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Geology Writing Guide

Results

  • This section should be written in a narrative style.
  • Include tables, graphs, contextual figures to illustrate the narrative.
    • A data table is just that - a table (not a figure)
    • Be sure your axes are labeled on any graph. If you label your axes, a title is not necessary. Excel will automatically choose colors and symbols for you. Be sure these adequately show the data. When data overlaps, consider changing colors or symbols or creating separate graphs. Often, there are standard ways of displaying data (scatterplot vs bar graph vs box and whisker plots). Use your references as an example when deciding how to display results.
  • Tends to be quantitative only with no interpretation of the results
  • Be sure to use metric units unless the standard is to use English/Imperial units. Also never mix units. Consistency is the key. There will be times when your references use different units. You should convert these all to the same base, but still be sure to cite the reference.
  • Tends to be rather brief
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