A research paper is the most important type of writing in chemistry and comprises
the bulk of primary literature in the discipline. Research papers afford the author
the opportunity to communicate original research conducted in the laboratory,
rigorously documenting the results. Most laboratory reports are shortened
versions of this type of writing. If Southwestern students elect to enroll in a
research capstone, they will present their original research their senior year.
Writing the Chemistry Research Paper
Generally, research reports in chemistry are
separated into four sections that help the reader follow
the “chemical story” that the author is trying to convey.
These sections can be loosely associated with the five
steps of the scientific method and can assist an author in
confirming that they have fully explained their research.
This section incorporates the first three steps in
the scientific method. Begin by formulating a question
and painting a broader picture of the importance of the
research that was conducted. For example, if your
research was on the antioxidant potential of extracts
from basil herbs, you may want to begin with a short
explanation of the uses of basil as a medicinal herb and
the importance of antioxidants to decrease free radical
chemistry in the body. This informs the reader as to why
basil extracts were chosen for the study and alludes to
the importance of the research with regards to public
health.
The introduction should continue with a short,
rigorously cited literature review of work that has
already been done either by the author or others. This
further indicates the importance of the research in
broadening the understanding of the specific field. From
this background research, the question the paper is
addressing can be more explicitly stated.
Finally, a hypothesis should be stated indicating
the intention of the research. In a way, the hypo-
thesis is the “topic sentence” of the research
paper. The remainder of the manuscript serves to lay
out data that supports the hypothesis.
2. Results and Discussion
This section, usually the longest, describes the
work that the author has done and the results that have
been obtained. While the necessary data presented in this
section varies between the chemical disciplines, it is
important to remember that this section is not simply a
technical description of procedures. Instead, it is a
narrative that continues the introduction, explaining the
progress of research that eventually leads to the final
results. For example, if you used HPLC to analyze the
components of basil extracts, the specific solvent
conditions should not be elaborated. Instead, the results
of the HPLC should be described.
Below are a few questions designed to help you
shape your analysis.
• Did the experiments work? What sort of
explanation can be offered for this success
or failure?
• How were shortcomings in the initial
experimental strategy overcome?
• What fundamental chemical principles are
demonstrated by the results?
• Are these results consistent with previously
reported experiments?
• What other experiments can be conducted to
either prove or disprove this analysis?