Biology of Organisms

Biology of Organisms Laboratory

FINAL Lab Report due on  12.11.20   An electronic version should be saved and uploaded to Canvas.  Reports deposited after that time are graded at less 10% per day, Saturdays and Sundays included. Recall that computer problems are not an acceptable excuse so please don’t wait until the last minute to submit your paper. The academic honor code will be strictly enforced and reports will be checked in SafeAssign!

_____ Introduction. 15pts.

• Background information should be appropriate so the reader can understand each facet of the hypothesis and subject matter therein.  Title and authors include before introduction.
• Flow of thought of background leading to the purpose of this experiment is organized rationally.
• Describe the variables and explain why they were chosen to measure.
• Describe previous findings and work associated with your background info, variables, and overall research question.
• Purpose & hypothesis stated correctly and physiology behind the prediction stated clearly and appropriately

_____ Materials and Methods. 15 pts.

• All procedures, methods, logistics, materials, equations, stats are described in narrative format (not numbered steps); do not copy lab manual, but may cite it; do not list supplies.  Leave nothing out.  If a stranger read this section, they could perform every aspect of the experiment.
• Use past tense and consistent person.

• Explain data types or categories such that an introductory student who has not performed the lab can understand.
• Define variables and measurements
• Explain how data were analyzed; which statistical tests were used and why used, etc.

_____ Results. 10 pts.

• Summarize your results and present the most significant results in paragraph form of the results section. Only report data that support/refute your hypotheses.  What were the major findings; not why or how?  What were the minutia of the data?
• Do not restate everything in the narrative that is in your data tables and graphs but articulate trends using results of your statistical analysis.  Do not represent the same data in graph AND table format.
• Do not discuss/interpret your results in the results narrative!
• All figures (graphs, pictures, etc) and tables must be referred to in the text of the results section. List them in the order they are cited within the text of your results narrative.
• All tables should have titles, and all figures should include captions and labeled axes.

_____ Tables and figures. 5 pts 

• Figures and tables adequately illustrate the trends and statistical findings associated with the data.
• Figures and tables are complete; all facets of the data are accounted for (means, SD or SE, p, r², legends, titles)

_____ Calculations. 5 pts

• Correct statistical tests to illustrate the results (t-tests, ANOVAs, correlation via regression)

_____ Discussion. 15 pts.

• Results are interpreted and discussed in light of supporting/rejecting the hypothesis.  Did you support or refute your hypotheses? Why or why not?  Are these results what you expected?  Why or why not? Be specific.
• The discussion enlarges on the results section:  discuss the relevance of each graph and the physiology behind each result;  why did that result occur in terms of physiology.  This is huge, explain the WHY physiologically for each result and why that impacts the study and scientific understanding in general.  Results are interpreted in light of predictions and published reports that echo or refute your results
• Demonstrate an understanding of the various tests in terms of hypothesis testing.
• Future direction for this research and scientific contributions?
• Conclusion statement that leads to new questions

_____ Literature Cited. 10 pts.

• Besides the lab manual and Campbell text, you may only use peer-reviewed sources
• An “A” paper will include at least 5 peer-reviewed citations
• Correct & consistent citation format
• Literature was cited properly throughout = 4 pts

_____ Grammar, Spelling and Writing Style. 5 pts.

• Your name is on the report and the title is informative and concise (not “Lab Report” or “Exercise Physiology Report”)
• Writing is clear and concise. Lab report reflects careful proofreading.
• Correct grammar used throughout
• Word processed using required format (double spaced, 1” margins)
• Possible issues:

• wordy, unclear, unfocused
• awkward explanations
• paragraphs do not stand alone but run-on

• • change of tense problems
  • poor information flow from section to section and from paragraph to paragraph
  • failed to use spellchecker
  • incomplete sentences

_____  Total