Brilliant Biology Student

Biology Lab Report Format

Biology Lab Report Format Use this Format if your Teacher has not given you a template, or if you need clarification on what to include in each section. This Lab Report Format is generally suitable for a Descriptive Lab - a lab which does not use a Hypothesis; the procedure is followed and your findings are reported. It is important to know the Experimental Skill for which you are being assessed and its corresponding Lab Report Format. The Template below is suitable for the assessment of: Observation, Recording and Reporting Analysis and Interpretation Measurement and Manipulation  General  Guidelines Your writing should be clear and concise. This is very important in scientific writing as detailed - and sometimes complicated - procedures and data are discussed. Please do not be verbose! Check your writing for grammatical and spelling errors. Errors make it difficult for the reader to understand. Your teacher may factor in errors in his mark scheme and penalize you for them! Include all sections of the report in the correct sequence; marks are awarded just for this. Capitalize section headings. Although, not mandatory, it helps the headings to stand out so you teacher can easily locate when marking. Use a single line to underline each section heading and titles of diagrams, drawings, tables and graphs. Skip a line between sections. Write within the left hand margin. This includes bulleted lists in the APPARATUS/ MATERIALS section and numbered list in the PROCEDURE. Specific Guidelines The following sections should be included in your Biology Lab Report: DATE: LAB # TITLE: AIM: APPARATUS/MATERIALS: DIAGRAM: PROCEDURE: OBSERVATIONS/RESULTS: DISCUSSION: CONCLUSION:   DATE: Write the date on which the experiment was conducted, or on which it was started if observations are made over a number of days. Use the standard date format used in your region e.g. in the United States the date is recorded as mm/dd/yy, whereas in Barbados dates are recorded as dd/mm/yy. LAB # Indicate the order in which labs were done by writing the lab number. Ensure that you have the correct order, particularly is labs are ran concurrently or if lab groups are streamed. TITLE: The TITLE should be brief and descriptive. Usually provided by your teacher or instructor. Examination bodies require investigations to be carried out under given topics. Find out what they are and compare your lab titles with the list. Do not underestimate the significance of the title; it reveals the underpinning theory for the experiment and should inform your background reading, understanding of the procedure and interpreation of the results. AIM: States the purpose or objective of the experiment The AIM usually starts with: 'To investigate...', 'To demonstrate...', To test...', etc. The AIM should be kept in sharp focus throughout the experiment and write-up - including when writing the CONCLUSION. The CONCLUSION must answer the AIM. APPARATUS/MATERIALS: The APPARATUS/MATERIALS section is acomprehensive list of all the apparatus and materials used. The list is very useful in preparation for the experiment, should it be duplicated using your lab notebook. List all apparatus first, and then materials. If no apparatus are used, then just Materials should be written. Apparatus are equipment e.g. Bunsen burner, thermometer, forceps; materials are not equipment but things consumed within the experiment e.g. red and blue litmus paper, ethanol and hibiscus leaves. Related apparatus may be grouped together, preceded by the same bullet e.g. Bunsen burner, tripod stand and gauze mat. When conducting a number of tests, e.g. food tests, use the names of the tests as sub-headings and list apparatus and materials below. Some apparatus and materials are implicit and should not be mentioned e.g. matches. DIAGRAM:  A 2D line diagram of the experimental set-up is very insightful for anyone reading your report. Diagrams should be drawn neatly and with a pencil. A diagram should be on one page, not split over two pages. If this seems impossible, drawing it smaller, or splitting the diagrams and having more than one TITLE. Labels must be in lower case script and correctly spelled. Labeling lines should be drawn neatly with a pencil and ruler, should not cross each other, nor should they have arrow heads. Labeling lines should touch the structures which they are labeling. Include the TITLE underneath the diagram.The title should in uppercase, in pen, centered and underlined in pencil. The title should be descriptive e.g. DIAGRAM SHOWING THE SET-UP OF APPARATUS FOR: I) BOILING A LEAF IN WATER AND II) BOILING A LEAF IN ETHANOL A DIAGRAM may not be necessary if Lab Manual with a Diagram is used. PROCEDURE: The PROCEDURE is a descriptive yet concise account of all the steps taken, in a sequential order. Use a numbered list. Mention the staggering of or repetition of tasks at intervals. Include adequate detail so that the experiments can be duplicated, including the set-up of the positive and negative controls, use of equipment, measurements taken and where, when and how they were obtained and precautions taken. The PROCEDURE should be written in the past tense and passive voice. In other words, write as though it has been done, but by no one in particular. For example: A few drops of Iodine solution were added to the leaf and any colour changes were observed  Include any significant deviations form the PROCEDURE if you had followed the PROCEDURE from a book, handout, etc. OBSERVATIONS/RESULTS: Observations are sometimes referred to as RAW DATA and are obtained directly through the use of our senses, or indirectly through the use of instruments which extend our senses. Observations should be relevant, giving rise to qualitative and/or quantitative data.Thorough theoretical research before the experiments will help you to determine what is relevant or not and will improve the quality of your observations. Qualitative data are words and terms and are subjective - such as colour and smell - and are sometimes recorded using plus signs (+++), photographs and drawings. Certain words or terms are used conventionally within the scientific community e.g. brick-red precipitate, blue-black colour and vigorous effervescence. Quantitative data are numerical values obtained from counting or measurements. Observations should be accurate and precise.Significant changes - both the initial and final conditions must be recorded. When working with large numbers of objects, error may be minimized by using a tally chart. Or if doing field work, develop a protocol for sampling e.g. counting from left to right, particularly when working with quadrats. Pay particular attention to the precision of the measuring instrument you are using. Can the variable be measured correct to 2 decimal places? Observations should be appropriately recorded during the experiment. This means preparation of tables with appropriate headers prior to the experiment. Headers should contain the physical quantity measured and the appropriate S.I. unit, separated by a solidus also know as forward slash (/).