Writing Undergraduate Lab Reports
Writing Undergraduate Lab Reports
Writing clear, impactful reports is a crucial skill for science students, but few books focus on this area for the undergraduate. Particularly useful for biology students, this text adopts a hands-on approach, using example reports and published papers as models to put guidance into practice. An introductory chapter familiarizes undergraduates with the principles of writing science. Two model reports are then developed, walking students through experimental and observational teaching-lab reports. The structure and content of the Introduction, Methods and Materials, Results, and Discussion are explained, together with tips for the title, abstract, and references. Students are then guided on how to polish their first draft. The last section of the book analyzes two published papers, helping the reader transition to reporting original research. Clearly and concisely written, this text offers a much-needed lifeline for science students facing science report-writing for the first time, and for those looking to hone their writing skills.
- Co-written by an education specialist and an experienced teacher of undergraduate biology who understand the challenges faced by new students in writing science
- Fills the gap between academic English manuals and books on writing research manuscripts for publication
- Adopts a handbook approach, developing model lab reports from scratch and analyzing published papers at a level that will guide the novice writer
Reviews & endorsements
'This guide for undergraduates - lightweight, and peppered with illustrations and diagrams - will demystify the process of creating an effective lab report. … This text's straightforward approach and rich but concise details make this item an invaluable resource for science majors and elective takers alike.' J. Clemons, Choice
Product details
July 2017Paperback
9781107540248
94 pages
227 × 152 × 6 mm
0.17kg
46 b/w illus. 2 tables
Available
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgements
- To the student
- Part I. Introduction:
- 1. Introduction to science and scientific writing
- Part II. Writing the First Draft: Format:
- 2. Starting to write
- 3. Introduction
- 4. Materials and methods
- 5. Results
- 6. Discussion
- 7. Title and abstract
- Part III. Crafting the Final Version: Scientific Style:
- 8. Revising your paper
- 9. References
- Part IV. The Anatomy of Scientific Papers:
- 10. Transitioning to writing about original research
- References
- Further reading
- Index.
