week 7- writing skills: scientific reports

Question 1

what is a scientific report

Answer 1

• A concise, objective and precise account of an empirical research project
• Aims to describe an experiment you’ve carried out and communicate the results

Question 2

what are the 4 parts of a scientific report?

Answer 2

introduction, method, results, discussion

Question 3

what are the 4 qualities of scientific writing

Answer 3

• Objective
• Accurate
• Knows its audience
• Uses jargon appropriately

Question 4

what should the introduction do?

Answer 4

• Presents the scientific background, the rationale and the hypothesis
• have a concise literature review to summarise current knowledge
• Then introduce the present study- provide a brief overview of your own study, state the rationale (use previous research and theory to make a critical argument for your hypothesis), provides a smooth transition to the method section

Question 5

what is the method

Answer 5

• A comprehensive description of how you conducted your study

Question 6

what qualities should the method section have

Answer 6

• Written in the past tense
• Sufficiently detailed to permit replication
• Be specific about participants, measures, materials, and the steps of the process in chronological order

Question 7

what does the results section do

Answer 7

• Describes the findings of the data analysis

Question 8

what are the 5 steps of a results section

Answer 8

1. Restate the hypothesis in conceptual terms
2. Reword the hypothesis in operational terms
3. State the finding plainly
4. State the finding plainly
5. Summarise what was found

Question 9

what is the main thing we need to do in the discussion

Answer 9

interpret the results

Question 10

what 5 things should be included in the discussion

Answer 10

opening paragraph, account for the findings, limitations of the study, future research directions, conclusion

Question 11

what is the abstract including

Answer 11

• Key aspects of the introduction
• The research question
• Hypothesis
• Methods used, including descriptions of the study design, sample and sample size
• Study results
• Implications- importance and applications

Question 12

how long should the title be

Answer 12

15 words

Question 13

what should the title capture

Answer 13

the topic area, aim and research question

Question 14

what should be included in the method of a qualitative report that isn’t in a quantitative report

Answer 14

epistemological/ ontological position

Question 15

what tense is intro in

Answer 15

present and present perfect

Question 16

what is included in the method of both quantitative and qualitative reports

Answer 16

participants, data collection, data analysis, ethical considerations

Question 17

what tense is method in

Answer 17

past

Question 18

what tense is results in

Answer 18

past

Question 19

what tense is conclusion in

Answer 19

a combination of present and past tenses

Question 20

what voice is used in reports

Answer 20

active

Question 21

how should we use bias free language

Answer 21

Use accurate and
appropriate language to
describe individuals and
groups

Question 22

what do we use instead of using adjectives as nouns

Answer 22

use adjectival forms instead (e.g.,
people who smoke rather than smokers)

Question 23

guideline for age

Answer 23

recognise aging as a normal part of the human experience, separate from disorder or disease

Question 24

preferred examples for age

Answer 24

older adults, adults aged 65 and over

Question 25

problematic examples for age

Answer 25

the elderly, senior citizens

Question 26

guideline for disability

Answer 26

use person/identity-first language, avoid fatalistic language

Question 27

preferred examples for disability

Answer 27

deaf person, blind person, person with Down syndrome

Question 28

problematic examples for disability

Answer 28

special needs, wheelchair bound, stroke victim, hearing impaired

Question 29

guidance for gender

Answer 29

use gender inclusive language and self-identified pronouns

Question 30

preferred examples for gender

Answer 30

singular they for a generic person, gender neutral occupational terms

Question 31

problematic examples for gender

Answer 31

he or she for a generic person

Question 32

guidance for race

Answer 32

ask people to self identify because the concept of race is not universal

Question 33

preferred examples for race

Answer 33

asian, people of colour, white, Latinx, Native American

Question 34

problematic examples for race

Answer 34

caucasian- racist origin

Question 35

guidance for sexual orientation

Answer 35

use the umbrella terms sexual orientation and gender diversity

Question 36

preferred examples for sexual orientation

Answer 36

LGBTQ and other identities

Question 37

problematic examples for sexual orientation

Answer 37

homosexual- use gay

Question 38

guidance for socioeconomic status

Answer 38

emphasise what people have rather than what they lack

Question 39

preferred examples for socioeconomic status

Answer 39

people experiencing homelessness, people whose income is -

Question 40

problematic examples for socioeconomic status

Answer 40

homeless people, the poor

Question 41

what parallel form should be used

Answer 41

Avoid using synonyms for recurring words or varying sentence structure in places where it can affect the clarity of your writing

Question 42

when should you use numerals

Answer 42

numbers over 10