Chem 153L report guidelines

Laboratory Reports

Each group member must type a report individually and turn it in to turnitin.com. Also turn
in a print-out to your TA for grading. I encourage discussion during and after the labs, but
the write-up must be done individually.

Include the title, the date, your name, your TA`s name, your lab section number, and the
names of the members of your group.

Note that points may be deducted when length limitations are ignored. There will be no
penalty for sections that are shorter in length than the maximum indicated.

Introduction (max 500 words)

Explain what the reader should know about the experiment and introduce the methods
used in this lab.
Overview of goals of the lab and the rationale behind it.

Material and methods

The goal of this section is to allow the reader to repeat the experiments you performed.
Since you are following the lab manual for each step, you do not have to repeat those in
your report. Just write down the steps you changed when performing the experiment.

Results

Figures and tables:

There are various ways to present your data
All types of data representation should be understood on their own without reading the
results text.
Table: with title above and footnotes underneath
Figure: with legend underneath
Order of figures and tables should be logical in relation to how you organized the
results text.
Present your data clearly labeled separate from the text in the appendix.

Text:
State the results of your experiments and reference your figures and tables. You do not
need to explain in depth what the results mean, save this for the discussion
Discussion:

Discuss the significance if your data from your results sections and how it pertains to
our lab goals and problem we are trying to address.
Make sure you reference your tables and figures from the results section when
analyzing your data.
Explain unexpected results
What are some of the limitations of our experiments?
List some advantages and disadvantages of the techniques you used; would you have
chosen to answer this scientific question in another manner?
Suggest alternative techniques you could use in further experiments. (With some
explanation of why those would work. Better to list one that is described clearly and
concisely than multiple with unclear reasoning.)

References
READ papers that you cite
The expected format for the citations may vary between classes. Check with your
professor.

Clarity, Organization, Grammar

Writing clearly, concisely and grammatically correct counts toward your grade.