Important Notes: The lab report must be written individual even though you work as a group.
If a student is caught cheating or copying, the student will receive a zero and be reported to the dean.
General instructions for writing the lab report
- A scientific Lab report consists of
- Title
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Materials and Methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Literature cited
- The lab report should be written in paragraph form with headings that are written in the same style and font for each section. The headings are: Abstract, Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion and Literature cited.
- All scientific names (genus and species) must be italicized with the genus capitalized and species NOT capitalized such as Daphnia magna.
- Using the first person (I) should be avoided. Keep writing your lab report in the third person. Instead of writing, “I added 1% Alcohol to Daphnia” write, “3% Alcohol solution was added to Daphnia”. (Except when you write your hypothesis, you can use “I”.)
- If you use internet for finding information, DO NOT use a “. com” , must be a .org, .gov or .edu or ebooks.
- Use the term “affect” as a verb or action. Use the term “effect” as a noun or thing.
- Data is Always a plural word.
- Species is the singular term and plural, too.
Title page: The first page of your lab report is a Title page. The Title should be in the middle of the page in 18pt or greater font. It should be a complete and formal sentence that briefly describes the experiment and result. Your full name and section number should be written under the title.
Abstract: The abstract is a summary of your lab report and must be on the separate page after the page of title. It should briefly include an Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion in 250 words or less. Even though the abstract comes at the beginning of the lab report, you should write it after you have completed your Lab report draft. No citation is required in an abstract because you should write it in your own words.
Introduction: You will give a reader background information about the experiment. You should assume that the reader is not familiar with the experiment.
- You must write IN-TEXT CITATION in this section. That means to cite your sources (references) in the text. Any sources such as your textbook, lab manual, journals or websites that you have used must be cited in text. At the end of each summarized sentence that you learned from other source, you have to put the author and year in the parenthesis. Example of citation in text:
Microscopes will be used for absorbing the organelles of a cell that cannot be seen with the naked eyes. (Campbell, N. A., et al, 2009).
Notes: If there are two to five authors, include all names and date of publication in parenthesis. (Example: Cason, Bell, and Gonzales 2013)
If there are six or more authors, include the first author’s last name followed by et al and date of publication. (Campbell, N. A., et al, 2009)
If you cite a website source, you need to put the link in parenthesis. (Example: abcd13.net)
- You should briefly explain a microscope and why it is used in this experiment.
- If a “model organism” is used, make sure to explain the organism, its characteristics and the reason for using this organism.
- Briefly explain the effects of the alcohol drugs on the living organism’s health.
- Finally, your hypothesis should be at the end of the introduction, concerning the effect of Alcohol solutions on Daphnia’ heart rate.
Materials and Methods (M&M): Summarize the procedure as much as you can. This section must be written in sentences and paragraph form. Never give a list or reagents or numbered list of methods.
In the first paragraph of the M&M, you should write what chemicals or reagents have been used in your research. Also include the major equipment.
Avoid writing the small items used such as pipets, kimwipes, etc.
The second paragraph of the M&M, briefly describe the procedure in sentence format. If you use a written procedure from another source (such as your lab manual), remember to cite it in the text. Also bring your lab manual in the literature cited section if you have not added already.
Results: The results section should bring summarized data into tables, figures and graphs. Your lab report is required just graphs. If you do not know how to plot your data, see the using Microsoft Excel for plotting Scientific Method data file in the week 3/ Scientific Method folder/eCampus. Also, see the page 3-11 of your lab manual that explains how to make graphs.
All graphs should have descriptive titles. Reader should be able to analyze the graph without reading the text. Tables and graphs should be numbered and referred to in the text by number. (See page 4)
Notes: Do not discuss or analyze your data in the Result section.
Discussion: You were assigned to write about the alcohol solutions (independent variable).
Briefly explain your results here by referring to the number of each graph. Then describe to reader why your results occurred.
Did this independent variable have an effect on Daphnia’s heart rate?
Do your results support your hypothesis or not? Why?
Compare your results to similar research.
Which experiments do you suggest to do with Alcohol?
What are your suggestions to improve the experiment done in the lab?
Literature Cited or References: Each source you cite in text, must appear at the end of your lab report under the Literature cited section.
Format for books citations: List all authors by last name and initials, separated by commas if there are more than two authors. Put an “and” before the last author in the list. Then put the year of publication, the title of the book (in italics if possible), the publisher, the city, and the number of pages in the book.
Format for scientific journal articles citations: List the author(s) of the article using the same format given above for books, then give the year, the title of the article or chapter (no quotes, italics or underlines), then the title of the journal or magazine (in italics if possible), the volume number of the journal (do not use the publication date), and page numbers where the article can be found.
Format for web citations: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Online Periodical, volume number(issue number if available). Retrieved from http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Example of Textbooks: Campbell, N. A., J. B. Reece, and L. G. Mitchell. (2009) chapter 6: A tour of the cell. Biology, ninth edition. Benjamin Cummings.San Francisco, CA. pp. 94-95.
Lab manual Sample: (The name of the lab exercise and page numbers must be changed)
Sara Perez-Ramos, Stacie Couvillon, and Jennifer Baggett (2014). Labroratory 4, Chemistry and Life. Laboratory manual for Biology 1406 Molecular and Cellular Aspects of life.2 nd Edition. Richland College. Dallas, TX. pp. 4.3- 4.16. The highlighted texts must be written correctly.
Summary of the Lab Report Instructions
DO NOT use “I” See page 1 of the lab report instructions. Daphnia should be italicized “Daphnia”.
Title page
The title should be a complete sentence (In 18 pt or greater in one page). See page 1 of the lab report instruction (LRI)
Abstract
Summarize the whole experiment. Give the reader as much information as possible (including purpose, method and results in a very concise way.
Introduction
Background information (you can use an internet, your lab manual or text book)
Cite your references in the text
Purpose
Hypothesis
Material and Methods (See page 2)
Results
- Tables and figures (Draw the best fit line as you see in figure.1)
- Description of Data
Your graphs and tables need to have numbers. For example: As you see figure 1 by increasing Alcohol concentrations, Daphnia’s heart rate decrease. See the instructions for alcohol bar graph Excel 2013 in the Scientific methods folder/ week 3 folder/ Weekly assignments/eCampuse.
Figure1. Shows effect of Alcohol concentrations on Daphnia‘s heart rate.
Discussion
Conclusions
Explanation of results
Future Experiment
Literature Cited (References)
The sources used the experiment and the writing of the lab report. The reference should include author, year paper was published, the page numbers if possible.
Do not forget to write your lab manual here.
How will the lab report be graded?
Daphnia magna must be italicized with the genus capitalized and species NOT capitalized. (1 pt)
DO NOT use “I” See page 1 of the lab report instructions. Daphnia should be italicized “Daphnia”. (1 pt)
Title page (2 pts)
The title should be a complete sentence (In 18- point font or greater in one page). See page 1 of the lab report instruction (LRI).
The title should have Daphnia magna and alcohol solutions.
Abstract ( 4 pts)
Summarize the whole experiment. Give the reader as much information as possible (including in
Missing purpose in a very concise way
Missing method in a very concise way
Missing results in a very concise way
Introduction(10 pts)
Background information (you can use an internet, your lab manual or text book)
Cite your references in the text
Missing Hypothesis
Material and Methods (See page 2) ( 8 pts)
- Materials and Methods must be written in sentences and paragraph form NOT as a list
- Missing Materials
- Missing Methods
- You did not cite your lab manual in the text
Results (12 pts)
The figure(s) is (are) missing:
X-axis label or unit Y-axis label or unit
Your graph(s) and table(s) need to have numbers and explanation. For example: Figure 1 shows …
Missing Description of Data
Discussion ( 8pts)
Conclusions
Explanation of results
Answer at least three questions on the page 3 of the lab report instructions
Literature Cited (references) ( 4 pts)
Missing references Missing your lab manual (see the page 3, example of Lab manual)
Missing in text citations Missing your lab manual in
