Table of contents
- Figuring Out What Is A Lab Report Supposed To Look Like
- Structuring The Report & What Is Abstract In A Lab Report
- Skipping Sections: What Is An Appendix In A Lab Report?
- Crucial Question: What Is The Purpose Of A Lab Report?
- Checking Out What Is A Discussion In A Lab Report
- Figuring Out What Is A Conclusion In A Lab Report
- Checking Out What Is An Introduction In A Lab Report
- So, What Is A Lab Report? Summing Everything Up
Figuring Out What Is A Lab Report Supposed To Look Like
The very first step is answering the question: what is a lab report? Well, Lab Report was a dark ambient band created in 1989, which became one of the first acts in the genre. But that’s not the lab report we are talking about today. In brief, a lab report is an account of a laboratory experiment and what was learned or discovered during the said experiment. Sounds quite simple, right?
We put a match in a jar with liquid nitroglycerin… well, that’s the subject of arson or crime scene reports. While it seems simple at first glance, a lab report is not just a simple description of the experiment and your findings. There’s more to it, which allows your professor and peers to figure out how you’ve made the experiment. And it consists of several sections. So, let’s dig a bit deeper to learn how a lab report is supposed to look and how to write it properly.
Structuring The Report & What Is Abstract In A Lab Report
The very first step in understanding how to write a lab report, is figuring out its structure. Having an outline already gives you a pretty good idea how your report is going to be composed. So, without any further ado, let’s check out the list of sections of your lab report:
- Title
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Method
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- References
- Appendix
Title is the simplest section, where you provide a brief description of your experiment, a-la “Forensic Analysis of Nitroglycerin in Post Blast Samples”, so there’s no need to focus on that much. With that out of the way, let’s figure out what is the abstract in a lab report. If the title provides the readers with the idea of the experiment, the abstract is a brief summary of it.
In the abstract, you need to provide brief information on what questions you were trying to answer with your experiment and how did you perform it; what did the results show and how do you interpret them; importance of your findings. Mind that it should be condensed, as typically, the abstract is between 150 and 300 words long. Needless to say, you write the abstract after the experiment and, actually, after writing the whole report.
What Is The Purpose Of The Abstract In A Lab Report?
We’ve answered the question of what is abstract in a lab report, and that could’ve been the end, but lab reports cause a lot of complaints from students. And one of the most popular questions, what’s the point in writing the abstract? You already made a report, what’s the point of the abstract, then? While, you can dismiss it as just an academic standard. Still, it’s an important part of your report. Ask yourself whether you’re going to read a book or watch a movie based solely on the title. Titles can be misleading, even genre-wise, so the synopsis comes in handy.
Consider your abstract as a synopsis to your lab report. The abstract plays a crucial role in whether the readers would want to proceed with your report. Or, grade-wise, it can greatly impact your professor’s attitude towards your report. The sloppy reasoning for making the experiment or subpar description of the results, may change the way your professor perceives your report. So, abstract matters. You can initially pass on the movie with a bad synopsis, only to find out later that the said movie is actually great. But, lab reports with bad abstracts, unlike movies with bad synopses, rarely have second chances.
Skipping Sections: What Is An Appendix In A Lab Report?
You may wonder, what are we doing here? There were definitely more sections of the lab report. How did we get from the abstract to appendix, when there were at least six sections between them? you may want to ask, and you’ll be absolute right:
- Introduction
- Method
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- References
You see, it’s better to mention the appendix here, because, your lab report in particular may not require it. Yes, the appendix is necessary only when you have a lot of leftover data that is of relevance to your experiment, but wasn’t used in the report itself. So, what to include there?
Mostly, an appendix consists of graphs, charts, and tables of your raw data. Mind that if you want to include raw data in appendix, you should reference it in the report at least once. In order to reference the said data in the report, you can use phrases like “Micrographs of ice cream structure are presented in Appendix C”. The appendix items are generally referenced in the Results section, but you can also reference them in the Discussion section. It is important to mention that every item of raw data, be it charts, graphs, figures, or tables, should be presented in a separate appendix.
Only Data That’s Secondary To Your Report Goes To Appendix
Now, we need to clarify a bit regarding what should be included in the appendix. Reading the previous section might have given you the idea that all items like graphs, equations, charts, and tables should be included in the appendix. However, that’s not true, as only data that is secondary to your experiment should appear there. Let’s say, charts and tables that are based on your experiment, should appear in the Results or the Method section.
Also, you are using equipment for your experiment. While you can mention the equipment in the main text of the report. But you can add, if necessary, the detailed description of the equipment in the appendix. Don’t make a mistake of listing equipment that you’ve used for your experiment in the appendix only. This will affect your grades. Once again, keep in mind that your lab report may not have any leftover data, and thus may require an appendix.
Crucial Question: What Is The Purpose Of A Lab Report?
Knowing the structure is one thing, but it makes the work easier, only partly. The problem that most students have with lab reports is that they find it pointless. That’s why we need to answer the question: what is the primary purpose of writing a lab report? You already have conducted your experiment, so what’s the point writing about it? Well, it’s not like everyone around has been watching your performing the experiment, right? So, how to make sure that they know that it was successful? Enter the lab report.
The main purpose of the lab report is to showcase your professor and peers the experiment you have conducted, during which they weren’t present. Things are that simple. Besides, it serves as a proof that your experiment was truly successful. While it’s unlikely that something like that will happen, but your peers or anyone else can conduct the same experiment, based on your notes.
Checking Out The Main Mistakes Of Writing A Lab Report
Now, knowing what is the primary purpose of writing a lab report makes the work easier, after all, it’s always better to do something, when you understand the end-goal, it doesn’t make you immune to making mistakes while writing it. So, let’s check them out to avoid them. The first common mistake, and the bane of all students, is improper formatting. Formatting makes your report readable, ensuring clarity.
The second typical mistake is inadequate visual presentation of data or lack of visual presentation. You should add graphs and charts to present your findings. Then comes lack of clarity when describing method. The description of your experiment should be clear and precise, yet, frequently, professors are presented with vague explanation.
And the most common mistake is the language. The language of lab reports must be as clear and precise as possible. There’s no need to showcase your vocabulary or indulge yourself with wordy sentences. The main point is your experiment, not your writing style. So, it’s better to stick to more formal style, when writing a report.
Checking Out What Is A Discussion In A Lab Report
Now, it’s time to figure out what is the discussion section of a lab report. This section is crucial, as here you have to showcase your understanding of the experiment. You listed the subject and the equipment in the Method section. You listed the results of your experiment in the appropriate section. Now it’s time to interpret the results, and explain why you interpret them this way. When you interpret the results, you need to explain how they help you answer the main question of your research. Finally, you need to point out whether the results support your hypothesis, which is presented in the introduction (more on that later).
You also need to compare the results to your expectations. And discuss whether the results match the results of previous research of the same subject. Describe the main differences and similarities between the findings of yours and previous works. But don’t forget that the results may be unexpected. In this case, you need to provide the reason for the unexpected results. You need to identify whether you made any errors that led to the end results. In case if it wasn’t an error on your side, figure out the source of unexpected results.
The Purpose Of The Discussion Section In A Lab Report
Okay, now you know what is the discussion part of a lab report, but what is the purpose of this section? In the long run, there’s no such thing as a failed experiment. On the one hand, a failed experiment can lead to the idea that it’s better not to do research in a certain field. On the other hand, however, it can work as an example of what can be improved in further studies of the subject. That’s the main purpose of the discussion section. Regardless of whether you achieved the desired results or not, your work can help to improve further experiments in the field.
Figuring Out What Is A Conclusion In A Lab Report
Now, it’s time to figure out what is the conclusion in a lab report. Basically, it’s the final main section of your lab report. Yes, it is followed by references and, in certain cases, by appendix, but that’s where you dot the i and cross the t in your work. Here, you summarize the experiment, define it strength and limitations, and how it can improve the further studies in the field. Sounds familiar? Yes, the conclusion may not be necessary, if it is a carbon copy of the discussion part of your lab report. If that’s the case of your lab report, just omit the section.
Back To Discussion: What Is An Analysis In A Lab Report?
As conclusion may not be the final part of your work, we need to mention another part of the discussion section. Before you interpret the results, you need to analyze them. What’s the difference between the analysis and the interpretation? They answer different question. While the interpretation focus on aspect like the significance of the results and how we can explain them research-wise, the analysis emphasizes what do the results shows and what are the findings, regardless of the discourse of the research. In other words, the description of the event vs. how we can explain it, research-wise.
Checking Out What Is An Introduction In A Lab Report
The introduction follows the abstract, but you don’t have to write it in the last minute. Basically, you need to have an introduction as an outline of your experiment even before you start working on it. But let’s discuss it, how it should look in your lab report. You should start with a broad research topic, then proceed to narrow it down and end with your specific research question, which will set the scene for your experiment. Here you should mention previous research on your subject, and explain how your work can confirm previous finding or expand on them.
What Is A Hypothesis In Lab Report & Why It’s Important?
We’ve saved the most important aspect of your research work for the last. Hypothesis is a crucial aspect of your research work. The hypothesis is where you state the results that you expect to achieve with your experiment. Without those provisional results, there won’t be any discussion and conclusion sections, as the whole point of the experiment is to prove whether your hypothesis was wrong or right. In other words, there is no research work without a hypothesis. Depending on your subject, there can be one or multiple hypotheses that you need to address throughout your lab report.
So, What Is A Lab Report? Summing Everything Up
So, we can conclude that the Chicago-based experimental band from the late 1980s, has nothing to do with the actual lab report, despite sharing the same name. The purpose of the lab report got more clear. While working on it can be tedious, it is the best way to present the results of your experiment. Moreover, the work become less tedious, when you know the structure. But before you even start working on it, you need to have a hypothesis that you need to prove either wrong or right, based on the results of your experiment.
You start with the title, which gives the reader the idea of your experiment. The next part of your lab report is the abstract, which you should write after the report is written, which serves as a brief summary of your experiment. Then goes introduction, where you present the topic and your hypothesis. The next section is method, where you describe the experiment, as well as list the equipment used. Then you present the results of your experiment, which are followed by the discussion, where you provide the analysis and interpretation of the results. You end with the conclusion, then you list the references, and add an appendix, if you have raw data that is relevant to your work.
FAQ
A lab report is an account of a laboratory experiment, which present what was discovered during the experiment. It consists of several sections, namely: title, abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, conclusion, references, and, when necessary, appendix.
A hypothesis is a crucial aspect of the lab report, as it expresses the main point of the experiment, displaying the provisional results. The hypothesis is presented in the introduction, and the main point of the experiment is to either confirm or disapprove it.
Both analysis and interpretation are presented in the results section of the lab report. The main difference is that the analysis answers the question: what was discovered or what was proven, in the broader sense. The interpretation is focused on explaining what the findings of the experiment in the context of the research.
The appendix is the presentation of a raw data, which is secondary to the research. Generally, the appendix consists of tables and charts, that can be referenced throughout the lab report, but don’t play a crucial part in the research. Each item should be added separately in a different appendix, e.g. “Appendix A”, “Appendix B”, “Appendix C”.
