how to write a scientific paper (report)

1. Scientific Report
Writing

3. Aim

4. Aim
• Enable clear comunication

5. Aim
• Enable clear comunication

6. Audience

7. Audience
• Similar to you before you started the
project.

8. Audience
• Similar to you before you started the
project.
• The reader should be able to
reproduce whatever you did by
following your report.

9. Clarity of writing

10. Clarity of writing
• Ideas in a logical order
• Build an argument piece by piece.
• Related sentences into paragraphs,
paragraphs into sections.
• Create a flow from beginning to end.

11. Supporting Material

12. Supporting Material

13. Supporting Material
•Use figures, tables, data, equations, etc. to help
tell the story as it unfolds.

14. Supporting Material
•Use figures, tables, data, equations, etc.
to help tell the story as it unfolds.
•Refer to them directly in the text, and
integrate the points they make into
your writing.

15. Language and Style
• The report should be grammatically
sound, with correct spelling, and
generally free of errors (please, use the
spelling checker)
• Avoid jargon, slang, or colloquial terms.

16. Language and Style
• The report should be grammatically
sound, with correct spelling, and
generally free of errors (please, use the
spelling checker)
• Avoid jargon, slang, or colloquial terms.

17. Consistency of Format
• Use a consistent style of headings
• Do not mix formats.
• Establish a template and stick to it.

18. Typical Sections

19. Typical Sections
• Introduction
• Methods,
• Results
• Discussion

20. Typical Sections
• Introduction • here's the problem
• Methods,
• Results
• Discussion

21. Typical Sections
• Introduction • here's the problem
• Methods, • here's how I studied it
• Results
• Discussion

22. Typical Sections
• Introduction • here's the problem
• Methods, • here's how I studied it
• Results • here's what I found
• Discussion

23. Typical Sections
• Introduction • here's the problem
• Methods, • here's how I studied it
• Results • here's what I found
• Discussion • here's what it means.

24. Title
• Do not use a presentation sheet
(save paper!)

25. Title
• Do not use a presentation sheet
(save paper!)
• The title should be centered at the
top of first page; the title is NOT
underlined or italicized.

26. Title
• Do not use a presentation sheet
(save paper!)
• The title should be centered at the
top of first page; the title is NOT
underlined or italicized.
• The authors' names are double-spaced
from and centered below the title

27. Title

28. Abstract
What did I do in few words

29. Abstract
What did I do in few words
• A shortened version of the paper, condense the
whole paper into miniature form. A sentence
or two summarizing each of the main sections
(introduction, methods, results, discussion)
should be enough

30. Abstract
What did I do in few words
• A shortened version of the paper, condense the
whole paper into miniature form. A sentence
or two summarizing each of the main sections
(introduction, methods, results, discussion)
should be enough
• Frequently, readers will only read the abstract,
choosing to read the report completely or not.

31. Introduction
What is the problem?

32. Introduction
What is the problem?
• Introduce the problem

33. Introduction
What is the problem?
• Introduce the problem
• Background must be summarized briefly

34. Introduction
What is the problem?
• Introduce the problem
• Background must be summarized briefly
• From general information to specific
information

35. Introduction
What is the problem?
• Introduce the problem
• Background must be summarized briefly
• From general information to specific
information
• The last sentences of the introduction
should be a statement of objectives and a
statement of hypotheses

36. Introduction
What is the problem?
"Our objective was to determine if there
is a relationship between the amount of
light and the growth rate of beans. We
hypothesized that the more the light they
got the faster they would grow”

37. Methods
How did I do?

38. Methods
How did I do?
• This section provides all the
methodological details necessary for
another scientist to duplicate your work.

39. Methods
How did I do?
• This section provides all the
methodological details necessary for
another scientist to duplicate your work.
• It should be a narrative of the steps you
took not a list of instructions such as
cookbook.

40. Methods
How did I do?
• This section provides all the
methodological details necessary for
another scientist to duplicate your work.
• It should be a narrative of the steps you
took not a list of instructions such as
cookbook.
• You should assume that the other
scientist has the same basic skills that you
have

41. Methods
How did I do?
• This section provides all the
methodological details necessary for
another scientist to duplicate your work.
• It should be a narrative of the steps you
took not a list of instructions such as
cookbook.
• You should assume that the other
scientist has the same basic skills that you
have

42. Results
What did I find out?
200.00
8% 7%
150.00 35%
10%
100.00
11%
50.00
29%
0
2007 2008 2009 2010

43. Results
What did I find out?
• This section presents the results of
the experiment but does not attempt
to interpret their meaning.

44. Results
What did I find out?
• This section presents the results of
the experiment but does not attempt
to interpret their meaning.
• You will not present the raw data that
you collected, but rather you will
summarize the data with text, tables
and/or figures.

45. Discussion
What does it mean?

46. Discussion
What does it mean?
• Say what you actually found, not what you
hoped to find.

47. Discussion
What does it mean?
• Say what you actually found, not what you
hoped to find.
• Relate your discussion back to the objectives
and questions you raised in the intruduction
section. Synthesize all the evidence

48. Discussion
What does it mean?
• Say what you actually found, not what you
hoped to find.
• Relate your discussion back to the objectives
and questions you raised in the intruduction
section. Synthesize all the evidence
• Recommend any improvements for further
study.

49. Discussion
What does it mean?
• Say what you actually found, not what you
hoped to find.
• Relate your discussion back to the objectives
and questions you raised in the intruduction
section. Synthesize all the evidence
• Recommend any improvements for further
study.

50. Acknowledgments
Who helped me out?

51. Acknowledgments
Who helped me out?
• This is an optional section.

52. Acknowledgments
Who helped me out?
• This is an optional section.
• Thank people who directly contributed
to the paper, by providing data, assisting
with some part of the analysis,
proofreading, typing, etc.

53. Acknowledgments
Who helped me out?
• This is an optional section.
• Thank people who directly contributed
to the paper, by providing data, assisting
with some part of the analysis,
proofreading, typing, etc.
• It is not a dedication, so don't thank Mom
and Dad for bringing you into the world

54. References
Whose work did I use?

55. References
Whose work did I use?
• List alphabetically only the people and
publications that you cited in the
report (if none, omit the section) in
alphabetical order by the last name of
the first author

56. References
Whose work did I use?
• List alphabetically only the people and
publications that you cited in the
report (if none, omit the section) in
alphabetical order by the last name of
the first author
• Provide sufficient detail to enable
somebody to actually track down the
information.

57. References
Whose work did I use?

58. Appendices (optional)
Extra information

59. Appendices (optional)
Extra information
• If necessary, one or more appendices
containing raw data, figures not used
in the body of the paper, sample
calculations, etc. may be included.

60. Appendices (optional)
Extra information
• If necessary, one or more appendices
containing raw data, figures not used
in the body of the paper, sample
calculations, etc. may be included.
• They are considered as additional
material to the report, and may not
be examined by the reader at all.

61. so now...

62. so now...

63. It’s your turn for
a scientific paper!

64. Think a question

65. Think a question
Plan the scientific
method to study it

66. Good luck!