Writing the report

The report needs to be written in a style that clearly explains how the experiment was performed and what results were obtained.

Have you ever seen or read a scientific paper? How did it differ instyle from, say, a magazine article?

Generally, scientific papers are written to a set format and include:

• Title
  
• Abstract
  
• Introduction
  
• Literature review
  
• Materials and methods
  
• Results
  
• Discussion
  
• Conclusion
  
• References and bibliography.

Here is an explanation of each section. As you read, think about the writing style and what needs to be conveyed to the reader and why.

Title

This may sound obvious but the title sets the scene for the whole report and gives the reader an understanding of what is trying to be achieved. For example, "the effect of different dietary protein content on the growth of Tuna in seacages".

Abstract

The abstract is a brief summary of the whole experiment and, as such, should be written last. It is designed to give an overview of the experiment and should be written in an easily understandable form. As a general rule, abstracts are usually no more than about 300 words long.

Introduction

In this section the whole experiment is put into context and the questions to be asked are defined. The first part should provide the background information explaining what was done and the reason for doing so, including any theoretical, practical and historical background information relevant to the experiment. This review of current information should include references to support your statements. The second stage of the introduction is where you clearly define the topic being tested and can help to emphasise the main reason for the experiment.

Literature review

In order to perform an experiment to the best of your ability it may be necessary to review a number of papers on similar topics and present a brief description of the current and historic research. Any paper that you have used or mentioned in the report should be cited in the references and bibliography section.

Materials and methods

The materials and methods section is where you describe how the experiment was performed and how the results were analysed. If the method has been which used another research paper then it is sufficient to cite the source of the method used. If the method used is new then it is important that it is described exactly, including every step taken. You should also include any materials used, but do not include small items such as glassware. Large items of equipment should be included, and should include the make and series number (e.g. Winar IA1976 Analytical balance).

A description of how the data was collected and the timeline involved is also important as it will enable another person to repeat the experiment using the same methods.

Results

The results section should state what observations or data were collected but should not include any conclusion about the results. Generally, data is not presented in its raw form, but summarised using tables and graphs. If the results have been analysed statistically then the methods used and the results should be included.

When including tables and figures, make sure to give each a title as this will act as a reference when discussing the results in the next section. Never duplicate the results by providing a graph and a table of the same results as this does not achieve anything.

Discussion

The discussion has three main uses. It allows you to:

1. present arguments
   
2. show evidence to support your argument
   
3. compare the results with those in other papers.

If the results are different from what was expected then you should attempt to explain why this may be so.

Conclusion

This is a short statement of the major findings of your study.

References and bibliography

Any paper that you have used and mentioned in the report should be cited in this section. All materials cited should be in alphabetical order and by the author of the paper.

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