How to Write a Lab Report: Examples from Academic Editors

• Jan 23, 2024
• 7 min read

• Tags: Academic Research, Academic Writing

A lab report documents the theory, methods, and results of your experiment to demonstrate your understanding of research and scientific methodology. In this article, we’ll tell you how to write a lab report with the help of some useful examples.

For many students, writing a lab report can be confusing: how to format it, what to include and not include, and so on. The questions are endless! Just remember that your lab report will allow others to reproduce your results and draw their own conclusions. This will help you write a lab report that’s well-formatted and organized.

In true Resource Center fashion, let’s start with the basics: What exactly is a lab report?

What is a lab report? 

A laboratory report is a document written to describe and analyze an experiment that addresses a scientific inquiry. A lab report helps you conduct an experiment and then systematically design a conclusion based on your hypothesis. 

A lab report typically follows this format: 

• Title 
• Abstract
• Introduction 
• Equipment/Materials 
• Methods 
• Results
• Discussion 
• Conclusion
• References 

This is a broad list of sections you might have to include in your lab report, but by no means is this compulsory or exhaustive. You should always refer to the course or university guidelines to understand the desired format. 

How to Write a Lab Report

A lab report should be clear, concise, and well-organized, and it should include all the necessary information for others to replicate your experiment. Since the lab report format is designed to serve this purpose, you must follow it to the bone while writing your report.

Let’s start with learning how to title a lab report.

Title 

The title of your lab report should:

1. Be clear, direct, and informative.
2. Include keywords that clarify your objectives and involved variables.
3. Be under ten words (ideally).

It’s a good idea to avoid phrasing the title as a question. Remember, your title doesn’t have to be witty or clever, just descriptive and to the point. Here are a few title examples that can clarify this for you:

Title page

While it’s not necessary to dedicate an entire page to the title, some universities might ask for a title page. If you’ve been asked to make this, include the following details:

• The experiment title 
• Your name and student details 
• Course and program details 
• Date and year of submission 

Abstract

An abstract is a brief but comprehensive overview of the purpose, findings, and larger relevance of your experiment. It communicates the essential details of your study to your readers, whether it’s evaluators or peers.

Follow these tips to write a lab report abstract:

• Clearly state the topic of your experiment.
• Briefly describe the conditions of your study, the variables involved, and the method(s) used to collect data.
• Lay out the major findings of your study and your interpretations of them.
• Mention the relevance and importance of your study in brief.

An abstract is usually only a page long (typically between 100 and 250 words), so your writing must be concise and crisp.

Lab report abstract example

Introduction 

The lab report introduction provides your readers with background information on your experiment and its significance. It should be brief and to the point, so a few paragraphs is the maximum length recommended.

You can adopt either of two modes to write your introduction:

1. Beginning with the research question and then adding context, ultimately closing with your purpose.
2. Beginning with the broad topic and narrowing it down to your research question.

Follow these steps to write your lab report introduction:

• Begin with a brief overview of the broad research area and existing literature. 
• Include only essential background information and cite only highly relevant sources. 
• Clearly define any key terms or concepts that you’ll use in the report.
• State the specific purpose and objectives of your experiment.
• Mention the relevance and significance of your study.
• State a clear hypothesis and expected outcomes.
• Check with your instructor about adding the variables, results, and conclusions to the introduction.
• Refer to the university guidelines for instructions on labeling paragraphs in your introduction.
• Use the past tense when describing the purpose and other specifics of the experiment since it has already been carried out and is in the past. (“This experiment aimed to investigate the corrosion resistance of two different aluminum alloys.”)
• Use the present tense when describing the report, existing theories, and established facts. (“This information is important for industries that use aluminum alloys in environments prone to corrosion.”)

Make sure you use your own words rather than following a templatized format.

Lab report introduction example

Method

The lab report methods section documents the methods, subjects, materials, and equipment you used to collect data. This is a record of the steps you followed and not the steps as they were prescribed.

Follow these tips to write a lab report method section:

• List all materials and equipment used in the experiment, including their material specifications such as weight or amount. (Ex: 5 ml of 3% NaCl solution)
• In the case of elaborate lists and sets of steps, you may include them in the appendix section and refer to them in the methods section. (Check this with your instructor!)
• Detail the procedures you used to carry out the experiment step-by-step, including apparatus setup, mixing of reagents, and other technical processes.
• Explain how you collected and recorded the data as well as the involved analytical methods and calculations.
• Use the past tense to write this section.
• Discuss the limitations and margins of error and how you tried to minimize them.
• Where relevant, mention the safety precautions and protective equipment used during the experiment.

Your methods section should be accurate enough for other researchers to follow the instructions and obtain results similar to yours.

Lab report method example

Results

The results section presents the findings of the experiment including the data you have collected and analyzed. In some cases, this section may be combined with the discussion section.

Put your findings into words and present relevant figures, tables, and graphs. You may also include the calculations you used to analyze the data.

Here are some guidelines on how to write a results section:

• Begin with a concise summary of your key findings in the form of a brief paragraph or bullet points.
• Present the data collected in the form of tables, graphs, or charts.
• Describe important data to highlight any patterns you have observed.
• Use descriptive statistics such as mean, median, and standard deviation, to summarize your data.

Add your raw data in the Appendices section and refer to it whenever required. Remember to use symbols and units of measurement correctly.

Lab report results example

Discussion

The discussion section of a lab report is where you interpret and analyze the results of your experiment in the context of the research question or hypothesis. This is the most important part of the lab report because this is your contribution to your field of study.

Follow these guidelines to write your discussion section:

• Begin with a brief summary of the main findings of the experiment.
• Interpret the results and explain how they relate to your research question or hypothesis.
• Compare the results to previous research in the field and analyze how they support or oppose existing theories or models.
• Discuss any limitations or sources of error in the experiment and how they can be improved upon.
• If applicable, include any additional analysis such as post-hoc tests or follow-up experiments.

Your discussion section shouldn’t simply repeat the results but offer a critical interpretation and analysis of them. Furthermore, it should also reflect upon the methods and procedures undertaken and take stock of whether you applied processes most favorable for your subject.

Lab report discussion example

Conclusion

The conclusion summarizes the experiment and its significance in your field of study. It’s usually one brief paragraph, and in some cases might be omitted altogether. Check with your instructor about whether or not you need to write a lab report conclusion.

Here’s how to write a lab report conclusion:

• State whether the experiment supported or opposed your hypothesis.
• Reflect upon the significance and implications of your study.
• Suggest avenues for future research.

Lab report conclusion example

References

List all the sources you consulted while writing the lab report. Include the full bibliographic information in the appropriate format.

For lab reports in sciences and social sciences, the APA citation style is usually followed. Students of business, fine arts, and history will use Chicago style citations in their lab reports. In the rare event of a lab report under humanities, you’ll be expected to write your citations in MLA format.

Remember that failing to cite your sources is considered plagiarism and has serious consequences. Always give credit where credit is due!

Lab Report Example & Templates

a. Basic Lab report template

b. Chemistry lab report example

c. Example of good labeling

The above examples accurately demonstrate the hallmarks of a good lab report. If you need help to perfect your lab report, you can consider taking our editing and proofreading services. Keep reading to perfect your writing skills! 

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Tanvi

With a foundation in Life Sciences, Tanvi enjoys curating technical writing tips tailored for ESL students. When she's not translating complex concepts into bite-sized nuggets, she can be found playing with dogs or painting landscapes.