Importance
Scientists communicate their findings to the scientific community by publishing their experimental results in peer reviewed scientific journals
Importance (cont.)
When communicating their results to the scientific community researchers follow a specific writing format…
This helps to: Ensure clarity
Provide a description of the research methods used
Promote and stimulate further research
Importance (cont.)
Published research promotes further research and also allows for replication of experiments
Science advances by building upon previous works
Once the foundation has been laid, we can ask more and more detailed questions, and generate a more comprehensive understanding.
Formatting
Scientific articles consist of four major sections…
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
Scientific writing parallels the scientific method
Formatting (cont.)
The four major sections in a scientific article reflect the four major steps of the scientific method…
*Schulte, B. A. (2003). Scientific Writing & the Scientific Method: Parallel “Hourglass” Structure in Form & Content. The American Biology Teacher, 65 591-594.
Formatting (cont.)
Observation / Introduction
Observations lead to hypothesis development
In writing, scientists couch their study in the broader context in the introduction section.
The introduction relates current objectives to other published findings
*from Schulte 2003
Formatting (cont.)
Hypotheses / Objectives
Typically at the end of the introduction the writer states the research objectives
The objectives provide a clear description of the hypotheses to be tested.
*from Schulte 2003
Formatting (cont.)
Experimentation / Methods
The methods section of an article provides enough information so that the study is understandable and repeatable
It is a concise description of the experiment
*from Schulte 2003
Formatting (cont.)
Experimentation / Results
The results provide the data that should answer the hypothesis being tested
*from Schulte 2003
Formatting (cont.)
Conclusion / Discussion
The discussion provides conclusions related to the hypotheses and relates those conclusions to other research.
This provides a big picture significance of the study
*from Schulte 2003