It’s time to submit your masterpiece, your final manuscript! The edited final manuscript should be typed into the Lab Report Template (click here to access)Actions. This will put the paper in 2-column format, like a real scientific journal. Do not change any of the formatting. As you type or when you insert figures, they will automatically stay in 2-column format. If you want to insert figures/tables/etc that are 2-columns wide, you need to follow the instructions on page 2 of the template. Don’t forget to delete all the instructions when you are done. The maximum length of the entire paper is 4 pages so you will need to be concise. To note, before you submit your final manuscript: Remove the bullet points and questions from the original outline!!! The bullet points and questions from the template are there to help make easier the process of writing through organizing the information. Once they are removed, you should (if you have answered in complete sentences) have a fluid paragraphs that read seamlessly.
Title: The title should be descriptive and scientific in nature. For example, the title of the paper for the student that tested the Draw-a-Physician Test among Native-American children “Draw-a-physician test on Native-American children in Napa County”.
Abstract: The abstract should briefly state the problem or purpose of the experiment, indicate the theoretical or experimental plan used, summarize the principal findings, and point out the major conclusions. The optimal length is one paragraph. Include in the abstract: You can use these questions to formulate your abstract…What did you do? Why did you do it? What were the results? What did you conclude? What is the significance of your research? The abstract should be between 150-200 words.
Introduction: Clearly define and state the problem that highlights the basis and motivation for your experiment. What is the problem? What is the resolution? What did you do? Why did you do it? Why is it important? Background information/prior art? Who else has done experiments to your experiment? Perhaps your results would interest another scientist, the public, or a chef. Above all, be creative and get someone interested to read further about your experiment.
Materials and Methods: Be technically descriptive in everything you do here for your experimental design.
Results: Provide figures, pictures, illustrations, and graphs to describe what your dish went through to achieve the final state. You may include a table of the variable ingredients here. If you varied the components of the experiment, show how they depend on each other with a figure. You are required to include 2 figures in your final paper. One of these figures must be some sort of graph prepared in Excel or a similar graphing program. Your figures should also have descriptive captions like the example shown and tables should have a title. Figures and graphs should be referenced and described in the body of the results section.
Discussion and Conclusion: Restate your hypothesis and provide a discussion and your interpretation of whether or not you proved/disproved your intellectual proposition. Discuss your results while referencing pertinent figures. What do you think may be happening to produce the results you obtained? Discuss your results in concise detail and support your hypothesis whether it worked or not! Lastly reach a conclusion based on the discussion of the results. For example, after examining the results I conclude that the data supports or doesn’t support the hypothesis. ***Please open use this discussion template written by Andrea Grill from Santa Rosa Junior College, How to Write a Discussion_Andrea Grill_SRJC.pdf, for a detailed discussion section. For help, please click on the following journal links: 1) Discussion and Conclusions (springer.com) 2) How to Write Discussions and Conclusions – PLOS.Links to an external site. Please use the American Sociological Association )ASA) as the style for referencing. You can access the link here for details about how to use this formatting style.
Acknowledgements: In this last paragraph, you may acknowledge people, places, and funding sources that contributed to your work.
Abbreviations: Abbreviations (ABS) should be defined in the paper wherever you used them the first time like I just did. ABS should then be listed in this section as well.
References: References that are cited in your manuscript should be listed here. Citations within the paper should be in order of appearance and the reference list should be chronological. References should include pertinent details necessary for somebody else to find the information including authors, article title, journal title, dates of publication, page numbers, etc. All references should be in the same format. At least three references from a peer-reviewed scientific journal. You have access to open-access journals and other journals that can sometimes require a paid-subscription. These articles can be made available through the SSU library either through an interlibrary loan or via pre-existing university subscription. *For detailed information on how to write a social science research paper, click on the following link: Organizing Your Social Sciences Research PaperLinks to an external site.
RubricFinal Manuscript RubricFinal Manuscript RubricCriteriaRatingsPtsThis criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeRequired Content40 to >32.0 ptsHighAll sections, figures, table(s), scheme(s) are included and placed in logical order within the text.32 to >24.0 ptsMediumOne or more of the required components is missing or illogically ordered within the text.24 to >0 ptsLowTwo or more of the required components are missing or illogically ordered within the text.40 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeFormatting60 to >45.0 ptsHighNearly all text is properly formatted according instructions included in the outline template.45 to >33.0 ptsMediumMultiple mistakes in formatting that deviates from the terms above.33 to >0 ptsLowSeveral formatting errors and little effort shown in adherence to the ASA guidelines.60 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeGrammar and Structure60 to >46.0 ptsHighNearly all sentences are grammatically correct and in proper English. Each section is written concisely yet provides pertinent scientific and technical details. The entire article flows together. Report has been carefully proofread.46 to >34.0 ptsMediumMore than a few grammatical mistakes. Extraneous information is included in multiple instances. The article lacks flow among sentences and between sections. Few to none spelling errors.34 to >0 ptsLowSeveral grammatical mistakes. Little effort is shown to be concise and provide a logical flow between sentences and sections. Report has not been proofread.60 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeScientific Merit140 to >105.0 ptsHighAn original hypothesis is stated and tested. Critical thinking and experimental planning are obvious. The author’s scientific claims and details are supported with sound reasoning.105 to >77.0 ptsMediumAn original hypothesis is stated and tested. Critical thinking and experimental planning are lacking. There are minimal scientific claims, some of which lack proper support.77 to >0 ptsLowLittle effort is made to provide a testable hypothesis. Little thought and experimental planning are obvious. Very few, if any, scientific claims are made and supported.140 pts
Total Points: 300
