General Feedback on Data Collection
Photos
Be sure each picture is labeled as a figure with a caption. For example, “Figure 1: the researcher measuring the temperature.”
Be sure the document has color pictures that are in focus.
For anonymity, the photos should have your face blurred or blocked.
Tables
Tables need to be labeled as a table with a caption. For example, “Table 1: the temperature of athletes for five trials while performing five different exercise movements.” Table titles must be specific to the data being presented in the table. Do not state the problem question as the table title.
Tables need to be titled in sequential order as “Table 1: Title” then “Table 2: Title”
Be sure to use metric units (cm is lowercase). The unit should be noted in the column header.
All measurements must have a measurement uncertainty. The measurement uncertainty should go in the column heading, not in the box with each measurement. Uncertainties can only have 1 significant digit (i.e. ±0.3 not ±0.25). If your data was a count instead of a measurement with a tool, you need to mention that “counts have no measurement uncertainty.”
Center the data in the column
Use a font that is not too small or illegible
Scientific names must be italics or underlined
Be sure to not accidentally spell the word trial as trail.
Try to format so that tables do not break across a page, meaning try not to have one part of the table on one page and then the rest of the table on another page. If absolutely necessary to have a page break, you’ll need to have the title again (“Table 1: continued…”) and repeat the column headings.
Different types of data should be placed into different columns or rows of the data table. Do not have data table cells that contain multiple measurements.
Merging cells is a powerful tool that can really clarify table formatting. See the arrows in the sample below to see which cells should be merged:
Be sure to have every number in the data table with the same number of digits. This includes zeros. So, for example, if you are recording measurements to the tenths place, all of those measurements need to be to the tenths place, even 0.0.
The number of digits in your measurement should match your measurement uncertainty. So, if the uncertainty is +/- 0.5 g, which is to the tenths place, then all of your measurements must also be to the tenths place. See how in this example the uncertainty is to the hundredths spot but the measurements are to the tenths? That’s wrong.
Time should be reported in just one unit. For example, 1 minute and thirty seconds should be reported as 1.5 minutes not 1:30.
Be careful with the word “rate.” A rate is when the variable is calculated PER UNIT TIME. For example, just measuring the change of mass is not a rate. The rate would be “change in mass per day.” Also, time is not a rate. So if you measure in seconds, don’t report it as a rate. Rate is calculated as the inverse of time (for for example, 1/seconds). The rate is the inverse of time (X/time, “X per time”). If all you have is a time, then the rate is 1/time. For example if the reaction took 25 seconds, the rate is 1/25 = 0.04 s-1. Here’s an example of what not to do:
You need to include data to show that you measured controlled variables for consistency across trials.
You need to include qualitative data to earn full marks. A photograph of the results with a caption can be qualitative data. If you don’t have qualitative data, include an explanation about why it wouldn’t be relevant.
You need to mention the human subject release form within your paper and maybe have a sample form included as an image. You don’t need to have every single release form signed by all your subjects in the final paper. Use human subject initials, not actual names.
