Coursework and laboratory reports
Coursework and laboratory reports communicate experimental work to an instructor, supervisor or other reader who judges its question, methods, results and interpretation.
The assessed report
A report written for an academic examiner should demonstrate understanding of the topic, relevant literature and the reasons for the research approach. It needs to explain both what was done and why. Coursework may require a brief account of basic background that would be unnecessary for specialist healthcare readers.
The assigned word limit should be established and followed. A title supplied by the tutor should be used rather than replaced.
Purpose and record of laboratory work
A laboratory report communicates experimental work to an instructor, supervisor or other interested reader. Archiving the written record preserves findings and can prevent unnecessary repetition of experiments.
For many science students, the laboratory report is a first attempt to present data in a structured, logical form. Limited guidance, inexperience and writing in a non-native language can make that task difficult. Excessive detail and awkward description can obscure the account, so short sentences and familiar words should support clear, transparent messages.
A suggested laboratory-report structure
The nature of the experiment partly determines the structure, but IMRAD—Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion—provides a starting point where applicable. A suggested structure includes these components.
| Section | Contents |
|---|---|
| Introduction | State why the laboratory work was performed, such as a practical exercise or method validation. |
| Introduction | State the hypothesis underlying the question, if there is one. |
| Introduction | Place the work in the context of existing knowledge. |
| Methods and materials | Describe all methods, including data analysis. |
| Methods and materials | Give enough detail for other scientists or students to reproduce the work, without unnecessary detail. |
| Results | Present findings in an appropriate form, such as tables for numbers and figures for trends, avoiding repetition. |
| Results | Avoid repeating in prose results already listed in a table. |
| Discussion | Discuss findings in relation to the hypothesis, if there is one, and the anticipated outcome. |
| Discussion | Consider further experiments that may be useful or necessary. |
| Conclusions | State briefly, in no more than a couple of sentences or bullet points, what can be learned. |
| Appendix | Include additional material, such as raw data or supporting tables and figures outside the main report. |