THE VICTORIA SCHOOL

SCIENCES
HOW TO WRITE A LAB REPORT
GUIDELINES FOR YEAR 3
2019-2020

General guidance for your lab report:

● Typed and concise
● 1-line spacing
● Clear and relevant title
● Logical order, with clear headings
● Correct spelling, grammar, and coherence
● In the past tense
● Use of specific terminology and conventions; use of units, decimal places, etc.
● Labeled graphs, tables, and images
● Bibliography using APA-style

Always use these materials when writing a lab report:

1. Checklist (above)
2. How to write a Lab Report guide

Command term Definition

Describe Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or

process.

Design Produce a plan, simulation or model.

Discuss Offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of

arguments, factors or hypotheses. Opinions or conclusions should be
presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

Interpret Use knowledge and understanding to recognize trends and draw

conclusions from given information.

Outline Give a brief account or summary.

Present Offer for display, observation, examination or consideration.

INQUIRING AND DESIGNING (CRITERION B):

1. Research Question: Describe a problem or question to be tested by a scientific investigation.

Aspect i. Explain a problem or question to be tested by a scientific investigation

2. Hypothesis: Outline a testable hypothesis and explain it using scientific reasoning. A

hypothesis is a prediction or an “educated guess” to answer a part of the Research Question.
Aspect ii. Formulate a testable hypothesis and explain it using scientific reasoning.
 3. Variables and data collection

A. Identify which factors could possibly affect the experiment

Independent Variable Dependent Variable Control Variable

Is the part of the experiment
being tested, that is
controlled and changed
(manipulated) by the person
doing the experiment.
Is the part of the Are parts of the experiment
experiment that is affected that are maintained constant,
by the independent factors that if changed may
variable, and is observed affect the other variables.
and/or measured. The
dependent variable is what
you don’t know before
doing the experiment, and
usually makes most of the
“data” that you record.

B. Data Collection: Explain how the dependent variable(s) will be observed or measured. Include an
idea of how many observations or measurements will be required, and what instruments will be
used.

Aspect iii. Explain how to manipulate the variables, and describe how data will be collected.

4. Design the Experiment:

A. Make a list of materials used.

B. Prepare a step by step procedure that explains how the independent variable(s) will be
manipulated, control variables will be controlled, and dependent variable(s) will be observed
and/or measured.

Aspect iv. Design scientific investigations.

DATA PROCESSING AND METHOD EVALUATION (CRITERION C)

1. Data Collection and Processing: Record all observations and/or measurements (raw data) in
organized well-labeled tables (Include correct column headings together with units and
uncertainties).

Show examples of any calculations and organize processed data (calculated or reorganized) in another
table. Make graphs if it is necessary and explain them briefly.

Tables, Graphs and Figures (drawings or pictures) must always be numbered and include a descriptive
title. This title must go below or underneath the Table, Graph or Figure.

Aspect i. Present collected and transformed data.

2. Data Analysis and Results:

Use scientific reasoning to explain what your data means.
Compare the obtained results with theory.

Aspect ii. Interpret data and explain results using scientific reasoning.

3. Results and Conclusions: Compare your data to your hypothesis. Explain how well your
results support the hypothesis. In which ways does the data show that your hypothesis is true?
False?, Answer to the research question.

Aspect iii. Evaluate the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of the scientific investigation

4. Evaluation: Explain how well the experimental method worked to test the hypothesis. How well
did the investigation go? What problems happened during the experiment? Find out limitations.
Are results reliable?

Aspect iv. Evaluate the validity of the method

5. Improvements: Explain what you would change if you were to do the experiment again. Would
you change the method? Would you make more observations or measurements? Why?

Aspect v. Explain improvements or extensions to the method