Notes on Scientific Report Writing

Introduction

• Lecture by Dr. Philip Trimovitch
• Focus: Writing scientific reports, especially laboratory reports
• Audience: Students in Academic English for Science class, or anyone writing lab reports in science courses

Importance of Scientific Reports

• Designed to meet common expectations of professors and scientists
• Common across languages (English, Japanese, French, Spanish, etc.)

Basic Structure of Scientific Reports

1. Title
   • Always required
2. Abstract (optional)
   • Summary of the report
   • Typically not needed for short lab reports
   • Required for longer reports
3. Introduction
   • Literature review on the topic
   • Establishes background information
4. Materials and Methods
   • Details what was done in the research/experiment
5. Results
   • Objective presentation of findings (data, analysis)
6. Discussion
   • Explanation of the meaning of results
   • Interpretation and implications
7. References
   • List of all works cited in the report
   • Includes titles, authors, journal info, etc.
8. Appendix (optional)
   • Additional material not included in main sections

Writing Effective Paragraphs

• Definition: Group of sentences that present information on one topic
• Structure:
  1. Topic Sentence: Introduces main idea
  2. Supporting Sentences: Provide evidence, facts, examples
  3. Concluding Sentence: Summarizes or concludes paragraph

Characteristics of Good Paragraphs

• Unity: Focus on a single topic
• Coherence: Logical order, easy to follow
• Sufficient Development: Adequate evidence and examples

Formatting

• Indent the first line of a paragraph (1.27 cm)
• No blank lines between paragraphs
• Use left justification (straight left edge, jagged right edge)

Clarity, Brevity, Precision, Objectivity

• Write clearly and simply
• Be precise and focused
• Remain objective; avoid emotional language or exaggeration

Paragraph Length

• More than one sentence
• Ideally not more than 300 words

Conclusion

• Essential to follow structured approach for clarity and professionalism
• Importance of understanding and applying these guidelines in scientific writing