Final Project Report Template

Course Name

Author
Affiliation

Duke University

Published

January 23, 2023

Abstract

Sentences:

  • Introduce general field

  • Narrow context

  • Big unknown question (addressed by my research) - readers should be able to know what’s already been done vs. what’s missing, and why what I’m doing is important (tie back to big picture)

  • What I did (to answer the question) and what I found

  • What that means (the answer to the question based on results) and broader significance/importance

Sentence order in paragraphs:

  • Define topic/context

  • Present new content

  • Takeaway to remember

Introduction

Big problem in world and science

  • Field domain

  • What field knows

  • Remaining gap

Narrower problem within

  • Field domain

  • What field knows

  • Remaining gap

Even narrower problem

  • Field domain

  • What field knows

  • Remaining gap

Super duper narrow/specific problem within

  • Field domain

  • What field knows

  • Remaining gap

Summary

  • My research question (aka that tiny gap)

  • My approach to answering it

  • General outcome

Methods

Overview

  • My question

  • General methods

  • Answer sought

  • [supporting figures]

Step 1 - raw data

  • I need to show

  • Here’s how I show

  • Therefore I know

Step 2 - processed

  • I need to show

  • Here’s how I show

  • Therefore I know

logic 3 - stats

  • I need to show

  • Here’s how I show

  • Therefore I know

Results

Finding 1

  • I found

  • I filled gap

Finding 2

  • I found

  • I filled gap

Finding 3

  • I found

  • I filled gap

Discussion

Interpretation of results

  • I found x which means y

  • I filled gap

Limitations in filling gap

  • Limitations

  • Details

  • How to interpret or fix

Limitations in generalizing

  • Limitations

  • Details

  • How to interpret or fix

Broader contributions

  • Strengths/value

  • How it’s useful

  • Impact/difference made

Science is better now

  • Strengths/value

  • How it’s useful

  • Impact/difference made

References

Appendix