Lab Reports

2. Structure and Components of a Lab Report

Learning Outcomes
  • Identify the purpose of each lab report section
  • Describe what to include in each section


A good lab report should include the following:

  • Title
  • Purpose/Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Research Question
  • Hypothesis
  • Variables
  • Groups
  • Materials
  • Safety Notes
  • Procedure
  • Results (Raw Data)
  • Analysis (Manipulated Data)
  • Conclusion
  • Evaluation
  • References
  • Activities:
    • Analyze a sample lab report to identify and critique its components
    • Outline a mock lab report based on an example experiment