Hydrologic Report:  Third and Final Draft                                                   Sanders

This assignment is due December 6, 2001.
 

ELEMENTS THAT SHOULD  APPEAR IN THIS DRAFT:         Title page         Blank page          Table of Contents         List of Figures         List of Tables         Acknowledgments         Abstract         Introduction         Methods         Results         Discussion         Conclusions         Appendices         References Cited

NOTES:     ·  Each of the elements listed at left begins on a clean        page!  · Be sure to number all pages (including the front       matter).   · Be sure that all figures and tables are included.        Each one should be numbered and should appear       in the list of figures or list of tables.   · All references cited in the paper must appear in       the reference list, in correct format (see Turabian).

Title page: Information here should be centered horizontally and vertically on the page.
See Turabian p. 256 for an example.  Include a title, your name, the class name, the university name,
and the date.  Also include the words "Final Report".

Table of Contents: See Turabian p. 257-258 for information and an example.

List of Figures: See Turabian p. 259 for information and an example.

List of Tables: See Turabian p. 260 for information and an example.

Acknowledgments: In this section, thank the people who need to be acknowledged for the
help that they gave you.  For example, you might want to thank your group members, people
who work at hydrologic agencies or libraries who provided data to your or explained concepts to
you, or other people who contributed in some way.

Abstract: The abstract is a brief (generally one page or less) synopsis of the entire paper.
The abstract should
        * introduce the study in a few sentences,
        * state the methods used,
        * tell the most important results (actually giving numerical values where pertinent),
        * outline the most important points made in the discussion, and
        * in a sentence or two, give a brief conclusion.

The abstract is not an advertisement for the paper, or a preview of coming attractions.  It should
include all the "news" that the paper includes.  It should contain all the relevant data and
conclusions.  It should be able to stand alone, without needing the paper to explain it.  The abstract
should not talk about the paper.  Instead, it should be the paper itself--just in a very brief form!

Introduction:  In your thesis, this section will be Chapter 1!   Here, include the following:

        * an opening paragraph that catches your reader's attention and hints at what is to come

        * a paragraph that describes in very general terms what the basic purpose of this study is
           (to characterize the hydrology of the study area) and says in no more than 1-2 sentences
            what the study does to achieve this purpose.

        * a section with a subheading of something like "General Geography" or "Geographic
           Setting" that introduces the general geographic setting of the study area (location, general
           topography, general land use, major geographic features like streams, lakes, and mountains)

        * a section with a subheading of something like "General Geology" that introduces the
           geology of the bedrock, sediments, and soils

        * a section with a subheading of something like "Hydrologic Budget".  In this section, first
           include a paragraph that explains what a hydrologic budget is and briefly tells what the
           different components of the budget are.  Then, for each component (precipitation,
           evaporation, evapotranspiration, streamflow, ground water), include a subsection with its
           own heading, describing that particular aspect of the hydrologic budget.

Methods: Here, put the Methods sections that you have already written for past assignments.

        * drainage basin delineation
        * precipitation (average annual precipitation, average monthly precipitation, and IDF curves);
        * evaporation (average annual);
        * evapotranspiration (average annual temperature, average monthly temperature, average
           annual ET, and it's possible that you might have calculated average monthly ET, although
           it's not absolutely necessary);
        * stream flow into and out of the basin (average annual streamflow, rating curve, flooding);
        * ground water flow (we did not quantify this, so state what assumptions were made); and
        * a calculation of the water budget balance.

Be sure that for every method described here, a result is given in the Results section.

Results:  Here, put the Results sections that you have already written for past assignments.
Be sure that for every method described in the Methods section, a result is given here.

Discussion: Here, put the Discussion sections that you have already written for past
assignments.  The Discussion section should evaluate and analyze the results, telling what they
mean and discussing (and quantifying where possible) the potential error inherent in the methods.
Be sure to make smooth transitions between paragraphs, and tie together all the material!

Conclusions: This section should be a page or two at most.  Here, sum up the salient
points of the study, and suggest possibilities for further research.

Appendices:  Here, put lengthy data tables and similar bulky information.  See the
Turabian book for format.

References Cited: Use the "Reference List" format as given in the Turabian book.
Citations should be in alphabetical order by the first author's last (family) name.  Spell out (don't
abbreviate) the names of agencies such as the United States Geological Survey or the Illinois
State Water Survey.

Congratulations!  You're done!

© 2001 Laura L. Sanders.  Last updated November 29, 2001.