Measurement of the F2 structure function in deep inelastic scattering using 1994 data from the ZEUS detector at HERA

We present measurements of the structure function \Ft\ in $e^+p$ scattering at HERA in the range $3.5\;\Gevsq < \qsd < 5000\;\Gevsq$. A new reconstruction method has allowed a significant improvement in the resolution of the kinematic variables and an extension of the kinematic region covered by the experiment. At $\qsd < 35 \;\Gevsq$ the range in $x$ now spans $6.3\cdot 10^{-5} < x < 0.08$ providing overlap with measurements from fixed target experiments. At values of $Q^2$ above 1000 GeV$^2$ the $x$ range extends to 0.5. Systematic errors below 5\perc\ have been achieved for most of the kinematic region. The structure function rises as \x\ decreases; the rise becomes more pronounced as \qsd\ increases. The behaviour of the structure function data is well described by next-to-leading order perturbative QCD as implemented in the DGLAP evolution equations.