Utilize this extra time to organize your data and your thoughts well. You will only need to turn in a single report for both weeks, though you will notice that the conclusion should address many things. It would be wise to start thinking about your conclusion after the first lab period. Make notes on your thoughts and what questions to ask the following week.Although you are working with a partner, you will each turn in individual, typed reports. Make sure all work is your own. Any information quoted or paraphrased from another source needs to be cited in a recognizable format such as MLA, APA, ACS, or Chicago Style. Failure to acknowledge work other than your own will result in a zero for the experiment and possible dismissal from the university.GeneralAs always, remember that everything needs to be written in ink in your laboratory notebook. You will turn in your raw data and notes at the end of each week. You will use your carbon pages when writing the report, so make sure that you are pressing hard enough that your notes copy through. The heading information should include a descriptive title (not just “Experiment 9”), your name, your partner’s full name, and the date. Each section of the report should be separated and labeled appropriately.IntroductionThe introduction provides context for the experiment. It should clearly identify the purpose of the experiment. This includes the purpose of the water quality tests, what hydraulic fracturing is, the concerns associated with it, and how this experiment seeks to address those concerns.Observations/Data (Original Notebook Pages)In your notebook, be sure to include adequate descriptions of the tests performed and the observations for each trial. The descriptions and observations should be accompanied by a neat and organized table of the data collected for each test (see Table 5). Your notebook pages will be turned in at the conclusion of each week.Summary/Conclusion:Your conclusion should include the following:§ A summary of each test’s results§ A discussion of the relevance of the tests run to assessing the impacts of hydraulic fracturingØ What about the fracturing process could change the parameters being measured?§ An assessment of the reliability of the dataØ Consider the reproducibility of the data§ At least two potential experimental limitations that may have influenced the accuracy of the collected data and an explanation of how they are limitationsØ Remember that experimental limitations are different from procedural errors; poor lab technique is not an experimental limitation!§ Comments on whether any test showed abnormal values warranting concernØ If abnormal values were found, compare each abnormal value with accepted valuesØ If no tests showed abnormal values, state this explicitly
