WRITING THE BIOLOGY LAB REPORTBIOL 1020H

ANDREA MAXIE

ACADEMIC SKILLS CENTRE

AGENDA

• WRITING IN SCIENCE

• LAB REPORT SECTIONS

• PRESENTING DATA

• WRITING PROCESS

• WRITING STYLE

• AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

WRITING IN SCIENCE

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

SCIENTIFIC WRITING

• Prepare to become a scientist!

• 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?

SCIENTIFIC WRITINGTHE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

QUESTIONWhat is the problem or observation?

HYPOTHESISWhat do you think will happen?

EXPERIMENT or STUDYCollect data to test your hypothesis

ANALYSISSummarize the results of your experiment or study

INTERPRETDo your results support the hypothesis?

COMPAREHow do your results compare to those of other studies?

WHAT’S NEXT?What’s the next question to be answered?

RESEARCHLearn about the topic – what have others found out?

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

SCIENTIFIC WRITINGLAB REPORT STRUCTURE

• Structure your report like an hourglass

• Begin with the big picture, narrow to your hypothesis, experiment, and results, then expand throughout your discussion

• The latter half mirrors the first

THE LAB REPORT

ASC RESOURCES

Online guide to writing the lab report

http://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/resources/mathsciences_labreport

main.php

TITLE

• Clear and Concise

• 12 words or fewer

• Descriptive

• Includes all essential elements of the study or experiment

• The reader should have a clear idea of what you did

• Include, if applicable

• Study subject/animal

• Location/habitat

• Common and scientific names

• What was measured

TITLEEXAMPLE 1

Choose ALL appropriate titles:

a) Lab Assignment #1

b) Lab Assignment #1: Gametogenesis

c) Lab Assignment #1: Gametogenesis and Spermatogenesis

d) Gametogenesis and Spermatogenesis

e) Microscopic evaluation of gametogenesis in mammalian

cells and spermatogenesis in earthworms Lumbricus

terrestris

TITLEEXAMPLE 1

Choose ALL appropriate titles:

a) Lab Assignment #1

Not informative at all

b) Lab Assignment #1: Gametogenesis

Not informative enough

c) Lab Assignment #1: Gametogenesis and Spermatogenesis

Not informative enough

d) Gametogenesis and Spermatogenesis

Not informative enough

e) Microscopic evaluation of gametogenesis in mammalian cells and

spermatogenesis in earthworms Lumbricus terrestris

TITLEEXAMPLE 2

Choose ALL appropriate titles:

a) Analysis of Pb isotope ratios in the African Clawed Frog Xenopus

laevis in south-western Ontario

b) A comparison of metal toxicity in African Clawed Frogs in Ontario

c) Lab assignment # 7-Toxic Metals in Frogs

d) All of the above

TITLEEXAMPLE 2

Choose ALL appropriate titles:

a) Analysis of Pb isotope ratios in the African Clawed Frog Xenopus

laevis in south-western Ontario

b) A comparison of metal toxicity in African Clawed Frogs in Ontario

Okay, if testing multiple metals, but better to be specific; also

missing latin name and specific location

c) Lab assignment # 7-Toxic Metals in Frogs

Not specific enough

TITLEEXAMPLE 3

What’s Missing?

1. Risk assessment of woodland caribou in Northern Ontario and

Alberta

• Latin name of Caribou

2. Metal toxicity on fur bearers from harvested trap line data

• Lacking detail – Which metals? Which fur bearers? Which location?

3. Reproductive stress hormone analysis in lynx and bobcat in the

prairies

• Lacking detail – Which hormones? Which prairies? Latin Names?

INTRODUCTION

• Sets the stage for the study

• A brief background on the problem you are addressing

• Frame research within broad context

• Why is this topic of interest or importance?

• Present relevant background information

• What do we know about this topic already?

• Definitions of terms

• Is there a gap in existing research?

• Cite relevant literature

• A statement of purpose or a hypothesis for the lab

• State your purpose or your hypothesis along with your rationale

• Not just what you expected to find, but why you expected to find it

• A brief explanation of how you will carry out this purpose (or test hypothesis)

• NOT your methods – be brief and general – one or two sentences!

METHODS

• Explains how a study was conducted

• Provide enough detail so that the reader could replicate your study

• Experimental design

• Materials and equipment, including model numbers, where applicable *incorporated

into text, not listed separately*

• Measurement techniques

• Subjects, sample size, replicates

• Analysis

• If appropriate, include diagrams of experimental techniques and maps of study area

• Cite lab manual if method described therein

• Do NOT

• Include details not required to obtain your results

• Write like a recipe (we did this, then this, then this, then this…)

• Use point form

METHODSEXAMPLE

“We determined weight (g) and carapace length (mm) for all

individuals”

Vs.

“For this study, we used a measuring tape, a scale, a data

sheet, and a ball point pen. While standing at the lab bench,

one member of each group weighed the first turtle. Another

group member then measured the turtle’s carapace length.

A third group member recorded the data in a chart using a

ballpoint pen. Then, a fourth group member weighed the

second turtle…”

RESULTS

• Tells the reader what you found

• Present results

• Present data in only one format

• Text, figure, or table – do not repeat!

• Summarize and provide comparisons

• “Mean carapace length of Western painted turtles (18.5 ± 2.3 cm) was 30 % longer

than that of Midland painted turtles (13.0 ± 1.7 cm).”

• “Mass of Western painted turtles was 40 % greater than that of Midland painted

turtles (Figure 1).” *Insert Figure 1 below this sentence*

• Do NOT

• Include raw data (but include in an Appendix!)

• Interpret results

• E.g., “The effect of variable A was X times greater on M than N, showing that…”

DISCUSSION

• Interprets your results in terms of your hypothesis and attempts to

provide a plausible explanation of the observed results

• How does this relate to the purpose or hypothesis?

• Compare results to hypothesis and predictions

• You cannot prove anything, only support or reject hypotheses

• DON’T refer to tables or figures, but DO refer to notable results

DISCUSSION

• What do the results tell you and how can this be explained?

• Why did you get the results you did, and what do they mean? Interpret.

• Compare – how do your results compare to those of similar studies?

• If your results don’t conform to expectations, why do they not?

• Were there any problems with your experiment?

• Support all arguments, statements, generalizations with EVIDENCE

• How would you follow up these results?

• What are the next steps for this research? So now you know more about

X. What about Y and Z?

• Did your results raise any questions? Have you formed new hypotheses?

• Are there other gaps in the research?

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

QUESTIONWhat is the problem or observation?

HYPOTHESISWhat do you think will happen?

EXPERIMENT or STUDYCollect data to test your hypothesis

ANALYSISSummarize the results of your experiment or study

INTERPRETDo your results support the hypothesis?

COMPAREHow do your results compare to those of other studies?

WHAT’S NEXT?What’s the next question to be answered?

RESEARCHLearn about the topic – what have others found out?

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

PRESENTING DATA

FIGURES AND TABLES

• Must stand alone – titles must be fully descriptive

• Figures

• Include illustrations, maps, and graphs

• Title below

• Ensure details visible in black and white

• Label axes – include units

• Tables

• Title above

• Don’t use vertical lines

• Display units

• Define abbreviations

TYPES OF FIGURES

• Type of data dictates type of graph

• Categorical data = Bar graph

• Independent variable is defined by distinct groups

• E.g., males and females; 4 different habitat types

• Continuous data = Scatterplot or Line graph

• Independent variable is defined by continuous measurement

• E.g., temperature; rainfall; light intensity

WRITING PROCESS

ASC RESOURCES

Writing science: structure, style & common

errorshttp://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/resources/mathsciences_writ

ingsciencemain.php

BEGIN WITH AN OUTLINE

• Will make the writing easier

• Clarifies the shape of the whole, the purpose of your report, the

relationships between the main points and the supporting details, and

the relative weight that should be assigned to each section.

• Reveals gaps in logic, and indicates whether you need to add or omit

information and ideas

• Organizes not only your writing, but also your thinking

BEGIN WITH AN OUTLINE

• Intro

• Role of nutrients

• Question about my specific

nutrients

• What have others found?

• H & P

• Methods

• Study site

• Sampling procedure (include

materials)

• Analysis

• Results

• Treatment 1, 2, 3

• Discussion

• H & P

• Does this make sense?

• How does it compare to results of

others?

• Smith et al. 2013!

• Why don’t some of my results

align? Possible experimental

issues? Issues with other studies?

Hm...

• What would I study next? Would

be interesting to know how

reproductive capacity is affected

by these nutrients!

WRITING ORDER

• Methods

• Easiest section to write as it comes directly from your lab book and notes

• Results and Appendices

• Organize your findings

• Discussion

• Interpret your results and determine the scope of your discussion

• Introduction

• Should reflect the scope of your discussion

• Title

• Must describe your study

• References

PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE

• Paragraphing

• New topic/idea = new paragraph

• Structure

• Topic sentence

• Develop idea

• Introduce and provide evidence

• Analyze idea

• Conclude or transition

• ASC Resources

• Paragraph types and structure

SENTENCE STRUCTURE

• Avoid sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and comma splices

• Read your work aloud to identify awkward sentences

• Fragments are incomplete sentences

• Run-ons occur when there is no punctuation between complete clauses

• Comma splices occur when two complete clauses are joined with a

comma and no conjunction (and, but, or, so, for, nor, yet)

• Parallel construction

• List items with similar structure

• E.g., His writing was neat and I could read it easily VS. His writing was neat

and legible

• ASC Resources

• Grammar Modules

WRITING STYLE

GENERAL SCIENCE WRITING

• Essay format• 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!

CLEAR AND CORRECT

• Have you avoided the errors that you have made in previous writing?• Review your project plan feedback!

• 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?

VOICEACTIVE VS. PASSIVE

Passive Voice Active Voice

Objective Subjective

Obscures who/what is doing the action

Highlights who/want 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…”

Use active voice whenever possible

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…”

AVOID 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

Write as simply as possible without compromising meaning –Eliminate unnecessary words

AVOID UNNECESSARY WORDS

AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE ON WORDINESS FROM U OF T

AVOID JARGON

Instead of… Use…

Members of the medical establishment are not presently cognizant of efficacious treatments resulting in the complete elimination of symptomatology in acute viral nasopharyngitis.

There is no known cure for the common cold.

Source: University of Toronto: http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-

writing/science

Write as simply as possible without compromising meaning –Use common terms when possible

BE PRECISE AND ACCURATE

• Be specific (NOT general).• A week (NOT a period of time)• Rain (NOT bad weather)

• Be concrete (NOT abstract).• Table (NOT furniture)• Increased (NOT responded well)

• Be formal (NOT colloquial). • Far from (NOT nowhere near)• Many/most (NOT a lot/lots of)

COMMON ERRORS

GRAMMAR

• Verbs

• Subject-verb agreement

• Maintaining tenses

• Poor word choice

• Simple is best

• Pronoun references

• What/who do you mean by “they”, “it”, “this”?

• Be consistent in number – plural or singular

• When describing something with “that” or “which”, ensure that

your description matches

WORD CONFUSION

Effect, affect, impact

• Effect = noun

• Can be preceded by an article (the/a/an effect)

• Affect = verb

• To influence something

• Verbs are action words, affect starts with a…action = affect!

• Impact = noun or verb

• Overused - use judiciously when used figuratively (meaning,

to influence or an effect)

• Use when a forceful effect is implied

WORD CONFUSION

• Its, it’s

• It’s = It is

• Its = possessive adjective: “The cat licked its paw”

• Similar to writing her’s (incorrect) rather than hers

• Than, then

• Than = comparison

• Then = sequential in time

WORD CONFUSION

• Frequent typos

• Accept, except

• There, their, they’re

• Too, to, two

• Should have (should of)

• For, four, fore

• From, form

NOT FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS!

• Formatting

• Spacing, fonts, margins, headings, pages

• Sections

• Title page, IMRAD, Appendix included

• Content in appropriate section

• Tables and figures

• Embedded in text, appropriate captions, axes labelled, units noted

• Referencing style

• Consider an email address – if any symbol or punctuation mark is out of

place, the email won’t send

• Similarly, every space, period, comma, etc. is essential to meet referencing

style requirements

AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

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

• What sources should you use?

• Lab manual, textbook, peer-reviewed literature

• NEVER cite Wikipedia or other questionable sources

• Academic Skills Centre Resources

• Avoiding plagiarism

REFERENCINGHOW TO

• Paraphrase almost always; avoid direct quotations

• The purpose is to include what was said, not how something was said

• Check your paraphrase by comparing it to the original writing and

highlighting any groups of three or more words that are the same

• Syntax (how words are put together – structure of sentence) must also

change – it’s not enough to use a thesaurus to change words!

• In-text citations and reference list

• Abbreviated in-text citation directly follows each paraphrase (Anonymous,

2014)

• Reference list provides full reference information and follows report

• Follow instructions in lab manual – very carefully!!

THE ACADEMIC SKILLS CENTRE

• Appointments and drop-ins

• Online assignment submission

• Online resources

748-1720

CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE 206

WWW.TRENTU.CA/ACADEMICSKILLS