formal lab report example

formal lab report example

Guidelines for Writing a Formal Lab Report

1. Introduction to Formal Lab Reports

Answering these questions is self-explanatory and easy; such a work has a higher credibility. Authors know what exactly they have to prove and why. Note: Presentation is crucial for a formal lab report. The students will write this title at the beginning of their lab report and organize all textual sections and data components.

Title Introduction Methods and materials Experimental procedure Data Results Discussion Conclusion References

In general, a formal lab report is composed of several important sections:

When scientists perform experiments, they make observations, collect and analyze data, and formulate generalizations based on the patterns they perceive. In scientific communication, laboratory reports explain the purpose, activities, and results of a lab process or experiment. High school lab reports are generally argumentative. These kinds of documents serve to test the ability to conduct research, such as finding independent and dependent factors. Writing a formal lab report might be a challenging task for a student, even though it is a part of most school or university courses.

2. Components of a Formal Lab Report

X. Appendix May be used for multiple purposes; excerpts such as your original data may be placed here. Ask your teacher/professor for clarification.

IX. Collected References Is a bibliography that documents all the authoritative sources used in completing the lab report; a minimum of 3 scholarly (peer-reviewed) sources should be included here. Use an appropriate citation system.

VIII. Discussion Discusses relationships and leads the reader through the inquiry in an organized and logical sequence. Draws conclusions, explains data, and supports these conclusions.

VII. Analysis of Data Interprets/clarifies the data/results. This is your chance to effectively discuss your hypotheses and evaluate the implications of your findings or results. Draw concrete connections to specific points of your introduction; evaluate these concepts from differentiating perspectives.

VI. Results Shows the outcomes of the tests as well as any numerical data of the research. Supports your conclusions by citing statistics and providing clear examples.

V. Methods An in-depth description of how the research was performed. High-quality, detailed paragraphs should be used. The reader should be able to understand the step-by-step procedure. It is essential to include the reasoning behind your techniques and the error range in calculations.

IV. Materials List of all materials used in conducting the research.

III. Hypothesis Formulates the educated supposition [initial, potential answer] to the problem.

II. Research States the background information regarding the research subject. This should be paraphrased and even quoted information from reputable literature.

I. Introduction Defines the problem/question/experiment to be studied and the potential value of the results. With some lab reports, you may include an abstract.

3. Formatting and Structure Guidelines

The body of the abstract will vary depending on the type of paper. What is the type of paper? Empirical? Conceptual? Or a review? These will be discussed in the methods and results section. Again, we will have to review methods and results sections to write and edit. By informing the reader of the cause, your results and the conclusion will make sense.

As indicated previously, the abstract is the first thing your reader will see. Therefore, it is important to have an organized format to follow. In general, the abstract summarizes the introduction, procedure, and the results. Keep in mind, the abstract is often the only information the reader will have. Therefore, in this section, you should convey in a concise manner the important details that will enable the reader to understand the overall report.

Conclusions: Discuss if the hypothesis has been confirmed or refuted, and the reasons we reached these conclusions.

Data Analysis: Record any variations you detected from the predictions. Describe the events and observations that confirm the observations. Presentence must contain the conclusion only.

Results: Data and observations gathered during the experiment.

Procedure: Overview of the experiments including important information.

Introduction: Brief summary of unifying concept and goal of the experiment.

Hypothesis: What do you predict will happen?

Statement of the Problem: What question(s) are you trying to answer?

Title: A brief, concise, yet descriptive title.

The following format can be used to write both the objective section and the conclusions section of a lab report:

4. Tips for Writing a Clear and Concise Conclusion

The conclusion, like the introduction, provides a frame for the characteristics of your study. However, the conclusion does not rely on the introduction. In fact, it is based on more than the abstract or summary of your study. Used effectively, it will build on information provided by the hypotheses, study design, results and, last but not least, the discussion or interpretation of your study. Moreover, an effective conclusion forges a link between the experiment’s observations and the benefits to fulfill the intended goals. When a conclusion is essentially a summary of the lab narrative, it demonstrates that a student does not perceive the significance or the potential implications of the study. In other words, the report does not encourage others to learn and use what is known.

In a lab report, a conclusion is used to provide a succinct statement of key findings while highlighting potential interpretations of the study. Studies demonstrate that readers use the conclusion to recall main points as well as to consider potential implications for their professional or personal situation. Recognize that sometimes your readers want to know implications beyond the field or topic studied. Whether creating a narrative or providing a set of bullet points, preparing a conclusion increases a lab report’s potential to be useful to others while suggesting avenues for potential collaborations with other researchers.

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid in Formal Lab Reports

Be cautious about the following: Beginning a sentence with “There is,” “There are,” or a similar structure. For example, “There is a linear relationship between temperature and volume of the gas.” Not putting a comma after an introductory phrase. The quantitative data confirm that the pulse rate changes when standing from a sitting position or sitting from standing up. The use of “which” versus “that” (restrictive clauses using “that,” nonrestrictive—”which”). The location of parentheses around dates of references within the text, e.g. (Jones et al., 2010). The use of the semicolon instead of the colon or dash in a list, e.g. measured in Kelvin: volume; and distance. Ending a sentence with a preposition, e.g. The technique of x-ray crystallography is what the instructor will demonstrate. The use of the passive voice. An onion cell was observed under the microscope; high power was used. Ensure all intended information is present. Why pass the bread? The misuse of the term “equation” when referring to a plot of data. The formal definition of a scientific equation is that it is a testable conjecture and not a relation that is a plot of the independent variable on the horizontal axis versus the dependent variable on the vertical axis. Not having the subject after the verb. The bacteria were incubated for 48 hours. Misplacing the object of the transitive verb. Incorrect: A volume of 10 mL was measured. Correct: 10 mL volume measured. Using “bugs” instead of insects. Inappropriate use of an apostrophe. The use of “affected” when the correct term should be “effected” (“affected” implies a sickly connotation). “Predict” rather than “expect” when talking about measurements to be made in the lab. The improper use of “less” or “few” (“more” and “most” can help determine). There may be “distances” in coding, but not on a piece of paper. Starting a sentence with “And” or “Because.” Employing the term “different than.” The words to use are “different from.” The misuse of “in reference to” or “in regard to” instead of “referring to.” Incorrect use of “due to” instead of “because of” when referring to metaphorical meaning. Using “over” in place of “more than,” e.g. more than ten years ago. Assuming the reader is familiar with particular jargon. Speaking of inanimate objects in the possessive form.