Correlation of Neatness and Scholarship in Physics

353 reports, written by 33 students in three laboratory sections of junior physics, were graded as to neatness. The average neatness grade and the term laboratory grade for each student were used in a correlation study. For each of the three laboratory sections the correlation coefficient was positive. The coefficient for all 33 students was + 0.27. Although the number of students graded was small, we may conclude that in general we may expect neatness and high grades in physics to be associated. Exceptions to the rule and a low correlation coefficient both definitely indicate that neatness of written reports cannot alone be relied upon as an index of scholarship in physics