LAB REPORT GUIDELINE

Each student is expected to independently write the required report as described in the Syllabus. Submitting a report is a two-stage process, involving a draft and then a final copy. A draft of each report is to be submitted by the date stipulated below.

The draft must be handed in at the beginning of your scheduled laboratory on Nov 6/7th. The draft will be graded and critiqued by the instructor and returned with comments. The first draft is worth 40 points and will be returned on the 20/21st November. You have until the laboratory on the 4/5th December to rewrite and resubmit a final copy of the paper. The final copy is worth 20 points.

All reports not submitted on time (at the beginning of your scheduled lab) will be considered as late. If your draft is up to one week late, there will be a penalty of 7 points off the total possible; if it is more than one week late, there will be absolutely no credit. Late final copies will be subject to the same penalties as for drafts. (A scientific paper will be provided to serve as a model for preparing your report, especially for the tables, figures, and literature citations. Please, look it over carefully!)

Deadlines and Points allocation for Research Paper.

1st draft due Nov 6/7th (40 pts).
Paper to be returned on November 20/21st
Final paper due on December 4/5th (20 pts).

Each report must be prepared according to the following guidelines:

a. Typed and preferably "word-processed".
b. Graphs must be prepared on graph paper, with axes, labels, headings data points and lines in black or colored ink. Graphs may be computer generated and, if appropriate, curve fitting and statistical modules can be applied to the data sets.
c. Collated and stapled in upper left-hand corner.

Your critiqued draft must be submitted along with your final copy. Each report must contain the following sections. Note the statements indicating what each section should contain. Point values allocated for each section are given in parentheses.


TITLE PAGE (3 points) Select a short, specific title, not some general statement. What did you specifically investigate? What parameter(s) did you alter? If appropriate, indicate the organism used and the specific aspect of that organism you investigated. Below the title, list your name. Near the bottom of the page list the course and your laboratory section.

ABSTRACT (4 points) Write a concise summary of your paper. It must include a statement of the research problem, a brief description of what was done, the results obtained and the conclusions drawn from the study. The abstract should be capable of conveying the purpose and essence of your work to the reader if published independently from the rest of your report.

INTRODUCTION (7 points) Introduce the main subject of the experiment with some background statements. Refer to and cite any references used, such as the text and laboratory manual. State the hypothesis. What results are expected in this experiment?

MATERIALS AND METHODS (9 points) Write a description of the equipment, organisms (including scientific names, age, and culture condition), chemicals, and procedures (protocols) used. You should refer to the detailed procedures in the laboratory manual, and cite the laboratory manual. This section should not be a list, but should be presented in a narrative form that is sufficiently detailed for others to duplicate.

RESULTS (16 points) Summary Tables and Figures (graphic presentations of your data) are expected (not the actual pages of summary data provided). Some narrative description of the data must be included. All Tables and Figures must have titles (captions for Tables and legends for Figures). Captions of Tables are placed above the Tables, and legends of Figures are placed below the Figures. See the sample article provided in class. (Additional directions may be given 
concerning statistical treatment of data.)

DISCUSSION (18 points) Give interpretations and explanations of the results of this experiment. Did the results confirm or contradict the hypothesis? What were possible sources of error? What conclusions can you draw from your results?

LITERATURE CITED (3 points) Your references must be cited according to the format used in the sample article.

Click Here for an example of formatting for research article. The text is representative of the type of format to be adopted for the research paper assignment for Biology 211A and should be used as a model for format and style only. Please note that the contents of this web document do not accurately reflect the content of the original published article and should therefore not be used as a scientific citation or used in any other scientific context. Persons interested in the content of the article should directly consult the referenced Journal or the corresponding author.