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1.
Your methods should be detailed enough that another researcher could perform the same
experiment using the same materials and methods. What term describes this goal?
A)
iteration
B)
redundancy
C)
redaction
D)
None of the responses are correct.
2.
How should you present your data in the results section?
A)
in text only
B)
in graphics only
C)
in a mix of text and graphics appropriate for your audience
D)
None of the responses are correct.
3.
Readers of abstracts often ask some typical questions. Which of these is NOT one of
those typical questions?
A)
What questions motivated your study?
B)
What answers did you discover?
C)
What implications do your findings have?
D)
How much did your equipment cost?
4.
Which section should include a concise review of previous research relevant to your
study?
A)
introduction
B)
methods and materials
C)
discussion
D)
appendix
5.
Which of these guidelines should you follow when writing conclusions?
A)
Review the purpose of your lab and the hypothesis (or hypotheses) you tested.
B)
Summarize the most important implications of your findings.
C)
Do not introduce any new information or analysis in this section.
D)
All responses are correct.
E)
None of the responses are correct.
6.
According to Chapter 19, which of these is NOT an element common to most lab
reports?
A)
task schedule
B)
title
C)
discussion
D)
conclusion
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7.
According to Chapter 19, what is the process of peer review?
A)
Professionals evaluate inconsistent data to achieve a breakthrough in
understanding.
B)
Qualified professionals test the replicability of an experiment before publishing an
article about it.
C)
Qualified professionals in the field review and comment on an article before it is
published in a professional or academic journal.
D)
A third party reviews the qualifications of the people in a laboratory before
recommending that others use its services.
8.
According to Chapter 19, where should you write about research data that are atypical
or problematic in some way?
A)
in the discussion section
B)
in the results section
C)
in an appendix
D)
in the acknowledgments
9.
According to Chapter 19, what affects the persuasiveness of the evidence you present to
your readers?
A)
the quantity of your evidence; more is better
B)
the quantity of your words
C)
the way you present your evidence
D)
the way you describe your materials and methods
10.
The introduction to a lab report should accomplish which of the following tasks? (Select
all that apply.)
A)
Describe the hypothesis or question that your study attempted to answer and why
this hypothesis or question is important.
B)
Provide an extensive, detailed review of previous research relevant to your study.
C)
Describe in detail the methods you used to find an answer to your research
question.
D)
Define the important terms and present the theoretical background concepts you
expect your readers will need to know.
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11.
Which of the following statements about lab reports is NOT correct?
A)
A lab report is a carefully crafted argument meant to persuade an audience to
accept your findings and conclusions.
B)
Supporting evidence is often presented with a combination of graphics and text.
C)
The most effective way to write a lab report is to write it in sequence, beginning
with the introduction.
D)
In organizing the discussion of your data, you should begin by presenting the most
important findings.
12.
The references section of a lab report should contain which of the following?
A)
references for all of the sources you consulted, whether or not you cited them in the
report
B)
references for only the sources you cited in the report
C)
references for only the sources you cited in the body of the report
D)
None of the responses are correct.
13.
Why is it important to follow a standard pattern when writing a lab report?
A)
The pattern is built into many available templates.
B)
The pattern reserves acknowledgment for peer reviewers.
C)
The pattern reflects the scientific method used by other scientists and engineers.
D)
The pattern has major sections in alphabetical order.
14.
Which of the following is the least effective title for a lab report or scientific article?
A)
Three-dimensional Imaging of Enzymes
B)
Intensification in the Activity of Lipase Enzyme Using Ultrasonic Irradiation and
Stability Studies
C)
Immunoassays of Fungal Laccases for Screening of Natural Enzymes and Control
of Recombinant Enzyme Production
D)
Evaluation of Butyrate-induced Production of a Mannose-6-phosphorylated
Therapeutic Enzyme Using Parallel Bioreactors
15.
Which of the following is a characteristic of a descriptive abstract?
A)
It contains a list of topics covered in the report.
B)
It does not include the important results of the study.
C)
It does not include the conclusions of the study.
D)
All responses are correct.
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16.
Which part of a lab report or a scientific report might be distributed more widely than
the report itself?
A)
the introduction
B)
the discussion
C)
the abstract
D)
the acknowledgments
17.
How does writing articles based on lab research differ from writing lab reports in an
academic class?
A)
Academic audiences and professional audiences are the same, so there is no
difference.
B)
Class work is seen by one or a few instructors, but professional work is often seen
by a larger audience of professional peers.
C)
Academic work focuses on generating new knowledge in a field, while
professional writing focuses on demonstrating existing knowledge in a field.
D)
Although professional work is often published for the use of large audiences, the
standards for punctuation and spelling are more relaxed than those in academia.
18.
Which of the following actions is unethical?
A)
submission of relevant data
B)
emphasis of relevant data
C)
omission of uncited sources
D)
omission of relevant data
19.
Why should a scientist or engineer avoid introducing new information in the conclusion
section?
A)
The results section exists so that writers can reveal information they collected.
B)
It is illogical to introduce new information in a section that serves a different
function.
C)
It is ineffective to introduce new information in a section that serves a different
function.
D)
All responses are correct.
20.
Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the lack of an
acknowledgments section in the sample lab report in Chapter 19?
A)
The writer of the report is unethical.
B)
The work in the lab took so long that the writer ran out of time to include
acknowledgments.
C)
The writer of the report did not receive funding or extraordinary assistance to
complete this report as part of a class assignment.
D)
None of the options is correct.
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21.
A written lab report is the primary evidence on which your audience will judge your
credibility and skills as a researcher.
A)
True
B)
False
22.
Scientific research does not entail persuasive writing; providing the facts from an
experiment is sufficient.
A)
True
B)
False
23.
You should write the sections of a lab report in the order in which they will appear in
the report.
A)
True
B)
False
24.
Although a lab report is organized as a single cohesive argument, most readers probably
will not read it in a linear fashion, from start to finish.
A)
True
B)
False
25.
In describing your methods, you might include a picture of the equipment in your lab as
you used it.
A)
True
B)
False
26.
If you consulted a source during your research but you did not cite it, you should leave
the source out of your references list.
A)
True
B)
False
27.
Science and engineering journals usually instruct authors to use the Modern Language
Association (MLA) style guide.
A)
True
B)
False
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28.
The discussion portion of a lab report is also called an analysis.
A)
True
B)
False
29.
A descriptive abstract states the topics covered in the lab report but doesn’t present
important results or conclusions.
A)
True
B)
False
30.
The discussion section of a lab report is the appropriate section in which to interpret or
explain your findings to readers.
A)
True
B)
False
31.
According to Chapter 19, most lab reports consist of eight basic elements. One is the
introduction. What are two other elements found in most lab reports?
32.
Chapter 19 provides four guidelines for using equations in a lab report. One is to use an
equation editor or write the equations by hand. What are the other three guidelines?
33.
In the context of a lab report, what does replicability mean?
34.
The acknowledgments section of a lab report is typically used to identify and thank
people who have assisted the author during a study or while preparing the report. What
is another typical use of the acknowledgments section?
35.
What are author guidelines?
36.
Which of the procedures you performed should you mention in the “Materials and
Methods” section of your report?
37.
Why do scientists have a strong tradition of using the passive voice in lab reports?
38.
How familiar should you assume your audience will be with the particulars of your
experiment?
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39.
What does prepublication permit an author to do and what is it designed to take
advantage of?
40.
Ideally, what will the title and abstract of a report help readers do?
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Answer Key
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