Biology Lab Reports   Tags: biology  

The following requirements for writing a biology lab report have been provided by the biology department and are in current use by TCL students.

You are asked to write lab reports for a number of important reasons. First and

foremost, it will help you improve your writing skills. Lab reports also introduce some

of the basic conventions of scientific writing. Furthermore, writing lab reports requires

mental processing of new information and ideas that reinforces key concepts and helps

to illustrate how scientists themselves think about things.

In its essence, a lab report is similar to essays that you might write for a non-science

course. All of the standard rules of grammar and sentence and paragraph structure

apply. The major differences are that in a lab report ideas are organized according to a

particular format, there is a stronger emphasis on precision and conciseness in sentence structure, and the

passive voice is used in certain sections of the report.

Attention to the rules of composition is particularly important in scientific writing

because of the need to convey ideas unambiguously. Clarity of meaning marks good

scientific writing. Indeed, many of the most eminent scientists are superb writers as

well--Edward O. Wilson, Stephen J. Gould, and Charles Darwin are as renowned for

their ability to reveal nature in written prose as for their scientific contributions. In this

course proficiency in the fundamentals of composition will facilitate your ability to

communicate ideas in a lab report. Your grade will reflect your understanding of key

concepts and your ability to convey this understanding in a coherent, well-written

report.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR LAB REPORTS

1. All reports must be typed using a computer, such as those

available in the computer labs in the LRC. Use a 12pt font, 1” margins

all around, and double-space your text.

2. Lab partners are encouraged to discuss the results of lab exercises. Plagiarism may be rewarded with a failing grade (for the paper or the course), at the instructor's discretion.

3. Lab reports must follow the format outlined below and described on the following

pages.

Introduction

Background Information

Purpose

Hypothesis

Procedures

            Materials

            Methods

Results

Tables and Figures

Description of Data

Discussion

Conclusions

Explanation of Results

Future Experiments

Literature Citations