Format of the Lab Report

Laboratory written reports may be prepared computerized in Word or pdf format. It should
include tables and illustrations where necessary. Typically, a lab report should contain the
following sections: title, abstract, introduction (nature and importance, objectives),
experimental section, results and discussion, and references.

Abstract
The abstract is a one or two paragraph concise, yet detailed summary of the report. It should
contain these four elements:

 What the objectives of the study were (the central question);

 Brief statement of what was done (Methods);
 Brief statement of what was found (Results);
 Brief statement of what was concluded (Discussion).
 Maximum of 250 words including a, an, the, is and are.

Introduction
This is not a summary of the laboratory manual introduction. Literature citations (not
websites) in proper format should also be present. This section tells the reader why the experiment
was conducted. Include background information that suggest why the topic is of interest and
related findings. It should contain the following:

 Descriptions of the nature of the problem and summaries of relevant research to provide
context and key terms so the reader can understand the experiment.
 A statement of the purpose, scope, and general method of investigation in your study.
Express the central question you are asking.
 Descriptions of the experiment, hypothesis(es), research questions. Explain what is being
proposed for certain observations.

Experimental (Procedure using Schematic Diagram)

A concise illustration describing the process flow happen in the lab (all experimental
procedures), written in such a way that it would be easy for someone to reproduce your work.
Some guidelines to follow:
 Explain the general type of scientific procedure used to study the problem.
 Describe what materials, subjects, and equipment used.
 Briefly explain the steps being taken in experiment and how it was done.

Results and Observation

In this part, the presentation of the results and all observations should be in Tables, Figures
or Pictures. Make sure to present them clearly and neatly. Include in this section all the calculations
involved and mathematical equations should be clarified. All results should be presented, including
those that do not support the hypothesis.

Discussion
 Statements made in the text must be supported by the results contained in figures and tables.
Furthermore, for each result, describe the patterns, principles, relationships among the variables.
Explain how the results relate to expectations and to references cited. Explain any agreements,
contradictions, or exceptions. Describe what additional research might resolve contradictions or
explain exceptions. Suggest the theoretical implications of the results. Extend the findings to other
situations or other species. Give the big picture: do the findings help us understand a broader topic?
Literature citations (not websites) in proper format should also support your claims. The
length of this section depends on the experimental data and complexity of experiment.

Conclusion. Concluding statement should try to show if the objectives of the experiment
was/were met. It is not the same as an abstract. No explanation should be included.

References. A listing of published works cited in the text of the paper listed by author.
Literatures written should follow the APA format.

General tips in writing lab report/worksheet

Whether one is filling out lab worksheets or writing up entire lab reports, there are a few
tips that will help to create more detailed and professional documents and to assist in grading:
 Always label units
 Show all calculations (don’t leave out steps)
 Use complete sentences
 Be aware of significant figures, noting the sensitivity of the device used for measurements

Why do we write lab reports in passive voice?

It’s part of the scientific point of view. We observe and record as objectively as possible,
avoiding personal bias by removing ourselves. Using the passive voice also clarifies procedures
and descriptions so they can be easily reproduced and compared.
NOTE: DO NOT write reports as directions, such as those given in your lab manual. For example,
do not write, "Heat the solution until it boils." Instead, write "The solution was heated to boiling."
Other tips
Write in the third person - Scientific experiments demonstrate facts that do not depend on the
observer, therefore, reports should avoid using the first and second person (I, me, my, we,
our, OR us.)
Using the correct verb tense - Lab reports and research papers should be mainly written in the
present tense. Use past tense to (1) describe specific experimental methods and observations, and
(2) citing results published in the past.
Tables and Figures - Used when these are a more efficient ways to convey information than verbal
description. It must be independent units, accompanied by explanatory captions and be easily
understood by someone who has not read the text.
Writing in the passive voice
What is passive "Voice" refers to the way the verb is used in the sentence. Remember
voice? that a sentence has to have a subject and a verb, and many verbs
require direct objects. Here’s an example of active voice:
 subject verb direct object
Pete hit the baseball.
doer action receives action
In passive voice, the subject of the sentence also receives the
action. The doer of the action is someone else. Here’s an example
of passive voice:
subject verb
The baseball is hit by Pete.
receives action action who did the action
Examples of passive voice in lab reports
Correct:
Two hundred (200) mL of distilled water was poured into a 500 mL beaker.
Incorrect:
I poured 200mL of distilled water in a beaker. (active voice)
Pour 200mL water in a beaker. (direction/command)

Correct:
The covered crucible was mounted on a ring stand.
Incorrect:
We put the crucible on a ring stand. (active voice)
Set the crucible on a ring stand. (direction/command)

Correct:
The temperature was initially measured at 75°C.
Incorrect:
I measured the temperature at 75°C. (active voice)
Measure and write down the temperature. (direction/command)

It's understood that all actions were done by the experimenter.

Avoiding Plagiarism