How to Write a Lab Report - Introduction PDF

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HOW TO WRITE A LAB REPORT In Ecology Lab we divide the lab report into seven grading criteria. These criteria are the six sections that make up a lab report (title, introduction, methods, results, graphs, and discussion) along with a seventh criterion, format. The purpose of this guide is to walk students through these seven core areas of writing a lab report, providing clear and concise instructions on what is expected to be included in each criteria, common pitfalls to avoid, and general tips to hone a student’s skill in biological writing. In general, the goal of lab report writing in Ecology Lab is to familiarize students with the process of writing scientific reports that are of a caliber and quality sufficient for publication within a scientific journal. Students should be aware that each scientific journal has its own unique ‘style’ such as the addition of an abstract and key word section, different requirements for figures, etc. Therefore, the format and requirements that we use in this class, much like a unique scientific journal’s requirements, may differ from other scientific journals that students may encounter. However, there are many general aspects of lab reports, which remain true across all scientific journals. As such, if students are looking for examples to strengthen their scientific writing it is always a good idea to reference and read scientific journal articles. RESOURCES – Tools for Improving Scientific Writing 

Communication Center – http://www.communicationcenter.gatech.edu/ o Located in CULC 447 the Communication Center (CC) is a free service for help peer-reviewing ALL works of writing. The CC is particularly adept at helping students develop strong scientific writing through one-on-one consultations. Please be sure to make an appointment online or in person at their desk.

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For Non-native English Speakers/International Students - https://esl.gatech.edu/eslresources-for-georgia-tech o English as a Second Language (ESL) offers a variety of course and resources including one-on-one consultations, classes, etc. to help non-Native Speakers learn English. However, the Communications Center (above) is also highly recommended as a resource for non-native speakers.

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Lab Report Writing – o http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3474301/ o https://www.elsevier.com/connect/11-steps-to-structuring-a-science-papereditors-will-take-seriously o http://www.nature.com/scitable/ebooks/english-communication-for-scientists14053993/writing-scientific-papers-14239285

GRADING Lab reports are graded based on the ecology lab report grading rubric. For more detailed grading information, students should refer to this document. The grading rubric is divided into three sections “high”, “average”, and “low” mastery. In general, “high mastery” refers to students that engage the material and who demonstrate strong understanding of the goals of scientific writing, the purpose of their experiment, and the logic of the experimental design and statistics used. The category of “Average Mastery” refers to a student who puts effort into writing and understanding the lab, but fall short of fully mastering the concepts. Finally, the category of “Low Mastery” refers to a student who puts little effort into their writing, are missing key elements, or have significant flaws in their understanding of the material. It is completely possible and expected for the majority of students to score “high mastery” in most categories of laboratory writing and low-mastery in no or very few categories!! Tips & Tricks to Score Well: 

Always aim for the category of ‘high mastery’ and attempt to the best of your ability to do everything that is required to meet that categories’ expectations.

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Read the ‘average’ and ‘low’ mastery requirements. Ask yourself, did I do these things? o For example: Titles  In the ‘low mastery’ it says, “The title is far too short (...