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Research
Skills
Writing up your work
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Ted Talk: Hans Rosling
Stats that reshape your world
http://youtu.be/hVimVzgtD6w
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Title
 Straightforward
words).
and informative (not more than 15
 Enough
to explain your study without going into
too much detail.
 Examples:


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Too little detail: Fast food purchases
Too much detail: Differences in the fast food purchasing
habits of men and women in the last month in Brighton
Just right: Differences in the fast food purchasing habits of
men and women
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Abstract
 Must
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


have:
Explanation of research area
Aims
Main results and interpretations
Implications of your results for science and/or society
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Introduction
 Quick
explanation of research area
 Summary
 Purpose
 Brief
of relevant past research
of study
description of methods
 Hypotheses
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Methods
 Subsections:
 Participants: Who?
 Materials: What?
 Design: How?
 Procedure: How?
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Results
 What are the main findings?
 For example:
 Female participants ate fewer hamburgers on
average than males (Table 1).
 Note: If you give numbers in tables, there is no
need to repeat them in text. If you present
information in a figure, give exact numbers in text
as well.
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Tables: quantitative
Table 1: The mean number of fast food purchases
made by males and females in last month.
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Tables: qualitative
Table 2: Frequency of internet usage among men
and women.
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Figures: quantitative
Figure 1: The mean number of fast food purchases made by males and
females in last month. Error bars show ± 1 S.E.M.
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Figures: qualitative
Figure 2: Frequency of internet usage among men and women.
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Discussion
 Summary
of purpose and results
 Comparison
 Possible
to previous research
faults
 Wider
implications (back up your assertions)
 Future
directions
 Conclusions
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References
 List
of all references cited in the lab report.
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Microscopy
The world in a tiny drop of
water
http://www.microbehunter.com/2012/12/16/us
ing-the-microscope-slide-adjustmentfocussing/
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Microscopy
 Microscopes
are used to view
things that are too small to see
without help.
 Dissecting microscope – view
entire 3-D objects under low
power.
 Compound light microscope –
examine very small or thinly
sliced objects under higher
magnification.
How to Use the Microscope
Types of Microscopes
Light Microscope - the models found in most schools, use compound lenses to
magnify objects. The lenses bend or refract light to make the object beneath them
appear closer. Common magnifications: 40x, 100x, 400x
Stereoscope - this microscope allows for binocular (two eyes) viewing of larger
specimens.
Scanning Electron Microscope - allow scientists to view a universe too small to
be seen with a light microscope. SEMs do not use light waves; they use electrons
(negatively charged electrical particles) to magnify objects up to two million times.
Transmission Electron Microscope - also uses electrons, but instead of
scanning the surface (as with SEM's) electrons are passed through very thin
specimens.
Parts of the Microscope
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Microscopy
 Stains
that bind to cellular structures are used to
help increase the contrast and allow you to see the
structures more clearly.
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Using the Microscopes
 Always
use 2 hands to handle the scopes!
 Be VERY
 Never
CAREFUL when moving the microscopes.
remove any part of the microscope.
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Using the Microscopes
 ALWAYS
adjust the nosepiece so that the LOWEST
OBJECTIVE LENS is in place when removing a
slide and when putting the microscope away!
 NEVER, EVER
use the COARSE FOCUS when you
are working with high power!
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Using the Microscopes
 Always
start with the lowest power lens – this gives
you the widest field of view.
 Find
what you are looking for, CENTER and FOCUS
as well as you can.
 Then, change
 Return
to the next objective lens.
to low power before removing the slide.
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Rules

Lowest power objective lens in position at beginning and
end.
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Use only lens paper for cleaning lenses.

Do not tilt the microscope when you are using a wet mount.

Keep stage clean & dry.

DO NOT REMOVE PARTS!!!!
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Turn light all the way down, then turn off before unplugging.
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Replace cover when finished.

Report any problems.
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Total Magnification
 Compound
Light Microscopes have 2 magnifying
lenses.
 Objective lens – 4X, 10X, 20X, 40X
 Ocular lens (in the eyepiece) – 10X
 Total
magnification – multiply the objective lens
(4, 10, 20, or 40) by the ocular lens (10).
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Field of View
 Field
of view – the circular area that is visible
when you look into the microscope.
 Measure the diameter, estimate lengths of
objects that take up part of the field of view.
 Depth
of field – play with the focus while viewing
the slide with colored threads.