how to write a lab report

how to write a lab report

Guide to Writing an Effective Lab Report

1. Introduction to Lab Reports

2. Methods: Describe any procedures that were followed. The Methods section should provide the reader with sufficient detail so that the experiment could be repeated. It should be a generic set of instructions, not a series of experiments bearing your signature. Make sure the reader can locate each table and figure from the description in the text. Careful – you must clearly identify each table and figure as “Table 1”, “Figure 2”, and so on. In science, the word “proof” does not have the same mathematical connotation, but rather a scientific result is reputable if the experiment is well designed and correctly executed.

1. Introduction: Define the subject area and the purpose of the experiment. Clearly identify the question or questions that the experiment is designed to answer. A short introduction should set the question or topic in context. In other words, the introduction should explain what you intend to learn.

Table of Contents: A short listing of the content.

Abstract: The purpose of an abstract in a scientific paper is to help a reader decide if your paper is of interest to them. An abstract briefly states the question, method, results, and conclusion of the experiment. Do not explicitly describe or explain the importance of the paper in your abstract, just the goal. Data in an abstract need only refer to corresponding tables or figures. Keep it brief! Concentrate on essential data. Aim for brevity!

Title Page: Your title page should contain the title of the lab, your name, your TA’s name, and the experiment performed. A title should be descriptive and accurate, but not wordy, verbose, or too terse.

Sections of a good lab report: Each of the seven sections must begin on a new page.

A lab report provides a formal record of an experiment. The report consists of a thread of claims and information linking the introduction to the content in the discussion. Organization is the foundation of science and a science project.

2. Structural Components of a Lab Report

The title page should inform readers of the title of the study, the subject(s) the study pertains to, the names of contributors, their affiliations and addresses. Such a page leads readers to the primary concern of your study report. Subsequently, the abstract is given to provide a brief description of the research methods, results, and significance. This part should be brief and appeal to readers interested in a rapid review of the study to allow decisions concerning its relevancy. The abstract is divided into three sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, and must briefly uncover main findings, outline the next section of the report (so the story does not jump around), and express the relevance of the findings to the researcher’s field and the scientific community. If you are missing one or more sections, they must be briefly mentioned.

Although the format for a lab report may vary depending on the demands of a professor or instructor, the main aims of the task are usually the same: to present the researcher’s findings or outcomes and to allow other people to analyze their process. As it is important that certain sections of the document are easily accessible and quickly identifiable by readers, a research report should have a clear division into themes, pass readily to areas of interest, and offer easy reference by means of numbering or headings. This format modifies and extends nearly all of the conventions set by Kirisits, M.A. et al. (2014): 1) Writing a Scientific Paper; 2) Writing the Laboratory Notebook; and 3) Guidelines for Evaluating a Scientific Paper. If you continue to write papers, you will come across many different formats. However, you should consider this slightly different format, except for the fact that it is used in preparation of a manuscript or for a writing assignment. Just because every part is not used does not mean there is any less substance; rather every written part continues to have the same importance as in a complete document. The writing is semi-formal with an occasional touch of humor that brings a lot of this piece into the blend.

3. Writing Techniques and Style

3.3 Use precise language. The objective of a lab report is to convey information with clarity and precision. In your writing, use precise language to describe exactly what occurred, distinguishing between experimental and non-experimental statements. The most common error in describing experimental results is assuming that they would occur when, in fact, what you observed is only what might happen. You may have witnessed the effect of a particular phenomenon, but you should not have assumed that the effect would always happen. Be specific: “The dye changed color from blue to red”, not “The dye changed color.”

3.2 The use of present tense. In writing a report, the scientist should always use the present tense, which is common in science writing. It is considered permanent or more positive or forcible than others. Examples of this writing approach are “The mass of the ball diminished”, “The average of acceleration is calculated”. The use of past tense can be used to describe the completed event: “The ball displacement was measured.”

3.1 Be explicit. This type of writing should be done in an objective, impersonal way about scientific material. Avoid the use of “I” or “we” in a lab report unless you are specifically asked to write it with those characteristics. Instead, use terms such as “It was determined that” or “The data indicates”. The data should describe what happened, not what did happen in a writer’s mind. You should make statements in lab reports such as: “The mass of the ball decreased at a constant rate during the trials”, rather than “We saw the mass of the ball decrease”.

Appropriate writing for a lab report is different from writing a term paper or a critical essay. A well-written lab report should be a complete, stand-alone document, making it easy for the reader to understand the material in a clear and organized format. This part of the handout will suggest what kind of language your lab report should be written in.

4. Data Analysis and Interpretation

In some cases, it may be essential to include a discussion that explains the meaning and/or significance of the data. What is a good title? The title should be to the point, descriptive, accurate, and clear. The primary emphasis in the title is on the meaning and significance of the research. Writing the title last allows you to write a more direct, descriptive title that won’t be too long. Make your title specific enough to describe the contents of the paper, but not so technical or wordy.

The analysis is a summary of the data and what the data seem to be saying. Many times, the meaning of the data may not seem self-evident. It is essential to interpret the data to draw conclusions. Inference is the act of drawing a conclusion that derives directly from a conclusion. Inferences often involve an explanation of the meaning of the data that leads to its significance. Interpretation employs some creativity. One possible way to interpret the data is to place it in the broader scientific context. This means considering its relationship to other aspects of the problem. Be sure to elaborate on what the data tell and then interpret the data.

5. Conclusion and Recommendations

Remember that a proper lab report is a work in progress, so make sure you write it in a way that will allow you to add or subtract from it in the future. As you are improving the efficiency of the experiment, write down what you have done, including the goal, the procedure, the results, and your conclusions. Otherwise, you’ll never remember what you did and why it was important.

Recommendations Finally, list your recommendations for improving the experiment and hypotheses for future studies. Was there some problem with the statistical analysis? Is the methodology sound? Are there other factors or variables that could have influenced the results? What would you do differently next time? If you recommend further studies you should indicate what of the work will add to understanding of the present results. What is recommended as a course of action? What question is to be answered or what problems is to be solved?

Conclusion After you have presented your findings in the Results section, you will need to analyze them. Generally, you will present your findings in reference to the objective of the lab. Here you might discuss trends shown by your data and any statistical analysis you have performed as you describe your results. You may be asked to use only your data, not any literature references, to support your conclusions. You should restate your introduction and the objectives of your work once more at the end of your report.