IB Biology Internal Assessment Lab Format
The following titles and subtitles should be used for your lab report and given in this order within your lab report.
Title Page (with actual title of investigation)
Introduction
Experimental Design
Research Question
Hypothesis
Variables
Materials and Apparatus
Procedure
Analysis
Observations/Raw Data
Data Processing
Graphs
Conclusion and Evaluation
Conclusion
Evaluation of Experimental Design
References
Appendix
1. Title Page
a. A blank sheet of paper with the title of the lab, student’s name, lab partners’ names,
teacher’s name and date.
b. The title is a short statement summarizing what this lab is about
- DO NOT write for example “Design Lab”, “Enzyme Lab” or “Heart Rate Lab”
- DO for example write “The rate of catalase action in liver on the decomposition
of hydrogen peroxide with increasing temperatures”
2. Introduction
a. Background information you need to provide pertaining to the experiment. You
will need to refer to various sources to gain the knowledge necessary to write a
hypothesis and carry out a valid experiment.
b. DO describe the overall intent of your experiment
c. DO include your references in APA format E.g. (last name, year)
d. If your investigation involves live specimens, include information about
significant safety, ethical, or environmental issues that are relevant. Ex: In an
experiment investigating the effect of temperature on the kinesis of an
earthworm, research and include the acceptable temperature ranges for that
particular species.
e. Include a paragraph that explains your justification for choosing this topic and
its personal significance (personal engagement)
Design
3. Research Question
a. must be focused and not ambiguous in any way. If a living organism was used,
identify it by common name and scientific name.
b. independent and dependent, variables must be apparent. Include units.
4. Hypothesis (not mandatory in all labs)
a. While a hypothesis is not required and sometimes is not possible in a formal IB
IA lab, usually in this class you will try to include a hypothesis.
b. If you include a hypothesis to help focus your research question then it needs to
be an “if, then, because” statement that includes the independent and
dependent variables. The “because” portion of the statement should be
supported in the introduction.
c. Ex: If the glucose concentration is increased, then the amount of C02 produced
will also increase because there will be an increase in cellular respiration.
5. Variables:
a. Create a table or a list identifying the Independent, Dependent, & Controlled
Variables (be specific; room conditions is not acceptable)
b. Independent Variable: The variable that YOU manipulate (change), and the result
of this manipulation leads to the measurement of the dependent variable (Make
sure that you choose only one independent variable to change. Some people
inadvertently choose more than one.) Your independent variable must be
quantifiable and continuous.
c. Dependant Variable: The variable that changes when you change the
independent variable (what you measure). Must be quantifiable.
d. Controlled Variables (variables that are kept constant throughout the
experiment):
i. Control of Variables: All the aspects of the experiment that must be kept
constant to ensure that the tests/experiment is valid. There will be
several of these not just one! You must be thorough and think of as many
controlled variables as you can. That said, don’t include controlled
variables that aren’t significant. For example if you’re measuring the
growth of yeast then the temperature definitely needs to be controlled
(assuming temperature is not your independent variable) but the same
location is not going to be a significant factor. You must explicitly indicate
how each controlled variable identified in your variables section was
controlled. If you can’t actively control a variable then your method
should include a means of monitoring it.
e. The Chart….or variations of:
Table 1: Specific title heading to be included here
CONTROLLED
VARIABLES
1.
WHY it must be
controlled
HOW it was controlled
2.
3.
6. Materials & Apparatus
a. You need to have a detailed and thorough list of equipment used in your
investigation
b. Make sure when writing up your equipment list that you include:
i. The sizes of glassware such as beakers, flasks, etc. (e.g. 500 mL beaker)
ii. The concentration of chemicals (e.g. hydrochloric acid, 2.0 M).
iii. The amounts of chemicals (e.g. magnesium, 0.50 g; e.g. 300 mL of HCl).
iv. The range of a thermometer (e.g. –20°C to 120°C)
v. The specific brand name of any electronic devices or computer programs
you may use.
vi. All measurement apparatus must include uncertainties (e.g. electronic
balance, ±0.002g)
7. Procedure
a. Write in numbered, list form, passive voice, and read like directions for the
procedure. Ex: “1. Add 0.5 g magnesium to 200 cm3 of 2M hydrochloric acid”
b. Detail should allow repeatability. You should ensure that your procedure
includes at least 5 independent variable “intervals” {5 temps, 5 pHs, 5
concentrations, etc.} and also includes a minimum of 5 repeats {trials}. (For your
real IB Biology IA, completed in November of Grade 12, you will need to perform
a minimum of 10 trials.
c. Eliminate confusing or non-essential steps that could be assumed based on lab
etiquette. E.g. DO NOT write measure 20ml of liquid by reading below the
meniscus or “collect and put on safety equipment” or “clean up bench and
return apparatus to the trolley.
d. Make sure you record the amounts of materials to a sufficient precision in your
method. Ex: If you weighed 20 g of magnesium using a volumetric pipette this
should be recorded as 20.00 g and not just 20 g. Why? Because the scale has a
precision of two decimal points
e. Write up your method in “dot point” or numbered form.
Extras: Protocol Diagram
Draw & label a diagram which best shows the major protocol(s) you will use. Often this will
focus on the technique that is used to measure the dependent variable and/or the technique
that is used to ‘setup’ different increments of the independent variable. Make sure to show
how control group(s) differs from experimental group(s).
Extras: Photograph of Lab Setup.
Annotate this to show how variables were instituted, especially the controlled variables. Do not
just label equipment. This is the section that I use to decide if your procedure properly
institutes the variables that you have identified in a chart or list above.
ANALYSIS
8. Raw Data
a. Make sure this is raw data only. Data table design & clarity is important.
b. A title should be given (Raw Data Table is not a data table title, it is a lab report
component)
c. Make sure that all columns, etc. are properly headed & units are given in the
heading. Forgetting one unit or misidentifying one unit is enough to drop your
score in this section.
d. Do not “split” a data table (putting part of a table on one page and finishing it on
another). If you absolutely have to split a table (due to quantity of data), make
sure that you re-do the title and all column headings. Create one table that
includes each of your 5 independent “intervals”
e. DO NOT make 5 separate tables.
f. Uncertainties are mandatory and can be given within column headings for
equipment precision and as footnotes beneath data tables for other types of
uncertainties.
g. UNCERTAINTIES- they exist for every measuring device.
i. If it is digital the use the value of the least known digit (e.g. the mass
on the scale says 1.01g, then your uncertainty is +/- 0.01g)
ii. If it is analog like in the case of a thermometer then use least known
digit divided by 2
iii. If you are using a premade solution (such as a premade Buffer Solution)
the uncertainties may be unknown. Please make a note of this in a
footnote.
h. Qualitative (Observations) & Quantitative (numerical values)
Make sure you record RAW data in tables and include it in your lab report. Raw
data is the actual data measured in your experiment. Ex: If you are interested in
the change in temperature of a reaction, record the initial and final temperature
as seen below:
i.
j.
Initial Temp (°C ± 0.5°C): 18.0
Final Temp (°C ± 0.5°C): 49.0
Temp. Change (°C ± 1.0°C): 31.0
The temperature change is a result of processing the data and cannot be
recorded as raw data. Record this in a separate processed data table.
If using human subjects or live specimens DO NOT refer to them by their name,
but rather as Subject #1, etc.
Qualitative data table – table must be numbered, titled, and have appropriate
labels. Remember this is information you observe, but cannot collect “number”
data on. This will be useful when analyzing errors in your lab protocol.
9. Data Processing
i)
Overview: this is a short paragraph section that gives an overview of how and why
you decided to process and present the data in the form that shows up later in this
section.
ii)
Sample Calculations
a. Neatly include one example of each type of manipulation that was done to the
raw data to help make it more useful for interpretation.
b. YOU MUST CALCULATE UNCERTAINTY FOR YOUR PROCESSED DATA (except SD)
c. Do percent change in mass if your starting mass is not exactly the same.
d. Always perform a standard deviation (after finding the mean for each variation
of the independent variable.
e. Always perform a t-test when comparing 2 groups (2 x 10 labs)
iii)
Processed Data Table
a. this is typically one or more data tables (of your now processed data).
b. Table: The units are included (they should be cited ONCE in brackets in each
column heading. Don’t put the units after each piece of data)
c. Table: The uncertainty of the quantitative data and the units of the uncertainty
need to be recorded once in the column heading.
d. Table: All data in a column must be given to the same number of decimal places
Tables and columns need a border with data centered in the column.
e. The table needs to have a suitable and descriptive heading (“Table 1”, “Data
Collection” or “Results” are not suitable headings).
f. The table has a brief caption indicating the relevance of that table.
iv)
Graph of Processed Data (Use Appropriate graph title here)
a. Using Microsoft Excel may be the best choice for creating graphs. If you draw it
by hand USE A RULER and graph paper!!!!!!!
b. Remember, you are graphing processed data. This will be the mean (average) for
each variation of the independent variable. DO NOT graph raw data!
c. Give careful consideration to the choice of graph style(s) that you choose to do.
d. Include best fit lines or curves and error bars. The error bars should be the
standard deviation for each mean. Include a legend that indicates that your error
bars are SD.
e. Make sure that you follow good standard rules for doing graphs (valid title, axis’
labeled including units, etc.)
f. Note: Weak experimental design can sometimes limit you to pie graphs and/or
bar graphs; avoid this by good experimental design in which you have a
quantitative independent variable (with well-chosen incremental values) as well
as a quantitative dependent variable.
Conclusion & Evaluation
v)
Conclusion
a. this is a paragraph section in which you get a chance to discuss the results of
your experiment. Start by addressing whether the data supports or refutes your
hypothesis. This should be discussed and not just stated. Specifically refer to
your graphs and include actual data to give support to this discussion.
b. Avoid the use of the word “proof”or “proves” within your conclusion, as your
data will not prove anything.
c. State the actual relationship seen. EXPLICITLY!!! Include a scientific explanation
of why.
d. Support your finding with actual numerical data from your lab to back up trends.
e. That said don’t just restate your results. Draw conclusions from them.
f. Don’t forget to compare your results to the literature (use proper citations).
g. If you are comparing quantitative results express any difference between your
value and the literature value as a percentage of the literature value. Statements
such as “our results were very close to the literature values” are not enough –
how close are they as a percentage?
h. Conclusions such as “The results confirm my hypothesis” will not be accepted –
especially if the results don’t “confirm” your hypothesis and even if they do. You
must explain why/how your results support or invalidate your hypothesis (if you
have a hypothesis). You can do this by referring to specific observations, the
gradients/shapes of graphs or values collected/calculated. If you don’t have a
hypothesis you need to still show that you understand how your results were
supported or invalidated.
vi)
Evaluation of Experimental Design
a. This paragraph discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the investigation, such
as limitations of the data and sources or error. For each weakness, evaluate the
weakness (explain its effect on the collection of data or your results) and include
a specific, realistic and relevant improvement. (You must identify at least 3
appropriate weakness and corresponding improvements.)
b. Distinguish between systematic (Systematic errors in experimental observations
usually come from the measuring instruments) and random errors (caused by
unknown and unpredictable changes in the experiment) and procedural errors
(flaw with your design)
i. Are there flaws in the procedures used which could affect the result?
ii. Were important variables not controlled?
iii. Are the measurements and observations reliable?
iv. Is the accuracy of a result unknown because of a lack of replication?
v. What assumptions are being made?
c. DO NOT include evaluations that suggest that next time you should have clean
glassware, or you should control room temperature, or you should have more
time or it should all be done on the same day or or you should get more precise
equipment or that you were tired or stressed out!!!!
d. DO NOT give hypothetical errors. I don’t want to see errors that may have
happened. Either they did or didn’t.
e. DO NOT suggest errors that are already taken into consideration with
uncertainties (e.g. some liquid remained in the graduated cylinder even after
properly finishing your pour)
f. ** Mistakes - errors should not be confused with mistakes, such as spilling half of
the chemical you just carefully weighed to the nearest milligram between the
balance and volumetric flask. If a mistake is made you just have to start again. As
far as your evaluations go, you do not need to mention or discuss mistakes – we
all make them.
g. Some suggestions such as “be more careful” are lame. All you’re saying with a
phrase like this is that you were careless on the day
References
vii)
viii)
ix)
You must include your references for all your background info and literature
comparisons in APA format
http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/asc/Handouts/APA%20Referencing%20System.pdf
http://www.apastyle.org/
Appendix
x)
xi)
xii)
Consent forms-must is completed prior to experimentation with human trials.
Include a blank sample in the appendix.
Others-questionnaires, transcripts of interviews, pictures, lengthy derivations of
equations, maps, drawings, letters, specification or data sheets, computer program
information
http://www.sanjuancollege.edu/documents/fspdocuments/instreviewboard/consen
t%20form%20instructions%20and%20samples.pdf
If you’re still confused here are some samples. (Note these are for the old curriculum IA.)
Careful to check their scores after to see what these students did well and did not do well.
http://davis-dais-2012-13.wikispaces.com/IB+Internal+Assessments+-+Marked
Internal Assessment Details
5 criteria are used to assess the IA.
Personal Engagement
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student engages with the exploration and makes
it their own. Personal engagement may be recognized in different attributes and skills. These
could include addressing personal interests or showing evidence of independent thinking,
creativity or initiative in the designing implementation or presentation of the investigation.
Student’s persistence to overcome obstacles will also be assessed here.
Include a paragraph in your introduction to support your personal engagement in your
investigation.
Introduction,
Method
Exploration
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student establishes the scientific context for the
work, states a clear and focused research question and uses appropriate concepts and
technologies. Where appropriate, this criterion also assesses awareness of safety,
environmental, and ethical considerations.
The Question
Introduction
Variables,
Procedure
Analysis
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student’s report provides evidence that the
student has selected, recorded, processed and interpreted the data in ways that are relevant to
the research question and can support a conclusion.
Raw Data
Processed Data
table, Sample
Calculation
Graphs
Raw Data,
Processed
Data, Sample
Calculation
Evaluation
The criterion assesses the extent to which the student’s report provides evidence of evaluation
of the investigation and the results with regard to the research question and the accepted
scientific context.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Evaluation of
Experimental
Design
Evaluation of
Experimental
Design
Communication
This criterion assesses whether the investigation is presented and reported in a way that
supports effective communication of the focus, process and outcomes.
Throughout
the lab.