BIO 120 Workbook for Writing the Scientific Paper
Part I: Think it Through!
Before any experiment it’s important to have stated the following: a) the question you are trying to answer b) your prediction for the answer c) how you are going to experimentally test the prediction d) what sort of data you are going to collect from the experiment e) what you are going to do to minimize error (variation) f) how you are going to analyze the data to provide an answer to your question and g) how this analysis answers the question you are trying to test.
Your paper will be based on the artificial cell data from Exercise Three, Diffusion and Osmosis. The primary data that will be used will be recorded in Table Two.
a) What question are we trying to answer?
The best way to start is to fill out this sentence:
You are testing to see how different ____________________________ (this is the variable you manipulate; the independent variable) affect ______________________________ (dependent variable; has to do with osmosis). This is the overall objective of the experiment.
b) What is your prediction? This is a quantitative prediction.
The best way to start is to fill out this sentence:
The prediction is that ____________________________________________ (independent variable, thing we manipulated) will result in ________________________________________________________ (dependent variable, thing we measured).
c) How are you going to experimentally test this?
The best way to start is to fill out this sentence: This will be tested by
_________________________________________________________________ (doing/making what). These items will be used to measure _______________________ (dependent variable change) in different _____________________________ (independent variable).
The control for the experiment will be ___________________________________________________.
d) What type of data are you collecting?
The best way to start is to fill out this...