Honors Biology Formal Lab Report Format

Fall 2013

You must follow all components of the lab report as stated below. Each section should be included in your paper in this exact order with these headings at the beginning of each section. ________Title Page (5 Points) o Be descriptive with the lab title, i.e. Investigation of Plant and Animal Cells is better than Cell Lab. o Include your name, all lab partner names, and date ________Problem & Hypothesis (5 points): o Problem can be declarative or interrogative, i.e. The purpose of this investigation is to compare the means of nutrition and locomotion in Protists or How do Protists compare in their means of nutrition and locomotion? o Hypothesis should be written in an If . . . , then . . . format. If a hypothesis is not required for a particular lab, you must state hypothesis not required. ________ Experimental Materials & Procedure (10 Points) o Include materials used in a bulleted list o List all steps performed during experiment in a numbered list o All variables listed: control group, constants, independent & dependent variables ________Introduction, Background, research (25 Points) o In this section, you should discuss the underlying principles of the investigation. For example, on the lab report for diffusion and osmosis, you should explain the basic concepts and terms such as hypertonic and hypotonic, the effects of solute concentration on diffusion, the function of membranes, and any other information deemed relevant to the investigation. o Do not copy the background information provided at the beginning of each lab. You must go beyond this information and cite your sources with in-text APA format as well as at the end of the lab. ________Data Analysis (25 Points) o Use tables and graphs (using word charts or create-a-graph website for graphs) o Include specific titles, label your x & y axis o Insert data in the appropriate section of the lab, not as an afterthought at the end o Discuss in detail your data explaining what it all means ________ Conclusion (25 Points) o You do not cite sources in this section. This is where YOU write your own conclusion based on the lab results YOU performed. o You will write this in complete sentences. o Answer all analysis questions from the lab in this section (if provided). o Do not number the questions. o Write in complete sentences and restate the question as you answer it. o Explain your results from the lab o Sources of possible error should be discussed o Discuss possible improvements for the lab and future experimentation o Refute or accept your hypothesis ________ Works Cited (5 Points) o APA format: no others will be acceptable o Using Easybib.com to create citations is the quickest o MUST have at least 3 sources: Only 1 can be an actual website. Others must be online texts, reference books, or scientific journals. ________ Submit to Turnitin.com o Directions to submit on this website will be discussed at a later date. o Hard copy must be submitted in class on due date! NOTE: 2 point deduction for each if not includedTyped, black ink, 12 point font, Times New Roman font, 1 inch margins, own writing and work, headings for each section, components listed in order above.

Late papers will be deducted 10% per day.