1 Lab 9: Comparison of Two Field Methods in a Scientific Report/Paper Format Minimum Content of the Scientific Report Title The title should be a brief summary statement about your paper. Your title will be what is most commonly cited and will be the “target” of topical searches via the internet. Choose your words carefully. As short and as concise a title as possible is best. Each student will come up with the title! You might consider waiting until after completing the report to finalize the title. Abstract Think of the abstract as a short summary of your paper that could stand-alone as a publication. The abstract should include, in order: a summary of the introduction, methods, results, and discussion. However, you may include only key results and key discussion points in the abstract. Do not include reference to figures and tables, and don’t use abbreviations. Don’t include references in the abstract. This is the hardest section of the paper to write, and should be written after you complete the other sections. Minimum of 200 and maximum of 300 words in a single-paragraph format. Introduction The introduction should include a detailed explanation about why you are doing the study, i.e., the basis for your study. This section should include observations or results from previous studies that support the basis for your study, but not the results or discussion or conclusions drawn from the results of your project. Follow these observations or results from previous studies with the questions or hypotheses of your study. The introduction should end with a brief paragraph that summarizes the setting, scope, and justification or importance of the study. This is a lead-in paragraph to the rest of the paper. Minimum of 1/2 page of text in length with one or more paragraphs. 2 Methods Write the methods in the past tense. This should be a detailed, step-by-step, description of how you did the study. Include details on the equipment and materials used (see list below). Include the approach to data analysis and cite any statistical or other applications used to input, manage, graph, or analyze the data. Include citations for any standard or previously published methods used. Write this section with enough detail that someone else could duplicate your study or conduct a similar study with only your methods section available. Include a map showing the location, sampling area, and plot and belt transect in the sampling area. Minimum of one page of text in length with multiple paragraphs. Results This the “what you got” section. Write the results in the past tense. This sections includes any data or results tables and graphs you have. This is a summary of your key results from data, graphs, and/or results of statistical analyses. You are not required to include a statistical analysis(-es). You ar ...