Free Tips: How to Write a Lab Report

A lab report is a record of a student’s experiment on paper. When one has spent a few weeks on his experiment at class, he will have to provide his teacher with the achieved results. Naturally, it is not easy to compose a successful lab report without a good piece of advice; therefore, you can take advantage of our lab report writing tips below.

Step One: Write a Sound Title and Abstract

A successful lab report should contain a good title that reflects the actual content of your paper. It is not wise to write long titles, because it is difficult to remember them. Secondly, you ought to prepare a logical and brief abstract that reveals the major elements of your research. This short section should show the main problem of your experiment. Try to devote less than 400 words to this chapter.

Try to avoid passive voice in your title. It is difficult to do when it comes to writing a lab report, but such creative approach is highly valued now. Try to think about your report’s title as about a title of an exciting non-fiction book that will change people lives forever. Think about your work as about something bigger than just an academic assignment and you will create the best title possible.
Put zero extra words into your abstract. It should be clear and precise, without long introduction or quotes. Reading your abstract, a professor or another student should both understand your key idea, the topic of the report and get hooked to read further.

Step Two: Prepare Your Introduction

The introductory part should focus on the subject of your lab report. You ought to inform your reader about the main idea of your experiment, your expectations, methods, challenges, etc. Furthermore, it is smart to point at the relevance of the subject under analysis. You should say why you have decided to research your problem. Then, say about the authors who have already researched it. Finally, define the actual purpose of your experiment.

Include a problem statement even if it is not directly required. You may think that thesis (problem) statements should be only included to dissertations, research proposals, etc. Include a clear problem statement, and you will show your professor that you understand the topic and are ready to approach it seriously and thoroughly.
Write your introduction after you are done with the conclusion. As these two-part should be interconnected, it is better to start from the end and introduce your potential findings when you already know they are valid.

Step Three: Observe Methods and Materials

Every experiment is based on the definite method. A student should inform his professor about the chosen method in detail. It is important to describe the type of the selected method and explain the principle of its work. Furthermore, one is able to write about materials that have been utilized for the success of his experiment. In this section a student does not have to persuade readers in the usefulness of his methods. It is enough to record the experiment in detail using a systematic approach.

Avoid technical plagiarism in the methodology section. Unfortunately, it is very simple to become a victim of technical plagiarism when dealing with this section. The description of methods is used online thousands of times, and it is very hard to make this chapter 100% unique. Use sophisticated and advanced online plagiarism checkers to make sure your content is entirely original.
Don’t mention too many methods. There are methods students use, and there are those they include because they think the more, the better. Focus only on truly practical and relevant ones not to confuse yourself and your readers.

Step Four: Evaluate Your Results

When you have written about the details and methods of your experiment, you can review all results. Every lab report should finish with the definite findings. You ought to describe these achievements in detail. It is possible to group your findings into several categories and say a few words about every result.

Step Five: Prepare the Discussion and the List of References

Every student should summarize his lab report professionally. It is possible to conclude your work in a detailed discussion section. Here you write about the challenges that you have faced in the process of writing and evaluate your results objectively. You can say what could have been done better. Finally, prepare a good list of references demonstrating all sources that have been mentioned in your report.

Get ready to answer questions. Read your lab report several times and write down questions you would ask yourself if you were a professor. Note down short answers. This way you will feel much more confident and ready to present your lab report at the required level of quality.
Think about crafting some slides. It is better to present your materials when you have some well-thought-out slides to show to your audience even if your professor is the only audience you can get. Don’t put too much information on each slide, use modern templates and no more than 3-4 colors.