How to Write a Biology Lab Report

Co-authored by Michael Simpson, PhD

Last Updated: July 20, 2024 Fact Checked

Need to write a lab report for your biology class? A biology lab report summarizes your experiment and findings in an organized way. Once you know all of the sections to include, it's easy to put one together. Keep reading to learn exactly how to write a biology report step by step.

Part 1

Part 1 of 7:

Creating Your Title Page

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Create a title that is brief but concise. It should give a clear idea of what the experiment was about. If you have a specific result you should also state it. Don’t overthink the title, just describe the experiment. Do not make it longer than ten words.
- A good example for a title would be: "Effects of various chemicals on the growth of Escherichia coli."^{[1]
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You want to be sure you receive credit for the work. If you have a group report include the name of all students in your group.

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Your instructor may have a specific set of instructions. If not, you just want to make it easy for them to keep track of your work.^{[2]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 7:

Writing Your Introduction

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The introduction should give the framework for the report and shows that you understand the purpose of the study.^{[3]
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Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist

Expert Interview. 8 September 2021.} Explain what you are studying, why it is important, and how you are going to attempt to gain knowledge in your study.
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Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist

Expert Interview. 8 September 2021.} These are the results that you expect to observe over the course of the experiment. The hypothesis is not always going to be confirmed by the results, rather it is just the prediction made prior to performing the experiment. A good hypothesis will begin with "We hypothesized..." and end with the anticipated outcome of the experiment, "that X affects Y."
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Include any background information the reader needs to understand why the experiment is needed. Include any historical or theoretical background that is relevant to the research. This is usually accomplished by a literature review of published, peer-reviewed, primary materials.^{[5]
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- Define terminology. If your report uses any specific terminology or jargon, explain it in the introduction.
- Use the appropriate vocabulary to explain what you are doing. You are likely trying to test, document, or describe something. You cannot prove, verify, or demonstrate the truth about something as this is not possible within the realm of science. Make sure your word choices reflect this within your report.
Summarize with an abstract. This section is not always included in lab reports. An abstract is a very concise summary of the entire experiment. It should cover why the experiment was conducted, what methods were used, what was the main result, and what were your overall conclusions. Often, this section is only one paragraph (100-200 words) in length.

Part 3

Part 3 of 7:

Listing Material and Methods

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Michael Simpson, PhD
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Expert Interview. 8 September 2021.} Incorporate the material descriptions into the procedural explanation as the items were used during the experiment. Include specific amounts, times, and measurements.
The level of detail should be high enough to allow someone else to duplicate your experiment, without including any unnecessary information that may overwhelm the reader.^{[7]
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Michael Simpson, PhD
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Expert Interview. 8 September 2021.} Describe how you gathered specimens, or if the experiment was done outside you can describe weather that could be a factor on the experiment. If you can reproduce the experiment without the information, then you should leave it out.^{[8]
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It should read like an accounting of what you did, not an instruction manual. For example, "We made a solution of 3 oz. of water with 1 oz. of iodine." This section is usually written in the first person perspective, using either active or passive voice. Some academic requirements use third-person perspective. Try to keep the writing as straightforward and easy to follow as possible.

Part 4

Part 4 of 7:

Explaining Results

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Michael Simpson, PhD
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Expert Interview. 8 September 2021.} This is the collection of all the factual data obtained from your experiment. State the results in the text first, then use visual aids to show the data. Tables and graphs are not self-explanatory and have to be described and explained to the reader in the text.^{[10]
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Research source} For example, "An increase in bacteria was found at a temperature higher than 60 °F (16 °C), but the bacteria levels decreased below 40 °F (4 °C)."
Charts, tables, and graphs are often useful in presenting this information in an easy to understand format.^{[11]
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Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist

Expert Interview. 8 September 2021.} Every chart, table, or graph should be labeled.^{[12]
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Research source} It should also have an accompanying paragraph explaining the information it contains.
You want to make sure these are made clear to the reader in the results. Do not interpret the data in the results. Interpreting the data will be done in the concluding section.

Part 5

Part 5 of 7:

Drawing a Conclusion

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Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist

Expert Interview. 8 September 2021.} Try not to copy from the data section. Highlight key points of information from the data that are most relevant to drawing your conclusion, then elaborate with your interpretation of the data.
Comment on what you think may have caused the error. Offer an explanation how could the experiment be changed to correct them. Only discuss errors if they are verified by data in your study. If rainy conditions seemed to influence the unexpected outcome, then state that. But do not state that rainy conditions could have caused errors if there is no evidence to support it.
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Present your conclusion.^{[14]
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Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist

Expert Interview. 8 September 2021.} This is where you interpret the results of the experiment. Accept or reject your hypothesis and explain why. Your goal is to convince the reader that you completely understand the data and have considered it fully and intelligently.
- Accepting or rejecting your hypothesis can be done easily by stating "Our hypothesis was accepted/rejected because..." Then continue with your explanation.
Having a longer conclusion doesn’t make it better. Just present the information that is relevant to your conclusion in an organized and logical manner.

Part 6

Part 6 of 7:

Crediting References

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Michael Simpson, PhD
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Expert Interview. 8 September 2021.} Use a formal bibliography format such as APA or MLA, depending on your report criteria.
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Give credit where credit is due. Make sure any sources are properly credited. You don’t want to have your hard work discredited because you forgot to cite a source. Schools and professors take plagiarism very seriously and it can have serious consequences. The way in which you cite each source is: Last name of author, first initial. Year published. Title of article. Name of journal volume number, page range
- For example: Frantzis, A. 1998. Does acoustic testing strand whales? Nature 392(6671), 29.
- Cite the lab manual where relevant.
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Paraphrase ideas from others in your report. Most professors do not want to see quotations in a lab report. They prefer that you paraphrase all your sources and present the ideas in your own words. You can weave the information into your text with a simple lead in phrase and by adding a parenthetical note.
- Paraphrasing can be confusing. You can't just change a few words. For example, "Most professors do not want to see quotations in a lab report," can be paraphrased as "Using quotations to quote sources for your lab report is frowned upon by many professors." The idea is still clear, though the sentence is unique and original.

Part 7

Part 7 of 7:

Formatting Your Report

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The font size should be in 12 pt unless otherwise specified your instructor. Use a traditional font such as Arial or Times New Roman.^{[16]
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Some instructors prefer them to be a full inch. Check with your professor to see what is acceptable for your class.
Some instructors will prefer them at the top of the page and some may prefer the bottom. Be consistent in their placement from page to page. Also, check to see if any additional information, such as your last name, is required on each page.^{[17]
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Add headings for your sections. Each section should be clearly titled and follow this appropriate order:
- Introduction
- Methods and Materials
- Results
- Discussion
- Citations

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Question

Are there differences between a scientific paper and a lab report?

Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist
Dr. Michael Simpson (Mike) is a Registered Professional Biologist in British Columbia, Canada. He has over 20 years of experience in ecology research and professional practice in Britain and North America, with an emphasis on plants and biological diversity. Mike also specializes in science communication and providing education and technical support for ecology projects. Mike received a BSc with honors in Ecology and an MA in Society, Science, and Nature from The University of Lancaster in England as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta. He has worked in British, North American, and South American ecosystems, and with First Nations communities, non-profits, government, academia, and industry.

Michael Simpson, PhD

Registered Professional Biologist

Expert Answer

In principle, a lab report is no different from a scientific paper that will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

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How do you describe a lab experiment?

Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist
Dr. Michael Simpson (Mike) is a Registered Professional Biologist in British Columbia, Canada. He has over 20 years of experience in ecology research and professional practice in Britain and North America, with an emphasis on plants and biological diversity. Mike also specializes in science communication and providing education and technical support for ecology projects. Mike received a BSc with honors in Ecology and an MA in Society, Science, and Nature from The University of Lancaster in England as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta. He has worked in British, North American, and South American ecosystems, and with First Nations communities, non-profits, government, academia, and industry.

Michael Simpson, PhD

Registered Professional Biologist

Expert Answer

When describing a study, regardless of whether it is an account of an activity, you should state what was done, why and what your findings were. If you are describing an experiment, you will also want to interpret your results by asking if they were what you expected and if not, why not.

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Do I need to add figures in a lab report?

Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist
Dr. Michael Simpson (Mike) is a Registered Professional Biologist in British Columbia, Canada. He has over 20 years of experience in ecology research and professional practice in Britain and North America, with an emphasis on plants and biological diversity. Mike also specializes in science communication and providing education and technical support for ecology projects. Mike received a BSc with honors in Ecology and an MA in Society, Science, and Nature from The University of Lancaster in England as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta. He has worked in British, North American, and South American ecosystems, and with First Nations communities, non-profits, government, academia, and industry.

Michael Simpson, PhD

Registered Professional Biologist

Expert Answer

Figures and tables should be included in a report when appropriate. The former could include a diagram of what you observed or the design of an experiment. The latter are often the best way to present a summary of your results as it is easier to review the content of a table than a paragraph of text.

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Tips

Use a notebook to take notes during the experiment, this might come handy when you are writing the report.

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Never include or attach raw data, such as handwritten measurements from lab.

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