the formal lab report example

the formal lab report example

The Importance of a Well-Designed Title Page in Lab Reports

1. Introduction to Lab Report Title Pages

One of the most important parts of a well-designed lab report is the title page. When reviewers receive reports for peer review, the report title page is placed on the front of the reports. While the referees use the reports during peer review, they may also share the report with trusted individuals familiar with the study, if requested by the owner. Also, potential authors who consult the reports see the abstract and contact the study author using the report as a reference. Parenthetically, reports with a meticulously crafted executed title page often carry the respect of the community, because it is certainly a statement of interest, even if a reader does not delve into the document itself.

Lab reports are a communication tool used to convey experimental information to a wide audience. People use reports to share the results of experiments that can influence decision making and effect change. Reports are peer-reviewed research tools with legal standing or mandated use by government entities. Thesis research reports detail the methodology and results of the study for use in defense of the research findings. Lab reports are used in all areas of scientific study to bring the outcome of a scientific experiment to the community. Perhaps the most widely used application of a lab report is the abstract that summarizes the report so that the information can be used effectively for reference or to share results with colleagues.

2. Key Components of an Effective Title Page

The title is the major means for readers to quickly discern and grasp the nature of the report, allowing a reader to obtain a quick overview of its contents and the relationship of its parts in a microcosm. It is the shortest and most precise snapshot of the report’s content, and keywords should be clearly identifiable in the title. The title also serves as the main means for compiler software tools to capture relevant metadata to assist in the sorting, archiving, and retrieval of documents by keyword. This study mainly emphasizes “effective titles” that should be comprehensible at first sight. If the title is satisfying, the reader wastes no time carefully perusing the entire report, or shortcutting directly to the discussion section in situations where only the results are wanted. A bad title should be avoided in all cases.

The title page of a lab report conveys a lot of important information. What a title page does is tell who wrote the report, what the title of the report is, what the lab topic and course are, and what the instructor’s name is. Some instructors require the lab title to be on the title page as well as where it is due. Every item on this page is important and if a teacher or any other person watching you perform the lab should look at this page, you want to be sure that it has all the necessary information on it. In this section, we use the components of the title page specifically for short, informative, accurate titles according to the latest APA style manual. We emphasize that how to prepare a full title according to the APA format should be learned firsthand from APA style manual and should refer to the respective educational guidelines of other standards desired to be followed for academic reports and documents.

3. Guidelines and Best Practices for Designing a Title Page

The Director of Science 1000 directed me to include a Learning Outcomes section directly below the authors’ participation statements as an immediate reminder of our goal in writing laboratory reports for a laboratory course. The end of the page should not be less than 2.5 cm from the bottom of the page.

Text should be 12-pt. Times New Roman font. Title should be centered at the top of the page. All other text should be centered and may be bold or italicized. Do not underline the title, authors, institutions. Use the author’s full name as it appears in the institution or program. Include the primary and secondary participation statements: (a) The work represented on this page is my own; (b) I certify that the data used in the preparation of this report are the authentic results of my laboratory personal work. The title of this section should not be less than 2.5 cm from the bottom of the page. The director’s name should typically be in the form “JD Hamilton, Director, Science 1000”; unless the director has a Ph.D., in which case the post-nominal abbreviation should follow the director’s last name. The graphic or your Faculty Learning Outcomes should be no less than 7.5 cm from the bottom of the page.

The following are guidelines and best practices for designing a title page in lab reports:

4. Examples of Well-Designed Title Pages

C/D/H Labs Carrie Jestrabek | 596 Only students with scheduled hours and for their scheduled labs may use these labs! Examples of well-designed title pages. The examples shown below are for a normal format as described in the Report Format handout on the Labs website, and as shown in the Lab Demonstration Report. Please refer to that handout for additional information. Title pages are the first impression of a report! They set the tone for quality and careful work on the part of the writer(s). First impressions are, indeed, very important. They can give an immediate impression of the quality of the report and they can influence the reader’s opinion or mood while reading the report. The Title Page is the first impression readers will get about the quality of the report, even before they read anything else and whether you are showing it in hard copy or on the website.

5. Conclusion and Summary of Key Points

Advantages of a well-designed title page in lab reports: – General visual presentation – Increases reader interest – Efficient referencing – Indicates the level of work undertaken – User-friendly index – Accomplishing the guidelines from the start.

The title page begins every scientific communication as it is the first thing read, prompting its importance in establishing a professional tone. Offering the information required for citation of the work allows the audience to access it and previous reports on the same topic. Regardless of whether the work being presented is for academic or research purposes, the characteristics of the title reflect both the work done and the author producing it. This paper aimed at introducing the importance of this first essential element, for which building on previous research is made possible. Each area of study has its general and specific guidelines. Here, the guidelines of the American Chemical Society Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, and of the Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering were considered.

5.1. Conclusion