Record details notes and observations while preforming the experiment. You will want these notes when writing your lab report so you can indicate exactly what happened during the procedure.
Determine the specific goal of your lab report. Lab reports and scientific papers persuade others to accept or reject a hypothesis by presenting data and results and provide specific methods and outcomes for the use of future researchers. Many scientists strive to publish their laboratory reports to become a part of the scientific body of knowledge.
Design a title page that includes the title of the experiment, the names of all people involved in the project and the date. If you are writing a lab report for a class, include any other information your professor requires.
Summarize the findings of your research in a section titled "Abstract." This section should provide the basics of your report and let your audience know exactly what they can expect in the pages to follow. It is important that this section is engaging and well written, because many times this is the only section of the report that reviewers will read. Making a good first impression is important in guaranteeing that your audience will read further into your report.
Engage your audience with a thoughtful and scientific introduction. The introduction should indicate the subject of report, provide background information and relevant studies that have already been done on the subject and inform the audience about the scientific objectives.
Identify the methods of research you used in your experiment and the materials that were necessary to complete the experiment. This section can be a list and should be extremely precise.
Define your experimental procedure. Refer to the notes that you recorded while completing the experiment so you can be sure to give specific and exact details of your procedure.
Discuss the outcome of your experiment. It is important to be exact and to be precise. Do not write about what was supposed to happen as a result of your experiment. Instead, record the outcome exactly as it occurred.
Conclude your laboratory report with the final thoughts and implications of your experiment. Inform your audience about what your experiment means and why it is important. This section should be a scientific discussion.
Review and revise your work. You want your work to be professional. Make sure you catch any spelling, grammar or punctuation errors so your lab report will be taken seriously.