{"id":980,"date":"2023-02-28T11:55:16","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T11:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/?p=980"},"modified":"2026-04-28T16:06:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T15:06:58","slug":"how-to-write-a-scientific-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2023\/02\/28\/how-to-write-a-scientific-report\/","title":{"rendered":"My takeaways on how to write a scientific report"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re in your dissertation writing stage or your course includes writing a lot of scientific reports, but you don\u2019t quite know where and how to start, the Skills Centre can help you get started. I recently attended their \u2018How to write a scientific report\u2019 skills enrichment session<\/a> and here\u2019s what I learnt.\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/p>\n

What is a scientific report?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

A scientific report is a crucial piece of scientific research which shows that you understand the point of your experiment. You present and discuss the data collected and the results from your experiment.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You will most likely be told what sections you need to include in your scientific report, as they may vary based on department and course. However, most scientific reports follow a similar structure. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a quick breakdown on how to structure a scientific report. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Abstract\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

First things first, the <\/span>abstract<\/span><\/b>. The abstract is a short summary of your report which is usually just one paragraph. In the academic world, its main purpose is for the reader to identify if this report is relevant to them and if they should continue reading. However, you may be asked to write an abstract just to develop this skill.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This should be the last thing you write, as it\u2019s a summary of the whole report.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n

Next is the <\/span>introduction,<\/span><\/b> where you explain the issue to the reader and point out why this is <\/span>relevant<\/span><\/i>. You need to give some background information for the reader to understand your research area.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You may also elaborate on <\/span>past research<\/span><\/i>, what methods have been used, their results and conclusions. This may also include a discussion of theories and methods and what previous research was lacking. This is less necessary in an introduction if you have been asked to write a separate literature review section.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You will also need to state your <\/span>research question and aim, <\/span><\/i>e.g. what hypothesis you are testing. Elaborate on how you are going to try to answer your research question, i.e. what method you will use. Here, it\u2019s important that you choose a method that\u2019s <\/span>comparable<\/span><\/i> to existing research. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Method\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

In the <\/span>method<\/span><\/b> section you need to explain the processes you went through to do your research, e.g. how you executed an experiment, how data was collected or processed. This step is crucial because it allows other researchers to replicate your experiment.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You also need to include the equipment and materials you used here.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Results\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Following the method, you report your <\/span>results<\/span><\/b> from your research in a purely <\/span>descriptive<\/span><\/i> way. The use of tables or figures may be helpful here; however, it\u2019s necessary to explain your tables and figures, how to read them and what you can observe.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember that your tables and figures only support your writing and not the other way round!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Discussion\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The results section may in some instances be combined with the <\/span>discussion, <\/span><\/b>the most important and interesting part.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the discussion, you interpret your findings which you elaborated on in the results section. For example, you can say that you can\/cannot reject your hypothesis because some results were (in)significant. What do the results suggest? In what ways do they differ from previous research findings and in which ways are they the same?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Keep in mind that if your results deviate from previous research, there might have been an error in your method or data.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Conclusion\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

And finally in the <\/span>conclusion<\/span><\/b>, you present the main results from your research and their implications, referring to your research question and your introduction.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

References\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

In your <\/span>reference<\/span><\/b> list you need to include all the resources you have cited. You can find out how to reference on the Library website<\/a>. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hopefully this blog has given you an outline of how to tackle scientific reports. If you need more help, you can talk to a tutor from the Skills Centre in a 1:1 tutorial or at the writing drop-in in the Skills Zone.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re in your dissertation writing stage or your course includes writing a lot of scientific reports, but you don\u2019t quite know where and how to start, the Skills Centre can help you get started. I recently attended their \u2018How...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1772,"featured_media":982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[91,90,89,50,76,126,103],"tags":[150,39,67,97,44,51,259,65,25,28,29],"class_list":["post-980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-skills","category-academic-writing","category-critical-thinking","category-dissertations","category-postgraduate-study","category-research-project","category-student-skills-ambassador","tag-academic-style","tag-conclusion","tag-literature-review","tag-planning","tag-referencing","tag-research-question","tag-scientific-report","tag-structure","tag-top-tips","tag-writing-skills","tag-writing-techniques"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/02\/lab-report.png","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":130,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2017\/08\/04\/abstracts-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":980,"position":0},"title":"Abstracts 2","author":"Tom Reid","date":"August 4, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"An abstract is a short summary of your completed research. If done well, it\u00a0makes the reader want to learn more about your research. These are the basic components of an abstract in any discipline: 1) Motivation\/problem statement: Why do we care about the problem? What\u00a0practical, scientific, theoretical or artistic gap\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Academic skills"","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1606,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2025\/10\/02\/help-i-havent-written-an-essay-since-sixth-form\/","url_meta":{"origin":980,"position":1},"title":"Help! I Haven\u2019t Written an Essay Since Sixth Form","author":"Jeremy Sanders","date":"October 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"If you're a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) student, you might be thinking: \u201cWhy do I need to write essays? I\u2019m here to solve problems, run experiments, or write code\u2014not write like a humanities student!\u201d Actually, writing matters a lot in STEM. Whether you\u2019re reporting research findings, explaining complex\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Academic skills"","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A person typing on a laptop","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/06\/Blog-post-images.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/06\/Blog-post-images.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/06\/Blog-post-images.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/06\/Blog-post-images.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1106,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2023\/10\/04\/five-great-reasons-to-attend-a-skills-enrichment-workshop-this-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":980,"position":2},"title":"Five great reasons to attend a skills enrichment workshop this year","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"October 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"A common phrase we hear from students in the Skills Centre is: \u201cYour support has been so useful \u2013 I wish I\u2019d known about it sooner!\u201d Malcolm Skene, Digital & Academic Skills Course Leader, introduces the skills enrichment programme and how the workshops help students at all levels to get\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Academic skills"","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A group of students sitting in a lecture theatre.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/10\/lecture_theatre_800x450.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/10\/lecture_theatre_800x450.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/10\/lecture_theatre_800x450.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/10\/lecture_theatre_800x450.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":665,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2021\/08\/10\/how-to-get-your-writing-right\/","url_meta":{"origin":980,"position":3},"title":"How to get your writing right","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"August 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"If you\u2019re feeling unsure about writing your first essay or report, Course Leader Malcolm Skene offers some general tips on academic style and how the Academic Phrasebank can help you use the right academic language in your writing. Writing can be a challenge for many, whether it\u2019s for something as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Academic writing"","block_context":{"text":"Academic writing","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/academic-writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Blackboard with the title 'How to get your writing right' written in chalk and underlined","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/07\/blackboard.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/07\/blackboard.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/07\/blackboard.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1354,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2024\/10\/17\/critical-writing\/","url_meta":{"origin":980,"position":4},"title":"Critical Writing","author":"Justin Alam","date":"October 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"How you can be a better critical writer: going beyond description Have you ever handed in a piece of writing \u2013 an essay or report, for example \u2013 and got comments back from your tutor saying that it needs to be more critical, that you are just storytelling, or that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Academic skills"","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hands resting on the keyboard of a laptop, with an open notebook and pencil to the left","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/10\/German-comedy-blog-post-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/10\/German-comedy-blog-post-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/10\/German-comedy-blog-post-2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/10\/German-comedy-blog-post-2.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":127,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2026\/04\/22\/writing-an-abstract-a-six-point-checklist-with-samples\/","url_meta":{"origin":980,"position":5},"title":"Writing an abstract - a six point checklist (with samples)","author":"Tom Reid","date":"April 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The abstract is a vital part of any research paper and the first stop for your reader. It is the shop front for your work, and the first stop for your reader. It should provide a clear and succinct summary of your study, and encourage your readers to read more.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Academic writing"","block_context":{"text":"Academic writing","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/academic-writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A tree with leaves featuring names of different dissertation topics. A cloud and a squirrel holding a banner that says 'Writing an abstract'","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/07\/Writing-your-dissertation_Writing-an-abstract.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/07\/Writing-your-dissertation_Writing-an-abstract.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/07\/Writing-your-dissertation_Writing-an-abstract.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/07\/Writing-your-dissertation_Writing-an-abstract.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1772"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=980"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/980\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}