English for Academic

and Professional
Purposes

Mark Hero S. Cabusao

Objectives:
Students must be able to:
• Name the basic parts and purposes of
scientific reports
• Describe writing conventions related to
these parts
• Apply these writing conventions in
rewriting short report sections.
Scientific Report
Scientific Report
 itis a form of academic writing explaining a technical
or scientific research
 it
should be undertaken in a scientific manner, biases
and subjectivity should be avoided;
 the process should follow valid and verifiable tools,
techniques and procedures;
 the process follows the logical and sequential
procedures that are established by the academic
discipline in which you are conducting research.
 itmight also include recommendations and conclusion
of the research.
 Scientific Report Technical Report Field Report

It is a specialized type It is similar to scientific It only focuses on the

of report that adheres report but it only process, development
to the scientific method differs to the details and outcome of
characterized by regarding with the scientific or technical
attention to detail, subject matter. research problem
reliance on test
procedures, objective
analysis, documented
research, careful report
and observations
based on evidence
(Smith-Worthington &
Jefferson, 2011).
Parts of Scientific Report
 Title Page
 Table of Contents
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 Conclusion and
 References
Title Page
The title page will include the following:
 Title of the report:
 Usually 4-12 words in length.
 Shouldbe short, specific and descriptive, containing the
keywords of the report.
 Authorship:
 Always publish under the same name.
 Include author addresses.
 Indicate the corresponding author and their contact details.
 Date:
 The date when the paper was submitted.
Table of Contents

 It is only required for length reports (usually 6 pages or

more).
 It contains information about the topics covered and
the exact pages where the headings are found.
Abstract

The Abstract should include the following:

 Objectives (as outlined in the Introduction) and scope of the
investigation.
 A brief reference to the Materials and Methods.
 A summary of the results and conclusions - a brief but thorough
statement of the outcome/s of the experiment.
If there is a hypothesis, you may state what it is and whether it
was supported or refuted.

The following should not be included in the Abstract:

 Literature citations.
 Formulae and abbreviations, references to tables.

Although the Abstract comes first in a report, it is best to write

it last, after you have the results and conclusions.
Introduction
The following may be included in the Introduction:
 Background about the analysis to be carried out.
 A brief review of previous research (relevant literature) to give a
background - paraphrase relevant facts from the scientific literature,
citing the sources to support each statement.
 Reason/s why the research was undertaken.
 Statement of the hypothesis (an idea or concept that can be tested by
experimentation) if there is one.
 An explanation of the different techniques and why they are used.
 A statement of the objective/s - what you hope to achieve.
The Introduction is the what and why of the experiment, and
should answer the following questions:
 What was the purpose or objective of the
experiment/research?
 Why was the experiment/research conducted in a particular
manner?
 Why was it important in a broader context?
 The Introduction should not include any results or conclusions.
Materials and Methods
 It is a description of the materials and procedures used - what
was done and how. Describe the process of preparation of the
sample, specifications of the instruments used and techniques
employed.
 It should include such things as sample size, apparatus or
equipment used, experimental conditions, concentrations,
times, controls etc.
 do not keep using the word "then" - the reader will understand
that the steps were carried out in the order in which they are
written.
 the Method must be written in the past tense and the passive
voice.
Results
This section states what you found.
The following will be included in your Results:
 Pictures and spectra.
 Tables and graphs whenever practical.
 Brief statements of the results in the text (without repeating
the data in the graphs and tables). When writing about each
picture, graph or table, refer to it parenthetically e.g. (Figure
1).
 Ifpossible give a section of related results and then comment
on them rather than presenting many pages of unrelated
results and then discussing them at the end. Subheadings can
be used to divide this section so that it is easier to understand.
Discussion
 State your interpretation of your findings, perhaps
comparing or contrasting them with the literature.
Reflect on your actual data and observations.
 Explain or rationalize errant data or describe possible
sources of error and how they may have affected the
outcome.
 It must answer the question "What do the results
mean?" It is an argument based on the results.
Conclusion

 This is the summing up of your argument or

experiment/research, and should relate back to the
Introduction.
 It should only consist of a few sentences, and should
reiterate the findings of your experiment/research.
 If appropriate, suggest how to improve the procedure,
and what additional experiments or research would be
helpful.
References

 Cite any references that you have used, ensuring that

each item in the reference list has an in-text citation,
and every in-text citation has a full reference in the
reference list at the end of your paper.

 Ensure that the references are formatted according to

the style required by the journal (or your adviser), and
be careful with spelling (the author whose name you
misspell may be asked to review the paper!)
For More info about the topic

https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/scientific-repor
ts/?
fbclid=IwAR1pqQPXPtmub9GyFY_K7T48weVXcrm9kWq-TL_
S3jHU5B-H5_CwHSnX1Io

https://www.waikato.ac.nz/library/guidance/guides/write-
scientific-reports#title
Reference:

Dintzner, M. R.; Niedziela, R. F. Elements of laboratory report writing.

http://chemistry.che.depaul.edu/LabReport/ (accessed August 2004).
Emerson, L.; Hampton, J. Writing Guidelines for Science and Applied Science
Students, 2nd ed.; Thomson/Dunmore Press: Southbank, Vic., 2005.
Council of Science Editors. 2014. Scientific Style and Format: The CSE
Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 8th ed. Chicago & London:
University of Chicago Press.
Day, Robert A. 1994. How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, 4th ed.
Phoenix: Oryx Press.
Porush, David. 1995. A Short Guide to Writing About Science. New York:
Longman.
Williams, Joseph, and Joseph Bizup. 2017. Style: Lessons in Clarity and
Grace, 12th ed. Boston: Pearson.