A lot of students around the world are prone to writing a poor lab report due to the lack of knowledge and understanding on how to make one. Grammar is a factor affecting their professional report, followed by poor structuring and bad understanding of their study. A good lab report does more than presenting a valuable data. It can further demonstrate and explain your comprehension on the concept behind the data provided.
1. Identify Topic
Identify a feasible topic you want to pursue. Once you have, make a title for your simple report and create a title page. Make your title brief and describe the main point of the experiment. Then add the basic information for your title page like you and your lab partner's name, your professor's name, the date of the report was submitted and the lab where the experiment was performed.
2. Create an Introduction
After identifying your topic, create a problem for your experiment and a hypothesis on its possible outcome. Research and create an introduction about your experiment, include your objectives of doing it. Also, include a literature review in your sample report to set a theoretical framework and to justify your experiment. Remember to write your sentences in an active voice.
3. List Materials
List all materials and procedures needed for your experiment. Note down the time needed to conduct your experiment and other factors that may affect the outcome of your results. List down possible questions to be asked after the experiment is finished.
4. Input Data
Record every data acquired before, during, and after the experiment is conducted. Go back to your questions and answer each of them with the data gathered. Create a data analysis of your experiment and further discuss interpretations about it. Compare expected and obtained results and relate it to your experimental objectives. Provide comparisons on experiments similar with your experiment. Insert tables, graphs, and figures if needed.
5. Provide Conclusion
Once you settled all your simple analysis and interpretations, proceed into writing your conclusion. Write your conclusion in a single paragraph that sums up what happened in your experiment. Evaluate whether your hypothesis was accepted or rejected, and discuss if your experiment answered the problem you created at the beginning.
6. Insert Abstract and References
Now that your experiment is completed, create an abstract that briefly but accurately describes your experiment and hypothesis, the summary of your methods, and findings with your conclusion in a consistent manner. Insert your abstract before the introduction to give an overview on your experiment. Lastly, cite down references where you based your experiment to avoid plagiarism.