How To Write A Scientific Paper

HOW TO WRITE A SCIENTIFIC PAPER Judges will read your research paper. Your paper SHOULD have eight sections: Title page, Table of Contents, Summary, Introduction, Methodology, Discussion, Conclusions, Credits and References.

YOU START WITH A TITLE. Use the same title for your paper that you used for your project. Center the title near the middle of the page. Towards the lower right corner, place your name, the name of your school and your grade level.

THE DISCUSSION TALKS ABOUT YOUR DATA. The discussion of your project is the heart of the paper. It will usually contain several subsections. A good way to begin is to present all of your observations and data, in both as-collected and processed forms. Discuss how and why you processed your data. Explain anything you assumed to process the data. Tables, charts and graphs are very helpful. Place all graphics in the paper near the paragraphs in which they are discussed. Clearly label and identify all columns, axes and data. Each item must have its own title.

THE TABLE OF CONTENTS is written after your paper is complete and after you have numbered all the pages.

AN ABSTRACT IS AN OVERVIEW. The first part of your paper is the part that you write last. Your abstract is a short section, approximately 250 words. It contains clear but brief summary statements. You summarize: (a) the problem or question(s) you are studying, (b) the action that you took in your investigation, (c) the results of your experiment(s) and (d) your most important conclusions based on your results. Display a copy on your project.

THE INTRODUCTION TELLS WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO. This sets the scene for your report. The introduction explains what prompted your research and what you hoped to achieve. The first part of the introduction tells the reader your understanding of the subject when you started your project. Next tell how you became interested in your project. Then describe some information that you found when you studied your subject, for example: historical and scientific background, similar experiments; done by others, and any contradictions or unanswered questions you may have found. Finish the section with statements that; (1) describe exactly what you want to prove or disprove, (2) tell why this proof should be done, (3) detail the information that you want to obtain from your project and (4) tell how this information could be used. The time to write the initial version of the introduction is while you are planning and starting your project!

METHODOLOGY TELLS HOW YOU DID YOUR EXPERIMENT. This section gives all the details about how you conducted the experiment. Describe in detail how you derived your data and observations. It is so precise that another person could repeat your work just by following your instructions. List all materials that you used. Any apparatus you constructed should be photographed or drawn and discussed. Photographs, sketches and diagrams help to make your ideas clear. Answer questions that apply to your project, such as: What and how was it measured? What variables did you collect data for! How did you run the control experiment? What subjects did you use? How or where were your supplies mixed, made or grown?

A complete paper will include a discussion of possible errors. How did the data vary between repeated observations of similar events? How were your results affected by uncontrolled events? What are the sources of possible error? How large are these errors? What would you do differently if you were to repeat this project? What other experiments still need to be conducted?

THE CONCLUSION IS A SUMMARY OF YOUR RESULTS. The conclusion restates briefly the findings and results detailed in your discussions. Do not mention new topics or speculations unless you referred to them in the discussion. Conclusions are based on your work and experiments. They do not come from news articles and textbooks. Make a comparison with theories, commonly held beliefs and/or expected results. Your conclusions and implications should flow smoothly and logically from your data. Be thorough. Let your readers know exactly what you did. Let them follow your train of thought.

GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE. The last section of your paper gives credit to other people for their work and assistance. First, a list of credits recognizes the aid given to you by people, business and institutions. Second, list the references you used. This is called a bibliography. This recognizes the information taken from the works and writings of other people. There are standard bibliography forms. See your English teacher. A FIRST-CLASS LOOK REQUIRES EXTRA CARE. Carefully review your first draft. Check for correct spelling. Since you are very familiar with your project it is easy to leave out important details. Let an adult who is not familiar with your project read your paper. If they have trouble The Deadline! understanding your paper, maybe you left something out. Have your paper proofread a final time, then type the final draft with double spaced lines. If you can’t type, get help from someone who can.