|
LAB REPORT REQUIREMENTS
|
Churchill Science Department
Inquiry Lab Report Writing
The writing of a laboratory report is
an important part of Science here at Churchill. As a piece of scientific research, a design and perform investigation is not complete until
the problem has been researched and the data has been collected, recorded, manipulated, and
discussed. Your report is analogous with an investigation printed in a scientific journal; its
purpose is to convey the intent, method, and results of an investigation to the scientific
community. Your lab report should include the following principle sections:
Title and Author
Introduction
Hypothesis
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
Summary
References Cited
Important Note:
All
sections of the report should be written in the past tense. You are describing what you studied
and how you went about it. Never use the words "I" or "We". A statement such as "the samples were placed in a hot water bath for ten minutes
then removed and evamined for a colour change" would be acceptable. The report should be clear,
concise and written using a word processor. Graphs, tables, and graphics should also be done
with computer software. Keep this idea in mind: assume the reader does not have a background
in your area of expertise although they may be scientifically literate. Investigations should
be verifiable; that is they can be replicated by others. Does your report allow that to happen?
Sections of the Report
Title and Author(s)
On your cover page construct and display a title that indicates what was studied (independent variable), acting on what (organism, molecule, model, etc). Include
your instructor's name, the class code, the date and other students in your lab group. Although you may wish to include a simple
graphic, no additional artwork or formatting should be considered. There are no marks given for
this kind of effort.
Introduction
This section should be a page to a page and half long. Paragraph structure must be used. The initial
paragraph should state the "Nature of The Problem" under consideration and pose your "Research Question".
The next few paragraphs should provide a brief review of the state of knowledge around the
subject of investigation. Be careful here. Your background information should educate the
reader about what you are studying, not inundate him/her with unnecessary facts or trivia.
Any references included from research must include an (Author, Date, Page) designation
and must show up as a citation on your References Cited page.
The last few paragraphs should
explain the predicted outcome of the investigation as it relates to the research question.
Provide a brief outline of how you intended to study the question. The outline should mention the
independent and dependent variables used, the design of the control condition and how other
key variables were kept constant. Justify the approach used. Why you do think your experiment will provide a valid answer to the research question?
Hypothesis
This is a concise statement
which is to be substantiated or refuted. It describes a proposed relationship (cause and effect) between two or more variables.
As such you will need to refer to it in your Summary. It is intended to be a framework around
which you can design an investigation. Ideally, it should be stated in an "If ........ Then" format. Wherever possible, the hypothesis should be quantifiable. Ideally, the proof should use numbers rather than qualitative observations.
For the most part, your
investigative design should substantiate or refute your hypothesis only. The data collected should support this and not
provide a lot of other information. Simple designs that investigate the relationship between
two variables only are best to start with. This limits the number of factors you are working with and makes
the investigation manageable. Remember: a scientist rarely answers the question to his/her
satisfaction the first time around or the second or the third .......... otherwise we would have a cure for
all cancers right now. It is the discussion generated and the new questions raised that we are
concerned with.
Materials and Methods
This section should allow another investigator to repeat your study without repeating your errors. Experimental set up and measurement techniques should be described using past tense. Describe
what you did.
Be sure to identify points in the procedure where problems arose and modifications were made. That is what scientists do ..... nothing is perfect.
Pre-experimental testing or procedures (such as producing a solution of certain concentration or pH) should be described as well. Include a section on laboratory safety and precautions to be taken wherever necessary. Use numbered or itemized lists.
Results
This section should allow you to display collected raw data, analyze it
(manipulate or transform)and present it in a form suitable for evaluation in your discussion. Raw
quantitative data is usually displayed in a tabular form. To transform or manipulate data means
that you might have:- subjected the data to statistical calculations (mean, mode, %)
- turned the
tabular data into graphical form (line, bar, pie graphs)
- converted drawings into diagrams
and/or flowcharts
- stated trends evident from observation or calculated from tables or graphs
(ie. a two fold increase or a 9% decrease) ... note that stating "no trend is evident based
on this data" is a legitimate observation
For example: "Figure 1 shows the exponential
relationship between ambient temperature and heart rate in the rainbow trout. Note that a ten
degree rise in temperature resulted in a three (3) fold increase in heart rate."
Whatever format is chosen, the work must be neat and layed out in a way that is easy to
follow. All work should be identified by a Figure or Table number and Title. Be sure to
identify all Headings and Axes and include all appropriate units. If you are using a graph,
do some research to enable you to make the best decision as to which graphing format to
choose. It is very important that you understand what the terms accuracy and precision mean
when collecting, manipulating and evaluating data.
At certain times you may find it
necessary to record qualitative observations. If so find a way to organize them neatly. Be
aware that these can highly subjective.
Do not attempt to interpret the data in this section
or make reference to other results found through research. That belongs in your evaluation
of the data contained in the Discussion.
Discussion
In this section you will: Interpret (evaluate) your results Relate your
results to that found in background research Speculate on the meaning and validity of your
results Evaluation should include: comparing your data against that generated by the control
assessing the procedure, equipment, and time used and suggesting modifications where
appropriate (this section is often referred to as experimental error) looking for agreement or
discrepancy between your results and background research substantiation or rejection of your
hypothesis.
It is essential to consult a variety of sources when doing background research for
both the Introduction and the Discussion. A report which only has internet based research references is considered very weak! Reports that include references to scientific
magazines, journals, text books, and non-fiction works become significantly better. Any
references to research in your discussion must include an (Author, Date, Page) notation and
should show up as a citation on your References Cited page.
Summary
This section should be short and concise, no more than a few lines long,
either in sentence form or in point form as a numbered list. It should only describe your
significant experimental results as they relate to your hypothesis.
References Cited
Any
works used as background research for your Introduction or Discussion must be cited in text
(Author, Date, Page) and show up in bibliographic detail here on this page. Consult the
Sir Winston Churchill C.& V.I. MLA English Style Guide for proper format. You must
reference electronic sources as well (consult the guide or the Lakehead University web site,
linked to the Library, linked to Referencing, linked to Electronic). Do not use footnotes
and do not reference works consulted but not cited (uncited works could be cited under that
heading).
CONTACT ME:
Internet Address: http://www.aekoivu.tripod.com