What to include in your Lab Reports

Design Checklist
Does your research question clearly identify independent (including range) and
dependent variables? (note: for biology, identify the organism, including its latin name
in italics)
E.g. How does changing the volume of soap used from 1ml, 2ml, 3ml, 4ml, 5ml, and
6ml, affect the amount of DNA extracted from 100 grams of vigna radiata soaked in
100 ml water?
Have you included a background that gives context for the research question? Some
questions you can answer to help you write it:
a. What is your topic? Give definitions and general information about it.
b. What are the uses/importance of your topic? What applications can it have?
c. What is one problem related to your topic? What is the effect of this problem?
d. What possible solutions or improvements can still be made to the topic or field?
e. What do related scientific studies say about your topic? Cite your source
f. What is your research about? How is your investigation different?
Have you cited sources in the background section?
Do you have a detailed hypothesis stated? It may be useful to sketch a predicted
graph of your expected results as well (ask your teacher if you need to).
Have you explained WHY you chose your particular hypothesis?
Have you identified the levels of treatment with units for the independent variable
Have you stated your dependent variable, with units and statement describing the
measurement technique?
Does your design collect at least 5 x 5 data points? (5 trials, 5 levels of treatment)
Have you stated at least 5 variables that need to be controlled? Why it needs to
be controlled and how you will control it? (You can make a table for this)
Did you state your control group? (Some experiments have this, some dont)
Have you listed all equipment necessary? (Quantity, material, other descriptions)
Does your method have specific quantities? e.g. 50 mL NaCl solution
Have you explained how you will randomize your trials (suggestion: use random.org,
but you need to explain HOW to use the site, dont simply paste a link to it!)
Have you described any relevant safety, environmental or ethical issues you have
considered and steps taken to reduce these concerns?
Do you have a diagram that can show the correct set-up for your experiment?
Have you written a complete, detailed method that can be easily followed?

Analysis Checklist

 Do you have separate tables for raw data and processed data? (Some lab reports
may not need tables to be separate, so ask your teacher to be sure)
Do you have a separate table for qualitative observations? (Some lab reports may
not need this)
Are your tables numbered? Do your tables have titles? Are they descriptive?
Table 1: Heart Rate of adolescent Homo sapiens (bpm) after varying plank times (s)
Table 2: Mean heart rate of Homo sapiens (bpm) and standard deviation after varying plank
times (s)

Is the independent variable on the left column? (In most experiments, this is the
case)
Does each column heading have the correct variable, units, and uncertainties?
e.g. Mass (g 0.01) (Some teachers might ask you to write your units like this: /g
0.01)
Is each row of your table consistent for sig figs? (same # of decimals as
uncertainties)
Does each processed data column have a corresponding sample calculation?
Example:
Sample Calculation for Change in Temperature (what you are
calculating)
In order to determine the change in temperature during the experiment, the
initial temperature was subtracted from the final temperature: (verbal
explanation)
Change in temperature = Final Temp - Initial Temp (word
equation)
T = Tf - Ti (symbols)
T = 72.0 - 31.0C (Put in the numbers)
T = 41.0C (answer)
(Note: sometimes, you may not be required to include formulas for mean or standard deviation as
these are routine statistical calculations. See below)

For calculations where you used a computer/calculator, did you state HOW it was
calculated?
E.g. Standard deviation and means were calculated using Ti-84
Do your graph(s) title(s) include both independent and dependent variable (with
units)?
Are the column and row headers of your processed data table same as your graphs
axes labels?
Does each axis have a title with units AND uncertainties (where appropriate)?
E.g. For a digital balance, the uncertainty is 0.01 g)
Did you remove unnecessary grid lines, legends, etc.?
Do you have a trend line (if needed) or line of best fit? (Some teachers may ask for the
r2 value)
Are there error bars (if needed)? Does your title state (error bars indicate 1 standard
deviation)?

 Are the tables not split between two pages?

Do your tables have borders?
Do all graphs, tables, calculations and images have titles?
E.g. Figure 1: Correct technique for push-ups
Is your graph data sourced from a single table? (Usually includes IV, Mean DV,
Standard Deviation)
Are your intervals for the x and y axes proportional? E.g. 5, 10, 15, 20 m, not 5, 9, 11,
20 m

Conclusion and Evaluation Checklist

Did you indicate the correlation between the IV and DV?
E.g. There is a (strong/weak) (positive/negative) correlation between (IV) and (DV)
Did you describe the trend? Are there any anomalies?
E. g. As the (IV)(increases/decreases/other change), the (DV) One anomaly is
(If you are comparing populations) Did you state the means and how the variation
compares to the mean (the error bar size)? e.g. What does a high standard deviation
mean?
Did you refer to specific data points?
E.g. This was demonstrated when (cite the data points from your findings, then give
the explanation for the trend in your data). This is due to (state the science
behind your findings.)
Did you compare to an expected/literature value? What do other studies say about
your results?
The results were close to/different) from the expected values done in previous
studies, such as
Did you state results of t-test, p value and whether youve accepted or rejected the null
hypothesis? Explain why you accepted/rejected the null hypothesis and what this tells
you about the comparison between the means that you made
Did you say if your hypothesis supported or not? Avoid using the words: prove true
correct
Have you stated the experiments strengths and weaknesses + how to improve?
(Note: you may be asked to do this instead of the evaluation below. Ask your
teacher)
Did you make a table for your evaluation? (Some teachers may want this in paragraph
form)
Possible sources of
error
Number of trials?

Equipment?
Where/when the
experiment was
conducted?

How it affected the experiment

Improvements

(If you dont have enough trials,

how can that affect your data? E.g.
for example you have an
anomalous value)

(Realistic suggestions to
improve your data
collection)

Instead
Instead of
of these
these
Use
Use these
these
amount
Go up
Volume,
Increase,
mass, rise,
concentration
gain
Look
stuff
at
Material,
examine
substance, a
(solid/liquid/gas)
Find out
Determine,
investigate
People
(test) subject
Go
down
Decrease,
declines
Plant,
Organism
(or the
latin name)
Stay
theanimal
same
Stabilize,
plateau
Possible errors from the
procedure?

Have you identified if it is random or systematic for each error?

Random - fluctuations in data due to the measurement device/method,
measurement uncertainty. (leads to reduced precision)
Systematic - instrument error, can be reduced if equipment is regularly checked or
calibrated to ensure that it is functioning correctly.
Are the sources of error ranked by importance (most important first)?
Have you explained how your data is changed by each error (e.g. higher than actual)?
Are there other aspects or questions that can still be investigated?
Have you given some suggestions for pursuing further research about your topic?

The Language of Lab Reports

Grammar Points
Examples
The imperative mood for your method
1. Soak the monggo seeds in water overnight.
2. Drain the monggo seeds and place them in the blender.
SI units
Use the metric system or the units your teacher will ask you to use
(e.g., meters, kilograms, liters, Kelvin, Celsius, seconds, joules)
Correct terminology
A single-word verb is used over two-word verbs whenever possible.
Passive voice
Some teachers ask you to avoid personal pronouns (e.g. I, we), so use passive voice:
I placed the elodea in the beaker with 50 ml water. (personal pronoun: I)
The elodea was placed in the beaker with 50 ml water. (passive: was placed)
Concluding
In your conclusion, NEVER say proven or correct or wrong ; Instead, say supported or not
supported about your hypothesis.
Transition signals
Cause and Effect (in hypothesis)
As a result, Since , Consequently, Due to
Examples (background, conclusion)
For instance, This is shown when, An example is
Concluding
Therefore, Thus, To conclude, To summarize
Some adjectives to use for qualitative observations
Clarity (Turbidity)
Color
Clear or
Blue (actual color);
Transparent
Rust-colored (color
it is similar to);
Brown/Orange or
Brown-Orange
(between 2 colors);

Smell
Odorless;
Antiseptic

State
Solid;
fine or coarse
powder; crystalline

Precipitate*
No precipitate

Opaque; Cloudy
Translucent
Sound
Poppin
g
Fizzing

Solubili
ty
Soluble
Insoluble

Colorless;
Dull; Metallic
(shine); Lustrous
Light green;
Dark Green

Pungent; Rotting
Sweet; Banana
smell

(Viscous or Runny) Some precipitate

liquid
formed
Gas (bubbles)
Some solid formed

Other observations/ Products

Glowin
Oxygen is produced
g
Some sediment at the bottom/ Some residue at the side (of the beaker)/
Bacterial growth

Examples of how to describe graphs and degrees of correlation

LINEAR (as independent

variable increases, the
dependent variable also
increases)
POSITIVE CORRELATION

CURVE / NONLINEAR (as the

independent variable
increases, the dependent
variable also increases)
POSITIVE CORRELATION

EXPONENTIAL CURVE (as

independent variable increases
incrementally, the dependent
variable (increases
dramatically / doubles / etc. )
NEGATIVE CORRELATION

NEGATIVE LINEAR (as

independent variable
increases, the dependent
variable decreases)
NEGATIVE CORRELATION

LINEAR, PASSES THROUGH THE

ORIGIN, DIRECTLY
PROPORTIONAL (as independent
variable increases, the
dependent variable also
increases)

Note: Correlation Causation

Correlation means that two variables are linked, connected, associated with
one another.
Causation means that one variable causes the other variable.