HOW TO WRITE A LABORATORY REPORT

The laboratory report has 10 sections:

1. Front Matter

The front matter includes a title page, a table of contents, a list of tables, and a list of figures.

2. Abstract

3. Introduction

4. Methods

5. Sample Calculations

6. Results

7.   Safety

8. Conclusions/Recommendations

9.  References

10.  Appendices

Title

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
Ultraviolet Light on Borax Crystal Growth Rate". If you can, begin your title using a
keyword rather than an article like "The" or "A".

Table of Contents

List of Figures

Introduction or Purpose

Usually, the introduction is one paragraph that explains the objectives or purpose of the lab.
In one sentence, state the hypothesis. Sometimes an introduction may contain background
information, briefly summarize how the experiment was performed, state the findings of the
experiment, and list the conclusions of the investigation. Even if you don't write a whole
introduction, you need to state the purpose of the experiment, or why you did it. This would
be where you state your hypothesis.

Materials

List everything needed to complete your experiment.

Methods

Describe the steps you completed during your investigation. This is your procedure. Be
sufficiently detailed that anyone could read this section and duplicate your experiment. Write
it as if you were giving direction for someone else to do the lab. It may be helpful to provide
a figure to diagram your experimental setup.

Data

Numerical data obtained from your procedure usually presented as a table. Data encompasses
what you recorded when you conducted the experiment. It's just the facts, not any
interpretation of what they mean.

Results

Describe in words what the data means. Sometimes the Results section is combined with the
Discussion.

Discussion or Analysis

The Data section contains numbers; the Analysis section contains any calculations you made
based on those numbers. This is where you interpret the data and determine whether or not a
hypothesis was accepted. This is also where you would discuss any mistakes you might have
made while conducting the investigation. You may wish to describe ways the study might
have been improved.

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.

Figures and Graphs

Graphs and figures must both be labeled with a descriptive title. Label the axes on a graph,
being sure to include units of measurement. The independent variable is on the X-axis, the
dependent variable (the one you are measuring) is on the Y-axis. Be sure to refer to figures
and graphs in the text of your report: the first figure is Figure 1, the second figure is Figure 2,
etc.

References

The text should cite all sources used, including the lab handout. References should be listed
at the end of the appendix. There are several on line applications that will generate a
reference list for you. 

http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx

Appendices
The appendices of the laboratory report generally include raw data, perhaps a fuller
description of the apparatus, fuller descriptions of the procedure, derivations of theory, and
any unique assignments specified by your instructor.

Abstract
An abstract is a concise summary of an experiment or research project. It should be brief --
typically under 200 words. The purpose of the abstract is to summarize the research paper by
stating the purpose of the research, the experimental method, the findings, and the
conclusions.

How to Write an Abstract

The format you'll use for the abstract depends on its purpose. If you're writing for a specific
publication or a class assignment, you'll probably need to follow specific guidelines. If there
isn't a required format, you'll need to choose from one of two possible types of abstracts.

Informational Abstracts
An informational abstract is a type of abstract used to communicate an experiment or lab
report.

 An informational abstract is like a mini-paper. Its length ranges from a paragraph to 1

to 2 pages, depending on the scope of the report. Aim for less than 10% the length of
the full report.
 Summarize all aspects of the report, including purpose, method, results, conclusions,
and recommendations. There are no graphs, charts, tables, or images in an abstract.
Similarly, an abstract does not include a bibliography or references.
 Highlight important discoveries or anomalies. It's okay if the experiment did not go as
planned and necessary to state the outcome in the abstract.

Here is a good format to follow, in order, when writing an informational abstract. Each
section is a sentence or two long:

1. Motivation or Purpose: State why the subject is important or why anyone should
care about the experiment and its results.
2. Problem: State the hypothesis of the experiment or describe the problem you are
trying to solve.
3. Method: How did you test the hypothesis or try to solve the problem?
4. Results: What was the outcome of the study? Did you support or reject a hypothesis?
Did you solve a problem? How close were the results to what you expected? State-
specific numbers.
5. Conclusions: What is the significance of your findings? Do the results lead to an
increase in knowledge, a solution that may be applied to other problems, etc.?
Need examples? The abstracts at PubMed.gov (National Institutes of Health database) are
informational abstracts. A random example is this abstract on the effect of coffee
consumption on Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Descriptive Abstracts
A descriptive abstract is an extremely brief description of the contents of a report. Its purpose
is to tell the reader what to expect from the full paper.

 A descriptive abstract is very short, typically less than 100 words.

 Tells the reader what the report contains, but doesn't go into detail.
 It briefly summarizes the purpose and experimental method, but not the results or
conclusions. Basically, say why and how the study was made, but don't go into
findings. 

Tips for Writing a Good Abstract

 Write the paper before writing the abstract. You might be tempted to start with the
abstract since it comes between the title page and the paper, but it's much easier to
summarize a paper or report after it has been completed.
 Write in the third person. Replace phrases like "I found" or "we examined" with
phrases like "it was determined" or "this paper provides" or "the investigators found".
 Write the abstract and then pare it down to meet the word limit. In some cases, a long
abstract will result in automatic rejection for publication or a grade!
 Think of keywords and phrases a person looking for your work might use or enter into
a search engine. Include those words in your abstract. Even if the paper won't be
published, this is a good habit to develop.
 All information in the abstract must be covered in the body of the paper. Don't put a
fact in the abstract that isn't described in the report.
 Proof-read the abstract for typos, spelling mistakes, and punctuation errors.