Lab Report -1

Overview

What is the general format of a lab report?

Typical Components

Title Page
(Abstract) depending on the nature of the research/project/experiment
Introduction
Methods and Materials (or Equipment)
Experimental Procedure
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
References
Appendices
Further Reading

What is/are the goal/s of a lab report?

Documenting your findings

Communicating the significance of your findings

How to write a good lab report?

It is more than mere presentation of data.

1
Lab report demonstrates;

Writers comprehension of the concepts behind the data

Recording the expected and observed results is not sufficient
You should answer questions how and why

You should show;

How -and -why differences occurred in your experiment

You must explain

how these differences affected your experiment
Should show your understanding of the principles/theories
You should organize your ideas carefully

Your writing should be;

Logical, concise, and coherent

Title Page should include;

Name of the experiment

The names of lab partners
The date
Title should be straightforward, and informative
Title should be less than ten words

Introduction

narrowly focused than the abstract

state the topic of your report concisely and clearly
move from general specific

general discussion of your topic particular question/hypothesis

2
Must Have:

Purpose of the experiment: provide the rationale for the paper/report

Important background (previous research or formulas) and/or theory

May include:

Description of specialized equipment

Justification of experiment's importance

If the introduction is too long you may add sub-headings

Introduction should be written under the following guide lines;

First step;

should establish a research territory;

How do you do that?

you must show that the chosen area, in general, is important, problematic (problems
of the research area), interesting, central to the field of research, or its relevance to the
field.
in doing so, you must introduce the previous research carried out in the same area

Second step;

you must establish a niche;

How do you do this?

you must show that there is a gap in the previous research or

raising question/s about previous research, or
extending existing knowledge/contributing to existing knowledge, or
to establish/support/prove an existing theory (lab experiments, in particular)

Third step;

employing the niche;

you must state the purpose/nature of the present research

principal findings (optional)
indicate the structure

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Now look at your lab reports and answer the following questions?

What was I investigating?

Why was it important?

What was already known about the subject of my research/experiment?

What did I expect to know after doing my research/experiment?

How did I approach the problem?

Note on Verb Tense

The experiment is already over. Use the past tense when talking about the experiment.

"The objective of the experiment was..."

The report, the theory and permanent equipment still exist; therefore, use the present tense:

"The purpose of this report is..."

"Bragg's Law for diffraction is ..."

"The scanning electron microscope produces micrographs ..."

4
Following is an introduction to a paper.
a. Read the extract and fill in blanks with the appropriate form of the verb.
b. Divide the paper into sections according to the following questions;
What was investigating?
Why is it important?
What was already known about the subject in researched?
What did researcher expect to know after doing the research?
How did researcher approach the problem?

Note: The most commonly used pattern in research/lab reports is to start the
introduction as;
The objective of this research is/ The aim of this project is, This paper examines (not Commented [U1]: This paper is not preferred as it is the
research that is important and not the paper.
preferred, though). However, the following introduction differs from traditional
writing style. Discuss.

Recent advances in space technology (1) ........................ ........... (provide) the
possibility of studying the survival of different microorganisms in the harsh
environment of space (Demets et.al., 2005; Boglioni et. al., 2007). So far, lichens (2)
................................................. (be) the only organisms able to survive exposure to
such extreme conditions (Sancho et. al., 2007; de los Rios et. al., 2010).
It is believed that, if sufficiently protected by meteorite-like material, microorganisms
Commented [U2]: Topic/main idea sentence begins with the
general statement. Note: general to specific is the writing style.
Commented [U3]: Citation: information is emphasised not
the writer. When you need to emphasise the writer, state
writers name first as : Demets et. al. has shown / show the
possibility of ......
Commented [U4]: First step is covered in this paragraph.
general, it is important, emphasising the problem with previous
research-back ground. second step

may also survive the journey through space. However, Brandsttter et. al.,2008) (3)
............................... (report) that microorganisms embedded in 2 cm thick rocks on the
outer surface of a re-entry capsule, simulating the entry of a meteorite, (4)
................................. (not surive). Commented [U5]: gap in the previous research

The aim of this work (5) ................................. (be) to obtain further information on the Commented [U6]: The objective of the research is in the last
paragraph. third step contributing to existing paradigm of
resistance of rock-colonising microbial communities and lichens to outer space knowledge

conditions, during the Biopan- flight of ESA on board a Russian Foton satellite.

Source: Cambridge English for Scientists