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Writing a Scientific Report to Present Data
I. Introduction
A. Give an overview/context for the topic that was explored
Example: change in land-use from forest to residential development leads to
serious issues related to land, water, and air pollution.
B. Get more specific about the area where you collected data and the specific
questions you asked
C. BREIFLY state what you measured to address the questions
D. Set up and then present your hypothesis
II. Methods
A. Describe the field site where you collected data—what city or county, near what
landmarks or roads, date, weather conditions
B. Describe the field methods you used to collect the raw data
C. Explain how you further manipulated the data to answer your questions
(calculating wood volume and biomass from tree height and diameter)
D. Describe any statistical methods you applied
III. Results
A. Present summaries of the data in tables or graphs. There is no need to print out
several sheets of paper of the raw data.
B. Describe WITH WORDS the trends in the data that you are presenting in tables or
graphs.
IV. Discussion
A. Summarize the results and interpret the significance of your results
B. Revisit your hypothesis in light of your results. Do your results support your
hypothesis? Why or why not?
C. If appropriate, describe any weaknesses of your study and what could be done in
the future to improve the study.
D. Did any new questions arise from this field study that you would explore further
if given the time and opportunity?
**Extra tips:
* It is inappropriate in scientific writing to make irrelevant statements of opinion.
For example, “I thought the forest was really pretty.” Or, “I wish we didn’t have to
collect data in the cold and pouring rain.”
* You need to cite sources of information you are referencing in your introduction
and discussion. Please also include a bibliography.
*It is very important that each student write his or her own report independently.
Although all students will have access to the same data, each student will present
and interpret the data in their own way.
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GRADING RUBRIC FOR LABORATORY REPORTS
STETSON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND STUDIES
Total Points: _______/100
TITLE
Concisely describes the lab exercise
INTRODUCTION
Provides a concise, but complete sentence, description of the experiment
or exercise and its importance. Information presented is correct and the
scientific and environmental problems are clearly stated.
States a hypothesis that brings in knowledge and context from class
lectures and lab discussion
Links to at least one outside reference source and the source is cited
correctly
METHODS
Contains a written description of how experiment or exercise was
conducted and how data were analyzed in appropriate detail so that
experiment can be repeated by another scientist
Written in paragraph form
Written in past tense
RESULTS
Includes written, past tense, summary of data of sufficient detail without
repeating information in tables and figures; summarizes key findings
without interpreting the findings (save that for discussion)
Contains appropriate tables and figures
Tables and figures are explicitly referred to in text (Table 1, Figure 1, etc.)
Figures and tables are clearly labeled (Table 1, Figure 1, etc.) and properly
configured
DISCUSSION
Explains and interprets the results, including a statement as to whether the
original hypothesis was supported
Conclusions are logical and follow from the data presented
Compares results and conclusions to other relevant research from at least
one citable source; if appropriate, include speculation as to why results
are different than expected; may suggest an idea for additional studies or
experiments that might resolve remaining questions
Links to at least one outside reference source (not the same one as in the
introduction) and the source is cited correctly
REFERENCES
References utilized were appropriate given the context of the study and
citations were from approved sources (e.g. avoid stand-alone web pages
and your textbook)
In alphabetical order, in Name-Year Format
Lists only research materials utilized (cited) in finished product
and all sources cited in finished product are included
OVERALL
Appropriate sections included, all of appropriate length and detail.
Included information is in the appropriate section.
Formatted correctly (margins, spacing, indentation etc.)
Free of grammatical and spelling errors
Sophistication (depth of content, clarity of exposition)
POINTS RECEIVED
/POINTS POSSIBLE
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FORMAT FOR LABORATORY REPORTS
STETSON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND STUDIES
ADAPTED AND REVISED, AUGUST 2016
Basic Formatting:
Margins:
1” all sides
Font size:
12 pt
Pagination:
Arabic numeral, consistent placement
throughout
Spacing within paragraphs:
Single space within paragraphs
New paragraph:
Double space after ending each paragraph
Section Headings:
Align headings for Introduction, Materials
and Methods, Results, Discussion, and
Literature Cited on left margin. Double
space after each section heading. Use
consistent font & formatting for section
headings. Do not start each section on a
new page unless it works out that way
coincidentally. Avoid sub-heading titles
and format consistently throughout.
Tables and Figures:
Number consecutively and incorporate
within the paper body.
References
Name-Year System (described in detail
below): List references in alphabetical
order by the first author’s last name. Use a
hanging indent (all lines but the first
indented) to separate individual
references.
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What to Include In a Reference List:
Never include in a reference list a document you have not seen. When it is not possible to
see an original document, cite the source of your information, do not cite the original
assuming that the secondary source is correct. When a reference is available in both print
and electronically, always cite the specific version seen. Electronic and print versions can
differ significantly.
The most common ‘citable’ reference items include:
Articles from peer-reviewed journals
Books
Book chapters (not encyclopedias)
Technical reports
Note: A standalone web page that is not published as a peer review article, book,
book chapter, or technical report does not count as a reference. You may utilize
websites as a starting point for finding other literature, but you must find and use
original “citable” literature for the references in your final lab reports.
There are a variety of reference citation formats used by different disciplines and even
different journal publications within the same disciplines. Although style varies from one
journal to the next, most scientific publications use variations of the Name-Year format.
All reports submitted for the Introduction to Environmental Studies and Science
course should use the Name-Year format utilized by the Ecological Society of
America and as outlined below.
Name-Year System for Citing References
Journal Article with Single Author
In-text reference:
Student input into experimental design has been shown to greatly increase student
understanding within the field of climatology (Abbott 2007).
In the References section, this source would be cited as:
Abbott, J . A. 2007. Measuring thermal variation in a valley environment using a team,
filed project designed by students. Journal of Geography 105:121-128.
The general format for citing a journal article with a single author is:
Last name, First initial. Second initial. Date. Title. Journal title volume number:pages.
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Journal Article with Two Authors
In-text reference:
Production of corn biofuels in Florida shows much higher water consumption footprint
and nitrogen loading burden than biofuels produced from sweet sorghum (Evans and
Cohen 2009).
In the References section, this source would be cited as:
Evans, J. M. and M. J. Cohen. 2009. Regional water resource implications of bioethanol
production in the Southeastern United States. Global Change Biology 15: 22612273.
The general format for citing a journal article with two authors is:
Last name, First initial. Second initial. and First initial. Second initial. Last name.
Date. Title. Journal title volume number:pages.
Journal Article with More Than Two Authors*
In-text reference:
Highly localized nutrient and pulsed rainfall inputs exert complex controls on the food
chains and biodiversity patterns of shorebird islands (Anderson et al. 2008).
*Note the use of “et al.” for the in-text citation where there are more than two authors
In the References section, this source would be cited as:
Anderson, W. B., D. A. Wait, and P. Stapp. 2008. Resources from another place and
time: Responses to pulses in a spatially subsidized system. Ecology 89:660-670.
The general format for citing a journal article with more than two authors is:
Last name, First initial. Second initial., First initial. Second initial. Last name, and First
initial. Second initial. Last name. Date. Title. Journal title volume number:pages.
Books
In text-reference:
Coarse particulate organic matter is an important food source for shredders (Hauer and
Lamberti 1996).
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In the References section, this source would be cited as:
Hauer, F. R. and G. A. Lamberti. 1996. Methods in Stream Ecology, First Edition.
Academic Press, San Diego, California, USA.
The general format for citing a book with more than two authors is:
Last name, First initial. Second initial., First initial. Last name, and First initial. Second
initial. Last name. Date. Book title. Publisher, City of publication, State of
publication, Country of publication.
Books on the Internet
If a book is located from an internet source, include the web link at the end of the
citation:
Hauer, F. R. and G. A. Lamberti. 2007. Methods in Stream Ecology, Second Edition.
Academic Press, San Diego, California, USA. Available from:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9780123329080.
Book Chapters
In text-reference:
Nutrients play a controlling role in the physiology of herbaceous plants and the
competitive interactions between herb species in the forest environment (Anderson
2003).
In the References section, this source would be cited as:
Anderson, W. B. 2003. Biotic and abiotic influences on the herbaceous layer: Nutrients.
Pages 91-104 in F. S. Gilliam and M. R. Robert, editors. Ecology of the
Herbaceous Layer of Forests of Easter North America. Oxford University Press,
New York, New York, USA.
Please note that the “in” before the editor names is italicized.
The general format for citing a book chapter is:
Last name, First initial. Second initial., First initial. Second initial. Last name, and First
initial. Second initial. Date. Chapter title. Pages in First initial. Second initial. Last
name and First initial. Second initial. Last name, editors. Book title. Publisher
name, City of publication, State of publication, Country of publication.
Technical Reports
A technical report is “a separately issued record of research results, research in progress,
or other technical studies”. Most technical reports are issued by governmental agencies,
but may also originate from universities or other types of research institutions. Advocacy
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organizations also sometimes issue technical reports, but technical reports from such
advocacy groups should only be used with great caution.
In text-reference:
Use of tidal backflow preventers on stormwater outfall pipes was shown to be a costeffective action for reducing flood risks due to sea-level rise in Tybee Island, GA, over
the next thirty years (Evans et al. 2016).
In the References section, this source would be cited as:
Evans, J. M., J. Gambill, R .J. McDowell, P. W. Prichard, and C. S. Hopkinson. 2016. Tybee
Island Sea-Level Rise Adaptation Plan. Project NA100AR4170098. National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Georgia Sea Grant, Athens, Georgia,
USA. Available from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289999590_Tybee_Island_SeaLevel_Rise_Adaptation_Plan.
The general format for citing a technical report is:
Last name, First initial. Second initial., First initial. Second initial. Last name, and First
initial. Last name. Document title. Report number. Government agency, Agency
division, City of publication, State of publication, Country of publication.
Websites
As noted previously, standalone websites do not count as a “citable source” for your lab
reports and, therefore, should not be included in your References section. However, you
can provide an in-text reference to a website from a credible source that you use for
specific information not readily found elsewhere. This in-text reference should include a
link to the original webpage that has the information you are referencing and the date you
accessed the page.
In text-reference:
The latest United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant profile map for Pistia
stratiotes L. (water lettuce) shows this species as native to Florida
(http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=PIST2; accessed August 28, 2016).
If you find a reference that poses difficulty for you to fit into the citation format
below, please bring that reference to your lab instructor for assistance.
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