Methods(sec*on(...
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Methods sec*on “How did you do it?” JT. PH 403 Fall 2017
Transcript of Methods(sec*on(...
Methods sec*on “How did you do it?”
JT. PH 403 Fall 2017
Methods
• This ︎is ︎ where ︎the︎ validity ︎of ︎ your ︎results ︎will︎ be ︎judged.
• It︎ explicitly︎ describes ︎how︎ the︎ experiment︎ or︎ calcula*on ︎was ︎done.
• In ︎ some ︎cases, ︎say ︎WHY ︎you ︎ chose︎ your ︎ methods. This ︎is︎ not︎ needed ︎ if ︎ you use very ︎ standard ︎ procedures.
• It︎ must ︎be ︎clear︎,︎ precise and well-‐illustrated.
Purpose
• Give︎ enough︎ informa*on ︎ so ︎another ︎person ︎can ︎ repeat ︎the︎ experiment ︎ and ︎reproduce ︎the ︎ results. Your audience is the next undergraduate to take on the project.
• Give︎ enough︎ informa*on ︎so ︎the︎ reader︎ can︎ judge ︎ whether ︎the︎︎ results (not ︎ conclusions) ︎are︎ valid. ︎︎
• ︎︎A fluent methods sec*on︎ is good︎ “ ︎reputa*on ︎building.” It︎ helps ︎future︎ researchers,︎ which ︎︎is ︎ ︎good︎ for︎ the︎ profession.
What to include -‐-‐ decide what details are important. • Describe ︎ materials, explaining how they were prepared.
OWen include manufacturer & purity. • Describe instruments (manufacturer and model for more
sophis*cated instruments), how measurements︎ were︎ made (include calibra*on procedures if non-‐trivial).
• Describe interview protocols. • Describe the algorithm you used for a simula*on. What
does the simula*on capture and what does it not capture? • Did you test your soWware with a simple case? Does the
solu*on converge? • Describe ︎the︎ sequence ︎ of ︎procedures, ︎or ︎research ︎ protocol.
What steps did you take to eliminate confounding variables?
What to include -‐-‐ decide what details are important
• Describe ︎the︎ procedures and sta*s*cal ︎ tests ︎you︎︎ used︎ to ︎ analyze ︎your︎ results.
• Some*mes, analysis is so central that it needs its own chapter. You’ll have to decide.
Figures are cri*cal!
• A picture is worth 1000 words. • Helps others reproduce your work. • Schema*cs are almost always be^er than photographs, but the two can be used together quite successfully.
Figures are cri*cal!
Figures are cri*cal!
Do …
• Write down more than you think you need at first. You can trim away aWerwards.
• Make a deliberate decision to exclude informa*on. Say aloud, “I don’t need to report this because …..” and give a reason.
• Break up large sec*ons into sub-‐topics and order from most important to least important.
Do not …
• Write a technical manual: (First, ensure that the measurement equipment has been on long enough for the noise level to se^le below 1 nV, then put the sample in the chamber, and then apply the voltage ...)
• Include trivial detail (Turn on the equipment … )
• Include results
Final notes • This may be the easiest︎ sec*on ︎to ︎ write, ︎and it︎ is︎︎ important.
• ︎Methods ︎ ︎ must︎ stand ︎on ︎its ︎own ︎– even︎ if ︎ you ︎get ︎few ︎ or︎ no ︎results,︎ you ︎can ︎summarize ︎your︎ methods ︎and ︎ then︎ you︎ have︎ a ︎ strong ︎“Future︎ Work” ︎sec*on. (Maybe even the basis for a “Review of Scien*fic Instruments” paper)
• Put︎ on ︎your︎ ”cranking”︎ hat ︎and ︎ report ︎ – this ︎is︎ not ︎the︎ sec*on ︎for︎ scien*fic ︎crea*vity. Just do it.
• Once ︎this sec*on︎ is︎ wri^en,︎ you ︎have︎ the︎ basis ︎for ︎the ︎flow︎ and ︎style︎ of ︎the︎ rest ︎of ︎ the︎ thesis ︎ – ︎ it ︎will︎ be ︎easier ︎for︎ you ︎ to ︎keep︎ wri*ng.
References • How to Write the Methods Sec0on of a Research Paper,
Richard H Kallet MSc, RRT, FAARC. h^ps://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/meharry-‐vanderbilt/files/meharry-‐vanderbilt/public_files/wri*ng%20methods%202004.pdf
• Help from the writer’s handbook at the University of Wisconsin h^ps://wri*ng.wisc.edu/Handbook/SciRep_Methods.html
h^p://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=149
h^p://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=153
h^p://phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1821
Data are ….
h^p://phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1816
