How to Write a Science Conclusion

If you are like most students, you probably want to know how to write a science conclusion that is impressive. Performing an experiment and data collection is just part of any science project. The data must be presented in a report. The report tells readers what your hypothesis is, the results and method used.

However, such a report is inconclusive if it does not have a conclusion. A conclusion is the most important aspect of your paper as it shows your readers what you have learned from the experiment as well as why it is important.

Guidelines on how to write a science conclusion

You can start by reviewing a science conclusion written by an expert in order to understand what writing one entails. At sciencebuddies.org, you will find a good sample that you can use as reference. Do this and you will note that everything falls into place as you write your conclusion. The following are some of the guidelines that will help you understand how to write a science conclusion.

Outline the conclusion

1. Review the assignment-You need to verify what you have accomplished in the assignment so far in order to effectively address it in your conclusion. Take a couple of moments and list what you are supposed to learn or demonstrate in the science project.
2. Revisit the introduction-To ensure consistency between your conclusion and the project, revisit your introduction. This is an ideal way to brainstorm and identify what you intend to say in the conclusion. Remember at the start of the project you asked a question that led to your hypothesis. The question must be answered in the conclusion. Therefore, start the conclusion by restating the hypothesis and question.
3. Use RERUN technique-Begin mapping different elements of the conclusion through use of RERUN technique. This is useful for short reports and helps ensure you list the important components of the report. Simply put, RERUN means:

• Restate-Restate what the experiment was and describe your assignment
• Explain-Offer an explanation for the report and what you aim to discover. You can as well briefly speak of the procedure followed in order to complete the project.
• Results-Explain results and confirm whether your hypothesis has been supported by results.
• Uncertainties– If there are errors and uncertainties, account for them. For instance, you should explain the circumstances beyond your control impacted by the science experiment.
• New-Always, make sure you discuss some new discoveries or questions that might have emerged in the course of the experiment.

4.     Come up with other sections to add-While the RERUN technique is great, there are other components you need to include in your paper. It is a smart move to talk of what you have learnt in the course of the experiment. Also, you might consider situating your research and relating your findings to concepts learnt in class. There are instances when a science project has specific questions that must be answered therefore, make sure you coherently and fully do so in the conclusion.

Discuss the experiment and hypothesis

The experiment should be introduced in the conclusion-Begin the conclusion through provision of experiment overview. You are supposed to describe it in one to two sentences and at the same time discuss the major objective of doing the experiment.

Restate procedures-Provide a summary of the process you followed in the course of the experiment. Providing an overview helps the reader visualize better what you did.

• If you attempted the experiment more than just once, describe reasons for doing it. Also discuss changes made in the procedures.
• In order to explain your results well, you should brainstorm in-depth. Take time to review your report and pay close attention to results observed.

Describe briefly what you have discovered-Use a couple of sentences to summarize how you achieved your results. Note that you are supposed to offer a summary and not include results.

• In this section, you can begin with wordings such as, “The results indicated that…”
• There is no need to provide raw data in this case. Rather simply summarize main points, calculate averages and provide a range of data in order to ensure the reader is well informed.

Comment on whether or not the hypothesis is reinforced-The hypothesis is best described as a statement describing an expected outcome. It forms the basis of the experiment and at the same time, drives the process. Knowing how to restate the thesis in a clear and concise manner is an indication you know how to write a science conclusion.

Link the results to the hypothesis-The credibility of your hypothesis is determined by results of the experiment. Therefore, you must indicate the results and link them in order to clarify whether or not the hypothesis is supported.

Demonstrate what you have gleaned

Make a description of what you have learned-If the science project required that you demonstrate a specific theory or principle, your conclusion should be a reflection of the same.

• If it is not clear in the conclusion what you learned, start by saying “From this project, I learned…” this is important as it gives readers the heads up you are about to describe what you learned.
• Provide details of what you have learned and how. You can add dimension to the process in order to convince the reader. Provide specifics of what you have learned for instance, regarding how molecules behave in a given environment.

If there were specific questions in the assignment, answer them as well.

Write the question on a new line in italics and provide the answer in the next line using regular text.

Explain if you were able to achieve the objectives of the project-While writing the introduction of your report, you stated objectives you aimed to achieve by doing the project. It is important to revisit the objectives in your conclusion and ensure you sufficiently address them. If you failed to achieve the objectives in the course of the experiment, you can speculate or explain why that is the case.

How to write a science conclusion-Wrapping it up

Now, that everything is in place, it is time to wrap up the conclusion. Whatever else you do, make sure that you have a compelling conclusion that leaves the reader satisfied.

1. Describe any possible errors that might have arisen-To provide an accurate depiction of your project, it is important to describe any errors that might have arisen in the course of the project. This is important as it increases the credibility of your results and the project as a whole.
2. Discuss uncertainties-There could be circumstances that are uncontrollable yet they impact on your project for instance, weather changes or unavailability of supplies. It is important to discuss such uncertainties and the impact they have on the experiment. If you get results that raise questions that cannot be answered by the data you have collected, ensure you discuss that in this section.
3. Propose experiments for the future-Taking into consideration what you have learned so far, provide recommendations on future design experiments. Discuss possible changes that can lead to more valid and reliable results.
4. Propose new questions-There are instances when a science project leads to more questions been raised than answers. In such instances, it is ideal to discuss the same in the conclusion of your paper.
5. Relate the work to other research work-When dealing with a more advanced science project, it is important to relate it to work done by others. Discuss how your research work is going to contribute to the field of research. Look at your research as a brick wall and consider how it fits into the scheme of the project.

Describe what is innovative or new in view of your research

Finalize the report

1. Use third person while writing-You should avoid use of “1”, “me” or “we” while writing your report. Rather, use academic language such as “The hypothesis was supported…”
2. Read through your report-Once done writing the conclusion, it is important to read through it and ensure it is logical. Be on the lookout for sections where you contradict yourself and make necessary corrections. The conclusion is supposed to restate what you have learned and how you understood the outcomes.

You can as well review another sample of a science conclusion at hookhamscience.weebly.com which will help you learn more on how to write a science conclusion.

 

 

At least now you have an idea on how to write a science conclusion from the above guidelines. However if you feel you need assistance kindly let us know. Get in touch with us here today for assistance in writing science papers or visit our homepage for more information about our custom writing services. Alternatively you can continue reading more essay writing guidelines and samples on our blog.

References

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_conclusions.shtml

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Good-Lab-Conclusion-in-Science

http://www.ehow.com/how_5378460_write-conclusions-science-projects.html