Honors Biology Lab Report Template
Laboratory reports are an important and required task for practicing science. Being able to properly prepare
before completing a lab, recording data during the lab, and communicating the results after a lab are all essentials
skills for students taking science. Parts of the lab report will be completed before students are permitted to
participate in the lab experiment for the safety of everyone in the classroom. When writing a lab report, all parts of
the lab report must be clearly labeled, as followed:
I. Design
1. Title*
2. Question or Purpose*
NOTE: Items marked with an *
3. Pre-Lab or Background*
must be completed before
4. Hypothesis*
starting the lab. Students who
5. Variables & Control of Variables*
have not completed required
6. Materials*
parts of their write-up will not be
7. Procedure or Method*
allowed to begin the lab until
II. Data Collection and Processing
completed.
1. Raw Data*
2. Processed Data
If there is a part, or parts to the
3. Presentation and Graphs
lab report that does not apply to
4. Post Analysis Lab Questions
the experiment, write the part
III. Conclusion and Evaluation
followed by, “N/A”
1. Conclusion
2. Evaluation
3. Improvements
4. References
DESCRIPTIONS:
I.
Design – This is the section of the lab report that describes the design of your lab to your readers. This
section should always be complete before a lab is done in class.
1. Title – A short statement summarizing what the lab is about.
2. Question or Purpose – Unlike the title which could be vague, this should give the reader a very
clear idea of what is to be accomplished in this lab. It may be in the form of a question or purpose
statement. Sometimes this information is given by the teacher, or this information could be created
by the student.
3. Pre-Lab or Background – Depending on the type of lab experiment this section could include one
of two things, pre-lab questions, or background information.
*Pre-Lab Questions – These questions must be completely answered prior to completing the lab
experiment. These questions often include similar calculations that are necessary at the end of
the lab experiment. Sometimes calculations are completed to determine amounts of reactants
needed to complete the lab.
*Background Information – When designing your own experiment, this section would be
information you need to know pertaining to your experiment. You will need to refer to various
sources to gain the knowledge necessary to write a hypothesis and carry out a valid experiment.
4. Hypothesis – A hypothesis should help to focus your research question/purpose. A good format
for a hypothesis is “If….then….” statements that include the independent and dependent variables.
Your hypothesis should be supported with an explanation and remember, a hypothesis is an
“educated” guess, not a “random” guess and should be supported by your review of resources in
your background information. Some lab experiments are to teach a laboratory technique, these
may not require a hypothesis.
Example Hypothesis: If the glucose concentration is increased, then the amount of CO2
produced will also increase. This is because glucose is used to by yeast to make ATP
through cellular respiration. The more glucose that is available, the faster the rate of
cellular respiration and the more CO2 will be produced. CO2 is a product of cell respiration
in yeast, so the more CO2 the faster the rate of cell respiration.
5. Variables & Control of Variables – Factors that can be measured and controlled. You must
identify all of the following:
Independent Variable: The variable that YOU manipulate (change), and the result of this
manipulation leads to the measurement of the dependent variable. Make sure you only choose
ONE variable to change.
Dependent Variable: The variable that changes when you change the independent variable
(what you measure).
Control Variables: The control group is the group that nothing is done to. The control group is
left alone so that the other variables may be compared to it.
6. Materials – You need to include a detailed and thorough list of equipment used in your
investigation. Make sure when writing up your equipment list that you include:
Sizes of glassware such as beakers, flasks, etc.
Amounts of chemicals (Magnesium, 2.0 g)
Range of a thermometer (-20°C to 120°C)
Amount of each solution (200 mL)
Concentration of chemicals (hydrochloric acid, 2.0 M)
7. Procedure or Method – This should detail your experimental procedures in detail! Important
things to remember:
When writing the procedure use “impersonal language”; which means no “I”, “we”, “they”,
etc. Example: “I weighed out 0.50 g of magnesium and then I added 2.0 cm3 of 2M
hydrochloric acid” should be rewritten as “Add 0.5 g magnesium to 200cm3 of 2M
hydrochloric acid.”
When writing amounts, make sure you record the amounts of materials to a sufficient
precision (sig figs) in your method. Example: If you weighed 20 g of magnesium using a
balance this should be recorded as 20.00g and not just 20g. WHY? Because the balance has
a precision of two decimal points.
Don’t include “obvious” steps in your methods. Steps such as: “collect and put on safety
equipment” or “clean up bench and return apparatus to the cart.” These steps would be
relevant to pretty much any experiment and do not need to be included.
While writing up your method in “bullet point” or “numbered” form is acceptable.
Sometimes the best thing to do for your method is to draw a diagram (called a protocol
diagram) of the experimental set up and refer to it. That’s fine if you do a diagram that is of
a suitable size and reasonably detailed. Don’t sketch some doodle on the back of your report
two minutes before you’re about to hand it in. See example below. Protocol Diagram
showing “methods:”
The method should include sufficient repeats of trials to ensure that random errors are at
least minimized. Don’t leave this for your evaluation as repeating the experiment is not an
appropriate suggestion, especially when it should have already been done.
II.
Data Collection and Processing (DCP) – Before doing your lab you need to determine the data to be
collected and processed and prepare data tables for each. Data tables should be properly labeled.
General Data Table Format:
Table must have a title about the content of the table.
Headings must label columns and include UNITS that is measured.
Straight lines with a ruler or straight edge.
Table 1. Volume of Various Objects
Object
Initial Volume (ml)
Final Volume (ml)
Rubber Stopper
Small Balloon
Marble
1. Raw Data – Raw data is data that is actually collected during your experiment. Your lab report
needs to include data tables to record your raw data, the actual data you measure during your
experiment. Don’t mix qualitative and quantitative data in the same column when you collect both.
*Qualitative Data – Qualitative data should be recorded throughout all experiments. This is
“non-measurement” data. This data would include observations of any kind during your
experiment.
Example:” Solution changed to blue-green color.” Or “some products were spilled
in the transfer step.”
*Quantitative Data – Quantitative data is measurements taken during the experiment.
Example: If you are interested in the change in temperature of a reaction, record
the initial and final temperature as seen below:
Initial Temp (°C ± 0.5°C): 18

Raw Data
Final Temp (°C ± 0.5°C): 49

Raw Data
Temp. Change (°C ± 1.0°C): 31

Processed Data
The temperature change is a result of processing the data and cannot be recorded as raw data.
2. Processed Data – Any calculations or manipulations that you do after with the raw data. When
you take the data and do something to it, like find averages, slopes, changes, standard deviations,
etc. this is processing the data. In any lab report you must have both raw and processed data
included. Processed data should also be placed in tables in your lab report and then converted to
graphs. Make sure you process the raw data CORRECTLY! Use headings in tables and graphs where
possible to explain what section or step of the calculation you are doing.
3. Presentation (Tables and Graphs) – You must show graphic representation of your processed
data. Also make sure:
Your data collection must not look the same as anyone else’s!
The units are included (they should be cited ONCE in brackets in each column heading. Don’t
put the units after each piece of data)
All data in a column must be given to the same number of decimal places
Tables and columns need a border with data centered in the column.
The table needs to have a suitable and descriptive heading (“Table1”, “Data Collection” or
“Results” are not suitable headings).
Using Microsoft Excel may be the best choice for creating graphs
4. Post Lab Analysis Questions – Some labs have post lab analysis questions. This is where these
questions should go. All question should be answered in complete sentences or show all work and
units.
III.
Conclusion and Evaluation
1. Conclusion - State a conclusion, with justification, based on a reasonable interpretation of
the data. In this section you are evaluating your data and its interpretation. Write this section in
paragraph form.
Discuss how your results answer the question in terms of your hypothesis.
o Conclusions such as “The results confirm my hypothesis” will not be accepted –
especially if the results don’t “confirm” your hypothesis and even if they do.
o You must explain why/how your results support or invalidate your hypothesis (if
you have a hypothesis).
o You can do this by referring to specific observations, the gradients/shapes of graphs
or values collected/calculated. You need to show that you understand how your
results support or invalidate your hypothesis.
Discuss sources of error and the limitations of your conclusions. Resolve any alterations in
the question or hypothesis sections.
Where applicable, compare experimentally determined results with literature value; note
reference. Example: Statements such as “our results were very close to the literature
values” are not enough – how close are they as a percentage?
Where applicable, calculate % error
Remember a hypothesis can only be supported or refuted. It cannot be “proven”!
2. Evaluation – Evaluate weaknesses and limitations. Do this by analyzing your sources of error.
Distinguish between systematic and random errors.
Are there flaws in the procedures used which could affect the result?
Were important variables not controlled?
Are the measurements and observations reliable?
Is the accuracy of a result unknown because of a lack of replication?
What assumptions are being made?
3. Improvements – You must suggest improvements to the PROCEDURE. Complaining about not
having enough time or being disorganized has nothing to do with the procedure. You need to
suggest a minimum of 2 significant improvements. You must explain why the improvements will
lead to a reduction in systematic or random error.
Suggestions that lead to increased precision are only worthwhile for experiments that
require precise measurements.
Suggestions such as “collect more data”, while valid and should be included with an
explanation when appropriate, are fairly obvious and on their own are insufficient.
Some suggestions such as “be more careful” are lame. All you’re saying with a phrase like
this is that you were careless on the day and you then will be marked down for
Manipulative skills.
** Mistakes – Errors should not be confused with mistakes, such as spilling half of the
chemical you just carefully weighed to the nearest milligram between the balance and
volumetric flask. If a mistake is made you just have to start again. As far as your evaluations
go, you do not need to mention or discuss mistakes – we all make them.
4. References – If you use someone else's ideas in your lab report you need to acknowledge them.
This includes in-text referencing and a works cited page. In science we use APA format so all lab
reports and citations should be done in this manner.