Writing a paper - 5 Materials and Methods.ppt

Writing and publishing a paper5. How to write the Materials and Methods Section
Aim of the materials and methods section
To tell the reader everything they need to know in order
to assess the paper
to repeat the measurements to check the results
to use the method for their own investigations
Materials
Specify anything specific to the paper
Latin names anisms,
Chemicals,
Sources of gene sequences etc
Methods
Standard procedures: do not give detail, this is unnecessary.
Modifications of standard procedures give full details
New procedures and methods give full details
Experimental design and statistics give clear details
a diagram may help
Methods
Examples
In your copied paper
Cram et al., Trees, 2001
Bell et al., Zeitschrift für Naturforschung, 1995
Kranner, Cram et al., PNAS, 2004
Exercise 2b: examine and assess a
Find a webpage relevant to your interests. Who is the author? Where is he or she based?
Suppose the page was a joke, how could you tell?
Suppose the page was written by a student at school, how could you tell?
Write your student number and name at the top of a sheet of paper.
Write the URL of the page.
Write the answers to the questions above.
Exercise 2b: examine and assess a
Who is the author?
Where is he or she based? Where does he/she work?
If the page was a joke, how could you know it was a joke?
If the page was written by a student at school, how would you know?
Write your student number and name at the top of a sheet of paper.
Write the URL of the page.
Write the answers to the questions.
Exercise 2b: The type of report I wanted
2005123410001 Yuan Yuehan
URL: /enews/
Author: Dr Belinda Clarke (holds the copyright)
Where does he/she work? Norwich Research Park, United Kingdom

Could the page be a joke? No. It is plicated.
Could the page have been
written by a student at school? No. It is plicated
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