How to Write a Lab Report

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

There are many different ways of writing a laboratory report and the one to follow depends on the objectives of the course of study, the preferences of the teacher or tutor and the grade you are attending. In general, the paper should have a title, a summary, an introduction, the list of materials used during the experiment, a description of the methodology, the results, the discussion of the latter and the bibliography. It might seem like a huge job, but by sticking to a few guidelines and putting in effort, you'll be able to write a lab report that your teacher will appreciate.

Steps

Part 1 of 6: Develop a Plan for Writing the Report

Step 1. Start the relationship as soon as possible

You may be tempted to postpone this task, but remember that corrections and comments from the co-rapporteur may take up to a week. Having a draft version of the report ready a month in advance saves you a lot of unnecessary stress and from submitting an imperfect job.

• It may be necessary to perform further experiments, simulations or repeat the experience all over again after receiving the first comments on your paper.

• In theory, comments and notes should follow these steps:

  • (a) Re-reading and revision by the author;
  • (b) Review and constructive comments by another student;
  • (c) Review and notes by the tutor or co-supervisor.

  

  Step 2. Write the report with clarity as your first goal

  The purpose of the experiment to prove or disprove certain hypotheses is essentially unimportant when writing a laboratory report. The data reported could be of any kind, and in the future you may well find yourself writing reports that seem silly or useless. The goal of the assignment is to be read and evaluated by another person, such as the teacher.

  • It is worth reminding yourself of the purpose of the work at the beginning of each section, before you even write it down.
  • When you finish a part, reread it carefully and, at the end, ask yourself if the reading was fluid and if the text is easy to understand; try to understand if you have achieved the goal you set for yourself.

  

  Step 3. Evaluate the audience you are targeting and the future audience

  The immediate purpose of the laboratory report you write is to allow your teachers, the tutor and the evaluating committee to confirm your ability to write one in a clear and coherent way. However, when you start designing and conducting experiments on your own, it is possible that colleagues and early students may use your work as a source.

  If you think the academic article would be useful to researchers in another discipline, such as social science, you should include definitions or explanations for the very technical terms you use

  

  Step 4. Sketch the general structure of the report

  Take a sheet of paper, a pencil and list all the necessary sections respecting an order. For each section, write down a few sentences that summarize the topic that needs to be covered.

  • Since different teachers have different preferences, you should consult the laboratory handouts or the course program to know the teacher's expectations and decide the content of your work.
  • Most laboratory reports adhere to this order: problem, hypothesis, materials, procedure, data, and conclusion.

  

  Step 5. Break the sections into subsections if necessary

  It may be necessary to fully explain the technical aspects of the job; in this case, you need to structure the relationship with subsections in which to deepen and expose all the various aspects of the laboratory problem.

  • The organization of the document structure is specific to the problem or experiment.
  • You can also insert a paragraph to illustrate the design methodology, the experimental one or to prove intermediate or secondary theorems.

  Part 2 of 6: Writing a Top-Down Draft

  

  Step 1. Familiarize yourself with the top-down system

  Behind the English term there are "hidden" communication strategies and a logical approach that provide for the description of the most important general elements (the "key" concepts), which are then explored individually, going into detail, until the basics are reached. This hierarchical organization can be divided into three approximate stages:

  • Organization of the draft in sections;
  • Organization at subsection level;
  • Definition of the draft in paragraphs.

  

  Step 2. Write the initial draft respecting the top-down system

  This way, you have a better idea of how to "turn" a blank sheet into a full report. Start with the titles of each section, leaving plenty of space between them to be able to enter information at the subsection and paragraph level; avoid being too verbose at this stage, the goal is to define the flow and structure of the relationship.

  • Bullets are a very valuable tool when you reach paragraph level; they allow you to write down the key terms, phrases and data that need to be integrated into the paper.
  • Within the paragraphs pay particular attention to important specific terms, symbols, protocols, algorithms and terms.

  

  Step 3. Don't forget to use pictures, tables and graphs

  You have to integrate these elements into the text in a logical and intuitive way. Use a particular style of bulleted list to define the space in which you insert an image.

  You can also consider using simple drawings to avoid writing too many unnecessary words

  

  Step 4. Use tools to organize yourself, such as highlighters and post-its

  Highlighter pens help you color-code and match sections of your draft with other academic articles, such as research, notes, or teacher's slides. The colored post-its instead remind you of something you have yet to do or have forgotten, like making a graph of the data.

  Part 3 of 6: Writing the Introduction and Summary

  

  Step 1. Choose your title and table of contents carefully

  They are the two most visible elements of the relationship and, consequently, the ones that receive the most attention. A trivial title or an incomprehensible summary can limit the influence your paper can have on colleagues.

  • The title should reflect the work done and make every striking element stand out.
  • The summary should be concise, typically no longer than two paragraphs or around 200 words.

  

  Step 2. Reduce the summary to crucial information

  This part should contain the core of the report; usually, it is drawn up around the following points, with a varying amount of detail depending on the specific case:

  • (a) Main motivation;
  • (b) Main concept of the project;
  • (c) Essential differences with previous works;
  • (d) Methodology;
  • (e) Notable results, if any.

  

  Step 3. Write your introduction

  Most relationships should start with an introductory section. After the title and the abstract, the introduction and conclusion are usually the two most read sections of each report. This part should contain answers to the following questions:

  • What is the context of the problem? In other words, the context in which the experiment took place; in some cases, this is an implied detail, but in other circumstances the question may be combined with the motivation for your work.
  • What is the problem you are trying to solve? This is the statement of the relationship problem.
  • Why is the problem important? It represents the motivation that prompted you to write the report; in some cases, the answer is implicit in the context or even in the statement.
  • Is the problem still unresolved? The answer refers to past or related work and must be reported succinctly.

  

  Step 4. Organize the introduction according to the top-down outline of the draft

  Since this section is a bit more complex than a short summary of the experiment, the draft represents a perfect writing guideline; in several cases, the rest of the relationship has a similar or identical structure.

  Each section of the paper can be considered an in-depth description of the points mentioned in the introduction

  

  Step 5. Enter critical evidence and details

  The intricate steps of the lab experiment you are writing about may not be clear to all readers. To avoid confusion and establish a strong logical line throughout the paper, you should possibly consider answering these questions as well:

  • Why is the problem difficult to solve?
  • How did you solve it?
  • What are the conditions for which the solution is valid?
  • What are the main findings?
  • What is the summary of your contributions? In some cases, the answer is implicit in the body of the introduction, sometimes it is better to state it explicitly.
  • How is the rest of the relationship organized?

  

  Step 6. Write a section to describe the context, if necessary

  In case you need to provide readers with vital background information, you can report it in a specific subsection. It is quite common to write at the beginning of this part of the report the sentence: "The reader who knows the context can leave this section out".

  Part 4 of 6: Writing the Body of the Lab Report

  

  Step 1. Draw up the section on materials and methods

  The key to writing this part well is to avoid overwhelming readers with too much information. If you need to illustrate or explain specific equipment you have used or a theory you have assumed, you should:

  • Describe the equipment or theory in a short paragraph;
  • Consider inserting an instrumentation diagram;
  • Theoretical elements should derive both from the observation of nature and from the literature.

  

  Step 2. Consider inserting a section for interpretation of related work

  If similar experiments have been performed, if there are laboratory tests that you are trying to expand or previous research that you want to carry out with a new approach, the description of how these works have oriented and influenced yours allows you to highlight in a natural way the differences between your experiment and those of others. A possible place for this section is at the beginning of the report, after the introduction and the context part. It is a matter of personal preferences, it depends on those of the teacher or, potentially, on the following factors:

  • The numerous experiments closely related to yours should be placed towards the beginning of the relationship, so that you can better highlight the differences.
  • Relevant jobs that are substantially different from yours should be placed towards the end of the relationship; however, in this way you run the risk that readers will continue to wonder until the end of the paper what the differences are from your experiment.

  

  Step 3. Mark the relationship from past or related ones, if necessary

  It is quite common to devote a separate section to describe the factors that make work new. To compile this part you have to think comparatively, considering the experiments of other researchers; for example, you can highlight the differences in terms of:

  • Functionality;
  • Performance;
  • Approach.

  • Note that each of these domains can be further differentiated by:

    • 1. Functionality;
    • 2. Method of measurement;
    • 3. Implementation;
    • 4. And so on.

    

    Step 4. Use a table or chart to clearly show the differences

    Although it may not be strictly necessary in your case, many laboratory reports are accompanied by graphs to accompany the differences between the work done and that of other researchers; this element makes diversity visible at a glance.

    If you decide to use a table, it is customary to put your experiment data in the first or last column

    

    Step 5. Display the results in the data section

    The results part of the report changes according to the type of experiment performed, its objectives, its execution, and so on. In this section you must expose all the data obtained without inserting subjective comments or expressing opinions; use images and tables to organize data as clearly and concisely as possible.

    • All images and tables should be accompanied by descriptive titles, numbered consecutively and provided with a legend for symbols, abbreviations, and so on.
    • Columns and rows of tables should be labeled, as well as chart axes.

    

    Step 6. Summarize the main points, in case the data section is very large

    If the experiment has yielded many results, the reader may forget or miss the important ones. You are more likely to remember them if you include a summary of the essential information in a separate subsection at the end of the data description.

    

    Step 7. Report the data and their meaning in a clear and impartial manner

    Even if they confirm your assumptions beyond best expectations, you should objectively describe them. To make sure that the results and their meaning are both understandable to readers, you should ask yourself these questions as you write:

    • What is expected of the system or algorithm you are trying to evaluate? Because?
    • What are the comparison criteria? If you have proposed an algorithm or a project, what can you compare it to?
    • What are the performance parameters? Because?
    • What are the parameters being studied?
    • What is the experimental context?

    Part 5 of 6: Concluding the Relationship

    

    Step 1. Interpret the data and results in the discussion section

    In this part you must demonstrate that you are able to establish logical connections between existing results, knowledge and theory; you should also describe any improvements you have made to the instrumentation or execution technique of the experiment.

    • In this section it is expected that the forecasts will be reported, although it is necessary to highlight their hypothetical nature.
    • You should suggest further experiments that can clarify the data better.

    

    Step 2. Address any weaknesses of the job in the discussion section

    Even if your natural inclination is to overlook the less convincing elements of the experiment, know that such behavior is bad for your credibility; if you express them explicitly, you can establish a relationship of trust and professional respect with the reader.

    

    Step 3. Add a separate section for conclusions if the report is long enough

    When the experiment produces a lot of data or touches on very complex principles, you need to incorporate a discussion section to explain the results independently; the conclusion should examine the results taking into account all laboratory experience.

    

    Step 4. Make the conclusion count

    In the academic community it is widely accepted that most of the reader's attention is focused on the title, summary, introduction and conclusions of the paper; for this reason, the final section is quite important.

    • Explain the main results of the experiment precisely and in the fewest number of words possible.
    • Answer the question: "How can my work increase the reader's knowledge or make the world a better place?"

    

    Step 5. List all the sources you used in the report

    This represents the last section of the report and is separate from the bibliography. In this part, you should only list the texts from which you have extrapolated the references you wrote in the paper; you can follow an alphabetical order based on the author's surname and then arrange the rest of the information according to bibliographic criteria.

    Part 6 of 6: Making the Most of Your Colleagues Review

    

    Step 1. Follow the procedure

    While it may sound boring, taking the time to read another person's report under your teacher's supervision, making comments, and offering guidance is an important part of the process. It is so important, in fact, that academic articles are rarely accepted until they have been reviewed by the rapporteur's colleagues.

    

    Step 2. Seek support from colleagues who are involved in different projects

    If you are working in a group in the laboratory, this is an important detail. Any member of the group who is part of the same laboratory is probably not able to judge the relationship objectively.

    You can also turn to "writing centers", where you will find many avid readers ready to judge the quality of your work

    

    Step 3. Write a criticism checklist

    While not strictly necessary, a list of key points to focus criticism on can help auditors do the best possible job. For example, if you have a tendency to use too many specialist terms, you could put the note "check the jargon" in the list. Here are other factors you should point out to reviewers:

    • Are the title and table of contents logical, understandable and attention-grabbing?
    • Have all the questions asked in the introduction been answered?
    • Is the general structure of the sections and subsections eloquent?
    • Are the differences between previous or related works obvious?
    • Are the technical sections understandable?
    • Are the pictures and tables properly explained?
    • Is the use of the terminology clear?
    • Are the symbols defined correctly?
    • Are the results well explained?
    • Are there any gaps or technical deficiencies?

    

    Step 4. Accept colleagues' reports in a polite manner

    In some cases, you may have a different opinion than the reviewers; in other situations, the feedback may be unconvincing, questionable, or wrong. Other times, however, the intervention of an auditor can save you from making a huge mistake! Remember that colleagues who are willing to read the report are giving you time, so you should express gratitude to them.

    

    Step 5. Criticize the structure, clarity and logic and not the writer

    It's easy to get carried away when analyzing other people's text. Readers may also feel frustrated with the quality of the report, which leads to personal comments. This behavior can be offensive and goes against the purpose of peer review, which is instead to improve the paper and not to create enemies.

    • Try to write down as impersonal comments as possible; identify specific elements that can be isolated, processed and improved.
    • When receiving feedback from a colleague, consider only the technical merit of the comments and avoid getting defensive.