Writing Laboratory Reports | How to Write Laboratory Reports |
Laboratory reports play a very significant role in determining the
grade of a student and are an essential part of all laboratory courses. As a
student of science and engineering, you will be required to conduct a number of
experiments in the laboratory to test a theory, verify the modifications you
have in mind or to examine the validity of your research findings. The
experiments will demand from you the ability to choose the right equipment, to
arrange various instruments appropriately, to observe and record process, reactions and readings faithfully
and accurately, and to arrive at right conclusions. A laboratory report is a
description of these various findings, steps, and conclusions placed together
in an organized way. It explains in detail how you conducted the experiment,
what you did in the experiment, what the result of the experiment was and what
you learned from the experiment. As a matter of fact, no scientific experiment
can be considered valid unless it is presented logically and intelligibly to
other scientists. As a result, writing laboratory reports is regarded as an
important part of scientific experimentation and investigation.
In most cases educational institutions and research organizations
devise proformas for writing laboratory reports to suit their individual
requirements. Generally these reports include the following elements:
1. Title Page
Though all lab reports do not contain title pages, you can add one as a
title page to your report if your instructor wants it. Your title page should
include:
·
The title of the experiment.
·
Your name and the names of your lab partners (if
any).
·
The name of your instructor.
·
The date of the experiment performed or the date
of the report submitted.
2. Title/Heading
The title of your laboratory report should say
what you performed. It should be brief (not more than ten words) and state only
the main point of your experiment or investigation. If possible, start your
title using a keyword instead of an article like 'The' or 'A'.
3. Introduction
The introduction of a laboratory report is very important. It usually
contains one paragraph that states the purpose of the experiment, and the hypothesis.
Here you should state briefly how you conducted the experiment. The background
information, findings, and conclusions of the experiment or investigation are
also included in this section.
4. Apparatus used
In this section you should list all materials you needed and used to
complete your experiment or investigation.
5. Methods
Describe the methods you followed during your experiment or investigation
in this section. Try to provide thorough description of your experiment so that
anyone can easily understand the procedure of your experiment and duplicate it.
6. Data
Present the numerical data found from your procedure as a table in this
section. Make sure that you are not missing any data you recorded when you
conducted the experiment.
7. Results
State in words what the data indicates in this section. If you want you
can combine this section with the discussion section.
8. Analysis
This section contains the calculations you made on the basis of the numbers
presented in the data section. In this section you can also explain the data
and discuss the mistakes you might have made during the experiment.
9. Conclusions
The conclusion is usually a single paragraph that concludes what
happened in the experiment. This section also contains whether your hypothesis
was accepted or rejected.
10. Figures & Graphs
Labeling with a descriptive title is a must for graphs and figures. You
should label the axes on a graph, and make sure that you have included the units
of measurement. Remember that the independent variable is on the X-axis. On the
other hand, the dependent variable is on the Y-axis. Make sure that you are referring
to figures and graphs in the text of your report.
11. References
You must list the references in your report if you think that you
conducted your experiment on the basis of someone else's work or if you
referred to the facts that need documentation.
Writing Your Annual Report in Five Easy Steps:
ReplyDelete1.Define Your Accomplishments.
2.Interview Your Supporters.
3.Boil Down Your Financials.
4.Compile Your Lists.
5.Put it All Together.