Question 1

Which of the following is NOT one of the questions readers of abstracts typically ask?

Accepted Answer

A)  What questions motivated your study? 
B)  What answers did you discover? 
C)  What are the implications of your findings? 
D)  How much did your equipment cost? 
A)  What questions motivated your study? 
B)  What answers did you discover? 
C)  What are the implications of your findings? 
D)  How much did your equipment cost?

Question 2

What does prepublication permit an author to do and what is it designed to take advantage of?

Accepted Answer

Prepublication is a process that allows

Question 3

Scientific research does not entail persuasive writing; providing the facts established in an experiment is sufficient.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

Why do scientists have a strong tradition of using the passive voice in lab reports?

Accepted Answer

Scientists have a strong tradition of us

Question 5

A written lab report is the primary evidence on which your audience will judge your credibility and skills as a researcher.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

According to Chapter 19, what affects the persuasiveness of the evidence you present to your readers?

Accepted Answer

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 
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

Question 7

If you consulted a source during your research but you did not cite it, you should leave the source out of your references list.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

What are author guidelines?

Accepted Answer

Author guidelines are a set of instructi

Question 9

Which of the following tasks is NOT one that the introduction to a lab report should accomplish?

Accepted Answer

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)  Briefly describe 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. 
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)  Briefly describe 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.

Question 10

What is the function of an acknowledgments section in a lab report?

Accepted Answer

A)  to provide information about sources you cited in your report 
B)  to give credit to people who provided you with assistance or funding for your study 
C)  to provide more detailed information about the equipment used in the study 
D)  to acknowledge any additional data that did not fit with your conclusions 
A)  to provide information about sources you cited in your report 
B)  to give credit to people who provided you with assistance or funding for your study 
C)  to provide more detailed information about the equipment used in the study 
D)  to acknowledge any additional data that did not fit with your conclusions

Question 11

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.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

In the context of a lab report, what does replicability mean?

Accepted Answer

In the context of a lab report, replicab

Question 13

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?

Accepted Answer

A)  iteration 
B)  redundancy 
C)  redaction 
D)  replicability 
A)  iteration 
B)  redundancy 
C)  redaction 
D)  replicability

Question 14

Which of the following statements about lab reports is NOT correct?

Accepted Answer

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. 
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.

Question 15

In describing your methods, you might include a picture of the equipment in your lab as you used it.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

How familiar should you assume your audience will be with the particulars of your experiment?

Accepted Answer

When preparing to present your experimen

Question 17

How does writing articles based on lab research differ from writing lab reports in an academic class?

Accepted Answer

A)  Academic audiences and professional audiences are similar, 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. 
A)  Academic audiences and professional audiences are similar, 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.

Question 18

Which of these guidelines should you NOT follow when writing conclusions?

Accepted Answer

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)  Introduce new information and analysis to support your 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)  Introduce new information and analysis to support your conclusions.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a descriptive abstract?

Accepted Answer

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)  It includes important results and conclusions of the study. 
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)  It includes important results and conclusions of the study.

Question 20

Chapter 19 provides four guidelines for including equations in a lab report. One is to use an equation editor or write the equations by hand. What are the other three guidelines?

Accepted Answer

Without the specific context of Chapter

Exam 19: Writing Lab Reports

Which of the following is NOT one of the questions readers of abstracts typically ask?

What does prepublication permit an author to do and what is it designed to take advantage of?

Scientific research does not entail persuasive writing; providing the facts established in an experiment is sufficient.

Why do scientists have a strong tradition of using the passive voice in lab reports?

A written lab report is the primary evidence on which your audience will judge your credibility and skills as a researcher.

According to Chapter 19, what affects the persuasiveness of the evidence you present to your readers?

If you consulted a source during your research but you did not cite it, you should leave the source out of your references list.

What are author guidelines?

Which of the following tasks is NOT one that the introduction to a lab report should accomplish?

What is the function of an acknowledgments section in a lab report?

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.

In the context of a lab report, what does replicability mean?

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?

Which of the following statements about lab reports is NOT correct?

In describing your methods, you might include a picture of the equipment in your lab as you used it.

How familiar should you assume your audience will be with the particulars of your experiment?

How does writing articles based on lab research differ from writing lab reports in an academic class?

Which of these guidelines should you NOT follow when writing conclusions?

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a descriptive abstract?

Chapter 19 provides four guidelines for including equations in a lab report. One is to use an equation editor or write the equations by hand. What are the other three guidelines?

Introduction to Technical Communication

Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations

Writing Technical Documents

Writing Collaboratively

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Researching Your Subject

Organizing Your Information

Communicating Persuasively

Emphasizing Important Information

Writing Correct and Effective Sentences

Designing Print and Online Documents

Creating Graphics

Evaluating and Testing Technical Documents

Corresponding in Print and Online

Applying for a Job

Writing Proposals

Writing Informational Reports

Writing Recommendation Reports

Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions

Making Oral Presentations

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