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PROCEDURE FOR WRITING A FORMAL LAB REPORT Sundeep Talwar

COMPONENTS

¢ Title Page ¢ Introduction ¢ Materials & Method ¢ Results ¢ Discussion ¢ Conclusion ¢ Acknowledgements ¢ Reference/work cited page

TITLE PAGE

¢ Name of the experiment ¢ Your Name ¢ Class Name, Number, and Section ¢ Date

INTRODUCTION

¢ State the purpose of the lab. � What is being investigated and how.

¢ Also state the hypothesize for all the experiments/tests conducted.

¢ Explain the principles behind PCR, gel electrophoresis and restriction enzyme.

MATERIALS & METHODS

¢ Describe how the unknown lab was performed. � What tests were conducted and why.

¢ One can also reference the page numbers from Edvotek for this section.

¢ Note: This section should be composed in a manner were it can be repeated, by any interested investigator.

RESULTS ¢ Summarize the results for all the experiments

performed. � For example: the results on the gel.

¢ The results can be presented in a table format. � There is no limit to how many tables. One large table which

includes all the appropriate results would suffice. � Each table or figure must have a number and a heading

stating what the table or figure are illustrating. � Underneath the table or figure, must have a general

summary of table or figure.

DISCUSSION

¢ Analyze and interpret the results. � Don’t simply restate the results.

¢ State any discrepancies that might have occurred while performing the experiments. � For example: If the gel wasn’t appropriately run, why?

¢ Also state if certain factors might have effected the outcome of certain experiments.

CONCLUSION

¢ Identify which phenotype you are and what it means.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

¢ Recognize assistance achieved while performing the experiments.

¢ In other words, the names of colleagues who might have given advice or shared information while performing the experiment.

REFERENCE

¢ Cite labs/literature used to perform the experiment and/or to write the lab report

¢ Also any other resources (i.e. websites) used in writing the lab report or conducting the experiment.

¢ Don’t plagiarize – please cite your sources in APA, on the work cited page.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

¢ Please write only in the third person. ¢ Use proper grammar and spelling. ¢ Use a 12 size font – Times Roman. Can be single

spaced or double, without a page limit. ¢ Make sure the lab report has all the sections, as

stated in slide #2. Make sure to address the requirements for each section. � Failure to address any section completely (or if its

missing) will result in deduction of points per section.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

¢ Please cite properly and don’t plagiarize. If you need help citing ask! � If any part of the lab report is plagiarized, it will

result in a zero for the grade.

GRADING SCALE

¢ The introduction is worth 20 points. The title page, M & M page and result section are each worth 10 points. � Refer to slide # 2 � Each of the components must be addressed

completely as stated in the appropriate slides. � If any section is incompletely addressed half the

possible points will be awarded.

GRADING SCALE

¢ The discussion is worth 20 points: � It must illustrate the student’s thought process as

what results were expected and what was achieved. ¢ The conclusion is worth 10 points:

� State Phenotype and what it means

GRADING SCALE

¢ The acknowledgements and the work cited page are each worth 10 points: � If the groups members are not acknowledged the

student will receive a zero for the section. � If the work cited page is not in the appropriate

format a zero will be given for the section grade, but if all the sources cited on the page are not cited in the report 50 points will be deducted for the whole lab report, as that is considered in complete citation.