Lab report needed

FORMAT: · Times New Roman, size 12, double or single-spacing is accepted · Please include a Title (it does not have to be on its own separate title page) · Organized including headings for each section (Introduction, Materials, Methods, Results, and Discussion) · Properly label any and all graphs, tables, figures, etc. · See “writing tips” below for tips and rules for scientific writing

There is no required length for the lab reports because sometimes you will write more or less depending on the lab and how many chapters are covered. The key is to include all necessary information for the major sections (which are listed below). You may, and probably should include graphs, tables, figures, pictures (which you may take with a camera or your cell phone) or anything you think might help support what you are saying in your lab report.

WHAT GOES INTO A LAB REPORT? There are several things I expect to see on ALL Lab Reports. These sections should be well organized with clear headings. A lab report with an unorganized report can be difficult to read and are not intuitively helpful to anyone trying to repeat your experiment; if it is too difficult to read, I will probably put it aside and give it a grade of “zero” – I do not have unlimited time to decipher and work out ANY sloppy work! The sections and general descriptions of what I expect are:

· Introduction and Purpose: Briefly state the purpose(s) of the experiment and any material from the manual or lecture, which gives pertinent background information on the material to be covered. Include the reason(s) for performing the experiment, as well as the expected outcome(s) if you have one. DO NOT copy verbatim from the Lab Manual, as this is considered to be PLAGIARISM. If you do cite the manual at any point, please include a citation at the end of the document.

· · Materials: This section includes a list of all solutions, reagents, and equipment that you employed in this experiment. Include brand names of reagents and model of equipment when appropriate. Since we are in a microbiology lab, be sure to write out the full name of the organism(s) you are working with, their concentration, quantity, etc.

· Methods: This section includes the written description of WHAT you did and HOW you did it. You may use the procedures in the Lab Manual as a guide, but DO NOT copy verbatim. Make sure everything is written in the correct steps, and that if any changes were made in the methodology due to extenuating circumstances, include them in the Lab Report! -Additional Observations: If there is anything of interest you observe while you are working, make sure to write it down and make note of it; if you make a mistake in the experiment, write it down; if there is anything that you think may be important for someone to know if he or she is trying to repeat your experiment, write it down. Integrate all these into your methods section.

· Results: In this section you will write down and/or display the final data generated at the end of the experiment. This section must be particularly clear and easy to read. Label clearly ANY tables or graphs you construct to explain your data. Include ALL calculations that you used to perform the experiment, as well as those used to analyze the data. It is very important to recognize that there is no such thing as “no results.” There NO discussion or interpretation in this section, simply a clear and concise description of what was observed in the end!

· · Discussion: Discuss the final results, as well as any noteworthy observations made along the way. Were the results as expected? If not, why? Interpret the data and include supporting reasons for why the experiment turned out as it did; and if you are not sure why the results came back out the way they did, the explain some possible explanations. Integrate the results with underlying theory behind the experiment and suggest potential experiments to further resolve any questions you may have based on the results of the current experiment.

HOW WILL I GRADE THE LAB REPORTS? As described in the syllabus, each lab report is worth 20 points. The things I look for include: · All required sections (Purpose, materials, methods etc.) and thorough content. · I need to see that you understand WHY we are doing something. There is often a disconnect between theory and actual practice. · Science writing rules and grammar/mechanics/etc. will be checked and accounted for in the grade. Most students underestimate the importance of writing in the science field. If you are going to continue on in any professional, research, or academic environment, exceptional writing skills are very important. As college students, you should have a grasp on how to write properly.