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Quinebaug Valley BIO 1210&1220 General Biology I & II

Writing Lab Reports

Lab reports are structured papers, explaining the purpose of conducting the experiment, detailing the procedure used to carry out the experiment, and reporting the results found.  Complete each section thoroughly.  Below is a description of each section included in a lab report: title, introduction, materials, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, and references.

Below is a link to a short article with an overview about how to write a lab report. It's a quick read and can help you understand what a lab report is and how to approach writing one section by section.

How to Write a Lab Report: Lab Reports Describe Your Experiment

Sections of a Lab Report

  • Title Page
  • Introduction
  • Materials
  • Methods
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • References

Tips for Lap Report Sections

Title page elements

The title page has a specific format and requires specific information: 

  • Descriptive title of your experiment.
    • Your title should be 10 words or less.
    • Your title should start 4 lines from the top of the page.
      • It should be bolded centered, and with title caps.
    • Put an extra space between the title and the rest of the information on your title page, everything else is double spaced.
  • Page numbers in the top right corner with page 1 beginning on the title page.
  • Your name and the names of all all lab partners who conducted the experiment with you. 
  • The name of the College.
    • CT State Community College - Quinebaug Valley
  • Course name and Number.
    • This can be found on your syllabus or your Blackboard shell (BIO 1210).
  • Instructors Name
  • Assignment Due Date
    • Not the date that the lab report was completed or turned in, put the date that the report is due.

 

Example Title Page

 

QV Sample Lab Report Title:

Your Title Here

 

 

Your Name

CT State Community College – Quinebaug Valley

BIO 1210: General Biology I

Steven T. Raheb

October 1, 2024

 

Introduction

A good introduction will do the following:

  • State the hypothesis of the experiment and discuss why this experiment has been carried out. 

  • Discuss what was studied, including relevant theories that support the reason(s) for conducting the experiment and how any findings/results may be interpreted through these theories. 

  • Try to write this section use mostly your own words, relying on your comprehension of the class material. Quoting from the text is okay but avoid writing an introduction filled with quoted information. 

  • If you do quote information from any sources use in-text APA style citations.  

  • It is sometimes easier to write the introduction after completing all other sections of the lab report. 

Materials

The materials section lists the physical items used to conduct the experiment:

  • List all equipment and all substances used to conduct the experiment. If specific amounts of materials are used, list the exact amount used. Ex: 2mL pipette, 5mL flask, 3.22mg of Na, twenty specimens of Rana pipens averaging 5cm long.
  • Try to be as precise as possible
    • Instead of saying leaves, make sure to elaborate with 15 light-brown geranium leaves.
    • Expand from just liquid nitrogen to something more precise like 300 mL liquid nitrogen.
  • List any software or technology used to help with the experiment or the analysis of the results.

Example Materials Section

Materials

  • Twenty specimens of Rana pipens  

  •  Twenty specimens of Rana catesbeiana  

  • 1.0 mL of a 10% JCL solution  

  • One wooden mallet  

  • 1.0 mL of a .9% NaCL solution  

  • 3 m square temperature-controlled tank  

  • 3 L of water 

Methods

In the methods section write out the steps followed to conduct the experiment: 

  • Write a detailed paragraph or two describing the steps of the experiment exactly how you performed them. Write this out in the exact order of how you performed the experiment. 

  • Accurately documenting how the experiment was carried out should enable you or another scientist to repeat the experiment and receive the same or close to the same results. 

  • The methods section is where you can include images of specimens and/or materials used to conduct the experiment. 

Results

This section discusses the data that was collected during the experiment:

  • Put the data collected from the experiment into words, writing a paragraph or two detailing the factual data results generated from the experiment. 

  • Include all tables (the raw data) and figures (graphs, charts, or photos) that illustrate the results of the experiment. 

  • Label tables as "Table 1", "Table 2", etc. Label figures as "Figure 1", "Figure 2", etc. 

  • Include any calculations that are needed to understand the data

*A Table is used to present the raw data from the experiment. 

*A Figure is a display of the data highlighting any correlations between variables, anything that conveys the experiment's actual results. 

 

 

Discussion

Here you will analyze the results of the experiment:

  • This section is a reflective discussion. This is often the longest and the most important section of the lab report.   

Below are some questions and prompts you can answer to help form the discussion section of the lab report. 

  • Does the evidence found through the experiment support or reject the hypothesis? 

  • What do the results indicate? 

  • Explain how your results compare with current research. 

  • What is the significance of the results? 

  • Explain any unexpected results and if they influenced the data. 

  • Ideas for future research? 

  • Elaborate on ways the experiment could be changed or improved. 

Conclusion

This is a general summary that restates the main findings of the experiment:

  • A summary of the experiment. 

  • Briefly discuss why the experiment was done, state the hypothesis again and whether it was accepted or rejected by the results. 

  • The bulk of the conclusion should explain what was learned by conducting the experiment. Talk about why this new knowledge is important. 

  • Explore what could be studied next based on the findings of the experiment. 

Reference Page

At the end of your paper list all the research materials, books, journal articles, etc., used to write the lab report:

Make sure that there is a citation listing on your Reference page for all of your in-text citations. Most lab reports will be required to follow APA style guidelines so please consult an APA citation style guide to be sure your citations are listed correctly. You can also consult our APA Style Quick Guide (7e) for some examples on how to cite specific types of sources.

  • References are double spaced and written in the same font type and size as the paper's body. 

  • References longer than one line must have a hanging indent. 

  • References are listed in alphabetical order by the author's last name.

 

 

How to Add Page Numbers in the Top Right Corner - Microsoft Word
How to  Create a Hanging Indent APA Style - Microsoft Word  
How to Create Tables in APA 7th Edition Format - Microsoft Word