Organization
of the Research Report
Most scientific research reports, irrespective of the field,
parallel the method of scientific reasoning. That is: the problem
is defined, a hypothesis is created, experiments are devised
to test the hypothesis, experiments are conducted, and conclusions
are drawn. This framework is consistent with the following organization
of a research report:
»
Title
» Abstract
» Introduction
» Experimental Details
or Theoretical Analysis Results
» Discussion
» Conclusions and
Summary References
Preparing
the Manuscript
The personal computer and word processing have made manuscript
preparation and revision a great deal easier than it used
to be. Students should have the opportunity to use a word
processor and have access to graphics software that allows
numerical data to be graphed, chemical structures to be drawn,
and mathematical equations to be represented. These are essential
tools of the technical writer. All manuscripts should routinely
be checked for spelling (programs to check spelling are helpful),
and all manuscripts should be carefully proofread before being
submitted. The faculty advisor should edit preliminary drafts
before the report is presented in final form.
References
" Kanare, Howard M. Writing the Laboratory Notebook;
American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1985.
" This book describes among other things the reasons
for note keeping, organizing and writing the notebook with
examples, and provides photographs from laboratory notebooks
of famous scientists.
Alley,
Michael. The Craft of Scientific Writing; Prentice-Hall: Englewood
Cliffs, NJ, 1987.
A excellent and well-written book, directed toward the student
in engineering or the sciences. A web site also is available
with on-line examples of various writing formats (http://www.me.vt.edu/writing/).
Cain,
B. E. The Basics of Technical Communicating; ACS Professional
Reference Book, American Chemical Society: Washington; DC.
1988.
Dodd,
J. S., Ed. The ACS Style Guide; American Chemical Society:
Washington, DC, 1997.
This
volume is an invaluable writer's handbook in the field of
chemistry. It contains a wealth of data on preparing any type
of scientific report and is useful for both students and professional
chemists. Every research laboratory should have a copy, and
it should be as accessible as the CRC Handbook of Chemistry
and Physics. It gives pointers on the organization of a scientific
paper, correct grammar and style, and accepted formats in
citing chemical names, chemical symbols, units, and references.
There are useful suggestions on constructing tables, preparing
illustrations, using different typefaces and type sizes, and
giving oral presentations. In addition, there is a brief overview
of the chemical literature, the way in which it is organized
and how information is disseminated and retrieved. A list
of other excellent guides to technical writing is also provided.
Rosenthal,
L. C. "Writing across the curriculum: Chemistry lab reports",
J. Chem. Educ. 1987, 64(12), 996-998.
Weiss,
Edmond H. The Writing System for Engineers and Scientists;
Prentice-Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1982.
Wilson,
E. Bright, Jr. An Introduction to Scientific Research; McGraw-Hill:
New York, 1952; in paperback reprint by Dover Publications.
Zinsser,
William. On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction;
Harper & Row: New York, 1976.
Acknowledgement
This document is based on guidelines provided by the American
Chemical Society (Washington, D.C. 20036).
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Organization of the Research Report
