88 Science Research Writing 2.5 Writing a Methodology Section In the next task, you will bring together and use all the information in this unit. You will write a Methodology section according to the model, using the grammar and vocabulary you have learned, so make sure that you have both the model (Section 2.3.3) and the vocabulary (Section 2.4) in front of you. In this unit you have seen the conventional model of the Methodology and the vocabulary conventionally used has been collected. Remember that when you write, your sentence patterns should also be conventional, so use the sentence patterns you have seen in the Methodology samples in this unit and in your target articles as models for your writing. Follow the model exactly this time, and in future, use it to check the Methodology of your work so that you can be sure that the information is in an appropriate order and that you have done what your readers expect you to do in this section. Although a model answer is provided in the Key, you should try to have your own answer checked by a native speaker of English if possible, to make sure that you are using the vocabulary correctly. 2.5.1 Write a Methodology section Th e aim of this task is for you to learn how to describe what you did and used so that any reader can repeat exactly what you did and obtain exactly the same result as you obtained. Remember that you are expected to show that you carried out your work with due care and that you had good reasons for doing what you did. Th e message is: Th is is exactly what I did, I did it carefully and I had good reasons for doing it in this way. To complete the task, imagine that you are writing up a research project which has carried out the fi rst-ever attempt to cook chicken. Imagine that until now, everyone ate it raw. Th e task is to write a recipe for cooking chicken as if it were the Materials/Methods section of a research paper. As an example, instead of starting by writing something like Cut the chicken into four pieces, you could perhaps start with an overview of the entire procedure, or by giving the source of your chicken. Did you obtain it from a supermarket? Was it supplied by a laboratory facility? You will need to say what you used to cut the chicken up; using an axe gives a very
Methodology — Writing a Methodology Section 89 diff erent result from using a 4 cm Sabatier steel knife! Instead of writing Now put the chicken in a hot oven for about an hour and a half, you should write something like: Th e sample was then placed on a 300 × 600 mm stainless steel sheet and heated in a Panasonic E458 × 500 w standard fan- assisted oven for 90 minutes at 350°C. Don't worry if you don't know how to cook chicken — it doesn't matter if you report that you cooked it by boiling it in vodka, but you must give the exact quantity and the brand name of the vodka you used, so that your method and results can be replicated by someone else. Remember to use the passive voice and the appropriate tense. Th e title of the research paper in which you report the new process is: AN APPROACH TO THE PREPARATION OF CHICKEN. Th e Introduction to your paper looks like this: Introduction Chicken preparation techniques are used in a range of applications both in homes and in restaurants. Chicken is easily available and can be locally produced in most areas; in addition it is easily digested and low in calories.1 Since Dundee's pioneering work reporting the 'natural' method of chicken preparation (Dundee et al., 1990) in which the chicken was killed and then eaten raw with salt, there have been signifi cant innovations. Much work has been carried out in France in relation to improving the method of slaughtering chickens,2 whereas in the USA researchers have concentrated on improving the size of the bird.3,4 Th e 'natural' method is widely used since the time required for the process is extremely short; however, some problems remain unsolved. Th e fl avour of chicken prepared using the Dundee method is oft en considered unpleasant5 and there is a well-documented risk of bacterial infection6 resulting from the consumption of raw meat. Th e aim of this study was to develop a preparation method that would address these two problems. In this report, we describe the new method, which uses seasoning to improve the fl avour while heating the chicken in order to kill bacteria prior to eating. Now write the Methodology section of this paper. You should write approximately 250–400 words. If you get stuck and don't know what to write next, use the model and the vocabulary to help you move forward. Don't look at the Key until you have fi nished writing.