Writing for Advanced Science Courses Part 2: How to Write Each Section of a Lab Report

1. Writing for Advanced Science CoursesPart 2: How to Write Each Section of a Lab Report Materials taken from Knisely, Karin. Writing in Biology. 2009 Sinaur/Freeman and edited by Angela Bush, SRVHS

2. The Pre-Lab • All laboratory assignments begin with a pre-lab • Pre-labs are essential for being prepared for the lab activity. They ensure: • Student safety during the lab • Successful completion of the lab in the limited time class allows • Increased student understanding of the lab • An increased chance of desired results from the lab • This portion of the lab includes the purpose, hypothesis and procedure • Done in lab journal (or typed if preferred) • You must read and be familiar with the lab prior to writing a purpose or hypothesis! • ULTIMATLEY MUST BE TYPED FOR FORMAL LAB REPORTS

3. Procedure • Because you need to read the lab before writing the purpose and hypothesis, the procedure is a good place to start! • Though in your report, the abstract, purpose and hypothesis still come first! • Summarize all the steps of the lab. • Be detailed, but don’t exactly copy the lab manual or simply change a few words. Plagiarizing your teacher is still plagiarism! • Someone should be able to repeat the lab based on you notes in this section.  • Avoid listing materials, containers & elaborate procedures. • Its ok to summarize as long as you still have enough info to perform the lab! • Include any pictures, measurements, tables, etc. made/used during the lab in this section • Please number your steps (no bullet points, no paragraphs)

4. Procedure Samples • Example: • Original: Label six clean beakers with the following concentrations of sucrose and create and place those solutions in the appropriate beaker: 0, 7%, 14%, 21%, 28%, and 35%. • Revision: Label beakers: 0%, 7%, 14%, 21%, 28%, and 35%, and place the appropriate sucrose solutions in each beaker • Example 2: • Original: Place a few yeast under a microscope and draw what they look like. • Revision: Observe and draw yeast under a microscope • Unless you have come up with the idea and procedure for this lab, reference the original lab or other references used for the summarized steps! Use the number of the reference according to your reference page, in parentheses, after the sentence(s) containing the information (or after entire section if it all came from one reference).

5. Purpose • Purpose: What is the point of the lab, what are you trying to learn, why it is interesting, etc. • Approx. 1-2 sentences to 1 paragraph • A statement not a question! • Example: • Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to observe the maintenance of homeostatic conditions in the human body during exercise.

6. Hypothesis • Hypothesis: If---, then----, (because----) • If (IV), then (DV), because (prediction, guess, explanation of known causes) • NOTE: Again, this will be easier to do after you have read the lab!  • Find key words or concepts • Hypothesis: If---, then----, (because----)

7. Hypothesis Example • You are working with sand and yeast. You will observe both for signs of life using a microscope and a sugar-water mixture. • IV? • Using a microscope and a sugar-water mixture • DV? • Signs of life • Hypothesis: • If a microscope and a sugar-water mixture are used, then yeast and/or sand will show signs of life • Do you have any prior knowledge that can help make this more specific? • If a microscope and a sugar-water mixture are used, then yeast will show signs of life and sand will not because yeast is a fungus and sand is made of rock particles.

8. The Null Hypothesis • The Null Hypothesis reflects the idea that there will be NO change or NO effect of the independent variable on the experimental set up or treatment. • The Null Hypothesis is not necessarily the “opposite” effect of the treatment, sometimes you have completely novel effects • Example: • Null Hypothesis:If a microscope and a sugar-water mixture are used, then yeast and/or sand will not show signs of life.

9. Prior to the Lab Experiment • Know what to expect from the experiment • Know the hypothesis and what the outcome will be if the hypothesis is write! • Recognize other (standard) variables • Know what other variables may effect the lab so you can do your best to control them • What should remain constant? Make sure they do! • Identify a control group or groups • Groups using standard variables

10. Writing Titles for Lab Reports • The Effect of the IV on the DV • Example: • The hypothesis was: • Hypothesis: If a microscope and a sugar-water mixture are used, then yeast will show signs of life and sand will not because yeast is a fungus and sand is made of rock particles. • The Effect of using microscopes and sugar-water on determining whether sand and yeast are living or not living

11. During the Lab Experiment • Collection of observations and data • Throughout the lab use your senses to make observations! What could one, hear, smell (if appropriate), taste (if appropriate), and touch (if appropriate) during this lab. • Note these observations, you never know what will be important when you start to draw conclusions! • Qualitative- make notes in your journal, it will help you with your lab report! • Quantitative- use a data table to collect numerical data, with units of measurement • Make drawings with dimensions and magnification, where appropriate. • Think about questions, possible errors, and other anecdotal notes as you go, it will help with your lab report! • Decide if the data is trustworthy or erroneous, if you have time you may need to repeat a portion of the experiment

12. Abstract • Used in formal labs only • A shortened version of your entire paper • Should be no more than 200-250 words • It is written AFTER the other parts of the report are written, but must be the first section of the formal lab report • Rules for writing abstracts: • Use proper grammar and “good writing techniques” (see Writing for Advance Science Courses Part 3: Grammar)  • Single space, 10 font, indented • Don't be vague, identify each part of the abstract for what it is (the purpose was, the hypothesis was, the null hypothesis was, etc)

13. Guide to Writing the Abstract • NOTE: These are only tips to help you write a nice short abstract, you cannot assume the reader knows what you are writing in each sentence based on what number sentence it is! State “The purpose of this lab” “The hypothesis of this lab” etc! • 1st sentence- restate the purpose • 2nd sentence- restate the hypothesis • 3rd sentence- restate the null hypothesis • 4th – 5th sentences- summarize the procedure including how the control was established (this is NOT a list…use sentences) • 6th- 8th sentences- summarize the data, including the statistical analysis if applicable • 9th-10th sentences- summarize the conclusion being sure to mention whether the results supports the hypothesis or null hypothesis and reference the statistics here that support your conclusion. Include possible errors, and an error analysis if applicable.

14. Observations • Answer all observation questions, include any graphs necessary. • Number answers • For formal and informal lab reports, you should have at least 3-4 sentences of your own observations (in addition to your answers to the observation questions). • Use your senses and state only facts, no inferences or conclusions • Use proper grammar and “good writing techniques” (see Writing for Advanced Science Courses Part 3: Grammar)  • If references are used, be sure to include the number of the reference according to your reference page, in parentheses, after the sentence(s) containing the information.

15. Conclusions • Answer all conclusion questions • Number answers (rather than putting them in paragraph form) • Write your “power conclusion”, your conclusion is your summary of the experiment, the data you collected, experimental error, and future implications for experimentation. Use the power conclusionwriting help to make sure you have included all aspects of a good conclusion. • You may be given some additional questions or prompts in the lab to make sure you analyze the most important aspects of the lab • Use proper grammar and “good writing techniques” (see Writing for Biology Class Part 3: Grammar)  • If references are used, be sure to include the number of the reference according to your reference page, in parentheses, after the sentence(s) containing the information.

16. References • Include a references list for any references used, including your text book, to find information or definitions to help answer questions or make statements in the observation and conclusion portions of the lab • Use MLA format • For help creating MLA references go to the Citation Machine Website, on the left hand side of the screen select MLA, then the appropriate reference type.

17. References • Include a references list for any references used, including your text book, to find information or definitions to help answer questions or make statements in the observation and conclusion portions of the lab • Use APA format • For help creating APA references go to the Citation Machine Website, on the left hand side of the screen select MLA, then the appropriate reference type. • NOTE: You need a reference section AND in text citations. Proper APA in-text, or parenthetical, citations use the author’s last name and the year of the publication, for example (Tomada, 2015). It is ok to just put the number marking the reference in your reference section in parantheses. Exp, if the lab was your first reference, labeled 1)… in your reference section you may use (1) in your lab report next to any appropriate information