If you are a science or pre-med major or even take science classes in high school, you will have to write lab reports for your practicals.
Lab reports can be confusing, but they are easy once you get the gist of it.
Many students end up hurting their grades because of a poorly written or inaccurate report due to a lack of understanding or procrastination.
These reports are quite different from essays and more priority is given to the scientific data compared to the language used.
If you want to avoid submitting a lousy report for your finals, keep on reading.
Not Understanding The Experiment
Unless you understand what the experiment is about or what you are trying to prove with the experiment, you cannot write an accurate lab report.
You should know the materials you are using, the scientific principle or method you are adopting, the calculation methods and how to perform the experiment.
If you are having trouble grasping the concept, ask your lab partner or the teacher who is in charge.
Lack Of A Definite Purpose
What is the end goal of the experiment?
Why are you conducting the experiment?
Without answering these questions, your report will fail to state the accurate purpose even if you have correct numerical values.
Make sure you clearly state the defined purpose of the experiment.
Improper Analysis
It doesn’t matter if your report is long or it contains a lot of theoretical information.
If your analysis or interpretation is not presented accurately, your lab report won’t be proper.
The lab report should be a scientific report of relevant data, it should not contain unnecessary or irrelevant information which has nothing to do with the experiment.
If you are finding it hard to put together your report with the data you have collected, get help.
You can even consider hiring a lab report writer who will be experienced with writing and compiling accurate lab reports.
Lack Of Visual Representation
Visual representations like graphs, tables, photographs and charts will help you effectively display your findings.
Simply presenting raw data can make your report plain and difficult to understand without a diagram to represent it.
The kind of visual you choose should represent your data properly and enable the reader to understand what you are trying to prove.
Making Errors
It is not uncommon to make errors while calculating the result but you shouldn’t leave it in your report.
If you are getting an unusual figure or you think your answer is wrong, verify it with your lab partner before putting it down in the report.
Proofread your data and go through your analysis over and over to make sure your answers or statements are accurate.
In case you have formulas in your report, make sure they are properly subscripted.
Don’t forget to write the relevant unit after a numerical value if it is applicable.
Correct grammatical and spelling errors if there are any.
Giving A Bad Introduction
Your introduction is the first part of your report so it should be well written, to the point and give a general overview of what you are going to be presenting.
You can state the theory or principle you are going to be applying or provide the background for the relevant scientific concept.
Don’t drag the introduction. Eliminate superficial details which don’t add any value to your report.
Waiting Till The Last Minute
If you are a master procrastinator, you might leave your lab report for the last minute.
This isn’t a good idea because you will rush through your report and not get enough time to produce a final and polished copy.
When you rush, you tend to make a lot more mistakes which can end up hurting your grades.
So don’t be hasty. Give yourself plenty of time before the due date to compile a good lab report.
Conclusion
A perfect lab report can do a lot for your grade. So if you want to perform academically well, keep this in mind!
Don’t hesitate to ask your teachers or friends for help if you have any doubts regarding writing or presenting your report.
