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BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
1
BIOL10010: Written Practical Report –
Frequently Asked Questions, with answers
Further information regarding the Written Practical Report can be found on
Canvas (see below).
Contents
Where do I start? ................................................................................................................................. 2
Where do I find instructions? ............................................................................................................... 2
Where do I find the Resources? ........................................................................................................... 2
Where do I find the data? .................................................................................................................... 2
Developing a coherent report .............................................................................................................. 3
Hypothesis / Aim ................................................................................................................................. 3
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Methods / Materials ............................................................................................................................ 4
How to structure the Methods section ................................................................................................ 4
Presenting the data ............................................................................................................................. 5
Interpreting the Results ....................................................................................................................... 5
Do your findings agree with previous studies? ..................................................................................... 6
Implications of findings ........................................................................................................................ 6
Appropriate literature ......................................................................................................................... 7
Finding appropriate literature – conducting a literature search ............................................................ 7
In-text citations ................................................................................................................................... 8
Referencing ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Word count ......................................................................................................................................... 8
General advice ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Writing concisely ................................................................................................................................. 9
Need more guidance? ...................................................................................................................... 9
Being motivated and making progress on your assignment ................................................................ 10
Planning......................................................................................................................................... 10
Yet to start? ................................................................................................................................... 10
BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
2
Where do I start?
The Written Practical Report builds on Practical 2; you will need to revisit Practical 2 to
complete the Written Practical Report.
To make a start:
• access the Instructions and Marking Rubric on the Practical Report – Final Submission
Canvas page (available on the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment / Practical Report).
• watch the videos ‘Using data’, ‘Plotting data using Excel’, ‘Writing scientifically’,
‘Referencing’ on the Practical 2 – Practical Report Canvas page (available on the
BIOL10010 Canvas page: Modules / Week 4 / Practical 2 – Practical Report, or navigate
to the Practical 2 page and click ‘Next’ at the bottom of the page).
• revisit the Practical 2 Canvas page and your practical notes.
• read the questions posted by students (and answered by members of the BIOL10010
teaching team) on Ed Discussion.
Where do I find instructions?
The Instructions and Marking Rubric are available on the Practical Report – Final Submission
Canvas page, or under Assignment / Practical Report – Final Submission on the BIOL10010
Canvas page.
Where do I find the Resources?
The Resources – e.g., Instructional videos, and ‘Writing Science Laboratory Reports’ – are
available on the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page, or under Assignment /
Practical Report – Final Submission on the BIOL10010 Canvas page.
Where do I find the data?
You will collect the data using Virtual Biology Lab; refer to the notes for Practical 2 (see the
Practical 2 Canvas page), especially the section guiding you to complete the relevant activity.
As you finalise your data, remember to refer to the notes from Practical 2, and the Marking
Rubric and the Instructions (available on the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page,
or the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment / Practical Report).
You need to decide which data to include. To help you to decide,
1. Return to your Aim / Hypothesis.
You should select data that allows you to address your Aim, and test your Hypothesis.
See the video titled ‘Using data’ (see the Practical 2 – Practical Report Canvas page, or
BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
3
available under the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Modules / Week 4 / Practical 2 – Practical
Report).
2. Follow the Instructions and Rubric (see the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas
page, or under Assignment / Practical Report – Final Submission on the BIOL10010
Canvas page.
The Marking Rubric states how the assignment will be assessed, and you will need to
select data to be able to answer the Discussion questions.
Developing a coherent report
Scientific reports should have a narrative; the ideas or themes should flow through all sections
of the report. The Introduction should introduce the 'problem' – what was studied and why is
this important? – and finish with an Aim / Hypothesis.
From here, everything should relate to the Aim / Hypothesis. The Methods should outline the
materials and approach used to test the Aim / Hypothesis, the Results should present findings
that address the Aim / Hypothesis, and the Discussion should explain the findings considering
the Aim / Hypothesis.
When assessing your work, we will check that the Aim / Hypothesis is clearly stated and that
the report addresses this Aim / Hypothesis. For more support see the video titled ‘Writing
Scientifically’ (see the Practical 2 – Practical Report Canvas page, or available under Modules /
Practical 2 – Practical Report).
Hypothesis / Aim
You need to pose an Aim / Hypothesis.
A Hypothesis is what we will test, and your Hypothesis statement should be testable and
include a prediction. An Aim is what we hope to achieve – what will we learn from our
study/experiment? See the video titled ‘Using data’ (see the Practical 2 – Practical Report
Canvas page, or available under Modules / Practical 2 – Practical Report) for further support.
Introduction
The Introduction should introduce the ‘context’; think about the big picture and present this to
readers. Next, introduce the 'problem' – what was studied and why is this important? – and
finish the Introduction with your specific Aim / Hypothesis. As you introduce the context and
problem, use scientific literature (i.e., journal articles or ‘papers’) to support your claims and
acknowledge this work using in-text citations.
BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
4
Methods / Materials
Readers should be able to use your Methods to repeat the study. As accurately as you can,
report the methods that you used and use sufficient detail so someone can use the same
approach. A very small number of marks is awarded to the Methods (see the Marking Rubric),
so provide the necessary detail (see the Instructions) whilst minimising the number of words
that you use.
Instead of outlining the steps taken, you may choose to write a concise Methods referring
readers to the Practical 2 notes, e.g., ‘To conduct this study, I used the approach outlined in
Practical 2: Activity 5…’). If you use this approach, remember to include an in-text citation for
the Practical Notes (e.g., BIOL10010 Practical 2 Manual) and add the Practical manual to the
Reference list (the authors could be the School of BioSciences and the publisher The University
of Melbourne). You should also describe the specific approach that you used: the genotype you
selected against and the relative fitness. In the Methods, describe that you used the Virtual
Biology Lab website to conduct the experiment; remember to include an in-text citation and
add the details of the website to the Reference list too. Instructions and the Marking Rubric are
available on the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page (or see BIOL10010 Canvas
page: Assignment / Practical Report). Refer to the Practical 2 notes (Activity 5) to see the
appropriate experimental approach. Use Re:cite or https://library.unimelb.edu.au/recite to see
how to appropriately reference the practical manual (this could be referenced as a book) and
website. Information about referencing can also be found on the BIOL10010 Canvas page
under Modules / Library Resources.
How to structure the Methods section
In scientific reports, we report the method and materials using full sentences. Your Methods
section might be several sentences long; try to be as concise as possible, whilst describing the
method and materials so the study can be repeated. To see the typical approach used, refer to
a Methods section in a published scientific article. You will find, the author(s):
• use past tense,
• use full sentences,
• describe / name the materials used within the sentences (not as a list, as you might see
in a recipe),
• provide specific, but not too much, detail about the approach used.
Before writing the Methods, check the Instructions. If limited marks are attributed to writing
out the method, keep the Methods very brief and use the word count towards other sections
(see the Marking Rubric and Instructions, on the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas
BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
5
page, or available under on the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignments / Practical Report). See
Methods/Materials above for some specific guidance.
Presenting the data
In science, we only present a given data set once, either as a Figure or a Table. Choose if a
Figure or Table best represents and summarises your Data. Refer to the videos titled ‘Using
Data’ and ‘Plotting data using Excel’ for guidance (available under Modules / Practical 2 –
Practical Report), and the Instructions (especially the section ‘Task description’) and Marking
Rubric (see the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page, or the BIOL10010 Canvas
page: Assignment / Practical Report). The Rubric outlines how your work (including the Results)
will be assessed.
Data should be selected to address, and be presented in a way to reflect, your Aim /
Hypothesis. The videos (described above) will assist you to do this.
Interpreting the Results
When presenting the Results, interpret the data in response to your Aim / Hypothesis; keep
your Aim / Hypothesis in mind. Refer to the Instructions (especially the section ‘Task
description’) and Marking Rubric (see the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page, or
available on the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment / Practical Report).
When we conduct a statistical test, e.g., a Chi-square analysis, we need to consider the p-value*
to interpret the results. This will help us to address the Results criterion in the Rubric.
If the p-value is less than 0.05 (or p < 0.05), the results are significantly different. We need to
summarise our results in a sentence (or two), e.g., ‘There was a significant difference in x
between A and B (χ2 = [include your chi-square value here], df = [include your degrees of
freedom here], p = [include your p-value or range of p-values here]; Fig 1).’ In this statement, x
is the phenomenon we are testing, and A and B are the two groups we are comparing. You
might need to change the phrasing to reflect your experimental design. ‘Fig 1’ refers readers to
the relevant figure, in this case Figure number 1.
If p < 0.05 for the Written Practical Report, we reject the null hypothesis that the population is
in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium.
If the p-value is greater than 0.05 (or p > 0.05), the results are not significantly different. We
need to summarise our results in a sentence (or two): ‘There was no significant difference in x
between A and B (χ2 = [include your chi-square value here], df = [include your degrees of
freedom here], p = [include your p-value or range of p-values here]; Fig 1).’ In this statement, x
BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
6
is the phenomenon we are testing, and A and B are the two groups we are comparing. You
might need to change the phrasing to reflect your experimental design. ‘Fig 1’ refers readers to
the relevant figure, in this case Figure number 1.
If p > 0.05 for the Written Practical Report, we accept the null hypothesis that the population is
in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium.
By including the chi-square value, df, and p in brackets, readers can reconstruct the results
table; there is no need to include a table showing your workings. By including the p-value we
provide evidence for our claim: that the two scenarios that we are comparing are significantly
different or not significantly different.
*The p-value relates to a probability. If p < 0.05, there is a very small probability (i.e., less than
5% chance) that what we observe is due to random chance; what we observed is likely a true
effect or difference, and that the groups/scenarios we tested are statistically different. If p >
0.05, there is a very high probability (i.e., more than 5% chance) that what we observed is due
to random chance. It is unlikely that there is a difference; the groups/scenarios we tested are
statistically the same. Above, we provide suggested phrasing to describe each of these
scenarios; you are welcome to adapt the appropriate statement for your Results.
Do your findings agree with previous studies?
You will address this question in the Discussion (see the Instructions available on the see the
Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page, or BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment /
Practical Report). In the Discussion, you need to answer the Discussion questions (see the
Instructions) as a series of linked sentences, and briefly summarise the key findings (i.e., what
did the data show?). You will then interpret the Results, using the findings of other studies /
research.
From readings scientific articles, what did you learn? Did this research find a similar or different
result to you? How did they explain their results? Use these arguments or this evidence to
explain your Results. This is how you will address: ‘do your findings agree with previous
studies?’. You may decide to address this when answering the Discussion questions, or
separately.
Implications of findings
The way you answer the Implications of findings question will depend on your (1) Aim /
Hypothesis and/or interpretation of the (2) Results. In the Conclusion, you should address:
‘how does selection enhance the effects of other forces of microevolution?’. Refer to the
BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
7
Instructions (available on the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page, or BIOL10010
Canvas page: Assignment / Practical Report).
Appropriate literature
For the Written Practical Report, read and cite published and peer reviewed journal articles
(‘papers’ or ‘scholarly articles’). Web of Science is one way to source reliable journal articles
(see below). Reword what is presented in these scientific articles – use must your own words –
and include in-text citations (see the Instructions available under Assignment / Practical Report
– Final Submission, and Library Resources available under Modules on the BIOL10010 Canvas
page). You will cite relevant scientific articles in the Introduction and Discussion.
Use two or more journal articles (‘papers’) as references. If you can, cite journal articles –
primary sources – instead of books –secondary sources. Be sure to meet the referencing
criteria (see the Rubric, available on the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page, or on
the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment / Practical Report).
Finding appropriate literature – conducting a literature search
Databases facilitate efficient literature searches. Web of Science is a platform for searching
different databases by providing quick, powerful access to the world’s leading citation
databases. It allows access to over 20,000 of the highest impact journals worldwide, including
Open Access journals, conference proceedings and book data. You will find current and
retrospective coverage in many areas including the sciences.
You can access Web of Science here: https://cat.lib.unimelb.edu.au/record=e1000043~S31.
This link will ask you to sign in; login as a student first. You can search specific Titles / Authors,
or conduct a more general search via Topics. It may take you some time before you find
appropriate search terms that will return relevant journal articles; keep trying. You can also
access Web of Science from the Library homepage: https://library.unimelb.edu.au/.
For help using Web of Science, use Library Resources under Modules on the BIOL10010 Canvas
page, or visit the Canvas pages for the Skills Workshops. Apply a similar approach to find
relevant literature for your Written Practical Report.
You may choose to use Google Scholar, but Web of Science will provide a more comprehensive
search. Once you are logged in to the Library page, you will have greater access to articles in
Google Scholar. Use Google Scholar after Web of Science.
If you accessed Library Resources (see above) and still have difficulty conducting a literature
search, please speak with a librarian via ‘ask a librarian’ chat during working hours. The ‘Ask a
BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
8
librarian’ chat window is available at the bottom of this page:
https://library.unimelb.edu.au/contact_the_library.
In-text citations
When we present an idea or material, in-text citations allow us to acknowledge the author(s)
and/or the source of the material.
You will need to conduct a literature search, i.e., read published journal articles ('papers') that
address the topic. Start by reading the Abstract. If the content presented in the Abstract
seems relevant, download the article and read further. Rephrase any relevant information in
your own words and use in-text citations in your Written Practical Report.
You will include information from scientific articles in the Introduction, to provide background
on your study and to introduce the ‘problem’, and in the Discussion, to help to answer the
Discussion questions and when explaining your Results (e.g., what did previous research find?
Did this research produce similar or different results compared with our study?).
See Library Resources for guidance on using in-text citations and Instructions for the format
required. (Library Resources are available under Modules on the BIOL10010 Canvas page, and
the Instructions are available on the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment / Practical Report –
Final Submission.)
Referencing
Any in-text citations need to be summarised at the end of the document in a list of references
(‘References’). The list of references needs to be formatted in a specific way and according to
the type of referencing used (e.g., APA). See Instructions for more information, and Library
Resources for guidance. (Library Resources are available under Modules on the BIOL10010
Canvas page, and the Instructions are available on the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment /
Practical Report – Final Submission.)
Word count
You need to adhere to the word limit (see the Rubric, available on the BIOL10010 Canvas page:
Assignment / Practical Report – Final Submission). A few things do not count towards the
word count: the reference list, tables (should you include one), axes labels and titles in figures,
and table headers and figure captions. In science, it is best to write as concisely as possible.
For this BIOL10010 Written Practical Report you will not be penalised for writing less, as long as
the criteria (see the Rubric) are addressed.
BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
9
General advice
Writing concisely
As scientists, we strive to write clearly and concisely to (1) maintain a reader's interest and (2)
communicate effectively, as writing underpins our success in many ways, e.g., grants/funding
applications to receive money to conduct our research, written abstracts to be selected to
present our research at conferences, and journal articles – so our work is accepted and we have
a wider/global scientific readership.
Writing well is not easy and not enjoyed by many (ask most tutors, demonstrators and
academics!), but is such an important skill. Here are some tips on writing concisely:
• Write in the active voice.
• Write a document twice as long, and then cut it back. Include only what is essential and
exclude anything the report can do without. Editing works best when you step back
from your work (e.g., have a day or two’s break from writing, or a tea/coffee break
when you’re working to a tight deadline) and can review your work subjectively.
• Try to be as specific as possible. In doing so, we use fewer words and convey our point
concisely. When editing your work, ask yourself: how, why? This will often flag any
points that need expanding. Some of this is a matter of practice – writing and editing
your own work – and some of it is familiarity with the content – the more confident we
are, the better we can judge what we must include. As you progress through your
undergraduate training, confidence in subject matter will come from reading journal
articles.
More generally, read and write as much as possible; we all improve with practice. Read journal
articles, news articles, novels, ... anything and do it frequently.
Need more guidance?
Academic Skills is a free university service that provides assistance with writing (and many other
things too). Resources are available from their website:
https://students.unimelb.edu.au/academic-skills.
Jan Pechenik has written a great book – 'A short guide to writing about biology' – which may
help. There are many editions, and some are available from the library.
BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
10
Being motivated and making progress on your assignment
Planning
Planning is important and holds us accountable for our progress. If you are yet to create a plan,
do it now or set 5 minutes aside to make a plan today .
Yet to start?
1. Access the Instructions and Marking Rubric, see Assignments / Practical Report – Final
Submission.
2. Write your Aim / Hypothesis.
Consult the Rubric and Instructions in Canvas: Assignments / Practical Report – Final
Submission. Hint: the Discussion questions and the Rubric will help you to select data.
3. Write your Methods.
Consult the Rubric and Instructions in Canvas: Assignments / Practical Report – Final
Submission.
4. Prepare your Results.
Consult the Rubric and Instructions in Canvas: Assignments / Practical Report – Final
Submission, and watch the videos (see Modules / Practical 2 – Practical Report, or
navigate to the Practical 2 page and click ‘Next’ at the bottom of the page). Hint: the
Discussion questions and the Rubric will help you to select data.
1
BIOL10010: Written Practical Report –
Frequently Asked Questions, with answers
Further information regarding the Written Practical Report can be found on
Canvas (see below).
Contents
Where do I start? ................................................................................................................................. 2
Where do I find instructions? ............................................................................................................... 2
Where do I find the Resources? ........................................................................................................... 2
Where do I find the data? .................................................................................................................... 2
Developing a coherent report .............................................................................................................. 3
Hypothesis / Aim ................................................................................................................................. 3
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Methods / Materials ............................................................................................................................ 4
How to structure the Methods section ................................................................................................ 4
Presenting the data ............................................................................................................................. 5
Interpreting the Results ....................................................................................................................... 5
Do your findings agree with previous studies? ..................................................................................... 6
Implications of findings ........................................................................................................................ 6
Appropriate literature ......................................................................................................................... 7
Finding appropriate literature – conducting a literature search ............................................................ 7
In-text citations ................................................................................................................................... 8
Referencing ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Word count ......................................................................................................................................... 8
General advice ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Writing concisely ................................................................................................................................. 9
Need more guidance? ...................................................................................................................... 9
Being motivated and making progress on your assignment ................................................................ 10
Planning......................................................................................................................................... 10
Yet to start? ................................................................................................................................... 10
BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
2
Where do I start?
The Written Practical Report builds on Practical 2; you will need to revisit Practical 2 to
complete the Written Practical Report.
To make a start:
• access the Instructions and Marking Rubric on the Practical Report – Final Submission
Canvas page (available on the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment / Practical Report).
• watch the videos ‘Using data’, ‘Plotting data using Excel’, ‘Writing scientifically’,
‘Referencing’ on the Practical 2 – Practical Report Canvas page (available on the
BIOL10010 Canvas page: Modules / Week 4 / Practical 2 – Practical Report, or navigate
to the Practical 2 page and click ‘Next’ at the bottom of the page).
• revisit the Practical 2 Canvas page and your practical notes.
• read the questions posted by students (and answered by members of the BIOL10010
teaching team) on Ed Discussion.
Where do I find instructions?
The Instructions and Marking Rubric are available on the Practical Report – Final Submission
Canvas page, or under Assignment / Practical Report – Final Submission on the BIOL10010
Canvas page.
Where do I find the Resources?
The Resources – e.g., Instructional videos, and ‘Writing Science Laboratory Reports’ – are
available on the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page, or under Assignment /
Practical Report – Final Submission on the BIOL10010 Canvas page.
Where do I find the data?
You will collect the data using Virtual Biology Lab; refer to the notes for Practical 2 (see the
Practical 2 Canvas page), especially the section guiding you to complete the relevant activity.
As you finalise your data, remember to refer to the notes from Practical 2, and the Marking
Rubric and the Instructions (available on the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page,
or the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment / Practical Report).
You need to decide which data to include. To help you to decide,
1. Return to your Aim / Hypothesis.
You should select data that allows you to address your Aim, and test your Hypothesis.
See the video titled ‘Using data’ (see the Practical 2 – Practical Report Canvas page, or
BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
3
available under the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Modules / Week 4 / Practical 2 – Practical
Report).
2. Follow the Instructions and Rubric (see the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas
page, or under Assignment / Practical Report – Final Submission on the BIOL10010
Canvas page.
The Marking Rubric states how the assignment will be assessed, and you will need to
select data to be able to answer the Discussion questions.
Developing a coherent report
Scientific reports should have a narrative; the ideas or themes should flow through all sections
of the report. The Introduction should introduce the 'problem' – what was studied and why is
this important? – and finish with an Aim / Hypothesis.
From here, everything should relate to the Aim / Hypothesis. The Methods should outline the
materials and approach used to test the Aim / Hypothesis, the Results should present findings
that address the Aim / Hypothesis, and the Discussion should explain the findings considering
the Aim / Hypothesis.
When assessing your work, we will check that the Aim / Hypothesis is clearly stated and that
the report addresses this Aim / Hypothesis. For more support see the video titled ‘Writing
Scientifically’ (see the Practical 2 – Practical Report Canvas page, or available under Modules /
Practical 2 – Practical Report).
Hypothesis / Aim
You need to pose an Aim / Hypothesis.
A Hypothesis is what we will test, and your Hypothesis statement should be testable and
include a prediction. An Aim is what we hope to achieve – what will we learn from our
study/experiment? See the video titled ‘Using data’ (see the Practical 2 – Practical Report
Canvas page, or available under Modules / Practical 2 – Practical Report) for further support.
Introduction
The Introduction should introduce the ‘context’; think about the big picture and present this to
readers. Next, introduce the 'problem' – what was studied and why is this important? – and
finish the Introduction with your specific Aim / Hypothesis. As you introduce the context and
problem, use scientific literature (i.e., journal articles or ‘papers’) to support your claims and
acknowledge this work using in-text citations.
BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
4
Methods / Materials
Readers should be able to use your Methods to repeat the study. As accurately as you can,
report the methods that you used and use sufficient detail so someone can use the same
approach. A very small number of marks is awarded to the Methods (see the Marking Rubric),
so provide the necessary detail (see the Instructions) whilst minimising the number of words
that you use.
Instead of outlining the steps taken, you may choose to write a concise Methods referring
readers to the Practical 2 notes, e.g., ‘To conduct this study, I used the approach outlined in
Practical 2: Activity 5…’). If you use this approach, remember to include an in-text citation for
the Practical Notes (e.g., BIOL10010 Practical 2 Manual) and add the Practical manual to the
Reference list (the authors could be the School of BioSciences and the publisher The University
of Melbourne). You should also describe the specific approach that you used: the genotype you
selected against and the relative fitness. In the Methods, describe that you used the Virtual
Biology Lab website to conduct the experiment; remember to include an in-text citation and
add the details of the website to the Reference list too. Instructions and the Marking Rubric are
available on the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page (or see BIOL10010 Canvas
page: Assignment / Practical Report). Refer to the Practical 2 notes (Activity 5) to see the
appropriate experimental approach. Use Re:cite or https://library.unimelb.edu.au/recite to see
how to appropriately reference the practical manual (this could be referenced as a book) and
website. Information about referencing can also be found on the BIOL10010 Canvas page
under Modules / Library Resources.
How to structure the Methods section
In scientific reports, we report the method and materials using full sentences. Your Methods
section might be several sentences long; try to be as concise as possible, whilst describing the
method and materials so the study can be repeated. To see the typical approach used, refer to
a Methods section in a published scientific article. You will find, the author(s):
• use past tense,
• use full sentences,
• describe / name the materials used within the sentences (not as a list, as you might see
in a recipe),
• provide specific, but not too much, detail about the approach used.
Before writing the Methods, check the Instructions. If limited marks are attributed to writing
out the method, keep the Methods very brief and use the word count towards other sections
(see the Marking Rubric and Instructions, on the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas
BIOL10010: FAQs for the Written Practical Report
5
page, or available under on the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignments / Practical Report). See
Methods/Materials above for some specific guidance.
Presenting the data
In science, we only present a given data set once, either as a Figure or a Table. Choose if a
Figure or Table best represents and summarises your Data. Refer to the videos titled ‘Using
Data’ and ‘Plotting data using Excel’ for guidance (available under Modules / Practical 2 –
Practical Report), and the Instructions (especially the section ‘Task description’) and Marking
Rubric (see the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page, or the BIOL10010 Canvas
page: Assignment / Practical Report). The Rubric outlines how your work (including the Results)
will be assessed.
Data should be selected to address, and be presented in a way to reflect, your Aim /
Hypothesis. The videos (described above) will assist you to do this.
Interpreting the Results
When presenting the Results, interpret the data in response to your Aim / Hypothesis; keep
your Aim / Hypothesis in mind. Refer to the Instructions (especially the section ‘Task
description’) and Marking Rubric (see the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page, or
available on the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment / Practical Report).
When we conduct a statistical test, e.g., a Chi-square analysis, we need to consider the p-value*
to interpret the results. This will help us to address the Results criterion in the Rubric.
If the p-value is less than 0.05 (or p < 0.05), the results are significantly different. We need to
summarise our results in a sentence (or two), e.g., ‘There was a significant difference in x
between A and B (χ2 = [include your chi-square value here], df = [include your degrees of
freedom here], p = [include your p-value or range of p-values here]; Fig 1).’ In this statement, x
is the phenomenon we are testing, and A and B are the two groups we are comparing. You
might need to change the phrasing to reflect your experimental design. ‘Fig 1’ refers readers to
the relevant figure, in this case Figure number 1.
If p < 0.05 for the Written Practical Report, we reject the null hypothesis that the population is
in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium.
If the p-value is greater than 0.05 (or p > 0.05), the results are not significantly different. We
need to summarise our results in a sentence (or two): ‘There was no significant difference in x
between A and B (χ2 = [include your chi-square value here], df = [include your degrees of
freedom here], p = [include your p-value or range of p-values here]; Fig 1).’ In this statement, x
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is the phenomenon we are testing, and A and B are the two groups we are comparing. You
might need to change the phrasing to reflect your experimental design. ‘Fig 1’ refers readers to
the relevant figure, in this case Figure number 1.
If p > 0.05 for the Written Practical Report, we accept the null hypothesis that the population is
in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium.
By including the chi-square value, df, and p in brackets, readers can reconstruct the results
table; there is no need to include a table showing your workings. By including the p-value we
provide evidence for our claim: that the two scenarios that we are comparing are significantly
different or not significantly different.
*The p-value relates to a probability. If p < 0.05, there is a very small probability (i.e., less than
5% chance) that what we observe is due to random chance; what we observed is likely a true
effect or difference, and that the groups/scenarios we tested are statistically different. If p >
0.05, there is a very high probability (i.e., more than 5% chance) that what we observed is due
to random chance. It is unlikely that there is a difference; the groups/scenarios we tested are
statistically the same. Above, we provide suggested phrasing to describe each of these
scenarios; you are welcome to adapt the appropriate statement for your Results.
Do your findings agree with previous studies?
You will address this question in the Discussion (see the Instructions available on the see the
Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page, or BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment /
Practical Report). In the Discussion, you need to answer the Discussion questions (see the
Instructions) as a series of linked sentences, and briefly summarise the key findings (i.e., what
did the data show?). You will then interpret the Results, using the findings of other studies /
research.
From readings scientific articles, what did you learn? Did this research find a similar or different
result to you? How did they explain their results? Use these arguments or this evidence to
explain your Results. This is how you will address: ‘do your findings agree with previous
studies?’. You may decide to address this when answering the Discussion questions, or
separately.
Implications of findings
The way you answer the Implications of findings question will depend on your (1) Aim /
Hypothesis and/or interpretation of the (2) Results. In the Conclusion, you should address:
‘how does selection enhance the effects of other forces of microevolution?’. Refer to the
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Instructions (available on the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page, or BIOL10010
Canvas page: Assignment / Practical Report).
Appropriate literature
For the Written Practical Report, read and cite published and peer reviewed journal articles
(‘papers’ or ‘scholarly articles’). Web of Science is one way to source reliable journal articles
(see below). Reword what is presented in these scientific articles – use must your own words –
and include in-text citations (see the Instructions available under Assignment / Practical Report
– Final Submission, and Library Resources available under Modules on the BIOL10010 Canvas
page). You will cite relevant scientific articles in the Introduction and Discussion.
Use two or more journal articles (‘papers’) as references. If you can, cite journal articles –
primary sources – instead of books –secondary sources. Be sure to meet the referencing
criteria (see the Rubric, available on the Practical Report – Final Submission Canvas page, or on
the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment / Practical Report).
Finding appropriate literature – conducting a literature search
Databases facilitate efficient literature searches. Web of Science is a platform for searching
different databases by providing quick, powerful access to the world’s leading citation
databases. It allows access to over 20,000 of the highest impact journals worldwide, including
Open Access journals, conference proceedings and book data. You will find current and
retrospective coverage in many areas including the sciences.
You can access Web of Science here: https://cat.lib.unimelb.edu.au/record=e1000043~S31.
This link will ask you to sign in; login as a student first. You can search specific Titles / Authors,
or conduct a more general search via Topics. It may take you some time before you find
appropriate search terms that will return relevant journal articles; keep trying. You can also
access Web of Science from the Library homepage: https://library.unimelb.edu.au/.
For help using Web of Science, use Library Resources under Modules on the BIOL10010 Canvas
page, or visit the Canvas pages for the Skills Workshops. Apply a similar approach to find
relevant literature for your Written Practical Report.
You may choose to use Google Scholar, but Web of Science will provide a more comprehensive
search. Once you are logged in to the Library page, you will have greater access to articles in
Google Scholar. Use Google Scholar after Web of Science.
If you accessed Library Resources (see above) and still have difficulty conducting a literature
search, please speak with a librarian via ‘ask a librarian’ chat during working hours. The ‘Ask a
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librarian’ chat window is available at the bottom of this page:
https://library.unimelb.edu.au/contact_the_library.
In-text citations
When we present an idea or material, in-text citations allow us to acknowledge the author(s)
and/or the source of the material.
You will need to conduct a literature search, i.e., read published journal articles ('papers') that
address the topic. Start by reading the Abstract. If the content presented in the Abstract
seems relevant, download the article and read further. Rephrase any relevant information in
your own words and use in-text citations in your Written Practical Report.
You will include information from scientific articles in the Introduction, to provide background
on your study and to introduce the ‘problem’, and in the Discussion, to help to answer the
Discussion questions and when explaining your Results (e.g., what did previous research find?
Did this research produce similar or different results compared with our study?).
See Library Resources for guidance on using in-text citations and Instructions for the format
required. (Library Resources are available under Modules on the BIOL10010 Canvas page, and
the Instructions are available on the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment / Practical Report –
Final Submission.)
Referencing
Any in-text citations need to be summarised at the end of the document in a list of references
(‘References’). The list of references needs to be formatted in a specific way and according to
the type of referencing used (e.g., APA). See Instructions for more information, and Library
Resources for guidance. (Library Resources are available under Modules on the BIOL10010
Canvas page, and the Instructions are available on the BIOL10010 Canvas page: Assignment /
Practical Report – Final Submission.)
Word count
You need to adhere to the word limit (see the Rubric, available on the BIOL10010 Canvas page:
Assignment / Practical Report – Final Submission). A few things do not count towards the
word count: the reference list, tables (should you include one), axes labels and titles in figures,
and table headers and figure captions. In science, it is best to write as concisely as possible.
For this BIOL10010 Written Practical Report you will not be penalised for writing less, as long as
the criteria (see the Rubric) are addressed.
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General advice
Writing concisely
As scientists, we strive to write clearly and concisely to (1) maintain a reader's interest and (2)
communicate effectively, as writing underpins our success in many ways, e.g., grants/funding
applications to receive money to conduct our research, written abstracts to be selected to
present our research at conferences, and journal articles – so our work is accepted and we have
a wider/global scientific readership.
Writing well is not easy and not enjoyed by many (ask most tutors, demonstrators and
academics!), but is such an important skill. Here are some tips on writing concisely:
• Write in the active voice.
• Write a document twice as long, and then cut it back. Include only what is essential and
exclude anything the report can do without. Editing works best when you step back
from your work (e.g., have a day or two’s break from writing, or a tea/coffee break
when you’re working to a tight deadline) and can review your work subjectively.
• Try to be as specific as possible. In doing so, we use fewer words and convey our point
concisely. When editing your work, ask yourself: how, why? This will often flag any
points that need expanding. Some of this is a matter of practice – writing and editing
your own work – and some of it is familiarity with the content – the more confident we
are, the better we can judge what we must include. As you progress through your
undergraduate training, confidence in subject matter will come from reading journal
articles.
More generally, read and write as much as possible; we all improve with practice. Read journal
articles, news articles, novels, ... anything and do it frequently.
Need more guidance?
Academic Skills is a free university service that provides assistance with writing (and many other
things too). Resources are available from their website:
https://students.unimelb.edu.au/academic-skills.
Jan Pechenik has written a great book – 'A short guide to writing about biology' – which may
help. There are many editions, and some are available from the library.
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Being motivated and making progress on your assignment
Planning
Planning is important and holds us accountable for our progress. If you are yet to create a plan,
do it now or set 5 minutes aside to make a plan today .
Yet to start?
1. Access the Instructions and Marking Rubric, see Assignments / Practical Report – Final
Submission.
2. Write your Aim / Hypothesis.
Consult the Rubric and Instructions in Canvas: Assignments / Practical Report – Final
Submission. Hint: the Discussion questions and the Rubric will help you to select data.
3. Write your Methods.
Consult the Rubric and Instructions in Canvas: Assignments / Practical Report – Final
Submission.
4. Prepare your Results.
Consult the Rubric and Instructions in Canvas: Assignments / Practical Report – Final
Submission, and watch the videos (see Modules / Practical 2 – Practical Report, or
navigate to the Practical 2 page and click ‘Next’ at the bottom of the page). Hint: the
Discussion questions and the Rubric will help you to select data.
