HOW TO WRITE A LAB REPORT

Lab reports are assignments that take a bit more time to prepare and will usually take more than a few days to complete.  You will be given a time frame to complete each lab report depending on the lab and the day it is done.  All labs are graded on a 100-point system.

Your lab report is to be typed, and neatly assembled into a stapled packet complete with all pertinent information included.  Please put your name(s) and class in the report.  Inevitably I get one report without a name.  Use a 12 font and a “simple” not a fancy font type!  Use spell check!

All reports are due on time.  Any late reports will lose grade points!  No “ands”, “ifs”, or “buts” about it!  In other words NO EXCUSES!  Don’t wait to the night before to print the report up.  Experience has taught me that something will always go wrong!  If something can go wrong it will, this is better known as “MURPHY’S LAW”! 

TITLE PAGE

This page is the first page of your report and should have the title of the lab, your name, period, date due, and group you may have worked with.

INTRODUCTION

This is the second page of the lab and should have the word INTRODUCTION on it!  Include in this section some background information, purpose of the lab, procedures or techniques used in the lab, and son on.

HYPOTHESIS

The heading on this section is HYPOTHESIS.  Simply one statement based on what you thing will happen in this lab concerning the science done.  You will have to come up with your own at times and other times a hypothesis is already given.  Remember a hypothesis is a statement not a question!

MATERIALS

Head this section Materials.  This section will include the materials your group used in the lab.  Simply list all the supplies you used in the lab.  Include pencils, paper, charts, chemicals, measuring devices, products, processing equipment, protective devices, and son on.  The order listed is not important.

PROCEDURE

This section will include HOW you did your lab.  In most cases you will be following a set of instructions.  If this is the case simply write the heading PROCEDURE and then state … SEE LAB HANDOUT.  Do not include the handout of procedures itself with your report as I already have it!

RESULTS

Label this section RESULTS.  This is where all your data goes.  All graphs and charts go here.  All charts and graphs need a heading and labels.  Where you need to use commercial graph paper.  It will be supplied to you.  Large graphs and charts are expected to be professional quality, in other words use a ruler and measure accurately.  Sloppy graphs will not be accepted and no other information or interpretations go here.  You can place all graphs and charts or oversized paper at the end of the lab report rather than in with your results as these papers may be larger than your lined or bland paper.

DISCUSSION

This section begins with the heading DISCUSSION.  The only information that goes here are the answers to any analysis questions that may be included in the lab.  Number the answers and use full sentences.  Answers should reflect complete, clear, and coherent thoughts and cite examples where necessary.  You must convince me that you know what you are talking about! 

CONCLUSION

Put the heading CONCLUSION for this section.  This is a two paragraph section.  First paragraph will relate the findings that you have found in doing your experiment.  It restates the hypothesis with proof of accuracy or an explanation of what went wrong.  Keep it to the point!  Confirm what you have learned.  Briefly mention data and how it might have helped you come to the conclusions you have made.

The second paragraph will be a short paragraph on sources of error or confirmation of accurate findings.  Here you will explain incorrect, unexpected, or unexplained results or confirm correct findings and good techniques.  If the lab didn’t come out as expected you will have to mention or speculate on at least three (3) sources of error even if you feel you have done nothing incorrectly!  Full coherent sentences are expected.  Nothing otherwise!

REFERENCES

This section should be labeled REFERENCES.  Give credit for any information you may have gotten from textbooks, references books, the internet, professionals, or other sources.  If you do not it will be considered plagiarism.  In other words don’t cheat, cite your sources.  Please include the page number with the text source and the complete web page URL with internet sources.

NOTE:  Please understand that some type of labs will not require all the above sections.  I will tell you when this is so.