Writing A Laboratory Report

Writing a Laboratory Report in BiologyHallmarks of Scientific WritingAn except from A Student Handbook for Writing in Biology by Karin Knisely

What distinguishes scientific writing from other kinds of writing? One difference is motive. Scientific writing aims to inform rather than to entertain the reader. The reader is typically a fellow scientist who intends to use this information, for example, to learn more about a process or to improve a product.

A second difference is the style. Brevity, a standard format, and proper use of grammar and punctuation are the hallmarks of well-written scientific papers. The authors have something important to communicate, and they want to make sure that others understand the significance of their work. Flowery language and stream of consciousness prose are not appropriate in scientific writing because they can obscure the writers intended meaning.

A third difference between scientific and other types of writing is the tone. Scientific writing is factual and objective. The writer presents information without emotion and without editorializing. (p. 20-21)

Lab Report: Format

Your lab report should be organized into the following sections:

Introduction

Hypothesis and Rationale

Prediction

Materials and Methods

Results

Discussion

References

The Cover Page should include a title and all members of the lab group. The title should be a concise, informative description of what the lab report is about. All group members (first and last name) who designed and/or participated in the experiment should be listed.

I. INTRODUCTION

The Introduction has three purposes. It should identify what motivated the investigation, how the investigation fits into the existing body of knowledge, and it should state the objectives of the investigation.

The first and second paragraph of the introduction should be dedicated to explaining what motivated the investigation and relating it to the existing body of knowledge on the topic. Inconsistencies, unanswered questions, or new questions that arise from previous studies set the stage for the present investigation. Often research must be conducted to collect relative background knowledge on topics/concepts to the investigation.Improving your research skills is essential to your development as a student and writer. There is an abundance of information available in literature and on the Internet. Sources can be classified into two categories: primary sources and secondary sources. Primary sources include journal articles, dissertations, technical reports, or conference papers in which a scientist describes his or her original work. These sources have been written purposely for the scientific community. From reading a primary reference members of the scientific community can duplicate the research for their own purpose, check the validity of the reported findings, or develop new hypotheses upon the reported finding. Secondary sources are encyclopedias, textbooks, and articles in popular magazines. These sources are based on primary references but include less technical reporting on methodology and data. Secondary sources are written for the general audience who are not trained as scientists. As a young scientist secondary sources are a good starting point from which to conduct research. Since secondary sources are based on primary sources, examine the literatures reference section to identify the primary sources used. Remember the first and second paragraph of the introduction should be dedicated to explaining what motivated the investigation and relating it to the existing body of knowledge on the topic. For the carbohydrate formal lab report, select ONE area of focus and conduct research. Use your research to write the first two paragraphs of your report.

Research Focus Areas: Nutrition and carbohydrates (diet perspective)

Photosynthesis and carbohydrates Chemical indicators and carbohydrates (how do iodine and benedicts work)

Digestion and carbohydrates The third paragraph of the introduction is a statement(s) of the purposes of the investigation. Re-examine the laboratory exercise you performed in class and determine what the goals of investigation were. Through your writing you should demonstrate an understanding of laboratory goals and objectives. II. HYPOTHESIS and RATIONALEThe Hypothesis section of the report should concisely state the testable explanation for the initial problem or observation. In the carbohydrate report identify which food items you hypothesized were monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides. Then state your rationale for classifying the foods as you did. III. PREDICTIONThe Prediction section of the report should be written as an Ifthen statement. The if portion is the stated hypothesis, and the then portion is what is predicted to occur if the hypothesis is true. In the carbohydrate lab write your eight predictions in list form. For example:1. If table sugar is a disaccharide, then a negative result will occur in the benedicts and iodine tests.

IV. MATERIALS AND METHODSThe Materials and Methods section describes what was done in the investigation. This is stated in full sentences and well developed paragraph(s). Enough detail is used to allow the reader to replicate the work. Generally known laboratory procedures do not need to be described however experimental conditions involving volume, mass, concentration, pH, growth conditions, and temperature are items that need to be included.

V. RESULTS

The Results section of the laboratory report summarizes the findings of the experiment. The findings are NOT explained in this section; they are only stated. The results section has two components: (Knisely, p.21) A text (written word) section which forms the body of the section that states the results. A visual that illustrates the data that was recorded. This can include a data table or graph. For the carbohydrate report, create in Word and embed Table 3 from the lab procedure as your visual.VI. DISCUSSION

The Discussion section of the report analyzes and interprets the results. Possible explanations are provided as well. The following are also included in the discussion section: (Knisely, p.21) Statement on results that identifies if the hypotheses/predictions were supported, refuted, or not conclusively shown. Avoid using the term prove.For example,

Faulty: These results prove that my hypothesis is correct.

Revised: The results provide support for the stated hypothesis.(Discussion continued) Description of how the results relate to existing knowledge.

For the carbohydrate report, choose 4 of the following food items from the lab (pancake mix, Rice Krispies, apple juice, powdered sugar, rye bread, pasta (Barilla), and whole milk) and research what is in them. Identify the ingredients that are carbohydrates and identify if those carbohydrates are mono-, di-, or polysaccharides. Consider this research in light of your experimental results.

Identify outliers in the data or unexpected results that do not match your research. Do not hide inconsistencies in your data. Describe possible sources of error that could account for inaccuracies.

Discuss new ideas, hypotheses, or extensions to the current investigation. VII. REFERENCES

The Reference section should be a list of the primary and secondary sources that that were used to gather background information or from which citations were taken. This should be typed using the proper APA or MLA style.Lab Report: Writing Style

Each section (except the hypothesis and prediction sections) should include full sentences and well-developed paragraphs. Each section (except the introduction) should be written in the past tense because the investigation has already been completed. In addition the passive voice should be used throughout the report. For example:

Active Voice: I peeled and homogenized the potatoes.

Passive Voice: The potatoes were peeled and homogenized.

Active Voice: I concluded from this observation that

Passive Voice: It was concluded from this observation that

When you write your lab report it is suggested that you write the Introduction section last. Develop and write all the other sections first before synthesizing your introduction. The idea is that you are now familiar with your methods, results, and conclusions and you can keep your investigation in perspective as you describe what is already known about the topic. Remember the Introduction has three purposes: to identify what motivated the investigation, to demonstrate how your investigation fits into the existing body of knowledge, and to state the objectives of the investigation. You can address existing inconsistencies given the existing body of knowledge, and you can address unanswered questions that previous research has not answered. The guidelines outlined above can be located in:

Knisely, K. 2005. A Student Handbook for Writing in Biology, 2nd ed. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc. 237 p.

Lab Report: General Formatting Times New Roman 12pt

Double spaced text

Print on only one side of paper

Section headings in bold and CAPITAL letters; aligned left

Margins- top/bottom no larger than 1 inch, sides no larger than 1.25 inches