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- References
If you need to prepare a report after conducting a particular scientific experiment, you will have to deal with writing. Researching is a vital part of any course which is related to Psychology, Chemistry, Biology, or other subjects. Writing an effective lab report can be a challenging task unless you know some tips and comprehend how to use them in practice. It is true that for beginning preparing this analysis, you need to prepare experiment itself. However, have you known that the best variant to make your report ideal is to start writing it at the time when you begin the preparation for the research? Such and other cool tips are waiting for you in this article.
What is a Lab Report?
A laboratory report is a type of academic writing which is focused on showing the process and the results of the investigation in black and white. This paper has specific structure and formatting requirements which are indispensable no matter which subject you have. Read a high-quality lab report example and try to prepare an outline of your own. This will help you structure the content which you gather during the research.
Universal Lab Report Format
A standard format for your lab report is APA type. However, each university has specific requirements. That is why we recommend asking your scientific supervisor about any subtleties in the format. The font size is usually 12 Times New Roman. Depending on the task requirements, your work may vary in page number from 10 to 100.
The typical structure consists of the title, abstract (if necessary), introduction, the main body with subdivisions, conclusion, reference page.
Lab Report Title Page
The function of any title page is to present the topic and acknowledge the writer who has prepared the paper. If you work with somebody in partnership, you will have to include both names in one line. Also, it is vital to mention your scientific supervisor or instructor who has been working with you. Then add the date of publication.
Abstract
An abstract is a summary of the entire report. This section should make readers accustomed to your experiment. Usually, an abstract shouldn’t be longer than 1 page which is 300 words. It should demonstrate the primary objective of your investigation. Don’t forget to add keywords which will help readers understand more about key terms which will be used in the paper.
Lab Report Introduction
Begin the introductory part with explaining the topic of your research. Explain why you have chosen this theme, some theory, practices which previous scientists have discovered, and finish with the thesis statement. How long should an introduction be? It depends on the overall length of your paper. In most cases, it shouldn’t be longer than three pages.
Materials and Methods
The next section is focused on enumerating which scientific methods you have used during the research. These can be observations, experiment, synthesis, analysis, and many others. When writing about materials, add only those which played the most significant role in the investigation. All the minor materials will be included in the reference list.
Results
Describe the readers which data you have managed to find out as a result of research. It is advisable to use tables and other schemes for better perception.
Discussion
While the section with results is about the numbers, this part is about explaining how you managed to get these numbers. Show the calculations, interpretation of the results, analysis, and hypothesis. It is where you need to present the inside of your investigation.
Acknowledgments
This section is often connected with the conclusion. In the acknowledgment part, you need to tell honestly whether you had any difficulties or changes during the experimental procedure. It is where you talk honestly about what you think turned out to be positive or negative. This section should be useful for those who are interested in continuing investigation of the topic which you discuss in the lab report.
Lab Report Conclusion
In summary, you need to return to the thesis statement and tell the reader whether you have managed to conduct the research successfully. If there were any problems or you have ideas for further improvement, the summary is where you can write this info. How long should a conclusion be? It should be more or less similar to the introduction in size.
References
Enumerate all the materials and works you have used during the experiment. Make sure you stick to the latest requirement of the necessary format.