THE PROJECT
NOTEBOOK
The
following format will be used for your research notebook.
You will be provided with a research notebook which includes carbonless
copies of each page’s entries. You
are to submit the copy version of your notebook by Friday noon of each week.
INTRODUCTION:
This section should include a title, the date the experiment was started, a
clear statement about the goal or purpose of your experiment or field work, and
any references or citations of which you are aware at the project’s onset. You
don't need to use the heading INTRODUCTION
for this section, but do
use the headings for the remaining sections.
EXPERIMENTAL
PLAN: This section should include a
brief (although as complete as possible at the project’s onset) description of
how you will accomplish the goal stated in your introduction. The purpose here
is to state clearly the approach
that you intend to take in order to resolve the problem that you have
stated. It should be written in
such a style that other readers will understand what you are doing. You may
combine a variety of styles in this section.
You may include a narrative, a list of steps, a flowchart or whatever
form you think makes your plan clear. Note that you are not obligated to follow
this plan to the letter - your actual work may vary from the plan due to what
you actually encounter in the lab or field. You should also
include in this section any relevant information about chemicals and their properties (a
table is sometimes useful here), sketches of unusual or unfamiliar apparatus,
safety precautions, and/or any other detail important to the experiment or field
work.
OBSERVATIONS
AND DATA: A complete, self-contained,
running account of all procedures, observations, and data making up the
experiment, summaries of all articles read and important conversations had, written as the experiment is
being performed must be included. This narrative is your
only reliable information
from your field work or experiment.
You should be as clear, concise and complete as possible in writing this
section. Say exactly what you did. Write down accurate weights, temperatures,
species identifications, and all other data in the notebook as they are
collected. Make careful observations. Note any change to the experimental plan.
An independent person should be able to repeat your work by reading this section
of the notebook. This section is the heart of the notebook, and is done during your actual work; it is not reconstructed after the
fact.
DISCUSSION
OF RESULTS: This section is used to
evaluate the data and observations from the previous section after the
experiment is completed. Insert graphs and calculate results (if applicable).
Reflect on the meaning of the results and give your own interpretation of the
data. Don't use this section to restate the data, but to understand it. Be
thorough. State if the data supports the original hypothesis. If it doesn't,
discuss why not.
CONCLUSION:
Summarize your work. Was the goal of the experiment achieved? How well did the
experimental procedure work? What could have been done differently? Any ideas
for future work?