How to write a lab report
Mark Green
Its like stand-up comedy. Its harder than it looks, needs practice,
you’ll get it wrong time and time again.
Although everyone thinks they can do it well, the truth is few can
under the age of 40.
You’ll be offended when people criticize you but we mean well.
Honestly. We’re trying to teach you, not upset you. Listen to us.
How to write a lab report
Mark Green
Some basic (and obvious?) concepts/ideas
1 – know what you’re talking about – have it ready and planned in your mind. Think before you write.
The report is to communicate your findings;
- Help the reader to understand them
- Help the reader reproduce your results without any other document.
-
A good report will;
Document what’s been done
How it was done
What the findings were
The authors interpretations
Tell a structured story - assume no prior knowledge. Be concise.
The start of the report
-Title page with your name your name, lab partner’s name, and date of experiment, and date of report.
Unnecessary to have a contents page on a 2 page document
(consider the difference between scientific books and scientific papers)
Abstract (summary, executive summary)
Concise, salient summary of the document. The reader should gather an overall impression without
the details, and decide if reading the rest of the paper is worthwhile. Difficult to condense!!
Should include
- The aim of the experiment
- Back ground and context
- VERY Brief summary of procedure
- Results that were obtained
- Other observations
- Finding and conclusions
Headlines!!!
No tables or graphs, pictures or equations
Self contained
No abbreviations or jargon
First thing to appear after title - LAST thing to write
Introduction
- Background to the work. Set the scene with what's to follow. Contain the aims and objectives.
State the hypothesis if there is one. Why are you doing this work?
Its not a literature review, no need to derive equations from first principles – just what's relevant.
Point the reader to further information if relevant.
- explain acronyms the first time you use them.
If you’re writing a scientific publication on brand new results – summarize what’s been done before.
Not necessary to go over the top in an undergrad lab report
-
A back ground to the subject
Previously conducted work in the area – see what your lab manual says. Maybe a brief review.
Aims and objectives for the work you’re presenting
Reason why the work is being conducted.
Method
- A description of what was done, in chronological order, with a description of steps.
- NOT A SERIES OF INSTRUCTION
- Written as prose - third person, past tense passive voice.
- Sufficient details so the reader can repeat the work without referring to other texts.
- Include all details but keep concise
- Photographs can be included IF NECESSARY but shouldn’t replace scientific diagrams.
- A good method also explains the reasoning behind experimental design – why was it set up that way?
How does it conform to scientific method? Special experimental design to get accurate results?
Results
- Impartial report of the results obtained, use tables and graphs if relevant. Again, be concise.
-
Interpretation of the results not performed at this point.
-
Processed rather than raw data, including final errors - AND UNITS!!.
-
BUT KEEP YOUR DATA!!!!
Results
- Impartial report of the results obtained, use tables and graphs if relevant. Again, be concise.
-
Interpretation of the results not performed at this point.
-
Processed rather than raw data, including final errors.
-
BUT KEEP YOUR DATA!!!!
-
Make a note of unusual observations.
Dan Shectman’s lab book from April 1982
Nobel Prize 2011
Results
- Impartial report of the results obtained, use tables and graphs if relevant. Again, be concise.
-
Interpretation of the results not performed at this point.
-
Processed rather than raw data, including final errors.
-
BUT KEEP YOUR DATA!!!!
-
Make a note of unusual observations.
-
Highlight trends
Discussion
-
What do the results mean?
Do they answer the questions the experiment was designed to investigate?
Where are the errors introduced? What are the calculated errors? No need to include working out but
do keep your calculations. Compare errors to literature values if possible.
Discuss trends
Conclusions
-
Relatively short review of what was deduced from the investigation.
Restate aims and key questions and how these were addressed.
No new information should be presented.
References
-
Be consistent. Various methods, but I prefer.1
When referencing web sites - if you must – add the date last accessed. Remember web sites ARENT peer
reviewed.
1) M. Green, J. Appl. Physics, 2018, 16, 965 - 975.
Graphs and Figures
- Figures and tables need titles
Figure 1. A graph showing relationship between nanoparticle size and absorption wavelength.
-
The reader will only know to look at a figure if directed to a specific figure; ‘as shown in figure 1’
NOT ‘see figure below’.
-
Tables need column and row headings that are clear from other text. Add units in headings.
-
Common graphical errors include;
1 - Data that is indistinguishable, especially if prepared in colour and printed in B&W.
2 - Adding unnecessary legends for one set of data.
3 - Including a title on a plot rather than a figure caption described above
4 - Range of axis that produces too much white space.
5 - Inappropriate numbers for axis.
6 - Inappropriate graph type (bar graphs for continuous data, for example)
7- Not adding error bars
Equations need to be numbered, defined and referred to in the text.
Remember….
-
Be consistent – use the same font, text, spacing, abbreviation, references and styles
throughout.
- Whenever you write a number down – think ‘what's the error here?’
Third person, past tense, passive voice.
‘Did’, ‘was’, not ‘will do’ ‘is’
Passive voice emphasizes who or what receives the action of the verb
Plagiarism
If you copy a picture or information from a public source then it must be referenced
– otherwise it is plagiarized (stolen).
Use the original source – NOT Wikipedia
All reports go through turnitin.
We are experienced in spotting plagiarism.
Don’t take up more space than you need. Some one has to read it.
Don’t take up more space than you need. Some one has to read it.
John Nash, PhD thesis, “non-cooperative games’, Princeton, 1950.
26 pages, 2 references.
1994 Nobel Prize for Economics.
Don’t take up more space than you need. Some one has to read it.
Eva’s check list
•Structure of a report
•
Title
•
Abstract: An abstract must be a fully self-contained, capsule description of the experiment. Length no more than a short
paragraph. Abstract should not be numbered.
•
Introduction: Purpose and Theory of the experiment. Include only the theory necessary for the reader to follow.
Remember you are writing a report, not a dissertation.
•
Methods: Clear description of the apparatus (including setup diagram) and methods, so that the reader could
potentially repeat your experiment. Don’t copy paste the manual.
•
Results: Data, Graphs, Analysis, Error propagation, Results and Discussion
•
Conclusions: Conclusions of the experiment. What was achieved, what was learnt. Propose improvements, extensions.
•
References: be careful with referencing. Example: https://diariesofalecturer.blogspot.com/2018/02/citingreferences.html
•
Appendices: this section is for supportive information only. Any graphs and results presented here are NOT marked.
•Context: need to be specific and show evidence of critical thinking. Avoid vague sentences such as:
“To improve the measurements, a better oscilloscope could be used and digital voltmeters would have allowed an
improved recording of the values.” What do you mean by better oscilloscope? Digital instruments are not always giving
more accurate results – methodology counts most”
Be able to understand and defend their results. Bad example: https://diariesofalecturer.blogspot.com/2017/12/farad.html
•Graphs: pay much attention on the graphs to be clear. Don’t forget labels, units, error bars etc.
•Format: be consistent on the format. Follow the provided template on KEATS. Avoid bolding or capitalizing. Prefer the box text
alignment.
•A report has only figures and tables. No images, no graphs etc. Always number them and reference within text. Don’t say “as
shown in next figure”, say “as shown in figure 2 below”
•Use Word “Insert-> Equation” function for adding equations. Always number them.