Deck 19: Writing Lab Reports

Question 1

Which part of a lab report or a scientific report might be distributed more widely than the report itself?

A) the introduction
B) the discussion
C) the abstract
D) the acknowledgments

Answer 1

C

Question 2

How should you present your data in the results section?

A) in text only
B) in graphics only
C) in a mix of text and graphics appropriate for your audience
D) None of the responses are correct.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

what is the process of peer review?

A) Professionals evaluate inconsistent data to achieve a breakthrough in understanding.
B) Qualified professionals test the replicability of an experiment before publishing an article about it.
C) Qualified professionals in the field review and comment on an article before it is published in a professional or academic journal.
D) A third party reviews the qualifications of the people in a laboratory before recommending that others use its services.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Your methods should be detailed enough that another researcher could perform the same experiment using the same materials and methods. What term describes this goal?

A) iteration
B) redundancy
C) redaction
D) None of the responses are correct.

Question 5

Readers of abstracts often ask some typical questions. Which of these is NOT one of those typical questions?

A) What questions motivated your study?
B) What answers did you discover?
C) What implications do your findings have?
D) How much did your equipment cost?

Question 6

How does writing articles based on lab research differ from writing lab reports in an academic class?

A) Academic audiences and professional audiences are the same, so there is no difference.
B) Class work is seen by one or a few instructors, but professional work is often seen by a larger audience of professional peers.
C) Academic work focuses on generating new knowledge in a field, while professional writing focuses on demonstrating existing knowledge in a field.
D) Although professional work is often published for the use of large audiences, the standards for punctuation and spelling are more relaxed than those in academia.

Question 7

Why is it important to follow a standard pattern when writing a lab report?

A) The pattern is built into many available templates.
B) The pattern reserves acknowledgment for peer reviewers.
C) The pattern reflects the scientific method used by other scientists and engineers.
D) The pattern has major sections in alphabetical order.

Question 8

which of these is NOT an element common to most lab reports?

A) task schedule
B) title
C) discussion
D) conclusion

Question 9

where should you write about research data that are atypical or problematic in some way?

A) in the discussion section
B) in the results section
C) in an appendix
D) in the acknowledgments

Question 10

Which of the following is a characteristic of a descriptive abstract?

A) It contains a list of topics covered in the report.
B) It does not include the important results of the study.
C) It does not include the conclusions of the study.
D) All responses are correct.

Question 11

Why should a scientist or engineer avoid introducing new information in the conclusion section?

A) The results section exists so that writers can reveal information they collected.
B) It is illogical to introduce new information in a section that serves a different function.
C) It is ineffective to introduce new information in a section that serves a different function.
D) All responses are correct.

Question 12

Which section should include a concise review of previous research relevant to your study?

A) introduction
B) methods and materials
C) discussion
D) appendix

Question 13

what affects the persuasiveness of the evidence you present to your readers?

A) the quantity of your evidence; more is better
B) the quantity of your words
C) the way you present your evidence
D) the way you describe your materials and methods

Question 14

Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the lack of an acknowledgments section in the sample lab report in Chapter 19?

A) The writer of the report is unethical.
B) The work in the lab took so long that the writer ran out of time to include acknowledgments.
C) The writer of the report did not receive funding or extraordinary assistance to complete this report as part of a class assignment.
D) None of the options is correct.

Question 15

Which of these guidelines should you follow when writing conclusions?

A) Review the purpose of your lab and the hypothesis (or hypotheses) you tested.
B) Summarize the most important implications of your findings.
C) Do not introduce any new information or analysis in this section.
D) All responses are correct.
E) None of the responses are correct.

Question 16

The references section of a lab report should contain which of the following?

A) references for all of the sources you consulted, whether or not you cited them in the report
B) references for only the sources you cited in the report
C) references for only the sources you cited in the body of the report
D) None of the responses are correct.

Question 17

Which of the following actions is unethical?

A) submission of relevant data
B) emphasis of relevant data
C) omission of uncited sources
D) omission of relevant data

Question 18

Which of the following is the least effective title for a lab report or scientific article?

A) Three-dimensional Imaging of Enzymes
B) Intensification in the Activity of Lipase Enzyme Using Ultrasonic Irradiation and Stability Studies
C) Immunoassays of Fungal Laccases for Screening of Natural Enzymes and Control of Recombinant Enzyme Production
D) Evaluation of Butyrate-induced Production of a Mannose-6-phosphorylated Therapeutic Enzyme Using Parallel Bioreactors

Question 19

The introduction to a lab report should accomplish which of the following tasks?

A) Describe the hypothesis or question that your study attempted to answer and why this hypothesis or question is important.
B) Provide an extensive, detailed review of previous research relevant to your study.
C) Describe in detail the methods you used to find an answer to your research question.
D) Define the important terms and present the theoretical background concepts you expect your readers will need to know.

Question 20

Which of the following statements about lab reports is NOT correct?

A) A lab report is a carefully crafted argument meant to persuade an audience to accept your findings and conclusions.
B) Supporting evidence is often presented with a combination of graphics and text.
C) The most effective way to write a lab report is to write it in sequence, beginning with the introduction.
D) In organizing the discussion of your data, you should begin by presenting the most important findings.

Question 21

What does prepublication permit an author to do and what is it designed to take advantage of?

Question 22

If you consulted a source during your research but you did not cite it, you should leave the source out of your references list.

Question 23

How familiar should you assume your audience will be with the particulars of your experiment?

Question 24

The acknowledgments section of a lab report is typically used to identify and thank people who have assisted the author during a study or while preparing the report. What is another typical use of the acknowledgments section?

Question 25

Which of the procedures you performed should you mention in the "Materials and Methods" section of your report?

Question 26

In describing your methods, you might include a picture of the equipment in your lab as you used it.

Question 27

Ideally, what will the title and abstract of a report help readers do?

Question 28

Scientific research does not entail persuasive writing; providing the facts from an experiment is sufficient.

Question 29

Chapter 19 provides four guidelines for using equations in a lab report. One is to use an equation editor or write the equations by hand. What are the other three guidelines?

Question 30

In the context of a lab report, what does replicability mean?

Question 31

Why do scientists have a strong tradition of using the passive voice in lab reports?

Question 32

A descriptive abstract states the topics covered in the lab report but doesn't present important results or conclusions.

Question 33

The discussion section of a lab report is the appropriate section in which to interpret or explain your findings to readers.

Question 34

The discussion portion of a lab report is also called an analysis.

Question 35

Science and engineering journals usually instruct authors to use the Modern Language Association (MLA) style guide.

Question 36

You should write the sections of a lab report in the order in which they will appear in the report.

Question 37

Although a lab report is organized as a single cohesive argument, most readers probably will not read it in a linear fashion, from start to finish.

Question 38

A written lab report is the primary evidence on which your audience will judge your credibility and skills as a researcher.

Question 39

What are author guidelines?

Question 40

most lab reports consist of eight basic elements. One is the introduction. What are two other elements found in most lab reports?