How to Write a Band 6 Research Report for HSC Chemistry

Do you have to write a Chemistry Report for your “Depth Study” but don’t actually understand what this entails❓

Like you, I remember feeling daunted by the idea of having to write Chemistry reports as it seemed like a lot of effort (especially for the mathematically inclined, non-Englishy individuals) 🫣

However, teaching myself to break this process down or ‘chunking’ it into smaller, more manageable steps truly turned my results around!

Keep reading to learn these secrets and get a step-by-step guide on how to write a concise and high-quality Band 6 Chemistry report 🤫 

Let’s dive in! 

What is a Research Report? 

How to Write a HSC Chemistry Research Report

Step 1: Title 

Step 2: Abstract

Step 3: Introduction

Step 4: Risk Assessment

Step 5: Method and Materials 

Step 6: Results

Step 7: Discussion

Step 8: Conclusion

Step 9: References

What is a Research Report? 

A report is essentially an article that gives an overview of your research and findings.

These reports are crucial in the STEM community as they communicate your process and findings, allowing others to learn from and build on it.

For Chemistry, most reports are used to convey an interpretation of the experimental observations with reference to existing theories. While quantitative data (measurements and calculations) can be important, qualitative results (physical descriptions) are also useful in figuring out what is going on behind the scenes. 

A research report is perhaps the most succinct method that encapsulates all aspects of your research. 

Here are some points to consider from NESA’s Chemistry Stage 6 Assessment and Reporting outline:

As shown above, NESA accepts research reports as a component of the depth study. 

The research reports expected of you in senior years are more advanced than the aim, hypothesis, method, results, and conclusion you used in junior science. Let’s take a look.

How to Write a HSC Chemistry Research Report

Luckily, the science community shares similar structures for chemistry reports, which makes it much easier when it comes to writing one.

For the purpose of this article, the research topic we are investigating is the effectiveness of antacids in neutralising stomach acid.

Here are the components!

💡Note: Whilst research reports follow a very specific structure, you don’t have to write the report in order. Personally, I always left the title and abstract for last. This ensured they could be as concise and direct as possible, because I had the best overview of my entire experiment.

Step 1: Title 

The title of your report should give an explicit overview of your experimental variables and subject matter. 

(This includes your dependent variable, independent variable and the reagent(s) you will be testing)

Example Title:

‘The effectiveness of antacids in simulated gastric conditions by titration’

Step 2: Abstract

An abstract is like the blurb of a book! It should summarise your aim, experimental findings, how results were gathered and any potential errors.

Abstracts should be: 

• A paragraph long (< 200 words) 
• Include title, background, aim, methods, results and conclusion. 
• Clear and succinct.

Step 3: Introduction

There are many different things that are relevant to include in the introduction.

Here is a checklist of what your introduction should include:

• Your research question
• Relevant knowledge and background information about the science used for this experiment (ie. neutralisation of Acid/Base reactions) 
• Your aim and hypothesis based on current literature
• The beneficial contribution of your research to scientific advancement 

Example Aim and Hypothesis:

The aim of this investigation is to determine the effectiveness of different antacid tablets in neutralising stomach acid (simulated through a HCl solution). Based on the existing knowledge regarding neutralisations of Acid/Base reactions, it was hypothesised that antacid tablets with a higher dosage or higher concentration will be more effective in neutralising the simulated stomach acid.

Step 4: Risk Assessment

Risk assessments are an important component of any Chemistry report. Your class teacher actually has to complete one for every experiment they run in class.

The purpose is to show that you’ve considered the safety of yourself and those around you whilst running the investigation. It’s easiest to write the risk assessment using a table like the one below.

Example Risk Assessment:

Risk	Hazard	Prevention
Use of strong chemicals (HCl)	Chemical burns, lung irritation	Wear gloves, enclosed shoes, safety goggles, and use fume hood if required
Spills and broken glass	Slipping and lacerations	Walk safely and carefully around the lab, glassware should be dealt with cautiously

💡Note: A risk assessment can be as detailed or vague as you want it to be. The tip is to use your assessment rubric to see how many marks it’s worth- often your class teacher will also specify what they expect!

Step 5: Method and Materials

Experimental Section

The method is designed to communicate to others what your scientific procedure was for the investigation and should include enough detail that someone else can replicate your exact experiment.

Your protocol should be clear, well-structured and in chronological order. 

If your procedure is complex, consider drawing up a flowchart or illustration to visualise your methods. 

Note: Consider the conditions of your experiment (temperature, humidity, etc).

Struggling with Module 5 for HSC Chemistry? We’ve made a study guide on Equilibrium and Acid Reactions for you to use!

Reaction Equation Section

For experiments that require quantitative analysis, it is usually accompanied by relevant equations. 

These equations do not have to be solely mathematical, as they can include chemical formulas too. It can also include the structures and names of products and reactants, as well as the conditions of the experiment (temperature, solvent, atmospheric pressure, etc). 

Example Materials:

• Three different brands of antacid tablets
• 0.1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) (simulating stomach acid)
• Burette (50 mL)
• Pipette (25 mL) and pipette filler
• Conical flask (250 mL)
• Distilled water
• Mortar and pestle
• Magnetic stirrer or stirring rod
• methyl orange indicator

Example Method:

1. Weigh the antacid tablet and grind it into a fine powder, dissolving the powdered tablet in 50 mL of distilled water. (Repeat for each brand of antacid tablet being tested, ensure the weight of each tablet is recorded)
2. Add 25 mL of 0.1 M HCl to a conical flask and add 2-3 drops of methyl orange indicator. Stir well.
3. Set up the titration with the antacid solution in the burette. Ensure the burette is rinsed before filled and begin titration.
4. Slowly add solution, stirring constantly, until the solution reaches the endpoint (indicated by the permanent colour change)
5. Record the volume of antacid solution required to neutralise the HCl.
6. Repeat the titration to ensure at least three trials are conducted for each brand of antacid
7. Compare the volume of antacid solution required for neutralisation across brands

💡Note: It can also be helpful to draw a scientific diagram of the experimental set-up.

Step 6: Results 

The results section will almost always have graphs and tables to convey results, although this depends on whether your results are quantitative or qualitative.

Remember: ❌ Don’t interpret your results in this section. You are purely listing any and all findings.

For repeat trials, you only need to state the average value found from the experiment.

Example Results Table:

Antacid Brand	Trial 1 (mL)	Trial 2 (mL)	Trial 3 (mL)	Average (mL)
Brand A	20.2	19.8	20.5	20.17
Brand B	18.5	19.0	18.7	18.73
Brand C	25.0	24.7	25.2	24.97

💡Note: A big part of results in chemistry are also relevant calculations. Given that antacid tablets from different brands will have different masses and different amounts of active ingredient, to truly compare them you would need to compare the effectiveness using a %g/g.

Step 7: Discussion

The discussion section requires you to justify or explain the results.

For a band 6 discussion, use the following checklist to ensure you address all the important aspects of this section.

To really present an in-depth discussion, check if it answers the following questions: 

1. What are the significant results?
2. What do the results mean? What do they represent? 
3. Do the results accept or reject the hypothesis? 
4. Do the results agree or disagree with existing scientific literature? 
5. What are the limitations and improvements on accuracy, reliability and validity that can be made?  
6. How can this research contribute to future experiments and scientific knowledge? 

💡Note: Be sure to describe your significant results in as much detail as possible. For example, when describing trends, describe whether it increases at an increasing rate or decreasing rate (see diagram below). 

Step 8: Conclusion

The conclusion is similar to the abstract. You are summarising your experimental results, what they mean and why it is important

Step 9: References

Here, ensure that all citations of literature you have mentioned or used are listed. Your school might have a different referencing style from other schools, so don’t forget to ask your teacher or check your marking criteria!

Example:

Image sourced from Library Guides

💡Note: This reference list uses the Harvard referencing style.

⁉️ TIP: using something like MyBib can make collecting your references throughout the report writing process much easier and it will order all your references alphabetically for you.

And that wraps up our 9-step guide to writing a HSC Chemistry research report – good luck!

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Miriam Nelson graduated in 2021 with a Band 6 in Chemistry and is currently studying a Bachelor of Science with a Masters in Secondary Education. However, Miriam has never really left high school, having supported students in Chemistry and Maths for 3+ years while also teaching at a school in Sydney’s CBD. If she’s not studying or learning something new you can find her hunched up over her latest project or at the beach.