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Guide to Writing a Scientific Report

The document provides a summary of the typical structure and essential components of a scientific report. It is usually structured as follows: 1) Title page with report title, authorship, and date. 2) Table of contents (if over 6 pages). 3) Abstract summarizing objectives, methods, results, and conclusions. 4) Introduction outlining background, purpose, and hypothesis. 5) Materials and methods describing experimental procedures. 6) Results stating findings from data, tables, and figures. 7) Discussion interpreting results and comparing to previous literature. 8) Conclusion relating back to introduction and suggesting future work. 9) References citing all sources used.

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Lawrence
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126 views3 pages

Guide to Writing a Scientific Report

The document provides a summary of the typical structure and essential components of a scientific report. It is usually structured as follows: 1) Title page with report title, authorship, and date. 2) Table of contents (if over 6 pages). 3) Abstract summarizing objectives, methods, results, and conclusions. 4) Introduction outlining background, purpose, and hypothesis. 5) Materials and methods describing experimental procedures. 6) Results stating findings from data, tables, and figures. 7) Discussion interpreting results and comparing to previous literature. 8) Conclusion relating back to introduction and suggesting future work. 9) References citing all sources used.

Uploaded by

Lawrence
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Research

Writing a Scientific Report = A summary of the results and conclusions - a brief


but thorough statement of the outcome/s of the
A scientific report is a document that describes the experiment.
process, progress, and or results of technical or
scientific research or the state of a technical or If there is a hypothesis, you may state what it is and
scientific research problem. It might also include whether it was supported or refuted. The following
recommendations and conclusions of the research. should not be included in the Abstract:
= Literature citations.
Structure of Scientific Reports
= Formulae and abbreviations, references to tables.
1. Title Page
Although the Abstract comes first in a report, it is
The title page will include the following: best to write it last, after you have the results and
conclusions.
= Title of the report
Usually 4 – 12 words in length. It should be short, 4. Introduction
specific and descriptive, containing the keywords of This provides a summary of the analysis to be
the report. undertaken. The purpose of the Introduction is to
= Authorship put the reader in the picture and place the
research/experiment within a context.
Always publish under the same name. Include
author addresses and indicate the corresponding The following may be included in the introduction:
author and their contact details. = Background about the analysis to be carried out.
= Date = A brief review of previous research (relevant
Include the date when the paper was submitted. literature) to give a background – paraphrase
relevant facts from the scientific literature, citing
2. Table of Contents the sources to support each statement.

A Table of Contents is only required for length = Reason/s why the research was undertaken.
reports usually 6 pages or more.
= Statement of the hypothesis (an idea or concept
3. Abstract that can be tested by experimentation) if there is
one.
The Abstract is a self-contained synopsis of the
= An explanation of the different techniques and
report-an informative summary of what you did and
why they are used.
what you found out.
= A statement of the objective/s – what you hope to
The Abstract should include the following:
achieve.
= Objectives (as outlined in the Introduction) and
The Introduction is the WHAT and WHY of the
scope of the investigation.
experiment, and should answer the following
= A brief reference to the materials and methods. questions:
= What was the purpose or objective of the
experiment/research?
= Why was the experiment/research conducted in a Massive quantities of data or raw data (not refined
particular manner? statistically) can be presented in appendices. Include
only your own observed results in this section.
= Why was it important in a broader context?
The following should not be included in your
The Introduction should not include any results or
results:
conclusions.
= What you expected to find or what you were
5. Materials and Methods supposed to have observed.
The materials and methods, sometimes called = References to other works (published data or
Experimental, is a description of the materials and statements of theory)
procedures used – what was done and how.
Describe the process of preparation of the sample, The Results section should be written in the past
specifications of the instruments used and tense and passive voice, avoiding the use of “I” and
techniques employed. “we”.

The method should include such things as sample 7. Discussion


size, apparatus or equipment used, experimental
State your interpretation of your findings, perhaps
conditions, concentrations, times, control etc.
comparing or contrasting them with the literature.
While the method does not need to include minute Reflect on your actual data observations.
details (e.g. if you followed a set of written
Explain or rationalize errand data or describe
instructions, you may not need to write out the full
possible sources of error and how they may have
procedure – state briefly what was done and cite the
affected the outcome.
manual), there needs to be enough detail so that
someone could repeat the work. The Discussion must answer the question “What do
the results mean?” It is an argument based on the
Do not keep using the word “then” – the reader will
results.
understand the steps were carried out in the order in
which they are written. 8. Conclusion
The method must be written in the past tense and This is the summing up of your argument or
the passive voice. experiment/ research, and should relate back to the
6. Results Introduction. The Conclusion should only consist of
a few sentences, and should reiterate the findings of
This section states what you found. The following your experiment/ research. If appropriate, suggest
will be included in your results: how to improve the procedure, and what additional
experiments or research would be helpful.
= Pictures and spectra.
= Tables and graphs whenever practical. 9. References
= Brief statements of the results in the text (without Cite any references that you have used, ensuring
repeating the data in the graphs and tables). When that each item in the reference list has an in-text
writing about each picture, graph or table, refer to it citation, and every in-text citation has a full
parenthetically e.g. (Figure 1). reference list at the end of your paper.

= If possible, give a section of related results and Ensure that the references are formatted according
then comment on them rather than presenting many to the style required by the journal (or your
pages of unrelated results and then discussing them lecturer/supervisor), and be careful with spelling
at the end. Subheadings can be used to divide this (the author whose name you misspell may be asked
section so that it is easier to understand. to review the paper!).

Common questions

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Avoiding literature citations and formulae in the abstract is crucial to maintain its status as a self-contained summary. The abstract should provide a quick, clear overview of the research objectives, methods, results, and conclusions, ensuring that it can be understood independently of the detailed report to which it belongs .

The title page of a scientific report must include the report's title, authorship details, and the submission date. The title, usually 4–12 words long, should be specific and use relevant keywords. Authorship details should specify corresponding authors with contact information to provide accountability and facilitate communication. Inclusion of the submission date provides context for the reader regarding the report's currency .

The 'Materials and Methods' section should include a detailed description of materials and procedures employed, such as preparation of samples, specifications of instruments, techniques used, and experimental conditions like sample size and control. Though minute details such as exhaustive procedural steps can be omitted if a well-documented manual is cited, there must be sufficient detail for someone to replicate the study, using past tense and passive voice to avoid the repetitive use of "then" .

References must be consistently formatted according to the required style of the journal or supervising body, ensuring that each in-text citation corresponds to a full reference in the reference list. Care must be taken with spelling to avoid errors that might discredit the work or offend contributors, such as misspelled author names who might review the paper .

Writing the 'Abstract' last is recommended because it is a self-contained synopsis of the entire report, summarizing objectives, methods, results, and conclusions. Since it requires a thorough understanding of what was done and found, having the full results and analysis completed before writing the abstract ensures that it accurately reflects the content of the report .

Results should be presented using pictures, spectra, tables, and graphs whenever practical. Brief statements in the text should accompany these visual aids, referring to them parenthetically (e.g., Figure 1). Related results should be grouped and commented on collectively, rather than spread out, to prevent a disjointed presentation. The section should be structured using subheadings for clearer comprehension and avoid including expectations or references to other works .

The 'Discussion' section interprets the findings by explaining what the results mean, comparing them to the literature, and identifying possible errors and how they affect the outcome. This section builds an argument based on the results, providing context and rationale for observed data. It should encourage reflection and rationalization of errant data, highlighting implications and suggesting improvements or further research avenues .

The 'Introduction' section of a scientific report aims to put the reader in the picture regarding the research or experiment by providing context. It should contain background information about the analysis, a brief review of relevant literature, reasons for undertaking the research, an explanation of the techniques used, a statement of the hypothesis if applicable, and the objectives of the study. The introduction should answer the questions of what the purpose or objective of the experiment was, why it was conducted in a particular manner, and its importance in a broader context .

Providing sufficient methodological detail in the 'Materials and Methods' section is vital for ensuring reproducibility and transparency within the scientific community. Detailed methodologies allow other researchers to replicate studies to verify results or apply methods to new research contexts, reinforcing scientific credibility and fostering advancements. Insufficient detail may lead to misinterpretation or inability to confirm findings, undermining the overall utility of published research .

The 'Conclusion' should succinctly summarize the arguments or experiments in a few sentences, reiterating the findings and their significance, while directly connecting back to the objectives set in the Introduction. It should highlight significant conclusions drawn and, if relevant, suggest improvements to procedures or recommendations for future research .

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