Using Mini-reports to Teach Scientific Writing to Biology Students

Anyone who has taught an introductory biology lab has sat at their desk in front of a towering stack of lengthy lab reports and wondered if there was a better way to teach scientific writing. We propose the use of a one-page format that we have called a “mini-report,” which we believe better allows students to understand the structure and characteristics of proper scientific writing and reduces the grading-time investment for instructors.