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Writing up your work

Research Skills

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Ted Talk: Hans RoslingStats that reshape your worldhttp://youtu.be/hVimVzgtD6w

+Title

Straightforward and informative (not more than 15 words).

Enough to explain your study without going into too much detail.

Examples: Too little detail: Fast food purchases Too much detail: Differences in the fast food

purchasing habits of men and women in the last month in Brighton

Just right: Differences in the fast food purchasing habits of men and women

+Abstract

Must have: Explanation of research area Aims Main results and interpretations Implications of your results for science and/or

society

+Introduction

Quick explanation of research area

Summary of relevant past research

Purpose of study

Brief description of methods

Hypotheses

+Methods

Subsections: Participants: Who? Materials: What? Design: How? Procedure: How?

+Results

What are the main findings?

For example: Female participants ate fewer

hamburgers on average than males (Table 1).

Note: If you give numbers in tables, there is no need to repeat them in text. If you present information in a figure, give exact numbers in text as well.

+Tables: quantitative

Table 1: The mean number of fast food purchases made by males and females in last month.

+Tables: qualitative

Table 2: Frequency of internet usage among men and women.

+Figures: quantitative

Figure 1: The mean number of fast food purchases made by males and females in last month. Error bars show ± 1 S.E.M.

+Figures: qualitative

Figure 2: Frequency of internet usage among men and women.

+Discussion

Summary of purpose and results

Comparison to previous research

Possible faults

Wider implications (back up your assertions)

Future directions

Conclusions

+References

List of all references cited in the lab report.

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The world in a tiny drop of waterhttp://www.microbehunter.com/2012/12/16/using-the-microscope-slide-adjustment-focussing/

Microscopy

+Microscopy

Microscopes are used to view things that are too small to see without help. Dissecting microscope –

view entire 3-D objects under low power.

Compound light microscope – examine very small or thinly sliced objects under higher magnification.

+Microscopy

Stains that bind to cellular structures are used to help increase the contrast and allow you to see the structures more clearly.

+Using the Microscopes

Always use 2 hands to handle the scopes!

Be VERY CAREFUL when moving the microscopes.

Never remove any part of the microscope.

+Using the Microscopes

ALWAYS adjust the nosepiece so that the LOWEST OBJECTIVE LENS is in place when removing a slide and when putting the microscope away!

NEVER, EVER use the COARSE FOCUS when you are working with high power!

+Using the Microscopes

Always start with the lowest power lens – this gives you the widest field of view.

Find what you are looking for, CENTER and FOCUS as well as you can.

Then, change to the next objective lens.

Return to low power before removing the slide.

+Rules

Lowest power objective lens in position at beginning and end.

Use only lens paper for cleaning lenses.

Do not tilt the microscope when you are using a wet mount.

Keep stage clean & dry.

DO NOT REMOVE PARTS!!!!

Turn light all the way down, then turn off before unplugging.

Replace cover when finished.

Report any problems.

+Total Magnification

Compound Light Microscopes have 2 magnifying lenses. Objective lens – 4X, 10X, 20X, 40X Ocular lens (in the eyepiece) – 10X

Total magnification – multiply the objective lens (4, 10, 20, or 40) by the ocular lens (10).

+Field of View

Field of view – the circular area that is visible when you look into the microscope. Measure the diameter, estimate lengths of

objects that take up part of the field of view.

Depth of field – play with the focus while viewing the slide with colored threads.