A few helpful hints

1
A few helpful hints

• To consider when writing your research essay in
  4U0 science
• K. Marsh
• Glenforest Resource Centre

2
AIMS of the Research Essay in Science
The first rule to successful writing Know your
audience
The Goals of the extended essay

• Pursue independent research on a focused topic

• Develop research communication skills

• Engage in the systematic process of research

• Experience the excitement of intellectual
  discovery

3
Scientific Writing Is or Isnt ....

• It isnt creative writing (grammar etc. still
  applies!)

• It is a form of technical writing with its own
  style format

• It is clever, upbeat, concise and has purpose
  (it conveys
• your research journey argument) is elegant

• It is a well organized, clearly articulated
  argument that is
• supported by fact - your findings (avoid
  speculation
• sweeping generalizations)

4
Student Expectations

• Pursue a research project with intellectual
  initiative

• Formulate a precise research question

• Gather interpret material from appropriate
  sources

• Structure a reasoned argument in response to the
• research question

5
Advice from Reviewers for Science Essays

• Before beginning, students should read
  understand
• the criteria that will be used to mark their
  essays

• Students should not work with a research
  question that
• Is too broad, too vague or too difficult

• Choosing to write an essay in a subject that is
  not being
• studied often leads to lower marks

• Students should not merely describe or report
  (this
• isnt a book report)

6
Advice from Reviewers for Science Essays
After completing the essay

• Write the abstract

• Edit / proofread the final version carefully to
  ensure
• that the essay follows the proper format,
• is clear, concise and that the results answer
  the
• original research question

7
Getting Started
8
Getting started The Research Process

• Choose a topic

• Formulate a well-focussed research
• question

• Undertake some preparatory reading

• Modify/change the question

• Plan the investigation writing process

• Carry out the investigation

• Plan a structure for the essay

9
What is a Great Research Question?

• A question that asks something worth asking

• A question you are interested in / passionate
  about

• It should be clear, concise and focussed

10
What is a Great Research Question?
A great research question is focussed, open
ended and avoids dead ends
Examples of dead ends unfocussed topics

• Why is Duchene Muscular Dystrophy more prevalent
  in
• men compared to women?

• Are women better than men at handling stress?

• Are household cleaners and domestic pesticides
  toxic to
• earthworms?

11
Where are the best sources of information to use
Science?

• Websites are not policed for accuracy, I would
  be
• reluctant to use them (they are not accepted
  in
• scientific research). Newspapers are also
  inappropriate.

• Books are good sources, but they tend to be too
  old
• (5 years and older is too old in science!)

• Journals are by far the best source. I wouldnt
• use anything older than 2000
• (Google, pubmed etc.)

12
What is a Great Research Question?
Examples of suitable research questions

• Does ethylene affect the ripening of apples,
  pears
• bananas equally?

• Do different methods of roasting coffee beans
  affect their
• caffeine content?

• The effect of different pH levels on the growth
  of
• Phaseolus vulgaris

13
Consider the Following Questions

• Is this a focussed research question?

• Is the question important?

• How do you know that the student was interested
  in
• this work?

• Was the experiment(s)/methods used simple?

• What did they find? (were results easily
  quantifiable?)

• Did the experiment answer the question?

14
Academic Honesty

• In academia, your name is everything!

• If it feels like cheating.....it probably is

• You will never be penalized for over using
  citations

• When it comes to plagiarizing DONT DO IT!

• Plagiarizing is unethical it undermines the
  spirit of higher
• learning you are robbing a writer of their
  ability to earn
• a living

15
Dr. Ms dos and donts of scientific writing

• If you dont know the meaning of a word dont
  use
• it, or look it up!

• Structure your results so they are discussed
  from
• weakest to strongest

• If you have nothing more to say dont say
  anything
• more (the dilution effect)....4000 words is the
  max.

• Read, read, read and then read some more

16
Dr. Ms dos and donts of scientific writing

• Explain your work to your parents/guardian, if
  they
• understand it, the level of clarity is
  acceptable

• Learn how to edit your own writing

• In research, only 30 of actual results are
  published

• The written word is permanent. Always Be very
  careful
• what writing you sign your name to

17
Good Luck!