Biology 1406 Lab Report
Write a lab report for Unit 7.3 and 7.4. Although this lab was completed as a group, the
lab report is written individually. You must cite at least four peer reviewed scientific
papers in the body of the paper.
Include the following sections (note: an abstract is NOT required)
o Title Page
o Introduction
o Materials/Methods
o Results
o Discussion
o References
Format: APA format (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01)
1. Times New Roman
2. 12 point font
3. 1 inch margins
4. Double spaced
5. Use section headers for all six sections (centered)
6. Write the entire paper in past tense
7. Write clearly and concisely – do not exceed 6 pages
8. Do not use personal references in the paper (I, we, your)—write in third person
9. Use proper spelling
10. Use proper grammar
11. Write out numbers at beginning of sentences
Guidelines for Six Sections of Lab Report:
A. Title Page
12. Include the title of the experiment, the author’s name and affiliation
13. Titles should be descriptive specific statements. (less than 12 words)
a. good example: Studying the Effects of Caffeine on Mouse Heart Rate
Using PhysioEx
b. bad example: Lab #8 Caffeine and mice
c. bad example: Will caffeine make mice crazy?
14. Include a running head (no more than 50 characters) and page number upper right
(APA Format guide)
B. Introduction
15. Begin with a clear statement of the purpose of the lab.
16. Define pertinent terminology
17. Provide the reader with background information on the topic of the experiment
18. Remember to cite sources of the background information
a. Citations longer than 40 words are formatted differently
19. Connect this experiment to biology in general (do not just copy the lab manual)
20. State the hypothesis as the last sentence in the introduction. (If…then format)
21. Make sure to have justification for the hypothesis
C. Materials and Methods :
22. Each activity has its own materials and methods
23. Avoid unnecessary details such as what to label tubes, or where to find a piece of
equipment
24. Include relevant details such as temperatures, times, group compilations of data,
and any modifications made to the experiment
25. All measurements must include units.
26. Do NOT list all of the materials at the beginning of the section, but refer to the
materials used throughout the experiment in the description of the methods
27. Use your own language, do NOT copy the steps from the lab manual
28. Accuracy
D. Results (in written and graphic form)
Written results:
29. Begin with a summary of the data or describe the trends in the data.
30. Report combined data, not just individual data.
31. Include quantitative results from all experiments (even those that do not
support the hypothesis)
32. Do not include any discussions or conclusions
33. Refer to the graphics in the written part of the results
a. for example, As the dose of caffeine increased, the average heart rate
of the mice increased (Figure 1).
34. Use statistical analysis and include the p-value.
Graphic results 7.3: include either a graph or a table (pick one) for EACH
experiment with the following elements
35. Description that summarizes the graphic
 The description goes on the bottom of a graph, or on the top of a table
36. Figure number
37. Legend if needed
38. Axis or Columns Rows labeled with units of measurement
Graphic results 7.3: include either a graph or a table (pick one) for EACH
experiment with the following elements
39. Description that summarizes the graphic
 The description goes on the bottom of a graph, or on the top of a table
40. Figure number
41. Legend if needed
42. Axis or Columns Rows labeled with units of measurement
E. Discussion:
43. Re-state expected findings
44. Compare actual results to expected results
45. Explain unexpected/expected results by linking this to general biological
principles.
46. Evaluate the hypothesis
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a. Describe what the p value means
b. Scientists do not PROVE anything in lab reports. Instead the data
supports or fails to support hypothesis
47. Describe future experiments that could further the research on this topic
48. State real world applications of the information
F. References
49. Begin on a separate page
50. APA Format (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01)
Include at least four peer-reviewed scientific sources in the body of the paper. Failure to
include these 4 sources is an automatic 10 point (20%) grade deduction from the final lab
report grade.
Unacceptable references:
a. Websites with no author
b. YouTube.com
c. lecture notes
d. Wikipedia (direct)
Sample Graph and Table
Table 1. The average heart rate twenty
administered different doses of caffeine.
(BPM is heartbeats per minute.)
Heart rate (BPM)
mice
Dose of caffeine (cc)
Figure 1. The average heart rate of twenty test
mice vs. the dose of caffeine administered.
(BPM is heartbeats per minute.)
Dose of
Caffeine
(cc)
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
Heart
Rate
(BPM)
380
420
530
580
650
700
800
1000
Library Guide: A Guide to Biology Research at http://collin.libguides.com/biology
 links to databases to search for related research
 Detailed APA formatting/citation instructions
 links at the bottom of the page for biology/A&P/microbiology websites
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