lab writing guide
TRANSCRIPT
8/3/2019 Lab Writing Guide
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1. Title Page
Include the title of the experiment, your name and the names of any lab partners, your instructor's name, and the date the lab report was submitted. The title says what you did.
It should be brief (aim for ten words or less) and describe the main point of the
experiment or investigation. An example of a title would be: "Effects of Light andTemperature on the Rate of Photosynthesis.” If you can, begin your title using a keywordrather than an article like 'The' or 'A'
2. Introduction
The introduction explains the objective of the lab. In the introduction, you should write a
brief background about any previous research done and the purpose of the experimentyou performed. Since this lab is about enzymes, you could talk a little about what
enzymes are, a few of their properties or their purpose. If you need to reference any other article or website make sure you do it properly. Also, make sure you state the hypothesis
in the introduction. When writing the first lab report many introductions also includedmethods, which should only go in the next part. Also in this section no data should be
analyzed, that is only for the discussion.
The introduction should be written in a passive voice. Instead of saying “we looked athow sunlight effects plant growth” you could say “the effect of sunlight on plant growth
was observed”
This part should not be too long, a paragraph or two.
3. Materials and Methods
Describe the overall approach you used to complete your investigation. This is your procedure. In this course you do not need to list the specific steps you followed, because
these are spelled out in the Lab Guide. Instead summarize what you did in 2-4 sentences.
Make sure when you write the methods part that you use a passive voice. This was the biggest problem in the first lab report. When writing a lab report you should never refer
to yourself, never use the word “I” or mention that “your group” did something.
For example, instead of writing “I put the book down” you would write “the book was
placed down”.
4. Data
Everyone pretty much got this section right; just make sure you only put the relevant
graphs into your lab report.
“Data” are the numbers you recorded as you conducted the experiment. It's just the facts,
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not any interpretation of what they mean. Usually the data are presented in the form of tables or graphs. These must both be labeled with a descriptive title. Label the axes on a
graph and all columns of a table, being sure to include units of measurement. On a graph,the independent variable (like temperature) is on the x-axis, and he dependent variable
(like rate of reaction)) is on the y-axis.
5. Results and Discussion
Describe your results; that is, describe in words what the data mean. You may need toinclude some “analysis” of the data – things like calculating percentages. As you go
along, discuss (or interpret) the data. Say whether or not the data are consistent with whatyou would expect if your hypothesis is true. In the text of your report, refer to tables and
graphs by number – for example, “As seen in Table 1, the rate of photosynthesisdecreases,” or “As temperature increases, the rate of reaction increases (Graph 3).” This
is also where you would discuss any mistakes you might have made while conducting
the investigation. You may also describe ways the study might have been improved.
This part should not include any methods or any new definitions or background info. Allof that should have been covered in previous sections. There should also be no new data.
6. Conclusions
Most of the time the conclusion is a single paragraph that sums up what happened in the
experiment, whether your hypothesis was accepted or rejected, and what this means.Mention the significance of your findings and tie it into a bigger picture.
7.References
If your research was based on someone else's work or if you cited facts that require
documentation, then you should list these references.