1. Take the University Challenge: Writing in the Sciences
The Academic Skills Centre

2. So you want to be a scientist?
Be curious
Think critically
Follow convention
Present your findings

3. 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

4. Assignments
Problem sets
Lab reports
Essays and research papers

5. Lab Reports

6. Why? Prepare to become a scientist Demonstrate understanding
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?

7. How? Scientific Method QUESTION RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
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?

8. Sections of Lab Reports
Basic sections “IMRAD”
Additional and optional sections
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
Title
Abstract
Conclusions
Appendices
References

9. Sections of a Lab Report
QUESTION
What is the problem or observation?
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
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?

10. Sections of Lab Reports
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
Frame research within broad context
Present relevant background information
State hypotheses, predictions, and rationale

11. 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!

12. Sections of Lab Reports
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
Summarize collected data
Report, don’t interpret!
Raw data in appendix only
Present data in tables and/or figures
Refer to in text

13. Sections of Lab Reports
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
Interpret results
Did the data support your hypothesis and predictions?
Remember – you cannot prove, only support or reject
Compare to other studies
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?

14. Writing Style

15. Writing Style Essay format Be clear, concise, and direct
Complete paragraphs and sentences
No point form!
Be clear, concise, and direct
Use the active voice whenever possible
Use appropriate and consistent tense
Avoid unnecessary words, phrases, and jargon
Put the main verb early in the sentence and keep it close to its subject
Use modifiers judiciously!

16. Writing Style Clear and Correct
Have you avoided the errors that you have made in previous writing?
Review your reports from last term!
Have you used language which is clear and easy to understand?
Have you avoided colloquialisms and jargon?
Is your language as concise as possible?
Have you maintained a formal tone?
Are any sentences awkward, too elaborate, or difficult to follow?
Have you avoided common grammatical errors?
Is your report properly punctuated?

17. Writing Style Voice Use the active voice whenever possible!
Passive Voice
Active Voice
Objective
Subjective
Obscures who/what is doing the action
Highlights who/what is doing the action
Indirect and cumbersome
Direct and clear
Object – Verb – Subject
Subject – Verb – Object
E.g., “The plants were measured by me…”
E.g., “I measured the plants…”

18. Writing Style Tense Past Tense: reporting methods and results
“My group measured the…”
“There was an increase in…”
Present Tense: discussing your results (rather than when referring to them), current state of knowledge, etc.
“My results indicate that…”
Historical Present Tense: reviewing literature
“The findings by Lee et al. (2012) indicate…”
“Stewart and Johnson (2010) discuss…”

19. Writing Style Avoid Unnecessary Words
Write as simply as possible without compromising meaning – Eliminate unnecessary words
Instead of…
Use…
Due to the fact that
Because
Have an effect on
Effect
Utilize
Use
A majority of
Most
A number of
Many
Are of the same opinion
Agree
Less frequently occurring
Rare
All three of the
The three
Give rise to
Cause

20. Tips For Better Reports

21. 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

22. Tips For Better Reports Plan Ahead - Writing
Begin with an outline
Suggested order of writing:
Methods
Results
Discussion
Introduction
References
Abstract (if required)
Title

23. 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?

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. Tips For Better Reports
REVISION

30. Come see us at the Academic Skills Centre!
Come Talk to Us!
Do you want to ask questions about something you heard today?
Do you want an instructor to look at work you did during these sessions (sample thesis, lecture notes, paraphrase)?
Come see us at the Academic Skills Centre!
We have booked and online appointments Monday-Friday.
You can book an appointment online through our NEW Online Appointment Booking System at
You can also call us at during office hours.
Academic Skills Centre
Champlain College 206