Biology Writing a Lab Report Various information from “Writing a Lab Report” by UNCG

Overview Lab reports are the most frequent kind of document written in science classes, but are no longer exclusive to sciences. Scientific thinking can also be used in daily life to help draw valid conclusions from observations and data and is an important part of the curriculum in many subject areas and even daily life.

Overview A good lab report does more than present data, it requires you to think in depth and detail about material and demonstrates your understanding of the concepts behind the data. 

Just recording the expected and observed results is not enough Just recording the expected and observed results is not enough.  You should also show how and why differences occurred, explain how they affected the experiment, and show understanding of the principles the experiment was designed to examine. 

A format, however helpful, can’t replace clear thinking and organized writing.  Organize ideas carefully and express them coherently. 

While labs for each class may differ slightly in mechanics or format, the goal of a lab report remains the same:  document findings and communicate their significance.

Each Lab Report Includes the Following Parts: Title Purpose Hypothesis Background Materials Procedure Results Conclusion/Analysis Works Cited

Title A concise statement of the Problem A bad title: “Exam Grades” A weak title: “Sleep vs. Exam Grades” A strong title: “Amount of Sleep Affects Student Performance on Biology Exams” (Both the changing variable [amount of sleep] and the responding variable [exam score] are mentioned. It is clear that the grade depends on the amount of sleep.

Purpose/Problem Statement Sets the stage for your hypothesis. It clearly states the purpose of your experiment. It can be a question.

Hypothesis This is an educated “guess” about what you think will happen. “I think the less sleep a student has…will happen…because….(state why you believe this).”

Background Information This should begin with information that is general and narrow down to specifics. Imagine you are writing your information for a friend who has never had biology. Give a clear explanation of what your study is all about, defining any special terms you use.

For Example If you are writing about the effects of sleep on exam performance, you should start with the basics: why people need sleep, what happens during sleep, and what are some known results of a lack of sleep. Use information from various sources that you research in the library or your book.

Materials Be sure to create a complete materials list with the equipment properly identified along with the quantities.

Procedure This section is easy to write if you are careful about a couple of things: Include only enough detail so that your reader could repeat your experiment and test your hypothesis. Get rid of any unnecessary details. Ask, “If I leave this out, will my reader be able to do the experiment and get the same results I did?” If so, then leave it out! DO NOT copy the methods from the lab manual. That is a big mistake! Write the methods in your own words. Keep it short and sweet. After you write the first draft of the methods, go back and look for ways to shorten it. Eliminate the unnecessary details.

Results (Data) This has two parts: Text A written description of your results (summary). It should describe the pattern or trends seen in your data. It should be short, but should give your reader a mental picture of what your results show. (Describe the general pattern.) The results should be so complete and clear that the reader doesn’t have to look at your graph to get a clear picture of what the data show. Graphs/Tables/Drawings A graphic representation of your results Understand the gain in information and usefulness when data is converted into table, graphs, and/or drawings. You are not required to use a computer, but you must use graph paper or a ruler to produce neat, accurate graphs and tables. All pictures must be properly labeled. Colors are nice but not required.

Conclusion/Analysis This is the hardest section to write, but the most important. You can’t write a good discussion until you have the rest of your report in good shape. Make sure your discussion answers all the following questions.

Be sure to answer the following questions: Was your hypothesis supported or did you reject it? How do your data compare to the data collected by other students in the class? Why did you get the results you did? What principles of biology or biological processes explain what happened? Did all students in the class test the same hypothesis? If not, what other hypotheses were tested? What were the results? How do these experiments fit with your experiment? What is the significance of this work? What experiments should be done next? (Science never ends.) Can you think of ways to do this experiment over and get better results? Or can you think of other experiments that should be done? What hypotheses would you test next?

Other Tips: You should use the past tense and personal pronouns instead of passive voice: Poor: “Three hours was the amount of time the subject slept.” Better: “Subjects slept for 3 hours.” Units of measurement are abbreviated and numbers are not spelled out.