The laboratory is often viewed as a perfect world apart from the lecture room. Here, so the saying goes, the student gets to “do” science, moving beyond the book learning of the classroom into the realm of empirical evidence. While it’s true that lab experiments often provide students with their first chance to “do” science, they do not leave the learning apart from the lecture room behind. Indeed, in the lab, students are often faced with a whole new set of questions about what they’re seeing, hearing and even tasting!
The following are some helpful guidelines for writing a lab report. Keep in mind that the format, length and level of detail appropriate for one lab course may not be appropriate for all.
Format
The format for a lab report depends upon the course, instructor and institution. In general, however, a report should provide sufficient information for another person to re-create the experimental procedure.
Materials and Methods
The “materials and methods” section describes what was done in the experiment. It gives a brief but precise account of the procedure followed.
Results
The “results” section describes the results of the experiment in broad terms.
Findings
The “findings” section describes the results in detail, using statements supported by evidence.
Suggestions for Future Experiments
The “suggestions for future experiments” section suggests other experiments that could be done based upon the results and findings of the report. While this section is usually included, its presence or length is not always dictated by the instructor. Some instructors do not allow this section, feeling that it reduces the significance of the experiment itself.
Note-Taking
It’s a good idea for students to take notes before writing a lab report. There are several styles of note-taking, but usually notes are taken before the experiment and then revised during the experiment. Refining notes before the experiment helps ensure focus during the experiment itself. Many scientists use a system of symbols and/or letters to represent objects, events and ideas.
Every lab report begins with an abstract, an introduction, a body section with subsections for materials and methods, findings and conclusions and a reference list.
Introduction
An introduction to a lab report explains what the report is about and how it will be presented. It states the objective of the lab, describes the procedures followed, and gives a brief summary of the findings. The introduction usually consists of one paragraph.
The objectives of a lab report are stated in the introduction or in a preceding section. The objectives tell what you expect to accomplish in the lab report.
The methods used in a lab report are explained in the body of the report.
Sometimes there is a subsection titled Materials and Equipment. This section explains what materials and equipment were used to complete the lab experiment. Be as specific as possible.
Findings
The main section of a lab report describes the results of the experiment. These results should be presented in as much detail as possible without including data from the experiment itself (i.e., do not include the numbers you obtained from your experiments).
The conclusions section states what you have learned from the experiment. Do not include any additional experiments or research in this section. Your conclusions should be logical and based on your findings. Because there can be variation in lab reports, it is acceptable to use the wording provided by your instructor. The conclusions are usually presented in one or two paragraphs.
