BIOLOGY IA - FORMAT FOR THE LAB REPORT

Create the lab report in Word, on A4 paper. No Abstract is required. Write the report in the past or passive tense. Use
full sentences whenever possible, and also use sub-headings, numbered sections and bullet points. Footnote all your
sources of information and make a complete bibliography. The Lab Report is a form of communication, so note the
three C's: CLARI TY, COHERENCE and CONCI SENESS. Your teacher will advise you through the lab
investigation and will review your draft lab report once only, making suggestions for improvement.

TITLE (Page)
Include essential information: date, supervisor, place, candidate number.
Use the title and date as a repeating page header in the write-up.

PLANNING
Introduction
Purpose or setting or background: Why undertake this investigation
Research question or problem: A statement of the problem to be investigated
Hypothesis: A testable if-then statement, followed by a justification
Prediction: Brief statement of the general procedure and method employed to answer the research question
and test the hypothesis, with expected results

ACTION
A description of how the investigation was carried out. The goal is that the investigation is described in such a way
that another researcher could follow these instructions and obtain equivalent results. The design of the investigation
should be able to achieve statistically useful, quantitativeresults.

Method
Materials & Equipment
Variables - table, incl. how controlled variables are handled
Risk Assessment & Safety
Ethical and environmental considerations

Results
Results should be tabulated and then treated - graphed and statistically manipulated - and described. Results may be
qualitative but should always be quantitative.
Raw Results Tables - titles; units of measurement; clarity.
Treatment of results
Statistical manipulation.
Graphing - all graphs should have a title and a brief sentence or two of explanation.
Statements drawing attention to patterns, trends and relationships (but not discussion).

Errors and limitations

EVALUATION
Conclusions
Possibly a simple statement of support for, or rejection of, the hypothesis.

Discussion
Justification for the conclusion, supported by summaries of the results and analysis of results.

Interpretation and implications
What is the meaning of these results and conclusions?

Proposals for extension
Questions which need further investigation.

Modifications and improvements
How the errors and limitations listed previously could be reduced or eliminated - be scientific and exact in this
section.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
This should be a complete list of all resources and references used, including all that have been footnoted. Copy/paste
URL's of web pages used. Follow a convention for referencing journals and books.