12 Aug Template:IntroductionProvidebackground information leading u

Template:IntroductionProvidebackground information leading up to your hypothesis. Explain why thiswould be interesting to the scientific community. Include any ideas ortechniques that are necessary to understand the results section, usingfigures if necessary. Cite references to frame the relevance of theexperiment. Make a prediction based on the background information youprovided and frame a hypothesis.Experimental MethodsProvidesuccinct procedures using scientific language. Much like a recipe,quantities, time, etc. need to be recorded, but not e.g. glassware used.Enough detail must be included so that any researcher can repeat yourexperiment and have the same results. Procedures must be written incomplete sentences, using paragraphs to delineate major intermediates.This section is written in past tense, since all experiments arecompleted at the time of writing. Any major equations used are typicallyfound in this section. Equations are numbered sequentially, and theterms of the equation are defined the first time they appear. (It is notnecessary to redefine a term every time it appears in an equation.) Anyterms used must be consistent throughout the text. If following anestablished procedure, the original source must be cited. Any majordeviation from the procedure must be clearly identified. Example:Procedures were followed with minor modifications according to (bookname). Measurements were taken using a GENESYS 50 UV-VisSpectrophotometer. The concentration of the L-DOPA substrate was changedto 2 mg/mL, and volumes were adjusted as outlined in Table 1. Briefly:the concentration of the experiment’s mushroom tyrosinase was obtainedusing absorbance. Kinetic data were obtained by adding aliquots ofL-DOPA to a known enzyme solution and recording the changes inabsorbance.ResultsThis section presents your data in aclear and easy to understand format. Organize your data in figures andtables, which include descriptive captions for each. Ideally, most ofthe experiment’s outcome can be deduced from the organization of figuresand tables alone. Interspersed with your figures and tables, your majorpoints need to be organized in paragraphs, referencing your data asnecessary. The narrative of this section does not interpret data! It is a“no judgement” display of findings. Include your complete findings,even the results that may not make immediate senseDiscussionInthis section, the implications of the results section are discussed.The data is interpreted, demonstrating your understanding. Thediscussion section of a scientific report should be objective. Use aparagraph for each major conclusion drawn from the data, introducing newfigures as necessary to strengthen your argument. Evidence for eachstatement needs to be included by referring to your data or citing areference. A strong discussion needs to address any inconsistencies orlimitations found during the experiment. If possible, explain how yourdata relate to what others have found. Major errors need to address howthese may have impacted the results of the experiment. Note: “humanerror” is not an acceptable source of error! Systematic error arisesfrom experimental design, due to e.g. instrumentation or failing toaccount for a factor. Random error is a statistical variation, due toe.g. environmental factors or reading a meniscus incorrectly (parallax).Theconclusion of the discussion section often summarizes your finalfindings in a few sentences. Future directions and experiments are oftenconsidered, based on the outcome of the experiment.ReferencesReferences are listed in order that they appear in the report, withcorresponding numbers. These are given in a format consistent with theACS style guide. Example: 1. Dalton, H.R; Nelson, J.M. Tyrosinase fromthe Wild Mushroom, Lactarius Piperatus. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1939, 61,2946-2950.Style tips: “Read” the report by scanning the figures in order. The figures should provide a self-explanatory overview of your data, using legends and captions. Decide what the data show, then create figures which highlight the most important points of your paper. Use figures to present numerical trends, raw data (like a picture of a gel), or a model that explains your work. Use tables to present numerical, repetitive data. Don’t forget to include units! All tables and figures must be numbered and have explanatory captions. Captions should allow the reader to understand the data without reading the text. Don’t forget axis labels for graphs. Include titles and legends as necessary. Avoid making tables too large. It may be better to produce two separate tables and address each individually. • Avoid ineffective tables. Some information is better presented in one or two sentences. Procedures and results are written generally in passive voice, to avoid personal bias and emphasize objectivity. This also stresses that the experimental outcome should not depend on the observer. Do not write procedures as directions! E.g. “Heat the solution until it boils” is not acceptable. Instead, use “The solution was heated to boiling.” The results section is written in past tense, since it is an account of you did in your experiment. Established scientific knowledge is written about in the present tense. o Example: “[…] was seen (Figure 3).” or “’The world is round.” The discussion section is often written in present tense, as it reflects your current conclusions from the data. o Example: “Figure 3 suggests that […] “ Include reference numbers in your report using a superscript. Write out the corresponding full citation at the end of the report formatted according to the ACS style guide 9 days ago