8/4/2019 Bio Lab Guidelines

1/4

"),.*S\"f2natqns slry ruoql s$lxa r(poatlo a&paluouy trrL44S" f{a\)=^'-Pqeqr ..,o{ ro ernJeuJo suor}Aresqo uo{: pe^uep eqfeur uoqsenb rru, "ril}fi?,T

qtd"i'.ie3 j.ipawo!"rad tpnls sryt sou {t1,4fi -.,,1$

:8ulLlo11og eql Surpnlcur'suo4senb , .9IeJeAes Jel\sue llr,ln, uoqcnpoJlur poo8 y ']ueruuedxe eql o] lueurped sr reneleq \u\ol punorS>1ceq eql tpull o] ue>le] eq plnoqs e-re3 'poder oqlJo lser ei{} pue}srepun \ to1 punorS>1ceq luercgJns Jepuer aql e,u8 pue peurJoJred qcreeseJ oq] JoJ (s)e,Lr1ce[qo ro ,, \ Y'(s)esod:nd "gn.r"r", eqt eurllno tsnru tI 'uod", oqlJo 1ce;qns eql seugep uorlcnporlul eqJ. R{r tt^d\\ Js."ourlff;l,lrid\-',*d-'Y''suorsnlcuoc .roferu s,roqln eql pue 'pelueserd nrno "unt$S, eqlJo esofund " nS tor{lJo freurruns esrcuoc e sr lcer}sge poo8 y 'goder err}ue e{ pn"r o} sesodrnd ,?K,\*t'_r.,(Jo srq elJes plno,la' 1I Jeqleq.& e?pnt ol ropeeJ eril lr.ollu ol sr lc4sq? ue go esofund ffi ...u!., - 15*\gcq}-^

n .P l{'\CbE'il'" a,sls \"'fuurg elercerdde l6uop uosee: euqqffiitslsrluercs ifuun; plo^V'ezru?ocet il11vr pleg relncrged e ur sJerlcreeseJ leql sp:odXe4 sesn puu pre.a,r-rog1q3rer1ssr ellp poo8 y '.(cueg sireper eql qclc ol peu8rsep ]ou ore sellrl cgquercs'-reded eqlJo luoluoc IpnlceJ agl lceger plnoqs pue sproly\ uel uql ssel eq ppor{s ollr} eqJ

:OPII'poued pue 'e1ep 'eureu rno,{ ureluoc IIIrv\ goder qel rnof 3o do1eql

polrc emterelrT 'Luorssncsrc 'gsilnseu '9spoqlelu pu sleuelel^I 'vuoqcnpo4ul 'tlcerlsqv '7,EPIJ 'I

:3ur,,vro11o3 eqiJo slsrsuoc fllunsn poder cgrluercs Vlsruro{ uooeu quf

8/4/2019 Bio Lab Guidelines

2/4

('saryn\s ppt{u! lu7l"rodwr lsow sI uo4sanb sry1) 2auop lrolw aqt s04L uaq|L puo azq/l| _ t 0Gv1zpasn taqt a,rarw^o" *t "_'ipasn aDA/t sloualDw lDxL44 r \ e,Y\ '\ ^rno pe.uc no,{ sdels ",{, 1:dCSurlsrT qde.rSered eEnq e olu.^A lou oq 'sde1s ur ueilLrly\ eq plnoqs uoqces spoqleu rno$\' '\

:suorlsenb Eur.Lr,o11o; or{} Joasu of sldure}ie uor}ces srql',t11ereueg 'snlu.reddelelueuruedxe oqlJo Surne;p qll^\ Euole flqtssod 'qde-r8e:ed l.roqs e w euop aq fllensn .-a------7-- ----- --LrJ- --:-^'--r - -I?:'---"-1---t-t;----- -L-----------7--'L- - -:---r --t'^tl'--"-- ^ruec sIqJ 'pesn sfusse eqlJo froaqi lereue8 eql pu luerudrnbego secord lerceds equcsap ,dtT l\.: -,q(\ / I. le I L'J - 17 l- -- l, I f , J i l-:----- --l;-----r l\vl -l ,ol rfuesseceu IIps sr 1r 'JeAe.rr\oH 'ecJnos relncrged treql uI punoJ eq uc slrulep leql Suqod'\'- / AJJ(wtn,tt aTTl alr^ ,{rr{rrrrc (Krt.rowr' r'!^Mrrlrrrr aro rrnrfor rarrlrrrrr2 rrr vnnn nDT D TTTnrr carnnllnrr{ ,tflY'!:o,u eql ellc .(ydrurs ',(11cexa pe1(olloJ eJe uoder rerilou ro >looq qel e ruo{ sernpoco-rd , ftftY.- ---- -^--fi11.'- '^ 6uel{r\\ 'Joq ro rurq Eururleql,rJelo }noq}L\r lueruFredxe eq} pue}sJepun o} JopeeJ eqt -royz,[$" Cntln rr?nnrrc lnr,rnrd a\'r cr rrnri^aq qrrrt Rrrttrl,rn rrr ,(rrn.rrrrrf'! arrrrra\T1^ac srrrl Trr nlrrndlr ' '' .11lep q8noue apnord o] sr uoqces sql Surllr.t ur fllncgylp oql 'uor]ces slrii ul pegodereq plnoqs slueuFedxe eq] w pesn sporileur pue slueleru eql 'serldur eruu eql sV _6 {,+

spoqlal^tr puu sleFolstrAl

'pequcsep eq plnoqscrdol eq1Surle8rlsa.tur ol luourued u8rsep Ietueuuedxe puu seseqlod.,{q cgrceds eql4(pn7s aWto asodnd cE[rcads aqt s! tDLL,ll

'eBpelnoulSuqsrxe ur sde8 pue (slcrguoc 'suorluuuguoc oql Sutpnlcur pue eepr ueJo luerudole.r,epIecuolsq eql Sur,llor{s 'orn}relrl eql nerleJ }snru uoqsenb sql o} Jo,lo,sue eqJ

-15

8/4/2019 Bio Lab Guidelines

3/4

Literature CitedThis section lists all articles or books cited in your report. It is not the same as abibliography, which simply lists references regardless of whether they were cited in thepaper. The listing should be alphabetized by the last names of the authors. Differentjournals require different formats for citing literature. The format that includes the mostinformation is given in the following examples:For articles:Fox, J.W. 1988. Nest-building behavior of the catbird, Dumetella carolinensis. Journal ofEcology 47: 113-17.For Books:Bird, W.Z. 1990. Ecological aspects offox reproduction.Berlin: Guttenberg Press.For chapters in books:Smith, C.J. 1989. Basal cell carcinomas. In Histological aspects of cancer, ed. C.D.Wilfred, pp.278-91. Boston: Medical Press.When citing references in the text, do not use footnotes; instead, refer to articles by theauthor's name and the date the paper was published. For example:

1. Fox in 1988 investigated the hormones on the nest-building behavior of catbirds.2. Hormones are known to influence the nest-buildine behavior of catbirds (Fox.1988).When citing papers that have two authors, both names must be listed. When three ormore authors are involved, the Latin et al. (et alia) meaning "and others" may be used. Apaper by Smith, Lynch, Merrill, and Beam published in 1989 would be cited in the textAS:

Smith et al. (1989) have shown that...This short form is for text use only. In the Literature Cited, all names would be listed,usually last name preceding initials.There are a number of style manuals that provide detailed directions for writing scientificpapers. Some are listed in further readings at the end of this section.General Gomments on Style

1. All scientific names (genus and species) must be italicized. (Underliningindicates italics in a typed paper.)2. Use the metric system of measurements. Abbreviations of units are used withouta following period.

8/4/2019 Bio Lab Guidelines

4/4

3. Be aware that the word dqta is plural while datum is singular. This affects thechoice of a correct verb. The word species is used both as a singular and as aplural.4. Numbers should be written as numerals when they are greater than ten or whenthey are associated with measurements; for example, 6 mm or 2 gbut twoexplanations of szx factors. When one list includes numbers over and under ten,all numbers in the list may be expressed as numerals; for example, 17 sunfish,13 bass, and 2 trout. Never start a sentence with numerals. Spell all numbersbeginning sentences.5. Be sure to divide paragraphs correctly and to use starting and ending sentencesthat indicate the purpose of the paragraph. A report or a section of a reportshould not be one long paragraph.6. Every sentence must have a subject and a verb.7. Avoid using the first person, I or we, in writing. Keep your writing impersonal,in the third person. Instead of saying, "We weighed the frogs and put them in aglass jar," write, "The frogs were weighed and put in a glass jar."8. Avoid the use of slang and the overuse of contractions.9. Be consistent in the use of tense throughout a paragraph--do not switch betweenpast and present. It is best to use past tense.10. Be sure that pronouns refer to antecedents. For example, in the statement,"Sometimes cecropia caterpillars are in cherry trees but they are hard to find,"does "they" refer to caterpillars or trees?

After writing a report, read it over, watching especially for lack of precision and forambiguity. Each sentence should present a clear message. The following examplesillustrate lack of precision:1. "The sample was incubated in mixture A minus B plus C." Does the mixture lackboth B and C or lack B and contain C?2. The title "Protection against Carcinogenesis by Antioxidants" leaves the readerwondering whether antioxidants protect from or cause cancer.

The only way to prevent such errors is to read and think about what you write. Learn toreread and edit your work.

Modified from: Writing Lab Reports & Scientific Papers, W. Dolphin, Iowa State Univ.