designed to prove?
 Relate assumptions to findings
METHODS SECTION
 Accurate and complete account of what
you did in the lab and what materials you
used
 Usually a chronological structure
 Past tense
Writing prompts for methods
 How was the experiment designed?
 On what subjects or materials was the
experiment performed?
 How were the subjects/materials
prepared?
 What machinery/equipment was used?
 What sequence of events did you follow as
you handled the subjects/materials or as
you recorded the data?
RESULTS SECTION
 Present data
 State in verbal form as well as visual
 Use sentence to draw attention to key
points in graphs, figures, etc.
 Number and title tables and graphs
 Use appendix for raw data or complex
calculations
Writing prompts for Results
 What are your results?
 Is the data presented so results are clear,
logical and self-explanatory?
 What is the main point – what ties results
together?
DISCUSSION SECTION
“You show that you understand the
experiment beyond the simple level
of completing it.”
From http://www.ecf.utoronto.ca/~writing/handbook-lab.html

 Explain
 Analyse
 Interpret
Writing prompts for discussion section
 Analysis
 What do the results indicate clearly?
 What are the sources of error?
 How do the results compare to the
theory/hypothesis?
 Interpretation
 What is the significance of the results?
 How do you justify that interpretation?
 Suggested improvements for future research?
Conclusion
 Usually short in student lab reports
 State what you know as result of lab
 No new information
 Example:
“The Debye-Sherrer method identified the
sample material as nickel due to the measured
crystal structure (fcc) and atomic radius
(approximately 0.124nm).”
Writing Process – stages
 Planning
 Purpose of section
 Brainstorm, mindmap, outline

 Writing

 Revising

 Submit!
Exercise (from www.learnhigher.ac.uk website)
After adding the solution, the mixture in
the test tube went a bright scarlet red,
which we did not expect, as this was not
the same as the washed out pink colour it
was supposed to go according to the book.
We shook the test tube up and left it for
awhile in the test tube stand. When we
came back, the mixture had settled to the
bottom and dried out, which it was not
supposed to have happened; this was a
bit of a problem.