Scientific writing: Lab reports
What is a Lab report?
• Clear, concise and structured
• Presents and disseminates your research
• Records methods, materials and results
• Offers an interpretation of your results
A laboratory report or field report is a record of the methods, materials and results of your
research. It is a clear, concise and structured document used to disseminate your work. It is
always best to consult the information for your course for specific guidance concerning your
report (such as online guidance, your course manual or course staff members).
Lab reports are usually based on laboratory class work or perhaps field work. Do not
confuse a lab report with an honours project dissertation which will usually be a
considerably longer piece of work. Scientific lab reports generally have a defined word
count that tends to be shorter than other project reports; this is because part of the learning
experience is to learn how to produce a precise and concise piece of written work. Writing
a lab report can be considered preparation for writing a research paper and should be
treated as a learning experience.
General tips
 Define all abbreviations at first use.
 A formal tone should be maintained. A concise scientific style of
writing is important and will help to keep the word count down.
 Check your course information for what is and what is not included
in the word count – this can make a big difference.
 Check if you are allowed appendices (e.g. tables of results).
Visual elements of your report
• Use a sensible size so that the reader can
interpret diagrams, graphs and tables easily.
• Add numbered title captions.
• Refer to particular figures and tables using
caption numbers.
• Look at a journal in your subject area for
presentation tips.
• Always check course information for specific
guidance.
University of Edinburgh ● IAD www.ed.ac.uk/iad/undergraduates
IMRaD structure for Lab reports
A general guide for structuring a laboratory or field report is to use the IMRaD
structuring system, which is used widely throughout the sciences.
Abstract
A
I
M
R
a
D
Most journals and some reports require an abstract (abbreviated as AIMRaD). An abstract is
a brief summary of an article or report placed at the very start, before the introduction and
after the title and authors. The purpose of the abstract is to summarise the whole of the
research and it is a good idea to write this section last. A good abstract should state the
purpose, what you are doing and why you are doing it. This focuses on the work’s relevance
by putting it in context. The abstract should include what you found out (i.e. your main
results and any conclusions). If you have an abstract in your report remember that this will
be the shortest section, generally only one or two short paragraphs. Writing an abstract is
an exercise in extracting the essential information and conveying it in a precise style.
Introduction
The introduction sets the scene. This is where to expand on the background to your work.
Put the subject in context with a brief background bit relating to its relevance, perhaps in
that specific area of research or to the wider picture - but make sure you tie it in with your
work! This should put across why this work is important. Briefly state how you are going to
approach this topic i.e. the research direction or methods. This provides a natural lead into
the methods section.
Methods and materials
The methods section should be clear and well laid out in the format relevant for your
discipline (always check course information). Clear well-explained methods will ensure that
others will be able to replicate your work. It is also an opportunity for you to troubleshoot
your work, so pay close attention to your methods as you write them up. If you notice a
flaw, do not remove this from your methods section and always provide an accurate and
honest description. If you notice that there are flaws in your method, you should
acknowledge these and note this in your results or discussion section. You can discuss how
this may have affected your results and propose ways to rectify issues, such as a more
appropriate method. Any problems you have should influence your interpretation of the
results and suggested improvements can enhance your report.
Results and…
In this section your results and data should be laid out clearly. Always check you are
following the formatting and presentation conventions for your course. You may have a
large quantity of results and might need to consider, due to word count restrictions, which
ones are the most important or significant to your research. You may also want to consider
how best to make an impact with your results. You might want to present them in
chronological order or organise the structure so that you are showing a logical progression
of research or of ideas. (NB: Some disciplines require you to combine the results and
discussion section.)
Discussion
This is where you present your analysis. In this section you should closely examine what
your results mean and relate it to the previous body of research. This is also an opportunity
to make impact about the importance of your work. This is where you should make your
interpretation of your results clear.
University of Edinburgh ● IAD www.ed.ac.uk/iad/undergraduates