UTSC Journal of Plant Biology
BIO A01 2018- Fall; 1(1): 1-6
Insert Principal Author’s Name/Student Number
Paper title (The title should be specific and concise-Do not use “Formal Lab Report” in the title. All words except the first word should be in lower case-except for proper nouns.)[endnoteRef:1] [1: Template modified from the following resources: “Manuscript Template,” Science Publishing Group, The Open Access Publisher 2012 URL http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/journal/guideforauthors.aspx?journalid=173; Guidelines for Writing Scientific Papers, Honors Organismal Biology Laboratory (no date), URL http://www.bms.bc.ca/resources/library/pdf/GuidelinesScientificPapers.pdf; Guidelines for Writing a Scientific Paper, Maloy 2001, URL http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/~smaloy/MicrobialGenetics/topics/scientific-writing.pdf; and Writing a Scientific Research Paper, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2000. URL http://umech.mit.edu/freeman/6.021J/2000/writing.pdf. ]
Author’s Name (Principal Author), 1, Author’s Name (Bench-mate 1), 1 Authors Name (Bench-mate 2), 1 Author’s Name (Bench-mate 3), 1 Author’s Name (Bench-mate 4), 1 Author’s Name1 (Bench-mate 5) 1 – If you do not know your bench-mates names, please write your name + 4 other BIOA01 students in PRAXX
1Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
UTSC BIOA01 Lab PRAXX, BENCHX:
PRAXX TA:
Abstract: An abstract is a one-paragraph summary of your report. It should begin with a few introductory remarks that introduce the significance of the study. It should include (in this order) the background of the study (1-3 sentences), mentioning of the study system/species/object (1 sentence), the question investigated (1 sentence), the general methods used (1 sentence), the principle results (1 sentence) and the conclusions (1 sentence). The reader should be able to determine the major points of your report without having to read further. The language should be concise and no citations should be included in the abstract. The abstract is located at the beginning of your report, however it is usually written once you have finished writing your paper.
Keywords: Include at least 3 keywords or phrases (specific to your paper), which must be separated by commas to differentiate them.
Introduction [Page limit-1 page]
This template is set up to provide you with an example of the format expected for your Formal Lab Report (FLR). The template provides you with the specifications needed for preparing your FLR. You can save this file as a separate document and type your report directly into the template. You can then submit your edited version of this file to Quercus. Please note that Quercus will only accept Word (.docx or .doc) files or PDF (.pdf) files.
The introduction provides a context for the research. This section should include the following: 1) Description of the current state of knowledge or understanding at the beginning of your investigation (i.e., background information synthesized from the existing literature – think about what information readers would need to know to be able to understand your lab report); 2) Background information about study species used; 3) The purpose of the experiment and/or the question being asked; 4) Hypothesis/hypotheses written as statements. Null hypotheses may be included here; 5) Brief description of the approach being used to test your hypothesis/hypotheses statement; 6) Predictions written as explanatory statements (“If…then”) that focus only on experimental treatment groups (not controls) and are backed up with relevant references.
It is imperative that you include properly formatted in-text citations to support all non-original ideas within your introduction. Failure to include in-text citations will result in a grade penalty and could possibly lead to an academic offence.
Materials and Methods [Page limit – 1/2 page- 1 page]
The purpose of this section is to describe the experimental procedures, including any controls. This section should be written in the past tense (and first-person if applicable); the remainder of the paper should be written in the present tense. The description should be complete enough to allow someone to repeat your work. The Methods section should describe the chronological process that you used to complete the research, how all of the data was collected, and a short description of the statistical analyses you completed. It should be written in complete sentences, not bulleted lists. Do not include lab coat, gloves, or safety goggles in your materials description-the use of personal safety equipment is assumed.
Be certain to include any software used to produce graphs and analyze data (e.g., Excel, GraphPad). Also, be certain to include an in-text citation of the lab manual in this section (and a corresponding complete reference in your reference section) but summarize the methods in your own words.
Results [Page limit – 1 ½ – 2 pages (written ½-1 page, figure ½ page, table ½ page)]
The results section describes the results of, but DOES NOT interpret, your experiment. You should present your table and figure in this section. The ‘Results’ section should always begin with text and not your table and figure. You should describe your findings to the reader – you should refer the reader to your table and figure in your results description (e.g., see Table 1 or Figure 1). By referring to your table and figure appropriately, you can concisely present your results in several paragraphs. If you do not refer to the appropriate figure or table in your results section, you will be penalized.
For the purpose of this report, your table and figure should be embedded within your results section. Be certain that there is not a page break in the middle of your table or figure and do not wrap text around the outside of the table and figure. (Note that some journals require that the tables and figures be included following the reference section.) The table caption should appear above the table, whereas the figure caption should appear below the figure. Insert your table and figure after they are cited in the text.
Be sure to record all your class data on the Table 3.2 in your lab manual. You will need these data to do the statistical analysis to produce the Table and Figure for your ‘Results’ section of your Formal Lab Report. See tips for the Table caption below.
Table 1: Your caption should be above your table and include details of what is included in your table. The information in your caption/table should be complete enough and presented in a way that the reader can easily understand the information presented without referring to the text of your report.
INSERT TABLE HERE – Your Statistical Worksheets should not be used for your Table in your Formal Lab Report. You must select information from your Worksheets to make a Table for your FLR. Your Table should include the following columns for each t-test comparison. You will be comparing each of the four treatment groups (light intensity in lumens) with the negative control (dark), as well as the positive control (outside light). Thus, you will have 8 comparisons.
Your Table should include the following columns for each t-test comparison:
a. n
b. critical t- value
c. calculated t-value
d. df
e. actual p-value (p > 0.05 or p < 0.05 or p = 0.05)
f. conclusion (did you reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis?)
INSERT FIGURE HERE – Prepare a bar graph with standard deviation error bars using the total oxygen produced (ml) for your complete data set (posted on Quercus for your lab practical). This means that the columns will be an average of all 8 values for each control and each experimental treatment group. You will have a total of 6 bars in your bar graph. Treatments should be shown as categories on the x- axis, mean total oxygen produced (ml) should be on the y- axis. The controls and the 4 treatments should be discernable by clear labels on the x-axis.
Note: If treatments cannot be discerned from your figure, you will be penalized.
Figure 1: Your caption should be below your figure and include details of what is depicted in your graph. The information in your caption/graph should be complete enough and presented in a way that the reader can easily understand the information presented without referring to the text of your report.
Discussion [Page limit – 1 – 1 ½ pages]
The discussion section is where you report on the interpretation and conclusion of your results. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your ability to analyze, evaluate, interpret and reason effectively. The discussion should relate your findings to your original question, hypothesis (or hypotheses if you had more than one), and predictions, which means that you evaluate your results in terms of your original question/hypothesis/predictions and point out the biological relevance of your findings. Avoid redundancy between the sections, especially the ‘Results’ and ‘Discussion’, of the lab report.
In addition, you should generalize the importance of your findings, discuss ambiguous data, and relate your results to other published studies (i.e., results published in primary scientific literature). Is your work in agreement or in contrast with previously published work? You should also discuss any sources of experimental error or limitations. You should end your discussion by summarizing the main points that you want the reader to remember; you should provide closure for the report and by extension, the reader. You should also recommend specific areas of further research based on your results and the findings of other published studies.
It is imperative that you include properly formatted in-text citations to support all non-original ideas within your discussion. Failure to include in-text citations will result in a major grade penalty.
Acknowledgements [Page limit – 1 paragraph, optional]
The acknowledgements section is where you can choose to acknowledge people who contributed to your work in some way but do not fit the criteria to be included as authors. This is also where you would include information about funding sources.
References [Page limit – 1/2 – 1 page]
You must include at least three primary scientific literature sources (which you are responsible for finding) as well as the BIOA01 lab manual in the proper format (Name-Year System, CSE Style- see Section C of the FLR Information page). Further resources can be included in addition to the three required primary sources. This style combines in-text parenthetical citations with a reference list at the end of your report (Walker and Rapley 2009). The references should be organized in alphabetical order by the primary author’s surname (last name) – DO NOT alphabetize the names within each citation. Be consistent when writing journal titles – write all journal titles out in full (e.g., European Food Research and Technology) or all abbreviated (e.g., Eur Food Res Technol).
Tip: Complete the online Library Research module and associated quiz to help you find relevant primary resources.
See examples below and more by using library resource document included with other FLR files on Quercus. Remember to remove subheadings when preparing your reference list. Reference list should be a single alphabetized list.
Scholarly Journal Article (primary source)
Ma Q, Scanlan C, Bell R, Brennan R. 2013. The dynamics of potassium uptake and use, leaf gas exchange and root growth throughout plant phenological development and its effects on see yield in wheat (Triticum aestivum) on a low-K sandy soil. Plant Soil 373:373-384.
Scholarly Journal Article (primary source found on the internet)
Mattupalli C, Genger RK, Charkowski AO. 2013. Evaluating incidence of Helminthosporium solani and Colletotrichum coccodes on asymptomatic organic potatoes and screening potato lines for resistance to silver scurf. Am J Potato Res [Internet]. [Cited 20 June 2013.] Available from http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs12230-013-9314-3.pdf
Scholarly Journal Article (review, not a primary source)
Miao Y, Stewart BA, Zhang F. 2011. Long-term experiments for sustainable nutrient management in China. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 31:397-414.
Chapter in Book (not a primary source)
Denison RF. 2012. Selfish genes, sophisticated plants, and haphazard ecosystems. In Darwinian Agriculture: How Understanding Evolution can Improve Agriculture. Princeton (NJ): Princeton University Press. Pages 76-94.
Chapter in Book Series (not a primary source)
Fageria NK, Moreira A. 2011. The role of mineral nutrition on root growth of crop plants. Advances in Agronomy (Book series) 110:251-331.
Internet Resource (secondary or tertiary source)
Williamson RC. 2004. Deciduous tree galls [Internet]. Madison (WI): University of Wisconsin-Madison; [cited 2013 Sep 12]. Available from http://labs.russell.wisc.edu/pddc/files/Fact_Sheets/FC_PDF/Deciduous_Tree_Galls.pdf
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