FlU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Proposed Guidelines for Preparation of Research Reports
Preparation of a comprehensive written research report is an essential part of a valid research experience, and it is a requirement for successful completion of CHM 4910L. Sufficient time should be allowed for satisfactory completion of reports, taking into account that initial drafts should be critiqued by the faculty advisor and corrected by the student at each stage. Oral, poster, and computer presentations do not meet the requirement of a comprehensive written report. Student co-authorship on a journal article, while highly desirable, is not a substitute for a comprehensive report written by the student. The final versions of these reports will be evaluated by a committee composed of three faculty members appointed yearly on a rotating basis by the chair of the department.
Title:
Abstract:
Introduction:
Experimental Details:
Results:
Discussion:
Conclusions:
References:
Title:
The title should reflect the content and emphasis of the project described in
the report.
Abstract:
The abstract should, describe the topic, the scope, the principal findings, and the conclusions. It should be written last in order to
reflect accurately the content of the report. The lengths of abstracts vary but
should not exceed 200 words.
Introduction:
The nature of the problem and why it is of interest should be conveyed in the
opening paragraphs. This section should describe clearly but briefly the
background information on the problem, what has been done before (with proper
literature citations), and the objectives of the current project. A clear
relationship between the current project and the scope and limitations of
earlier work should be made so that the reasons for the project and the
approach used will be understood.
Experimental
Detail: This section should
describe what was actually done. It is a succinct exposition of the laboratory
notebook, describing procedures, techniques, instrumentation, special
precautions, and so on. It should be sufficiently detailed that other
experienced researchers would be able to repeat the work and obtain comparable
results.
Results:
In this section, relevant data, observations, and findings are summarized.
Tabulation of data, equations, charts, and figures can be used effectively to
present results clearly and concisely.
Discussion:
The crux of the report is the analysis and interpretation of the results. What
do the results mean? How do they relate to the objectives of the project? To
what extent have they resolved the problem? Because the "Results" and
"Discussion" sections are interrelated, they can often be combined as
one section.
Conclusion:
A separate section outlining the main conclusions of the project is appropriate
if conclusions have not already been stated in the "Discussion"
section. Directions for future work are also suitably expressed here.
References:
Literature references should be collated at the end of the report and cited in
one of the formats described in The ACS Style Guide or standard journals. Do
not mix formats. All references should be checked against the original
literature.
For
further information please see ACS Guidelines at the following website:
http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/acsdisplay.html?DOC=education\cpt\ts_rrguide.html