SCIENTIFIC WRITING

LAB 1
SCIENTIFIC WRITING
• GOALS
• ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS THAT A SCIENTIST MUST MASTER IS THE
ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS IN WRITING.

• THEREFORE, STUDENTS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THIS LABORATORY SESSION

WILL BE ABLE TO:
• DESCRIBE THE ORGANIZATION OF A SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION.

• DESCRIBE THE STANDARD WRITING STYLE FOR SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS.

• AVOID PLAGIARISM WHEN COMPLETING COURSE ASSIGNMENTS.

• CORRECTLY COMPLETE A DATA ANALYSIS REPORT (DAR) FOR THIS COURSE.

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SCIENTIFIC WRITING
• SCIENTIFIC PAPERS
• FORMAT (ORGANIZATION)
• TITLE
• ABSTRACT
• INTRODUCTION (BACKGROUND)
• MATERIALS AND METHODS
• RESULTS
• DISCUSSION (CONCLUSIONS)
• LITERATURE CITED (REFERENCES)
• SCIENTIFIC PAPERS
• WRITING STYLE
• DO NOT USE ACTIVE VOICE AND FIRST
PERSON
• AVOID UNNECESSARY WORDS, AND
KEEP SENTENCES SIMPLE WITHOUT
BEING CHOPPY
• DO NOT USE DIRECT QUOTES
• ASSUME YOU ARE WRITING FOR PEERS –
USE APPROPRIATE SCIENTIFIC
TERMINOLOGY
• REPORT ALL MEASUREMENTS IN METRIC
UNITS
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SCIENTIFIC WRITING
• ACADEMIC CONDUCT
• PLAGIARISM
• ANY ACT IN WHICH YOU ATTEMPT TO TAKE CREDIT FOR THE WORK OR IDEAS OF
ANOTHER PERSON.

• ALL SUSPECTED CASES OF PLAGIARISM ARE SUBMITTED TO THE ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR
NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS OF THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES FOR
EVALUATION OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT.

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SCIENTIFIC WRITING
• COURSE REQUIREMENTS
• DATA ANALYSIS REPORT (DAR)
• SOME POST-LAB ASSESSMENTS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY A DATA ANALYSIS REPORT (DAR).
• ALTHOUGH STUDENTS WORK IN GROUPS OF 2 – 4, THE DAR MUST REPRESENT AN
INDIVIDUAL EFFORT. OTHERWISE, THE STUDENT IS SUBJECT TO A CHARGE OF
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT.
• IF AN EXCEL FILE IS NOT SUBMITTED, OR CANNOT BE OPENED BY THE INSTRUCTOR
FOR GRADING, THEN THE DAR WILL RECEIVE A SCORE OF 0.00.
• IF THE COURSE IS BEING REPEATED, STUDENTS MUST NOT RE-SUBMIT DARS
COMPLETED IN A PREVIOUS SEMESTER. FAILURE TO COMPLY MAY RESULT IN A CHARGE
OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT.
• THE DAR FILE NAME SHOULD USE THE FOLLOWING CONVENTION.
• LASTNAME_LAB NUMBER
• FOR EXAMPLE, JOHNSON_LAB 5.
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SCIENTIFIC WRITING
• COURSE REQUIREMENTS
• DATA ANALYSIS REPORT (DAR)
• FIGURE 1.1: SAMPLE DATA ANALYSIS
REPORT. THE DAR SHOULD FOLLOW THE
FORMAT SHOWN.
• THE TABLE OF RAW DATA AND ANY
CALCULATIONS SHOULD APPEAR ON THE
FAR LEFT.
• THE GRAPH SHOULD APPEAR TO THE
RIGHT OF THE DATA TABLE
• A CONCLUSION, OF NO MORE THAN
ABOUT 4 SENTENCES, SHOULD BE
PROVIDED BELOW THE GRAPH.

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SCIENTIFIC WRITING
Each column of the table
• COURSE REQUIREMENTS contains an appropriate header.

• DATA ANALYSIS REPORT (DAR)

• FIGURE 1.1 CONT’D: SAMPLE DAR.
• THE COLUMNS AND ROWS OF THE DATA
TABLE SHOULD CONTAIN APPROPRIATE
HEADERS [2 PT].
• ALL DATA COLLECTED MUST BE PRESENT
AND REASONABLE FOR THE EXPERIMENT
PERFORMED, AND ANY CALCULATIONS
MUST BE SHOWN [2 PT].

Each row of the table contains an

appropriate header. In this example,
specimens are numbered.
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SCIENTIFIC WRITING
In this example, the data are Trend line, equation of
• COURSE REQUIREMENTS best displayed as a x-y the trend line and R2
scatterplot. value.
• DATA ANALYSIS REPORT (DAR)
• FIGURE 1.1 CONT’D: SAMPLE DAR.
• THE DATA MUST BE DISPLAYED AS A
GRAPH OF THE APPROPRIATE TYPE [1 PT].
• THE AXES OF THE GRAPH MUST CONTAIN
APPROPRIATE LABELS AND MUST BE
CORRECTLY SCALED [4 PT].
• A TREND LINE SHOULD BE ADDED WHERE
APPROPRIATE, AND THE EQUATION OF THE
TREND LINE AND THE R2 VALUE SHOULD
BE DISPLAYED [3 PT].
• A LEGEND MUST BE INCLUDED WHEN
NEEDED [1 PT].

Neither the x- nor y-axis is scaled

Both the x and y axes have correctly. Because there are no x values
appropriate labels. <1.00, the x-axis should read 1.00 –
4.00.
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SCIENTIFIC WRITING
• COURSE REQUIREMENTS
• DATA ANALYSIS REPORT (DAR)
• FIGURE 1.1 CONT’D: SAMPLE DAR.
• THE RESULTS MUST BE ACCURATE [3 PT].
• THE CONCLUSION [6 PT] MUST:
• BE RELEVANT TO THE EXPERIMENTAL
PURPOSE. IN THIS EXAMPLE, SCALING
RELATIONSHIPS WERE INVESTIGATED.
• REFERENCE THE DATA ANALYSIS. IN
THIS EXAMPLE, THE ANALYSIS
REVEALED A SLOPE (M) = 0.98.
• BE WRITTEN WELL, USING
APPROPRIATE SCIENTIFIC
TERMINOLOGY. EVEN CORRECT
CONCLUSIONS, IF STATED POORLY,
MAY BE PENALIZED.
• THE FILE MUST HAVE AN APPROPRIATE
NAME.

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SCIENTIFIC WRITING
• COURSE REQUIREMENTS
• DATA ANALYSIS REPORT (DAR) Item [Points] Items to Consider
File Name 1.0 File name is correctly formatted.
• TABLE 1.2: DAR RUBRIC, 23 PTS TOTAL. [1 pt] 0.0 File name is not correctly formatted.
THE DATA TABLE IS WORTH A TOTAL OF 4
POINTS. Data Table
[4 pt] 1.0 Column headings are present and appropriate.
• THE DATA TABLE MUST: 0.0 Column headings are absent or inappropriate.
Headings [2 pt]
• CONTAIN COMPLETE AND REASONABLE 1.0 Row headings are present and appropriate.
0.0 Row headings are absent or inappropriate.
DATA.
1.0 Data are complete and reasonable for the experiment
• CONTAIN APPROPRIATE COLUMN AND performed.
ROW HEADINGS. 0.0 Data are incomplete, absent or unreasonable for the
experiment performed.
• SHOW ANY CALCULATIONS PERFORMED,
1.0 Table includes calculated values if appropriate.
AND ALL NUMERIC VALUES MUST BE Data 0.0 Table does not include calculated values when appropriate.
CORRECTLY ROUNDED. [2
pt]

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SCIENTIFIC WRITING
• COURSE REQUIREMENTS
• DATA ANALYSIS REPORT (DAR) Item [Points] Items to Consider
Graph
1.0 Type is appropriate for the data collected.
• TABLE 1.2 CONT’D: DAR RUBRIC, 23 PTS [9 pt] 0.0 Type is inappropriate for the data collected.
TOTAL. THE GRAPH IS WORTH A TOTAL OF Type
[1 2.0 Label and scale of the x-axis are both appropriate.
9 POINTS. pt] 1.0 Label or scale of the x-axis is inappropriate or absent.
0.0 Label and scale of the x-axis are both inappropriate or absent.
• THE GRAPH MUST:
Axes
• BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE DATA [4
pt] 3.0 Trend line is present and of appropriate type, and the
COLLECTED. equations are displayed.
2.0 One of the above is inappropriate or absent.
• AXES MUST BE LABELED AND SCALED 1.0 Two of the above are inappropriate or absent.
0.0 All of the above are inappropriate or absent.
CORRECTLY.
1.0 Legend is present and appropriate.
• SHOW, WHEN APPROPRIATE, A TREND Trend 0.0 Legend is absent or inappropriate.
[3
LINE, EQUATION AND R2 VALUE. pt]

• SHOW, WHEN APPROPRIATE, A LEGEND

POSITIVELY IDENTIFYING THE SERIES
ON THE GRAPH.
Legend [1
pt]
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SCIENTIFIC WRITING
• COURSE REQUIREMENTS
• DATA ANALYSIS REPORT (DAR)
Item [Points] Items to Consider
• TABLE 1.2 CONT’D: DAR RUBRIC, 23 PTS Results [3 pt]
Accuracy [3 3.0 Results are ±10% of the expected results .
TOTAL. THE RESULTS AND CONCLUSION pt] 2.0 Results are ±20% of the expected results.
ARE WORTH A TOTAL OF 9 POINTS. 1.0 Results are ±30% of the expected results.
0.0 Results are >30% of the expected results.
• THE ACCURACY OF THE EXPERIMENTAL
RESULTS WILL BE CONSIDERED. Conclusion [6 pt]
Conclusion [6 6.0 Conclusion statement is present, answers the scientific
• THE CAPTION MUST: pt] question and is written well (scientifically).
4.0 Conclusion statement is present and answers the scientific
• BE RELEVANT TO THE EXPERIMENTAL question, but is written poorly (non-scientifically).
PURPOSE. 2.0 Conclusion statement is present, but does not answer the
scientific question and is written poorly (non-scientifically).
• REFERENCE THE DATA ANALYSIS. 0.0 Conclusion statement is absent.

• BE WRITTEN WELL, USING APPROPRIATE

SCIENTIFIC TERMINOLOGY. EVEN
CORRECT CONCLUSIONS, IF STATED
POORLY, MAY BE PENALIZED.

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