Scientific Paper

This paper can be on any single lab or part of a lab. For example, you could do just the chromatography part of the Photosynthesis Lab or just the Absorbance Spectrum. I prefer you do a smaller part so you can do more background research (for the Introduction and Discussion portions of the paper)

My good parts version

  1. General Considerations
    1. 3 - 5 pages, double spaced (double-sided would be nice, then it's just 2 - 3 pages)
    2. Title of Paper, Your Name, course title and date. Title should be specific!
    3. Required Headings: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion (Conclusion), References
    4. Correct grammar and spelling.
    5. Scientific papers are normally written in the past tense and without referring to yourself i.e. "The chromatography paper was placed in the tube with the solvent" rather than "Then I put the chromatography paper in the tube with the solvent". Gotta make it boring :) .
    6. Write in your own words unless you are actually quoting a source.
    7. Please refer to your references (sources) somewhere in you paper, otherwise they are not really references! Use the format in your lab book (Appendix 2 p132).
    8. Your sentences should be complete and make sense (even if mine don't)
  2. Introduction
    1. Pretend your reader does not know much about this field and you need to bring them up to speed. If you were doing your report on separation of pigments via chromatography, you would need to explain what chromatography is and how it works. Tell what pigments are, etc. What a great place to refer to a reference or two.
    2. What are you trying to accomplish (besides passing this class)? What's your problem, purpose, and/or hypothesis. Better have something about that! How are you going to accomplish this purpose? You could even say "the purpose of this study is ... or "the hypothesis of this research is...".
  3. Materials and Methods
    1. Referring to your lab manual (Stranz et al., 2007) would be a good idea.
    2. First paragraph should give a list of materials.
    3. Following paragraphs should give a step by step procedure that could be followed by an experienced person in that field. You are not teaching someone how to do the experiment. You are making it possible for other scientists to verify your results. Do not go into excessive detail. The report is only 3-5 pages long.
  4. Results
    1. You should have at least one table, chart, or graph. Do not display the same data in three different figures, once is enough.
    2. Properly label the figure and refer to it in the written part of your results.
    3. You are not analyzing your data yet, just describing what you found.
  5. Discussion
    1. Restate the purpose (or hypothesis) of the experiment.
    2. Analyze your results in relation to that purpose. What did you find out?
    3. Perhaps you can relate some conclusion of yours to one of your references - please do.
    4. Perhaps your results might suggest future directions or experiments to pursue.
    5. Perhaps I use perhaps too often.
  6. References
    1. You need three references other than your lab book or textbook. They need to be from at least two different categories (journal, book, website).
    2. Use the format in your lab manual (pages 132-133).
    3. Include a copy of all relevant pages of your sources (references).
  7. Misc.
    1. PSTCC Formal Paper Format is excellent, read it.
    2. The five Headings are roughly equal, about 7 or 8 points each.
    3. Check off each item in this list and you will be rewarded.
    4. thanks Sara Wellman

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