BIOLOGY INTERNAL ASSESSMENT - FORMAT FOR THE LAB

REPORT
Type the lab report on A4 paper. The complete report (excl. Title page) should max at 12
pages. 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: CLARITY,
COHERENCE and CONCISENESS. 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.

PREPARATION & CONTEXT

1. Introduction
Purpose or setting or background: Why undertake this investigation? What
makes this investigation unique and special to you? Ownership.
Research question or problem: A statement of the problem to be investigated.
Hypothesis: A testable if-then statement, followed by its justification.
Prediction: Brief statement of the general procedure and method employed to
answer the research question and test the hypothesis, with expected results.

EXPERIMENTAL PLANNING & 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, quantitative results.
1.

Method
Materials & Equipment
Variables - table, incl. how controlled variables are handled .
Procedures
Risk Assessment & Safety

Ethical and environmental considerations

2. 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).
3. Errors and limitations

EVALUATION
1.

Conclusions: possibly a simple statement of support for, or rejection of, the

hypothesis.

2.

Discussion: justification for the conclusion, supported by summaries of the results

and analysis of results.

3.

Interpretation and implications: What is the meaning of these results and

conclusions?

4. Proposals for extension: questions which need further investigation.

5. 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.