Writing your Lab Report
Your lab report is how you show off your findings to the world! Learning to write a good lab report is very important for your success in college and in the workplace — doctors, lawyers, therapists, scientists, professors, criminologists, and many other professionals all have to write lab reports on a regular basis!
Important downloads: Lab Report Rubric Lab Report Template
Lab Report Requirements: (click here for a printable version)
Format:
TYPED! Times New Roman, 12 pt font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins.
Include your last name and the page number in the top right-hand corner of each page.
Begin each section of your report on a new page.
Required Sections:
1. A Title page with your name, the title of your project, "Blytheville High School", "Science Fair 2013", and your teacher's name.
2. A one-paragraph Abstract summarizing your project (150 words or less)
3. An Introduction that explains the relevance of your project (why is it important?) and any background information you found on your project. Click here for more instructions!
4. A Materials and Methods section, written in complete sentences, that explains how you completed the project. You are strongly encouraged to include diagrams in this section!
5. A Results section, with at least one table or graph, that explains the data you found in the experiment. (Use these instructions to make a graph in Excel)
6. A Discussion section, in which you explain your results— was your hypothesis correct or incorrect? Why? Do your results make sense? Do they agree with the results of other experiments? If your results to not make sense, or if your experiment did not go according to plan, you should explain why.
7. A Bibliography (or Works Cited page) in which you must cite AT LEAST FIVE SOURCES that you consulted for your science fair project. This must be in MLA format!!!
Resources to help you write your lab report:
Labwrite for Students <— online step-by-step guide to writing lab reports
BHS Lab Report Rubric <— this is how your Science Fair lab report will be graded!
Science Buddies: Final Report Guide
Help with Data Analysis
Graphing in Excel
Citation Help Page
Example lab report #1
Example lab report #2
Example lab report: WHAT NOT TO DO
Important downloads: Lab Report Rubric Lab Report Template
Lab Report Requirements: (click here for a printable version)
Format:
TYPED! Times New Roman, 12 pt font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins.
Include your last name and the page number in the top right-hand corner of each page.
Begin each section of your report on a new page.
Required Sections:
1. A Title page with your name, the title of your project, "Blytheville High School", "Science Fair 2013", and your teacher's name.
2. A one-paragraph Abstract summarizing your project (150 words or less)
3. An Introduction that explains the relevance of your project (why is it important?) and any background information you found on your project. Click here for more instructions!
4. A Materials and Methods section, written in complete sentences, that explains how you completed the project. You are strongly encouraged to include diagrams in this section!
5. A Results section, with at least one table or graph, that explains the data you found in the experiment. (Use these instructions to make a graph in Excel)
6. A Discussion section, in which you explain your results— was your hypothesis correct or incorrect? Why? Do your results make sense? Do they agree with the results of other experiments? If your results to not make sense, or if your experiment did not go according to plan, you should explain why.
7. A Bibliography (or Works Cited page) in which you must cite AT LEAST FIVE SOURCES that you consulted for your science fair project. This must be in MLA format!!!
Resources to help you write your lab report:
Labwrite for Students <— online step-by-step guide to writing lab reports
BHS Lab Report Rubric <— this is how your Science Fair lab report will be graded!
Science Buddies: Final Report Guide
Help with Data Analysis
Graphing in Excel
Citation Help Page
Example lab report #1
Example lab report #2
Example lab report: WHAT NOT TO DO