Study Skills and Report writing for Scientists.

tutor: Mike Horne FGS

for the Centre for Life Long Learning

University of Hull

• When it comes down to it you have to decide what is the best way to study for yourself
• No one else can tell you the best way to study
• We are all different

To take it further and to put it more bluntly -

• You have to find your own way
• No-body can do it for you
• It does take effort

In short there is not a right way to do it - but there are some wrong ones, and it is by learning from our mistakes and the mistakes of others that we make progress. Perhaps like me you are an independent learner. I do need to try things out for myself, but if I had followed some fo the advice of others it would have been easier! So I pass on to you these snippets of advice because I have learnt them the hard way!

The plan:-

• Note taking
• report writing
• study skills
• planning

Well in fact I am probably tackling these things in the wrong order - organisational and planning skills are probably the most important, but from a practical point of view you need to know how to make notes about them to be able to learn from them!

So ... just follow these links (some are written for other courses so it is best to use the back button on your browser rather than and back buttons on the pages)

Taking notes

• Note taking

report planning

• resource gathering for scientists
• using "mind maps"
• project timescale
• the 6 Ws for scientists
• plan B

report writing -

• the rule of 3s
• a short report
• a longer report
• a long report, paper or dissertation
• the scientific style
• some rules and hints
• referencing
• writing a geological report
• report writing - an example
• alternatives - posters and presentations

study management skills

planning research projects

pressure managment

Time Management

Recommended reading -

Cottrell S, 1999. The study skills handbook. Palgrave, Basingstoke. 236pp.

Cottrell S 2001. Teaching study skills and supporting learning. Palgrave, Basingstoke. 356pp.

Cryer P, 2000. The research student's guide to success. Open University Press, Buckingham. 276pp.

Manser M & S Curtis, 2002. The Penguin Writer's Guide. Penguin Books Ltd., London. 344pp.

Moran A P, 1997. Managing your own learning at University. University College Dublin Press, 165pp.

Northedge A, 1990. The good study guide. Open University Press, Buckingham. 248pp.

Acknowledgments -

Many thanks to Avril Johnson (Disability Services), Nik Kirkman (Disability Services) and Tina Overton (Chemistry Department) at Hull University for their help and advice.

References -

Overton T 2006, Chemical and Professional Skills - Written Communication. (unpublished course notes, University of Hull)

Overton T 2004. Successful study - A Brief Guide to Study Skills for Higher Education (unpublished course notes, University of Hull)

  copyright Mike Horne - 2019

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