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Quinebaug Valley Campus Library

Quinebaug Valley Academic Writing Skills

What is a Lab Report?

A lab report is a structured summary of an experiment you conducted. It explains what you were trying to find out, how you carried out the experiment, what you observed, and what your results mean. The goal is to communicate your process and findings clearly and accurately.

Writing a lab report practices your analysis, communication, and reflection skills.

Lab Reports: The Basics

A traditional lab report has six main sections: 

  1. Introduction
  2. Materials
  3. Methods
  4. Results
  5. Discussion
  6. Conclusion

Note: Always check with your professor to determine which sections they would like you to include!

Use the tabs in above to learn more about each section!

Introduction

As the first section of the paper, your introduction provides readers with important context such as what you were studying and why.

Tips for the Introduction:

  • 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. 
    • Don't forget to provide in-text citations if you do quote any information!
  • 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.

Tips for the Materials Section:

  • 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. For example:
    • Instead of saying "leaves," elaborate by saying "15 light-brown oak leaves."
    • Instead of just "liquid nitrogen" be precise with your measurement by saying "300 mL liquid nitrogen."
  • List any software or technology used to help with the experiment or the analysis of the results.

Methods

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

Tips for the Methods Section:

  • 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, so it's important to include even small details.
  • The methods section is where you can include images of specimens and/or materials used to conduct the experiment. 

Results

This section states the data that was collected during the experiment. This isn't where you interpret the data just yet - so aim to be as detailed, but objective as possible in this section. 

Tips for the Results:

  • 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

Tables vs. Figures:

  • 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

This is where you will analyze the results of the experiment. This section is a reflective discussion where you think through the significance of your experiment and why your results matter. This is often the longest and the most important section of the lab report!

Tips for the Discussion Section:

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:

Tips for the Conclusion:

  • The bulk of the conclusion should explain what was learned by conducting the experiment. Talk about why this new knowledge is important. 
  • Briefly discuss why the experiment was done, state the hypothesis again and whether it was accepted or rejected by the results. 
  • Explore what could be studied next based on the findings of the experiment. 

Formatting a Lab Report

The QV Library has created a Lab Report Guide that follows APA formatting. Some professors may have different expectations or formatting requirements, so always check with them first! When in doubt, follow your professor's instructions!