1. Writing a Scientific Report
Jake Francis
15 June 2016
Biol 322

2. Outline Why do we write scientific reports
Sections of a scientific report (each in detail)
Common Errors

3. Why do we write scientific papers?

4. Sections: overview
Introduction: provides relevant background and presents hypotheses
Methods: Provides enough detail to replicate the study
Results: Presents and describes patterns in the data
Discussion: interprets results, and places them in a broader scientific context
Literature cited: Includes citations of relevant literature

5. Introduction
Begin broad (theoretically, geographically, taxonomically)
Narrow to your system
Present your hypothesis (mechanism and system specific predicitons

6. Broad (but no too broad) taxonomically
and geographically
Could be slightly more broad though,
This paper focuses specifically on how nutritional needs of arthropods differ amongst habitats, so maybe start with some background on this

7. Introducing similar experiment in different system, maybe a little too much focus on other author’s experiment, but a good thought.
You need to provide enough background that the reader follows the logic behind your hypothesis

8. Logical transition from background to hypothesis
Weak prediction:
1) non-directional
2) does not include relevant info about their system

9. Methods
Active Voice (the passive voice makes this reader confused and makes the text feel stuffy)
Detailed enough to repeat the process (and no more)
Includes discussion of analyses (and proper citation of statistical tools)

10. Active voice!
Provide suppliers of specific reagents, not necessary for measuring devices (e.g. no need to say we measured out a transect using a 100m tape (Forestry Suppliers Inc, Plano TX).

11. Results
Provides a verbal summary of the data (raw data are very rarely presented in table form)
Describes results of statistical tests and provides relevant test statistics (i.e. pattern in words followed by test statistics in parentheses)
Uses visualizations to present data clearly (figures and tables)

12. Pattern and statistics BUT missing F statistic (this was an ANOVA) and degrees of freedom (you will lose points for omitting these

13. GOOD: Informative legend
GOOD: mean and error
GOOD: Axis label has units, and no horizontal lines running across plot
GOOD: Describes what error bars are (i.e. S.D. or 95% CI), and includes test statistics
Though see previous slide for errors in reporting! BAD: Does not include sample sizes!

14. Note formatting:
Only horizontal lines (one bold at top all others non-bold)
Legend above (as opposed to legend below for figures)
BAD: no description of abbreviations used (WHAT IS MS?)

15. Discussion
Reiterates findings (no need to describe stats just patterns)
Places in the context of other research
DOES NOT JUST SAY WHAT WAS WRONG!!!!
Suggests future studies

16. Reiterate results!
Places in context of other research
Do not just keep referencing all sources from intro, bring in some new information here
Proposes future work

17. Literature cited Use in text citations through out:
Citing papers is fun and stops plagiarism (Francis 2016).
Francis (2016) claims that proper citation is cool!
List at end using proper formatting:
Last, F. M. YEAR. Title. Journal volume: page–page.
Last, F. M., Otherlast, F. M, Anotherlast, F. M., F. M. Last-last. YEAR. Title. Journal volume: page–page.