Scientific Lab Report

As a scientist, one uses the scientific method to evaluate a question of interest by

creating a hypothesis, designing and conducting an experiment and analyzing your results. An
important aspect of this is that you need to be able to communicate what you did and how one
can replicate it if they were interested. Therefore, in this course you will use lab reports as a
way to practice this skill.
Your task is to craft lab reports as if you were a researcher and submitting the report to
scientific journal aimed for undergraduate researchers. Your audience will have some scientific
foundation but clarify terms so a general freshman biology major could understand your report.
There are no restrictions on length of the lab report, but the report should be clear and concise,
and the figures and images should be relevant to the experiment at hand.

Learning Goals
 Apply the scientific method in various laboratory experiments
 Construct a clearly written lab report that is accessible to your audience
 Interpret and summarize data appropriately
 Practice and become familiar with science writing

Here are the parts of the lab report that are expected:
 Title page with names of lab members
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Methods and Materials
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 Tables
 Figures

Title Page: Create a title that summarizes the experiment conducted. I am not looking for
something generic but something more descriptive so that the reader understands the main
concept of the lab. Here are some examples:

Unacceptable: An Investigation of Hormone Secretion and Weight in Rats

Unacceptable: Fat Rats: Are Their Hormones Different?
Good Title: The Relationship of Lutenizing Hormone to Obseity in the Zuker Rat

As seen with the examples above, try to avoid words such as “studies on” or “an investigation
of” because it adds no extra explanation to what the experiment is. With your title and your
writing, you want to try to be as concise as possible. Abbreviations are not suggested and avoid
anything you’d consider “jargon”. Also avoid “cute” titles because they probably will not
appropriately describe the experiment. Names of your lab members should also be included.
Abstract: An abstract is one paragraph that summarizes and reflects the essence of the lab
experiment, or in a way a “miniature report”. The abstract should be a representation of the
entire lab report by including the main idea behind conducting the experiment, your
hypothesis, most important results and conclusion. Before the abstract, list key terms that
would be useful for the reader to know, but you do not need to define. Do not include
references to figures, tables or sources. Everything in the abstract should be in the report. This
abstract should be no longer than 250 words.

Introduction: This should include background information and the significance of the lab. While
you may not be conducting a novel experiment, explain why the technique or goal of the lab
has significance in society (ie. who benefits from this knowledge or technique?). For example, if
the lab was about CRISPR-Cas9, I would expect background information about how the CRISPR-
Cas9 was discovered. You want the individual to understand why you would use this technique
and the relevance of such an experiment. Again, with the CRISPR example I would expect the
introduction to discuss how genetic modifications can be useful in experiments solving many of
society’s problems today, such as understanding genes essential in various biological processes.
Make sure the reader knows what you expect your results to be based on your hypothesis. As
for the structure of the paragraph, try funneling the topic from more general (problem in the
real word or cited in literature) to more specific (the specific experiment). This will create a nice
flow of thought so your reader can follow what the purpose of the lab is.

Methods and Materials: The methods will focus on the details of the experimental procedure
in enough detail that someone could replicate it if they wanted. For example, this may be the
specific organisms used, their source, living conditions, chemicals and tools used. Quantify as
much as possible, such as temperatures, time, amounts, measurements, etc. This should be in
chronological order. Do not bullet point the materials and copy directly from the lab handout. I
will expect it to be written in past tense and paragraph form. No results should appear in this
paragraph. Subheaded sections can be used if you’d like.

Results: In this section, you will be expected to explain the outcome of what you found from
the experiment. This is where most of your figures should be cited, because data is best
explained graphically. If any statistical tests are asked to be conducted, the results will be
explained in this section. However, do not simply repeat results found in figures or tables, just
help support them. Any inference on the outcome of the experiment is not to be described
here. Use past tense to describe what happened to yield the results. Order your results
logically, ideally following a similar pattern to your methods.

Discussion: The discussion section is the appropriate place to discuss the why your experiment
could have yielded the results it did. This should not just be restating the results! What
conclusions did you find? Was your hypothesis supported? Why or why not? Are there any
patterns seen? Refer back to the problem that was introduced in the introduction. What is the
broader context seen from this lab (ie. this technique is essential for understanding this
biological phenonmenon)? As for structure, follow the opposite pattern of the introduction by
going specific (your findings) to more general (how does this fit into the significance in
society?). It’s ok if your results were not what you expected. Avoid any speculation you can’t
directly test.

References: The lab report should have sources to develop the introduction section and should
be cited in text. Students should use the APA format by the following source
(https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/). This will provide any details about
various scenarios in which one would need to cite a source.

Tables: Tables can be used to display results. Each table should have its own title that explains
the information within it. Do not duplicate the results included in tables into graphical figures.

Figures: Each figure should have a legend and an appropriate title that explains the information
within it. A figure should be able to stand on its own with little accompanying text. See Rougier
et al. 2014’s “Ten Simple Rules for Better Figures” for advice on developing appropriate figures
(http://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003833).
The following is a resource to see what NOT to do:
https://www.biostat.wisc.edu/~kbroman/topten_worstgraphs/.

Example reports will be added on [insert learning management system] for your reference.

Grading
First Lab: For the first lab report, the development of your report will be a more collaborative
experience than others to help make you more comfortable with the lab’s format. You will
follow the guidelines outlined above and bring a finished draft to class on X/X. In that class, we
will conduct “peer review” of our lab reports, much like scientists do when they submit to
journals. Students will be paired up with someone not in their lab group to give feedback on
each other’s lab reports. We will use the rubric that is below with a set of questions to help
provide guided feedback to help provide your partner with constructive feedback. You will have
until X/X 11:59PM to make the changes from the feedback given during the peer review and
turn in the report on [insert learning management system]. I will then go through and give my
feedback, which will be especially in-depth. This will most likely be graded harsher than any
other lab to help you gain a sense of what my expectations are and here is where I will “accept”
or “request changes” to your publication. After you receive the feedback, you may make
revisions from my feedback and receive half credit for anything changed.

Following Labs: In the following labs, you will turn in your on [insert learning management
system]. At the end of each lab, I will ask what feedback you are interested in seeking (Are you
concerned about your abstract? If your figures are informative? Etc.). This will help me guide
what I should focus my feedback on. I will also quote feedback from previous labs and discuss if
you’ve made improvements from previous labs or if help still needs to be addressed.

Throughout the semester: I am happy to have one-on-one conference sessions for your lab
reports, but you must schedule with me in advance.
Rubric for Lab Report:
Your report will be graded using the following scale (continued on following page):

Accomplished Competent Developing Emerging

♦ Thoroughly but ♦ Adequately
concisely presents ♦ Presents main
presents main points main points of points of introduction, ♦Lacking content in
of introduction (1/5), introduction, data/results, and
the introduction,
methods (1/5), data/results, conclusions but not data/results, and
Coverage of data/results (2/5), and conclusions in sufficiently or in an conclusions. Poorly
and a well organized organized manner.
topic conclusions (1/5) in a manner.
organized content.
(25 points) well organized ♦ Critically thought ♦ Did not critically think
manner. ♦ Critically thought about some of the
about the experiment
about most of the experiment at hand, at all
♦ Critically thought experiment at but other aspects
about the experiment hand, but some were not considered
at hand gaps in thought
♦All of the graphics ♦Most of the ♦Some of the
are in good graphics are graphics are in good
resolution. in good resolution. resolution. ♦No graphics are in
good resolution.
♦All of the graphics ♦Most of the ♦Some of the
Use of are related to the graphics are graphics are related ♦ None of the graphics
graphics topic and easily related to the topic to the topic and easily are related to the topic.
understood. and easily understood.
(10 points) understood. ♦The graphics poorly
♦All of the graphics ♦The graphics enhance the text.
are engaging and ♦The graphics adequately enhance
enhance the text. enhance the text. the text.

♦Cites some data

♦ Cites all data ♦Cites most data
obtained from other
obtained from other obtained from
sources.
Citations sources. other sources. ♦Does not cite
sources.
(5 points) ♦Citation style is
♦APA citation style is ♦APA citation style
either inconsistent or
accurate. is accurate.
incorrect.

Spelling and ♦No spelling or ♦Minimal spelling

♦Several spelling and
♦Excessive spelling
grammar & grammar and/or grammar
grammar mistakes. mistakes.
grammar mistakes.
mistakes.
(5 points)