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  1. Home
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  3. Writing Undergraduate Lab Reports
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Online publication date:
July 2017
Print publication year:
2017
Online ISBN:
9781316338575
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316338575
Subjects:
Science Handbooks, Life Sciences, Life Science Professional Development, General Science
Information

Book description

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.

Reviews

'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 Source: Choice

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Contents

Contents
References

References

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Further Reading

Cargill, M. & O’Connor, P. 2013. Writing Scientific Research Articles: Strategy and Steps, 2nd ed. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester.
Council of Science Editors. 2014. Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 8th ed. Council of Science Editors, Wheat Ridge, CO.
Glasman-Deal, H. 2010. Science Research Writing for Non-native Speakers of English. Imperial College Press, London.
Greene, A.E. 2013. Writing Science in Plain English (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing). University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.
Hoffman, A. 2014. Scientific Writing and Communication: Papers, Proposals, and Presentations, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Lindsay, D. 2011. Scientific Writing = Thinking in Words. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, VIC.
Matthews, J.R. & Matthews, R.W. 2015. Successful Scientific Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide for the Biological and Medical Sciences, 4th ed. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
McMillan, V.E. 2012. Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences, 5th ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, Boston, MA.
Schimel, J. 2011. Writing Science: How to Write Papers that Get Cited and Proposals that Get Funded. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Turabian, K.L. & Booth, W.C. 2013. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8th ed. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.

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