How to Format a Lab Report
Most high school students know that science relies on organization and details with data. Unorganized, unreadable data is not only a strain for your teacher or professor, it also affects the accuracy of the experiment, which is why lab reports have a specific format and procedure. Similar to an opening thesis paragraph of a paper, a lab report needs to include the who, when, why, what and how of your experiment. A properly completed lab report will show if you have conducted the experiment correctly. Whether your lab report is typed or handwritten in a composition book, there is a certain protocol.
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Instructions
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Give your experiment a title. Your title should be able to express exactly what your experiment was about.
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Write a concise and compelling introduction. Your introduction covers the statement of the problem, your hypothesis and the purpose of your experiment.
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Describe your methods. Your methods are the tests you ran while conducting your experiment. It is also known as the procedure. Your procedure should be written so clearly that another person could repeat your experiment just by reading your lab report.
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Display your results. You can illustrate your results through charts, graphs or tables, but this section must be clear and logical.
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Use your results to write your conclusion. The conclusion can either prove or reject your hypothesis. Even if your conclusion and hypothesis don't match, that doesn't mean you did the experiment wrong or poorly. Your conclusion is merely a summation of the experiment. You should defend your data and reveal what you learned in your conclusion.
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Tips & Warnings
There are many variations on lab report formats. While this basic format covers the majority of scientific disciplines, your teacher may give a more specific format that you should use instead.
References
- Photo Credit test tubes image by Ruta Saulyte from Fotolia.com
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