Instruction 7-4
Hypothesis | Tools and Technology | Displaying Data | Written Reports and Oral Presentations | Summary

After you have completed your experiment, you may want to report your results. Scientists publish reports in scientific journals. Every month, hundreds of scientific reports are published. Many scientists spend a lot of time reading these reports. The information they learn helps them to keep up with new findings. This helps them as they work on their own experiments. It also helps them make sure their own results are correct. The more times experiments are repeated, the more solidly the hypothesis is proven.


Writing a Scientific Report 
http://www.studygs.net/labreports.htm  

You may need to write a scientific report. It is best to use a word processing program to write your report.
Here are the steps you should take:

1. Create a title page:

This should contain important information such as your name, the title, the date of completion, and any other identifying information.

2. Write the body text: 

The body text contains all the important information about your experiment. First, you should state your hypothesis. Describe why and how you came up with your hypothesis.

Next, you should describe the methods you used to test your hypothesis. Mention any tools you used. If you used variables, make sure to list them. Next, describe your findings. List any changes you observed. You may use charts, graphs, or tables to display your data. 

Finally, offer your thoughts on the data. Did your results support your hypothesis? If not, why was it not supported? Do you need more data? Did the results bring up new questions? Did they make you think of other experiments that should be done?

If you quote an authority in your report, use quotation marks. Also, you should use superscript numbers, for example: ² “Scientific quotation,”(“CTRL” + [shift] “+”) before each quote, and give the full reference at the end of your report.

3. List References (Bibliography):

On an extra page, you should list every reference used in your report. Include the superscript number, the author’s name, the book title (in italics), name and location of publisher, and date published. Here is an example:

1 Chandler, Philip, The World of Magnets, Charleton Press, New York, 2004.


Presenting an Oral Scientific Report
http://science.uniserve.edu.au/projects/skills/jantrial/communication/communication.htm  

Scientists also present their findings orally. You may need to do this too. Your oral report contains basically the same information you would include in your written report.

Here are some tips to help you give a great oral science report:

1. Write an outline. Organize your information so that you know when you will say what.

2. You may find it helpful to write your thoughts on index cards. You can plan and write out your introduction. The introduction is what will make your listeners interested, so try to make it good. The body should be well organized, including the same information as the written report. You should also plan your conclusion. The conclusion should be strong, and it should restate your findings. 

3. If you have a chart or graph showing your data, be sure to use it during your presentation. 

4. Practice! This will help you work out the kinks in your presentation. First, you can practice by yourself. Then when you feel comfortable, practice in front of your family or a small group of friends. Make any necessary changes to your presentation so that it is interesting and well organized. Practicing will help keep you from being nervous when the time comes to present your report.

Experiments:
For some helpful information on writing scientific reports, Click: 
http://www.scifair.org/articles/reports/reports.shtml

Reading List:

for Students, Parents and Teachers

Now let's do Practice Exercise 7-4 (top). 

Summary

You have now completed Lesson 7 and are ready to do the Problem and Test sections. You may wish to review any or all of the topics before answering the questions that follow. You may also wish to obtain additional material from the links below before answering the questions.
Good luck!

Next Page: Problems (top)