Laboratory Report

Each group must write periodic laboratory reports detailing the results obtained, following the scientific research paper format outlined here and any additional guidelines provided by the instructor. Scientific writing uses active, short, and concise sentences.

Title

The title should reflect the paper’s content and be appropriate for the readers (describe the subject or summarize the results). It shows the factors tested, the measured effects or responses, the specific topic or organism under study, and the researcher’s name(s). Be as concise as possible.

Summary/Abstract

Write this part after you have completed all the others. The abstract is a “preview” of what will be in the paper and should be written in a less technical style. It should be a short version (1–2 paragraphs) of the paper. Readers should be able to scan the abstract and decide whether to read more quickly. Ensure that you include the following: summaries of the introduction, leading to the objective/purpose, methods, results, and conclusions.

• 2–3 introductory sentence(s) leading to the purpose of the study
• 2–3 sentences on what you did, materials/methods, including the organism (A brief description of the experiment)
• Summarize the major findings/results (1–2 sentences each)
• Major conclusion(s) for the paper

Introduction

The introduction should clearly state the questions to be answered or tasks to be accomplished in your study. Summarize the relevant literature to help readers understand why the study and your report are interesting and important, and include sufficient background information to make your report comprehensible. What question(s) did you ask? What did you try to accomplish? End with one or two sentences to explain the question(s) you asked, OR address what you accomplished. The cited papers in this section can be used for discussion later. It typically consists of two to four paragraphs.

Results

At the beginning, you need to have statements that lead readers to the experimental data and results. The results should be summarized in the text. If the data are complex, figures and tables should be created and cited in the text before being presented. Tables and figures/graphs should be numbered and labeled properly. Each table and figure should have a brief description of its content as its table title or figure legend. Each figure should have a stand-alone legend that readers can understand without needing to refer to the text. The table should have a title on top and footnotes at the bottom if further explanation is needed. For graphs, the dependent variables should be on the vertical (Y) axis and the independent variables on the horizontal (X) axis. Linear, semi-log, or log graphs should be used when appropriate. No raw data (data directly from the laboratory, like those shown in PowerPoint) or in-depth discussion, speculation, or explanation of the data should be included in the results.

Discussion

1. Highlight and discuss significant results, but do not repeat them.
2. Support your claims in the discussion with literature citations.
3. Discuss how your results:
   • relate to the original question/purpose of the experiment,
   • support/achieve your hypothesis/objective,
   • are consistent with previous studies, relevant models, or hypotheses (citations needed), and
   • fit into the big picture.
4. For unexpected results, try to explain why they occurred, OR use other interpretations from further research to answer the questions raised by your results.
5. End with 1 or 2 sentences to summarize the conclusion of your results and emphasize why it is relevant.

Literature Cited

Any facts or ideas not from you must be attributed to the source where you found them. Indicate such references by citing the corresponding paper(s) at the appropriate place in the text and listing a complete citation under “Literature Cited” at the end of the lab report. All references must be cited in the text. Use the AMA format (as outlined in PubMed) and ensure consistency throughout the lab report.

Finally, ensure that you followed the directions, that your reasoning is accurate, that all possible inferences are made, and that your writing style, grammar, and spelling are appropriate.