A few helpful hints …
To consider when writing your research
essay in 4U0 science
K. Marsh
Glenforest Resource Centre
Dr. D. McNally
Glenforest Science Department
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
Scientific Writing Is or Isn’t ....
• It isn’t 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)
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
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
isn’t a book report)
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
Getting Started
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
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
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?
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 wouldn’t
use anything older than 2000
(Google, pubmed etc.)
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
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?
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 – DON’T DO IT!
• Plagiarizing is unethical: it undermines the spirit of higher
learning & you are robbing a writer of their ability to earn
a living
Dr. M’s dos and don’ts of
scientific writing
• If you don’t know the meaning of a word – don’t use
it, or look it up!
• Structure your results so they are discussed from
weakest to strongest
• If you have nothing more to say – don’t say anything
more (the dilution effect)....4000 words is the max.
• Read, read, read and then read some more
Dr. M’s dos and don’ts 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
Good Luck!