Papers are great ways to communicate your work thoroughly. They are often required to enter competitions, conferences, and even journals.
Here is the main structure of the paper:
Title page
Abstract
Introduction
Materials/Methods
Results
Discussion
References
Tips:
Don't include personal pronouns ('I,' 'we,' etc.)
Identify the word with abbreviations in parentheses the first time the word is used
Ex. Alzheimer's Disease (AD)
Avoid slang and contractions
Ex. Isn't --> Is not
The title should be short but convey the key information about the research project. It should include the aim or conclusion of the research, with the independent or dependent variables.
Tip: It is often easier to write the title after the paper is written
Ex. The Effect of Pesticides on Zebrafish Embryo Health
The abstract should be a short overview of the research. It will include the purpose/short background for the experiment, a brief description of the methods, and the key findings of the research. End with the implications and final conclusions from the project.
Check out section for writing an abstract!
The purpose of the introduction section is to provide context about what is already known in the field. Start out broad and get more specific about the background information. It introduces the subject of the project so that the audience is able to not only understand the research, but is also intrigued to continue reading! Make sure to mention gaps in the current research that your experiments will help fill in.
The last sentence of the introduction should clearly state the hypothesis or purpose of the experiment.
Make sure to cite all references used to avoid plagiarism! APA citations are usually used. Below is a guide on how to cite in APA, which is used in the sciences.
The purpose of the materials and methods section is for other scientists to be able to repeat your experiment. This can only be done if all relevant details and methods are accurately described. They should be able to observe the same results!
Include a detailed list of all the materials used:
Chemicals (concentrations)
Biological agents (specific strain/variant)
Physical equipment
A detailed description of the procedures used should be included:
How the organism was grown
How the organism was administered the treatment
Duration of the treatment
All procedures for assays
Why that method was chose
Make sure to include any measures taken to ensure safety when using chemicals, biological agents, or instruments that may be hazardous.
The results section should include any graphs/tables made to present the data. Write a caption below the figure describing what is being presented.
Ex. Fig 1. A bar graph representing the impact of vitamin E on oxidative stress in zebrafish embryos
The hypothesis tested or the information sought in the experiment should be the first statement. Describe the experiment that was conducted and summarize the results found in the figure. Make sure to include information about the statistical significance of the data.
Keep the main interpretation of the results for the Discussion section!
The discussion section should give an overview of the results from all the experiments. Connections between different experiments and trends in the data are presented with possible explanations for the findings.
Discuss the applications of the findings, relevance of it, and how the results advance the field! Make sure to mention any limitations of the experiment and potential future research.
The reference section is where all sources cited in the text should be included in the format your class or journal prefers (APA, MLA, etc.). The references should be in alphabetical order and authors cited.
Also include in-text citations when you refer to something from a source, such as in a background section. The structure of the in-text citations depends on the format you choose.