17

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WIy loiIcr io wriic a lal rcori? A lal rcori is iIc siudcni cquivalcni of a scicniific
journal ariiclc, wIicI is iIc nain way iIai ncw scicniific infornaiion is connunicaicd io
oiIcrs. Scicniific findings arc woriIlcss if iIcy'rc noi ullisIcdor if iIc acr is so dull or
difficuli io undcrsiand iIai iIc rcadcr docsn'i rccognizc iIc valuc of iIc rcsulis. Wriiing lal
rcoris will Icl you in wriiing (and rcading} rcal scicniific acrs.
A fornal lal rcori is wriiicn jusi as if ii wcrc an aciual scicniific acr rcoriing on
rcscarcI rcsulis. TIc lcsi way io lcarn aloui iIc siylc of a rcscarcI acr is io UHDG rcscarcI
acrs. lool carcfully ai a fcw acrs fron good journals lcforc you siari wriiing your own. Pay
ariicular aiicniion io iIc VW\OH of iIc journal ariiclcs, and iry io cnulaic ii.
TIis scciion is inicndcd io givc you a gcncral fornai for a fornal lal rcori. In sonc
courscs, your insirucior nay givc you sccific dircciions iIai sucrccdc iIc gcncral
infornaiion givcn Icrc, so lc surc io consuli your coursc syllalus as wcll. Dc surc your acr
rcciscly follows iIc siandards givcn lclow or ly your insirucior; failurc io follow insiruciions
is an casy way io iIrow away oinis!
FcscarcI ariiclcs arc usually dividcd inio scvcral scciions. Abstract, IntroductIon,
MaterIaIs and Methods, ResuIts, DIscussIon and ReIerences. TIc ordcr and fornai of iIcsc
scciions nay vary a liiilc lciwccn journals, lui you can ccci io scc iIcn in sonc forn. You
sIould follow iIis fornai for your lal rcori, and includc iIcsc si scciions in iIc ordcr givcn.
Plcasc ay closc aiicniion io iIc insiruciions lclow, including iIc H[DFW siylc for fornaiiing
rcfcrcnccs. Your acr will losc oinis if iIc siylc and fornaiiing arc noi corrcci and nigIi
cvcn lc rciurncd io you for rc-fornaiiing. Usc iIc cIccllisi ai iIc cnd of iIis scciion (agc 27}
io Icl nalc surc your acr is corrcci and conlcic. Following iIc cIccllisi, you will also
find a sIori sanlc lal rcori.
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Evcry acr nccds a iiilc, wIicI sIould givc iIc suljcci of iIc acr wiiIoui lcing
unduly long. You can usc an LQIRUPDWLYH iiilc, wIicI givcs iIc nain conclusion (sucI as
Prolongcd Waicr Dcrivaiion Lcads io Irrcvcrsillc DcIydraiion in Planis"} or an LQGLFDWLYH onc
wIicI jusi idcniifics iIc ioic (Effccis of Waicr Dcrivaiion on Housc Planis"}. EiiIcr way, ii
sIould lc VSHFLILF. Waicr" or Ecrincni 6" or cvcn Enzync Aciiviiy" is ioo gcncral. Dclow
iIc iiilc, lisi iIc nancs of cvcryonc wIo coniriluicd io iIc rojcci (your lal grou, in iIis
casc}. Placc an asicrisl aficr your nanc io indicaic iIai you arc iIc rincial auiIor of iIc
acr. If iIis acr wcrc lcing sulniiicd for ullicaiion, iIis is iIc auiIor iIai would
corrcsond wiiI iIc journal and Iavc iIc najor rcsonsililiiy for iis accuracy.
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TIc alsiraci is a vcry sIori siaicncni inicndcd io sunnarizc iIc acr's nain oinis.
Ii is oficn wriiicn DIWHU iIc rcsi of iIc acr, lccausc sonciincs your najor conclusions
dcvclo during iIc coursc of wriiing iIc acr. Fcncnlcr iIai iIis is a VXPPDU\, noi an
iniroduciion. Ii nusi iIcrcforc includc your rcsulis and conclusions. TIc alsiraci sIould lc
iIorougI cnougI iIai a rcadcr wIo rcad RQO\ iIc alsiraci would siill gci iIc nain idca of your
acr, lui ii sIould lc vcry conaci and concisc. Kcc your alsiraci undcr 100 words. Placc
iIc alsiraci aficr iIc iiilc (wiiI no sul-Icading} and singlc-sacc ii.
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TIc Iniroduciion sIould caicI your rcadcr's inicrcsi, clain ZK\ you did iIc
ccrincnis, and rovidc iIc laclground ncccssary io undcrsiand iIc rcsi of iIc acr. In
wriiing iIc iniroduciion, assunc iIai your rcadcr Ias a good gcncral lnowlcdgc of lasic
liology, lui noi a sccific lnowlcdgc of your ioic. Any fcllow liology najor, for canlc,
18
sIould lc allc io rcad and iIorougIly undcrsiand your iniroduciion, wIciIcr or noi Ic/sIc
Ias Iad iIc coursc you arc wriiing ii for. (In faci, ii's a good idca io asl a fricnd io rcad your
acr and oini oui anyiIing iIai isn'i crfccily clcar!}
Ii's connon io wriic iIc iniroduciion in a sori of yranid" or funncl" siylc. Firsi, givc
a fcw lincs of vcry gcncral laclground in iIc arca of your ccrincni, sucI as, say, iIc
inIcriiancc of cyc color (lui cvcn iIougI ii's gcncral, ii sIould siill lc scicniificdon'i siari
wiiI urlc rosc aloui wIicI cyc colors arc iIc nosi ronaniic!}. TIcn, scnd a liiilc longcr
ialling aloui iIc sccific laclground rclaicd io your rcscarcI. gcncs lnown io coniriluic io
cyc color, wIai ari of iIc cyc is igncnicd, cic. Nci, sccifically iniroducc iIc raiionalc for
iIc ccrincnis you did and lricfly clain wIai iIosc ccrincnis wcrc. Don'i includc any
rcsulis in iIc iniroduciion, lui lc surc sonconc wIo rcad only iIc iniroduciion would siill gci
a good iciurc of wIai you wcrc doing.
TIc iniroduciion is also wIcrc you would ui your IyoiIcsis or IyoiIcscs. A good
IyoiIcsis ncvcr concs oui of iIc lluc;" ii is lascd on wIai you alrcady lnow aloui iIc ioic.
So, don'i forgci io includc iIc raiionalc for your IyoiIcsis; oficn, iIis concs naiurally fron
giving laclground infornaiion on your ioic. Hcrc is an canlc.
Smith and Jones (1923) previously showed that chemical reactions happen faster at higher
temperatures. However, it is also clear that enzymes can be denatured when the temperature is
high enough to break non-covalent bonds (Smythe HWDO., 1947). We investigated the effect of heat
on the activity of chocolatase; we hypothesize that its activity will increase as temperature
increases up to some optimum point and then decrease as the three-dimensional structure of the
protein is affected. We expect this optimum temperature to be around 30(C, the normal body
temperature of the chocolate-munching skink (6NLQNXVFKRFRPXQFKLL) from which the enzyme was
extracted.
Mosi of iIc Iniroduciion sIould lc wriiicn in rcscni icnsc. Ii's a liiilc Iard io gci uscd
io Iow vcrl icnscs arc uscd in scicniific acrs, lui iIcrc is a dcfiniic siylc wIicI is
considcrcd aroriaic. As a rulc of iIunl, if you'rc wriiing aloui wcll-lnown facis and
gcncral infornaiion, usc iIc rcscni icnsc (TIc sun Is a lig lall of gas."}. If you'rc dcscriling
a ariicular rcsuli fron sonconc clsc's ccrincnis, usc asi icnsc (JoInson and SniiI
Iound iIai iIc sun coniains Iydrogcn."} WIcn you'rc wriiing aloui your aciual ccrincnis
and rcsulis, usc iIc asi icnsc (TIcsc ccrincnis were dcsigncd io idcniify gasscs in iIc
sun; wc Iound iIai Iydrogcn is a najor cononcni."}.
In iIc Iniroduciion (and iIrougIoui iIc acr}, DQ\ infornaiion wIicI docs noi conc
dirccily fron your own ccrincnis nccds io Iavc an aroriaic cItatIon io idcniify iis sourcc
(iIc fornai is dciailcdin iIc Finding and Ciiing Sourccs scciion, . 39}. You will lc rclying on
iIc worl of oiIcrs wIcn you givc laclground infornaiion, and giving rocr crcdii is
csscniialoiIcrwisc, you Iavc lagiarizcd and nay lc suljcci io discilinary aciion. You
sIould araIrasc all sourcc naicrial in \RXURZQ words; dircci quoiaiions arc QRW aroriaic
in scicniific wriiing unlcss iIcrc is sonc vcry sirong rcason for using iIc sourcc's caci words.
Evcn iIougI iIc naicrial is araIrascd, iis sourcc nusi always lc idcniificd ly a ciiaiion.
Unlcss insirucicd oiIcrwisc, do noi usc your lal nanual as a laclground sourcc ccci for
infornaiion iIai is sccific io your lal and would noi lc ullisIcd clscwIcrc.
Aficr rcading your iniroduciion, iIc rcadcr sIould Iavc a clcar undcrsianding of (i} iIc
ovcrall qucsiion your ccrincnis arc inicndcd io addrcss, (ii} wIy iIis qucsiion is inoriani
and inicrcsiing, and (iii} iIc sccific IyoiIcsis or IyoiIcscs you arc invcsiigaiing.
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Maicrials and MciIods is a YHU\EULHI sunnary of KRZ iIc ccrincnis wcrc donc. In
rincilc, a concicni invcsiigaior sIould lc allc io rccai your worl ly following iIc ouilinc
of iIc roccdurc you givc in iIis scciion. Howcvcr, Maicrials and MciIods isQRW a sic-ly-sic
roiocol! TIcrc is usually a aragraI or so, wiiI a sul-Icading, for cacI najor iccIniquc
uscd in iIc worl; cacI aragraI dcscrilcs a roccdurc in a vcry iigIi, conaci way. Lool ai
19
sonc scicniific acrs io scc Iow lricfly iIc roccdurc is usually sunnarizcd. Maicrials and
MciIods sIould lc wriiicn in asi icnsc.
Do noi givc a lisi of naicrials or cquincni, and do noi wriic as if you wcrc giving
insiruciions. Wriic as if you wcrc iclling sonconc wIai you did in iIc lricfcsi way ossillc.
WIcn your roccdurc follows a rcviously ullisIcd nciIod (or iIc lal nanual} closcly,
you can ouilinc iIc roccdurc cvcn norc lricfly and givc a ciiaiion. For canlc, Wc
ncasurcd roicin conccniraiion as dcscrilcd rcviously (Lowry HWDO., 1951}." If your nciIod
varics a liiilc fron wIai Ias lccn ullisIcd, sccify iIc diffcrcnccs. Wc ncasurcd roicin
conccniraiion as dcscrilcd rcviously (Lowry HW DO., 1951}, ccci iIai roicins wcrc firsi
rcciiiaicd wiiI 10% iricIloroacciic acid." As wiiI all oiIcr non-original naicrial in iIc rcori,
if you did noi crsonally nalc u iIc nciIod, ii nccds sonc lind of ciiaiion io idcniify iis
sourcc. Ciiing iIc lal nanual as iIc sourcc for a roccdurc is aroriaic in iIis scciion.
In a rcal scicniific acr, you would noi includc sanlc calculaiions," lui in a siudcni
lal rcori ii is sonciincs aroriaic io do so, io Icl your insirucior dccidc if you inicrrcicd
iIc daia corrccily. Maicrials and MciIods is a rcasonallc lacc io ncniion Iow you dcicrnincd
a raic (sucI as using a lincar rcgrcssion io gcncraic a lcsi-fii linc} or sIow iIc cquaiion you
uscd io calculaic a rcsuli.
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TIc rcsulis scciion is iIc Icari" of your acr. ii is iIc nosi inoriani scciion,
lccausc iIis is wIcrc you clain your aciual findings. Ii is also wIcrc you icll iIc rcadcr iIc
siory" of your ccrincni. wIai you did, wIy you did ii, and wIai Iacncd. AliIougI you
will usc iallcs, graIs, IoiograIs and oiIcr visual ncans of rcscniing your rcsulis, the
ResuIts sectIon shouId be a descrIptIon oI your resuIts LQZRUGV. Inaginc iIai you will
Iavc sonc rcadcrs wIo will rcad iIc ici of your rcsulis lui ignorc iIc figurcs, and iIai oiIcr
rcadcrs will lool ai iIc figurcs lui ignorc iIc ici. Dc surc loiI of iIcsc linds of rcadcrs will
undcrsiand your rcsulis.
Your Fcsulis scciion sIould siari wiiI a lricf (onc or iwo scnicncc} rcca of your
iniroduciion. Inaginc iIai iIc rcadcr slicd iIc firsi iwo scciions and siaricd rcading Icrc.
wIai can you icll Iin or Icr in a coul c of scnicnccs aloui wIai you did and wIy iIai would
Icl nalc iIc rcsulis clcar? TIcn, novc on io iclling iIc siory of your firsi ccrincni. Do
noi siari your Fcsulis scciion wiiI a figurc or iallc! Siari ly wriiing aloui your ccrincnis
in aragraI forn, iIcn dircci your rcadcr's aiicniion io figurcs or iallcs wIcrc aroriaic.
EacI najor rcsuli sIould Iavc ai lcasi a aragraI or iwo of icinorc if ncccssary. TIc
Fcsulis scciion is gcncrally wriiicn in asi icnsc. You nay also wani io lrcal u iIc scciion
wiiI sulIcadings for cacI najor rcsuli io Icl your rcadcr follow iIc flow of iIc acr.
Mosi of your rcsulis sIould lc dislaycd in graI or iallc forn as wcll as discusscd in
iIc ici. If an ccrincni Ias only a vcry sinlc rcsuli, you don'i Iavc io nalc a iallc or
graI for iifor canlc, ii would lc sufficicni io say Dascd on iIc cquaiion of our lcsi-fii
linc (Figurc 2}, iIc lcngiI of iIc lasnid was 3,600 lasc-airs," raiIcr iIan naling a onc-linc
iallc io rcori iIis singlc iccc of daia. Sinilarly, you would noi say TIc fivc lasnids wc
canincd Iad lcngiIs of 3600, 4250, 8700, 1470 and 5400 lasc-airs (Tallc 1}"sincc iIc
nunlcrs arc in iIc iallc, jusi say Wc dcicrnincd iIc lcngiIs of iIc fivc lasnids (Tallc 1}."
As you wriic aloui your rcsulis, rcfcr io iIc graIs and iallcs so iIai iIcy clarify iIc
rcsulis for iIc rcadcr. Conncni on iIcn as ncccssary, and rcfcr sccifically io lcy aris of iIc
figurcs as nccdcd. For canlc, Wc digcsicd iIc lasnid wiiI rcsiriciion cnzyncs (Figurc 1}"
is noi ncarly as infornaiivc as Wc digcsicd iIc lasnid wiiI rcsiriciion cnzyncs (Figurc 1}
and found iIai ii Iad only a singlc (FRFI siic (lanc 1 in Figurc 1}." Inicgraic your graIs and
iallcs inio your ici (raiIcr iIan lacing iIcn ai iIc cnd of iIc acr}, and ui iIcn closc io
iIc oini wIcrc iIcy'rc rcfcrcnccd for iIc firsi iinc. TIc sanlc in Figurc 1 sIows Iow iIis
sIould lool; Figurc 2 sIows Iow ii sIould noi lool.
In Fcsulis, you sIould noi only rcori your raw daia lui also DQDO\]H ii so iIai iIc
rcadcr lnows wIai ii ncans. (In faci, in nany cascs you don'i nccd io givc all your raw daia.
if you includc a graI wIicI sIows all your daia oinis, don'i also nalc a iallc!}. In Figurc
20
2, iIc wriicr jusi iIrows iIc daia oui iIcrc, and iIc rcadcr Ias io do all iIc worl. Conirasi
iIis wiiI Figurc 1, wIcrc iIc wriicr conncnis on iIc daia in dciail and analyzcs ii carcfully,
naling ii casy for iIc rcadcr io scc iis significancc. Don'i forgci iIai siaiisiical analysis can
lc an inoriani ari of your rcsulis. usc siandard dcviaiions, T-icsis or oiIcr aroriaic
forns of analysis io dcnonsiraic iIc significancc of your rcsulis (scc iIc scciion on siaiisiical
analysis, agc 45, and your +DQGERRNRI%LRORJLFDO,QYHVWLJDWLRQ for norc Icl wiiI iIis}.
Fig. 1. Peduction in cookie numbers over a 10-
day period. Number of cookies remaining was
measured for two jars (Jar 1, squares and solid
line; Jar 2, triangles and dashed line) as a
percentage of cookies present on Day 0.
DifferentiaI rates of cookie disappearance. Fifty chocolate-chip cookies (see Materials and
Methods for recipe details) were placed in each of two identical jars. Jar 1 was placed in the Science
Division office, which is normally locked at night,
while Jar 2 was left in a public hallway. Numbers of
cookies remaining were measured daily for 10 days;
the results are shown in Figure 1. Pates of
disappearance were essentially linear, with a much
steeper slope for Jar 2 (triangles and dashed line in
Figure 1) than for Jar 1 (squares and solid line in
Figure 1). No error bars are shown because this
preliminary experiment was done only once. Pates
of disappearance were calculated from the slopes
(see Table 1), and Jar 2 had a rate of disappearance
nearly twice that of Jar 1.
TabIe 1. Calculated Pates of Cookie Disappearance
Sample Pate (cookies/day)
a
Jar 1 5.00
Jar 2 9.09
a
Pates were calculated by the least-squares method.
Figure 1. An example of part of the Pesults section of a well-written lab report. Notice the clear, properly formatted graph and table.
The text briefly explains the experiment, describes the results and refers specifically to the figure and table.
When we d|d the cook|e exper|ment, we saw that the
cook|es d|sappeared aster rom the second |ar (F|gure
1).
Figure 2. A bad example. This sample uses same data as in Figure 1, but notice the enormous difference in how it is presented.
The style is not scientific, the chart is constructed carelessly, the text does not inform the reader about the experiment or discuss
the results in detail, and the writer fails to analyze the data for the reader.
21
Siudcnis sonciincs don'i iIinl iIcrc is nucI io say aloui iIcir daia, lui iIcrc
usually is lcniy io say, and lcniy of analysis iIai can lc donc. If you don'i iIinl you Iavc
anyiIing io say, naylc you jusi Iavcn'i loolcd carcfully cnougI ai your daia! Again, conirasi
iIc siudcni wIo Ias nadc iIc nosi of iIc daia" in Figurc 1 wiiI iIc wriicr of Figurc 2, wIo
Iasn'i ialcn iIc iinc io scc wIai iIc daia arc saying.
Your Fcsulis scciion sIould icll iIc siory" of your worl in a clcar, rcadallc siylc. Ii
sIould lc allc io siand alonc. if a rcadcr slis Maicrials and MciIods and juns siraigIi inio
Fcsulis (wIicI is oficn iIc casc wiiI a rcal acr, unlcss iIc rcadcr nccds io lnow aloui a
sccific iccIniquc}, s/Ic sIould clcarly undcrsiand your rcsulis and Iow you goi iIcn. TIis
ncans you'll nccd io icll a liiilc aloui wIy and Iow you did cacI ccrincni. Avoid, Iowcvcr,
iIc icniaiion io includc your conclusions Icrc; analyzc your rcsulis and givc as nucI
inicrrciaiion as is ncccssary io undcrsiand iIc nci ccrincni, lui savc your conclusions
for iIc discussion scciion. For canlc, TIc caffcinc-ircaicd nousc conlcicd iIc nazc 44
scconds fasicr iIan iIc conirol nousc" is aroriaic for Fcsulis, and so is Wc noiiccd in iIc
firsi iwo ccrincnis iIai lrown nicc conlcicd iIc nazc an avcragc of 12% fasicr iIan wIiic
nicc, lcading us io icsi sccifically wIciIcr nazc running aliliiy corrclaics wiiI iIc color of
iIc nicc." Howcvcr, TIcsc rcsulis suggcsi iIai caffcinc inrovcs nazc-running aliliiy in
nicc" is a gcncral conclusion iIai lclongs in Discussion.
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Evcry illusiraiion in a scicniific acr is ciiIcr a figurc (graI, drawing, IoiograI,
cic.} or a iallc (iallc of nuncrical daia}. Don'i rcfcr io an illusiraiion as CIari 1," CraI 1,"
cic. Nunlcr your figurcs scqucniially (Fig. 1, Fig. 2.} in iIc ordcr iIai you discuss iIcn, and
nunlcr your iallcs scaraicly (Tallc 1, Tallc 2.}.
FIgures sIould Iavc a lcgcnd (caiion} ai iIc loiion wIicI dcscrilcs vcry lricfly wIai's
going on and idcniifics synlols. TIcy sIould noi Iavc iiilcs. CraIs and diagrans sIould lc
conuicr-drawn; Iowcvcr, ii is ccriainly aroriaic io add Iand-drawn lcsi-fii lincs if your
graIing rogran (Eccl is iIc najor graIing iool availallc io you on canus} docsn'i givc
an aroriaic linc. Dc surc your graI rcscnis your daia aroriaicly! If you'rc irying io
sIow a rclaiionsIi lciwccn iwo variallcs, for canlc, loiiing oinis and adding a lcsi-fii
linc nigIi lc iIc lcsi way io rcscni iIc daia. OiIcr linds of daia nigIi lc rcscnicd norc
clcarly in iIc forn of a lar graI. If you arc noi sIowing a sccific rclaiionsIi or ircnd,
considcr a iallc, ariicularly wIcn iIc nunlcr of daia oinis is fairly snall. WIcn aroriaic,
includc crror lars, siandard dcviaiions or oiIcr siaiisiical ncasurcs.
Dc awarc iIai iIc dcfauli sciiings of Eccl arc noi ncccssarily iIc oncs you waniif you
lci ii, ii will oficn sii oui conncci-iIc-dois graIs wiiI colors and synlols iIai nay noi rini
wcll. Alnosi cvcry ascci of an Eccl graI can lc configurcd, if you ialc iIc iinc io lcarn
Iow! Dc surc your graI is clcar and sIows wIai you wani ii io. Also ay aiicniion io iIc
scalcif you Iavc iwo graIs sIowing rclaicd daia lui iIcy Iavc vcry diffcrcni scalcs, iIc
rcadcr can'i casily conarc iIcn. So, nalc iIc scalcs iIc sanc or ui loiI daia scis on onc
graI. Addiiional graIing iis arc found in iIc Eccl scciion (agc 49}.
A tabIe sIould Iavc a iiilc lui noi a caiion; any inoriani dciails can lc givcn in a
fooinoic ai iIc loiion of iIc iallc. TIinl carcfully aloui your daia and dccidc wIciIcr a graI
or a iallc is iIc nosi aroriaic fornai for rcscniing ii. TIc goal is for iIc rcadcr io gras
iIc ncaning of iIc daia clcarly and quiclly.
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WIilc iIc Discussion is lcss inoriani iIan iIc Fcsulis scciion (lccausc ii's noi wIcrc
iIc aciual rcsulis arc connunicaicd}, ii is usually norc fun io rcad, lccausc ii clains wIai
iIc rcscarcI PHDQV. In iIis scciion, you discuss iIc najor findings, sunnarizing rcsulis lui
noi rccaiing iIc Fcsulis scciion. Hcrc is also wIcrc you draw conclusions, rcscniing your
cvidcncc for cacI conclusion. Tcll wIciIcr you nci iIc oljcciivcs you sci oui in iIc
Iniroduciion, and wIy.
22
You can also clain rollcns wiiI iIc ccrincnis, discuss ossillc sourccs of crror,
and conncni on ossillc fuiurc ccrincnis. Ii is aroriaic io usc rcfcrcncc naicrial
(rocrly ciicd} in iIc Discussion scciion, csccially io conarc your rcsulis io iIosc of oiIcrs.
DoiI asi icnsc (wIcn you'rc ialling aloui your rcsulis} and rcscni icnsc (wIcn you'rc
naling a norc gcncral siaicncni} can lc uscd in Discussion. Dclow is a aragraI fron iIc
discussion scciion of iIc coolic-jar rcori; noiicc Iow ii vcry lricfly rcninds iIc rcadcr of iIc
rcsulis and includcs conclusions, a conarison wiiI a rcvious siudy and VSHFLILF ways iIai
iIc ccrincni nigIi lc inrovcd in a fuiurc siudy.
The difference between the rates of disappearance of cookies in Jar 1 (office) and Jar 2
(hallway) is striking. Cookies disappeared nearly twice as fast (9.1 vs. 5.0 cookies/day; see Figure
1 and Table 1, above) from Jar 2. lt is important to note, however, that this experiment was done
only once; hence, these data cannot be regarded as statistically significant. Based on this single
experiment, we have tentatively hypothesized that the increased rate of disappearance results from
the higher level of pedestrian traffic, particularly at night, in the hallway. This hypothesis is
supported by data recently published by Smith and Jones (1978), demonstrating that at least twice
as many people have access to the hallway in a 24-hour period. However, we cannot exclude the
possibility that there may have been differences in quality that made the cookies in Jar 2 more
desirable. This experiment should be repeated , and we should ensure that the cookies in both jars
come from a single batch or are randomly distributed.
Evcry conclusion iIai you draw in iIc Discussion scciion nusi lc carcfully suoricd
wiiI cvidcncc drawn fron iIc daia you rcscnicd in Fcsulis. Don'i assunc iIai iIc rcadcr
undcrsiands Iow you canc u wiiI your conclusions. rcfcr lacl io sccific rcsulis and luild
your casc, nucI iIc way a lawycr luilds a casc for a clicni's guili or innoccncc in a closing
arguncni. Ii's OK io includc sonc scculaiion aloui ossillc clanaiions for wIicI you don'i
yci Iavc cvidcncc (usually in iIc conici of suggcsiing fuiurc ccrincnis}, lui DQ\ aciual
conclusions wIicI you nalc aloui your daia nusi lc rocrly suoricd.
Ii is vcry connon for undcrgraduaics io iIinl iIai iIcir ccrincnis failcd," or didn'i
worl rigIi." Cucss wIai? (YHU\ ccrincni worls"iIai is, ii roduccs a rcsuli. Howcvcr, ii
is your jol io inicrrci iIai rcsuli. In sonc cascs, iIc rcsuli nay suori your IyoiIcsis.
OiIcr rcsulis nay coniradici your IyoiIcsis; if iIai Iacns, you nay Iavc cvidcncc iIai
your olscrvaiions wcrc duc io a rollcn wiiI iIc ccrincnial dcsign (so iIai your ccrincni
didn'i rocrly icsi iIc IyoiIcsis} or io a VSHFLILF crror in carrying oui iIc ccrincni. Or, ii
nay sinly lc iIai your IyoiIcsis and ccciaiions wcrc wrong, and your rcsulis arc
oiniing oui io you iIai you nusi considcr alicrnaiivc clanaiions.
Always iIinl aloui your daia firsi in icrns of liological clanaiions. In iIc discussion,
icll iIc rcadcr iIc ZK\ of your ccrincnis. wIai aciually Iacncd in iIc ccll, organisn,
DNA, cic. iIai clains wIy you olscrvcd wIai you did. If ncccssary, discuss rollcns wiiI
iIc ccrincni iisclf, lui do noi usc iIc winy gcncralizaiion iIcrc nusi Iavc lccn
ccrincnial crror" (or worsc, ny rcsulis arc duc io Iunan crror"}. If you iIinl you nadc an
crror, wc nccd io lnow wIai VSHFLILF crror would Iavc accounicd for iIc rcsulis you goi.
Discussing iIc daia iIorougIly ncans you scnding scrious iinc iIinling aloui ii!
Don'i forgci io discuss your conirols! Conirols validaic your daia; if iIcy don'i iurn oui
as cccicd, iIcn sonciIing is vcry wrong wiiI iIc dcsign or cccuiion of your ccrincni. TIc
discussion is a good lacc io iall aloui iIc conirols you uscd, wIy iIcy wcrc inoriani, and
Iow iIc conirol rcsulis affccicd your inicrrciaiion of your daia.
5HIHUHQFHVDQGFLWDWLRQVJLYLQJFUHGLWZKHUHFUHGLWLVGXH
&LWDWLRQVDQG5HIHUHQFHV
TIc sourccs of iIc infornaiion you usc in your rcori nusi DOZD\Vlc rocrly crcdiicd.
In your iniroduciion, you nigIi rcfcr io a sccific rcvious siudy wIosc rcsulis arc rclaicd io
iIc worl you arc doing; olviously, you nusi idcniify iIc sourcc of iIai siudy. Ii is crIas lcss
olvious iIai HYHQZHOONQRZQIDFWV (sucI as, TIc firsi sic in glycolysis is carricd oui ly iIc
23
cnzync glucolinasc"} sIould lc rocrly crcdiicd in your acr. Sonconc clsc did iIis worl,
and your idcniificaiion of iIc sourcc (wIicI could lc a rinary ariiclc fron iIc scicniific
liicraiurc or jusi a icilool} givcs iIai crson aroriaic crcdii. )DLOLQJ WR FUHGLW WKH
VRXUFHVRI\RXULQIRUPDWLRQLVSODJLDULVP
WIcn you usc sourcc naicrial in your ici, you usc a cItatIon io idcniify ii. In scicniific
wriiing, dircci quoiaiions arc noi uscd; all sourcc naicrial is araIrascd. Conlcic
infornaiion on cacI sourcc is iIcn givcn in a reIerence IIst. Unlcss your insirucior sccifics
anoiIcr siylc, NoriI Ccniral liology courscs usc iIc auiIor-daic fornai for ciiaiions wiiI
conlcic rcfcrcnccs ai iIc cnd of iIc rcori in alIalciical ordcr. TIc corrcci fornai is dciailcd
in iIc scciion Finding and Ciiing Sourccs, siariing on agc 39. Plcasc rcad iIis scciion
carcfully and adIcrc io ii rcciscly, jusi as you would if you wcrc wriiing a nanuscrii for a
rcal journal.
<RXU6RXUFHV
Any sourccs you usc sIould lc scicniific sourccs. TIcsc nigIi lc prImary artIcIes,
wIicI arc acrs wriiicn ly scicniisis rcoriing iIcir own rcscarcI and will sIow aciual daia
in iIc forn of IoiograIs, graIs, iallcs, cic. Prinary ariiclcs arc found in journals lilc
*HQHWLFV, -RXUQDO RI %DFWHULRORJ\, &HOO, 6FLHQFH, or 1DWXUH. Or, you nigIi usc scicniific
sccondary sourccs, sucI as revIew artIcIes (in wIicI scicniisis sunnarizc rcccni worl in a
ariicular arca for oiIcr scicniisis}; iIcsc usually acar in iIc sanc scicniific journals as iIc
rinary ariiclcs, or in journals dcvoicd sccifically io rcvicws ($QQXDO5HYLHZVRI*HQHWLFV, for
canlc}. OiIcr scicniific sourccs sucI as icilools or gcncral-inicrcsi ullicaiions wriiicn
for a VFLHQWLILF audicncc (6FLHQWLILF$PHULFDQ, 1DWXUDO+LVWRU\} arc also accciallc.
Do QRW usc any ncwsacrs, oular rcss ullicaiions (7LPH, 1HZVZHHN, cic.},
cncyclocdias, cic. io csiallisI scicniific facis. TIc only iinc you nigIi wani io usc a sourcc
of iIis lind would lc discuss a oularly Icld vicw aloui a scicniific ioic. Web reIerences
are absoIuteIy not acceptabIe unIess you are specIIIcaIIy dIrected otherwIse by your
Instructor. $Q\RQH can osi DQ\WKLQJ io iIc Wcl, and iIcrc is no guaranicc of iis accuracyor
iIai ii will cvcn siill lc iIcrc wIcn your acr is conlcicd. If iIc naicrial you find on iIc Wcl
is accuraic, you will also lc allc io find ii in a ullisIcd sourcc.
In ordcr io qualify as a sourcc, you nccd io Iavc rcad iIc aciual acr, noi jusi iIc
alsiraci or cvcn a full-ici" on-linc vcrsion (a scicniific acr is noiIing wiiIoui iis figurcs.
no daia for you io judgc iIc qualiiy of!}. TIc lilrary Ias lois of daialascs, and diffcrcni oncs
Iavc diffcrcni linds of ariiclcs in diffcrcni fornais.ii can lc iougI io dccidc wIcn you Iavc
or Iavcn'i sccn iIc aciual acr. In ordcr io nalc ii clcar and sinlc, our siandard is iIai you
nusi oliain ciiIcr (i} a coy of iIc aciual acr in iIc rinicd journal (fron our lilrary,
anoiIcr lilrary or inicrlilrary loan}, (ii} a coy of iIc aciual acr fron nicrofiln, or (iii} an
clccironic vcrsion of iIc aciual acr in PDF fornai.
TIis is noi difficuli io do, lui you'll Iavc io lan aIcad. You nay lc allc io find iIc
aciual journal or nicrofiln in our lilrary, or you nay lc allc io find a PDF vcrsion on-linc (iIc
lilrary Ias on-linc sulscriiions io a nunlcr of journals, and nany oiIcrs arc now naling
ycar-old issucs availallc on-linc for frcc}. Or, you can go io onc of iIc nany cccllcni lilrarics
ncarly. U of C, NoriIwcsicrn, UIC and Loyola, for canlc. Or, you can asl iIc lilrary io ordcr
iIc ariiclc for you, for a snall fcc (lui lc warncd. iIis can ialc a coulc of wccls!!}. If you'rc
dcscraic, sonciincs you can luy a singlc ariiclc on-linc wiiIoui sulscriling io iIc journal,
lui iIc riccs for iIis arc scriously inflaicd. 'RQW ZDLW XQWLO WKH ODVW PLQXWH WR VWDUW
ORRNLQJ RU \RXOO ILQG \RXUVHOI VDGO\ ODFNLQJ LQ WKH QHFHVVDU\ UHIHUHQFHV Morc
infornaiion on wIcrc and Iow io lool for rcfcrcnccs is found in iIc Finding and Ciiing
Fcfcrcnccs scciion (agc 35}.
6FLHQWLILFZULWLQJVW\OH
You'rc noi connunicaiing cffcciivcly if iIc VW\OH of iIc acr is noi as good as iis
FRQWHQWin faci, an cffcciivc wriiing siylc can oficn grcaily inrovc your rcadcr's oinion of
your rcsulis, wIilc sloy wriiing can nar grcai rcsulis ly disiraciing iIc rcadcr fron iIc
acr's conicni. Your acr sIould lc olisIcd and rofcssionalso nucI so iIai you would
24
lc willing io sulnii ii for ullicaiion in a journal or for a scicniific ncciing. Ii sIould lc
conuicr-rinicd. Ii sIould lc doullc-saccdccci for iIc alsiraci, wIicI is singlc-saccd.
Dcforc iurning ii in, go lacl iIrougI your syllalus and iIc cIccllisi on agc 27 io lc surc
your rcori nccis all of your insirucior's ccciaiions. Do noi iurn in a acr iIai you lnow
docs noi ncci iIc nininun rcquircncnisdo wIaicvcr ii ialcs io lring ii u io siandards.
Your ionc sIould lc scicniific. TIis docs noi ncan lcing siuffy and loring and using
lig words. Cood scicniific wriiing is clcar, dircci and rcadallc. Dui ii docs ncan wriiing
rcciscly, using aroriaic scicniific icrninology and nainiaining a ccriain fornal ionc.
Again, iIc lcsi way io lcarn Iow io wriic in scicniific siylc is io rcad good acrs wriiicn ly
oiIcrs, so scnd sonc iinc ai iIc lilrary looling ai ariiclcs in good scicniific journals. TIc
canlc lclow nigIi Icl givc you an idca of wIai iIis siylc is lilc.
too informal: Mitochondria are little energy factories for cells. We made a cell`s
environment less sour and the cell couldn`t make its energy as well.
too wordy: lntensely energy-rich molecules are thermodynamically manipulated by
the cellular mitochondrial machinery, utilizing energy-generation
mechanisms such as oxidative phosphorylation, to the energetic benefit
of the cell. When the hydrogen ion concentration was decreased by
experimental manipulation by a factor of 100-fold, the resulting pH
increase produced a cellular effect in which the concentration of cellular
energy currency decreased disproportionately.
not clear: ln our experiment, pH had an effect on mitochondria.
good style: Mitochondria use gradients of hydrogen ions (protons) in producing ATP,
so a change in pH (H
+
concentration) might be expected to affect ATP
production. When the growth medium pH was raised from 7 to 9, ATP
production quickly dropped to 0.01% of normal.
Usc siandard synlols and allrcviaiions (ng, nM, (C, l, cic.}. If you usc an
allrcviaiion iIai would noi lc inncdiaicly rccognizcd ly any rcadcr wiiI a scicncc
laclground, scll ii oui iIc firsi iinc. Fcncnlcr iIai gcnus and sccics nancs of organisns
arc always iialicizcd ((VFKHULFKLDFROL, +RPRVDSLHQV}; iIc gcnus nanc is caiializcd lui iIc
sccics nanc is noi. Do noi add sucrscriis, Crccl lciicrs, figurc caiions or oiIcr dciails ly
Iand. if you don'i lnow Iow io nalc your conuicr add iIcsc dciails, now is iIc iinc io lcarn.
Don'i nalc lasi-ninuic corrcciions ly Iand, ciiIcrcIangc iIc filc and rc-rini iIc acr.
Snall dciails coniriluic significanily io iIc ovcrall rofcssionalisn of your acr.
Ncvcr iurn in a firsi drafi, and ncvcr iurn in cvcn a final drafi iIai is Ioi off iIc rcss"
and Iasn'i ai lcasi lccn rcad iIrougI onc lasi iinc io cIccl for iyos. If you Iavc iroullc
organizing your wriiing or nainiaining a snooiI flow of idcas, wriic a dciailcd ouilinc firsi.
WIcn you wriic a drafi, ui ii asidc for a liiilc wIilc and iIcn aiiacl ii viciously! Evcn an
cccllcni wriicr's firsi drafi is lilcly io nccd VLJQLILFDQW rcvision io nalc ii as clcar, rccisc,
crsuasivc and rofcssional as ossillc. TIis ncans noi only roofrcading for iyos lui
carcfully analyzing cacI aragraI, cacI scnicncc io scc wIciIcr ii Ias iIc cffcci you inicndcd
or if ii could lc said lciicr.
Scll-cIccl your acr, lui rcncnlcr iIai iIis will QRW caicI unciuaiion, grannar
and siylc crrors (ii docsn'i lnow wIciIcr you ncani affcci" or cffcci," duc" or do"}. TIcrc
is no sulsiiiuic for carcfully roofrcading your acr. Also, scll cIcclcrs oficn don'i lnow
scicniific icrns, so don'i llindly accci suggcsiions (for canlc, Microsofi Word iIinls iIai
alsorlancc" sIould lc rclaccd ly alsorlcncy"}. Crannar cIcclcrs arc of alnosi no usc
unlcss you wani io wriic on a siiI-gradc lcvcl, so don'i wasic your iinc. Duy a good diciionary
and a good guidc io EnglisI siylc and usc loiI frcqucnily. Ii is oficn Iclful io Iavc anoiIcr
siudcni rcad your acr, loiI for crrors and io scc if you goi your oini across wcll.
Sonc colc lclicvc iIai iIcrc sIould lc no assivc voicc" in a scicniific acr. Indccd,
cccssivc assivc voicc can nalc a acr sccn awlward and Iard io undcrsiand. TIc rivcr
25
was wadcd inio ly iIc invcsiigaior, and a waicr sanlc was collccicd ly iIc invcsiigaior and
Iandcd io iIc invcsiigaior's assisiani." Howcvcr, ioo nucI aciivc voicc can gci rcciiiivc and
sonciincs docsn'i carry iIc rocr scicniific ionc. , iool iIc sanlc., analyzcd iIc sanlc.,
found., concludcd.}. If your siylc is clcar and dircci, don'i lc ovcrly conccrncd aloui voicc.
For canlc, TIcsc ccrincnis wcrc donc in a Iood, and I iool iwo sanlcs ai cacI iinc
oini" conlincs loiI aciivc and assivc voicc wiiIoui lcing wordy or unclcar.
3ODJLDULVP
Siandards for acadcnic Ioncsiy and dcfiniiions of lagiarisn arc discusscd in dciail
clscwIcrc in iIis Iandlool. Howcvcr, ii nigIi lc uscful Icrc io lricfly lisi sonc sccific
canlcs of XQDFFHSWDEOH usc of oiIcrs' worl as iIcy criain sccifically io lal rcoris. Plcasc
rcncnlcr iIai any acadcnic disIoncsiy is suljcci io sanciions wIicI could lc a scvcrc as
failing iIc coursc or lcing disnisscd fron iIc Collcgc.
Using a graph or other figure prepared by another student in your lab report
Working with your partner to produce one graph or other figure which you then both use in your
lab reports
Asking your partner or another student to let you read his or her lab report and then using what
he or she has written as the basis for your own report
Working together with a partner on the actual writing of the lab report, so that two partners turn
in identical or extremely similar reports (collaborating with your partner on understanding
the experiment and analyzing the data is perfectly acceptablein fact, encouragedbut
each partner must do his or her own writing unless an instructore has specified that two
partners may turn in a single lab report)
Failing to give credit (a properly formatted citation and reference) for DQ\ non-original facts or
ideas used in the report
Using data from another lab group or any data that you did not personally obtain, unless you
have specific permission from your instructor to do so
Making up data, adjusting data to come out right," leaving out pertinent data that doesn`t fit your
hypothesis or any other unethical manipulation of data
27
)RUPDO5HSRUW&KHFNOLVW
Tiilc/Alsiraci.
Sccific iiilc dcscriling iIc ioic and/or nain conclusion
All coniriluiors lisicd as auiIors lclow iIc iiilc; wriicr idcniificd wiiI an asicrisl
Alsiraci singlc-saccd; lricfly sunnarizcs cniirc acr, including rcsulis & conclusions
Iniroduciion.
Iniroduciion rovidcs sufficicni laclground for rcadcr io undcrsiand iIc ccrincnis
Iniroduciion sIows wIy iIc ccrincnis arc inoriani and significani
Iniroduciion includcs your IyoiIcsis and iIc raiionalc on wIicI ii is lascd
All non-original facis and idcas idcniificd wiiI ciiaiions and rcfcrcnccs in rocr fornai
Maicrials and MciIods.
Maicrials and MciIods givcs cnougI dciail iIai iIc ccrincni could lc rccaicd
Maicrials and MciIods is a concisc, conaci dcscriiion in aragraI forn, using full
scnicnccs (noi a lisi of naicrials or a sci of dircciions}
Sourcc(s} for roccdurcs arc rocrly ciicd
Fcsulis.
Fcsulis scciion lcgins wiiI a scnicncc or iwo of iniroduciion
Fcsulis iclls iIc siory" of iIc ccrincni and could siand alonc
Fcsulis scciion dcscrilcs iIc rcsulis in words, noi jusi figurcs
Fcsulis scciion rcfcrs io and conncnis on graIs, iallcs and oiIcr figurcs (ly nunlcr}
Fcsulis scciion includcs analysis of iIc daia, including aroriaic siaiisiical analysis
Fcsulis scciion is wriiicn in asi icnsc
Discussion.
Discussion lricfly rccas rcsulis
Discussion focuscs on liological clanaiions for iIc rcsulis. ZK\ wcrc iIcsc rcsulis
oliaincd? WIai was going on in iIc ccll or organisn iIai lcd io iIcsc rcsulis?
Any VSHFLILF rollcns arc discusscd, avoiding gcncralizaiions lilc ccrincnial crror."
Conirols arc discusscd carcfully
Your IyoiIcsis (fron iIc Iniroduciion} is cvaluaicd
Possillc fuiurc dircciions or inrovcncnis io iIc ccrincnis arc discusscd
Ccncral.
CraIs, iallcs and illusiraiions arc clcar, fornaiicd rocrly and inicgraicd inio ici
Figurcs arc nunlcrcd and Iavc dcscriiivc caiions lui no iiilcs; iallcs arc nunlcrcd
scaraicly and Iavc iiilcs lui no caiions
Sourccs for all non-original naicrial arc rocrly idcniificd ly ciiaiions in iIc ici as wcll
as full rcfcrcnccs ai iIc cnd of iIc rcori
Siylc is clcar, concisc, fornal and scicniific iIrougIoui
Siandard synlols, allrcviaiions, sulscriis, sucrscriis, cic. Iavc lccn uscd
Fcori Ias lccn iIrougI ai lcasi iwo conlcic drafis wiiI carcful rcading, cdiiing and rc-
wriiing; final drafi is carcfully roofrcad and frcc fron wriiing crrors.
29
Figure 1. Disappearance of chocolate chip cookies and
coconut macaroons over a 10-hour period. Data are
averages of three trials; error bars represent 95%
confidence limits. Only the linear portions of the curves
were considered in plotting best-fit lines.
6DPSOH/DE5HSRUW
THE EFFECT OF COOKIE TYPE ON RATE OF DISAPPEARANCE
Cookie Monster and Ernie Muppet*
Coolics disacar fron coolic jars ai diffcrcni raics. TIis acr
icsis onc facior iIai could lay an inoriani rolc in dcicrnining
iIc raic of disacarancc. iIc iyc of coolic in iIc jar. TIc iyc
of coolics rcscni in a jar was varicd, and iIcir disacarancc
ncasurcd undcr siandard condiiions. Wc found iIai cIocolaic
cIi coolics Iad iIc IigIcsi raic of disaarancc, followcd ly
canui luicr coolics and iIcn oaincal-raisin. Wc concludc iIai
iIc iyc of coolic Ias a significani cffcci on raic of
disacarancc and IyoiIcsizc iIai coolic rcfcrcnccs anong
local oulaiions of +RPR VDSLHQV nigIi lc iIc dcicrnining
facior.
In rcccni ycars, a nunlcr of rcscarcIcrs Iavc rcoricd iIc raid, soniancous
disacarancc of coolics iIai Iad lccn siorcd in jars (Kccllcr HWDO., 2002}, csccially wIcn
iIc jars wcrc laccd in ullically acccssillc locaiions (Monsicr, 2006}. FuriIcrnorc, iIc raic
of coolic disacarancc is noi consiani fron onc ccrincni io iIc nci (Orco and Mill, 2006},
suggcsiing iIai sonc unlnown facior can affcci iIc raic of disacarancc. Wc conducicd iIc
ccrincni rcoricd Icrc io dcicrninc wIciIcr iIc iyc of coolic laccd in iIc jar would affcci
iIc raic of disacarancc. Dccausc sonc iycs of coolic arc lnown io lc yunnicr iIan oiIcrs
(Housc, 1999}, wc IyoiIcsizcd iIai sonc iycs of coolic would consisicnily disacar fasicr
iIan oiIcrs.
Materials and Methods
For cacI irial, onc jar coniaining aroinaicly iwo dozcn cIocolaic-cIi coolics and
onc jar coniaining aroinaicly iwo dozcn coconui nacaroons wcrc laccd on a iallc in a
Iallway of iIc NoriI Ccniral Collcgc Scicncc
Ccnicr wiiI significani fooi iraffic. Jars wcrc
always sci oui ai 8.00 a.n., and iIc nunlcr of
coolics rcnaining was counicd cvcry Iour for 10
Iours. TIc ccrincni was rccaicd iIrcc iincs.
Pesults
In ordcr io dcicrninc wIciIcr coolic iyc
influcnccs iIc raic of coolic disacarancc fron
jars in ullic locaiions, wc conarcd iIc raic of
disacarancc of cIocolaic-cIi coolics wiiI iIai
of coconui nacaroons. WIcn iIc iwo iycs of
coolic wcrc laccd sidc-ly-sidc and iIc nunlcr
rcnaining was dcicrnincd ovcr a 10-Iour criod,
30
wc olscrvcd iIai iIc coconui nacaroons disacarcd norc slowly. Vcry sinilar rcsulis wcrc
oliaincd in cacI of iIrcc irials. Avcragc daia for iIc iIrcc irials, rcoricd as crccniagc of
coolics rcnaining arc sIown in Figurc 1.
Wc iIcn dcicrnincd iIc raic of
disacarancc for cacI irial of cacI lind of
coolic using lcsi-fii lincar ircndlincs. TIc
avcragc raics arc sIown in Tallc 1. Noic iIai
for iIc cIocolaic-cIi coolics, wc olscrvcd
iIai iIc raic of disacarancc slowcd aficr
aloui scvcn Iours in cacI irial; iIcrcforc, wc
calculaicd raic using only iIc daia for iIc firsi scvcn Iours in ordcr io ncasurc a lincar raic
of disacarancc. Wc uscd Siudcni's W-icsi io conarc iIc raics and found iIai iIc raic of
disacarancc of iIc cIocolaic-cIi coolics was significanily IigIcr iIan iIc raic for iIc
coconui nacaroons (S 0.001}.
Discussion
TIis ccrincni was dcsigncd io icsi iIc IyoiIcsis iIai coolic disacarancc raics
would lc affccicd ly iIc iyc of coolic uscd. Sccifically, wc conarcd iIc raic of
disacarancc of cIocolaic cIi coolics io iIai of coconui nacaroons. Wc found iIai cIocolaic
cIi coolics disacarcd ncarly iIrcc iincs fasicr, a siaiisiically significani diffcrcncc wIicI
suoris our IyoiIcsis.
TIis diffcrcncc in disacarancc raics was consisicni across iIrcc irials, and iIc
rclaiivcly snall siandard dcviaiions in iIc daia Wc also olscrvcd a consisicni slowdown in
disacarancc of iIc cIocolaic-cIi coolics aficr scvcn Iours. TIis Icnoncnon could lc duc
io rcduccd fooi iraffic laicr in iIc day or could lc duc io iIc liniicd nunlcr of coolics
rcnaining in iIc jar ai iIis oini. Incrcasing iIc duraiion of iIc ccrincni so iIai iIc nunlcr
of nacaroons rcnaining also aroacIcs zcro could rovidc furiIcr infornaiion.
Prcvious rcscarcI (Housc, 1999} sIowcd iIai cIocolaic cIi coolics arc anong iIc
yunnicsi availallc, scoring on avcragc 10 Yuns (Yn} IigIcr iIan coconui nacaroons. Talcn
iogciIcr wiiI iIc daia rcoricd Icrc, iIis suggcsis iIai iIcir IigI raic of disacarancc nay
lc duc io IigIcr acal io assing +RPRVDSLHQV. Fuiurc ccrincnis will icsi iIis IyoiIcsis.
Peferences
Housc, T. 1999. Quaniiiaiivc ncasurcncni of iasic valuc of various coolic iycs. J. Anal.
Daling 4S.98-103.
Kccllcr, J., N. Alisco, and A. Dalcr. 2002. Soniancous disacarancc of coolics fron jars.
J. Coolic Fcs. 3.104-113.
Monsicr, C. 2006. Coolic disacarancc varics wiiI locaiion. Daling Sci. 23.1114-1116.
Orco, C., and W. Mill. 2006. Uncccicd variaiion in coolic-disacarancc ccrincnis. J. Irr.
Fcs. 16.20046-20054.
TabIe 1. Pates of cookie disappearance
cookie type rate of disappearance
a
chocolate chip 10.5 0.8 %
coconut macaroon 3.4 0.2 %
a
average of three trials; reported as percentage of
cookies disappearing per hour one standard
deviation.