Case Study
Literature Review
Reflective Writing
Lab Report
Prepared by University of Waterloo
Section F: Resources
On this page, you will find a comprehensive list of resources provided within this guide. These resources include examples, printable handouts, and additional links.
Summary of Resources
Within this section, we have provided you with
- our lab report template,
- typical structure of a lab report,
- all of the handouts found within this guide,
- external links and resources, and
- activities and exercises.
Lab Report Template
This sample of a Lab Report should serve as a useful guide to help you get started.
Download PDF
Download the Lab Report Template.
Structure of a Standard Lab Report
A Standard Lab Report is written for a lab where you develop and test a hypothesis and is organized into nine parts. If you’ve never written a science paper before, you’ll notice that a lab report contains sections that are quite different from a typical five-paragraph essay.
Below, you’ll find both an outline of a Standard Lab Report and an example of what a completed lab report looks like:
- Title page: Separate cover page for the entire document; includes the title and author information
- Abstract: Summary of the entire report, printed on a separate page
- Introduction: Presentation of background information, research goals, hypotheses, and explanation for the hypotheses
- Methods and Materials: Discussion of the materials and methods used in the experiment and analysis
- Results: Presentation of data resulting from the experiment
- Discussion: Interpretation of data presented in the results section, including experimental limitations
- Conclusion: Brief summary of the report, with a particular focus on interpretation of the data and future recommendations
- References: Catalogue of research used to write the report
- Appendices: Information related to but not the focus of the experiment and findings
Section B: Planning and Researching
Handout: Key Questions To Ask Before Your Lab
Use this helpful handout for your Lab Report.
Download PDF
Download the Key Questions To Ask Before Your Lab handout.
Preview: PDF Handout
Handout: CRAAP Test Handout
Use this helpful handout for your Lab Report.
Download PDF
Download the CRAAP Test Handout.
Preview: PDF Handout
Section C: Critical Features
Handout: Sentence Style in Scientific Writing
Use this helpful handout for your Lab Report.
Download PDF
Download the Sentence Style in Scientific Writing Handout.
Preview: PDF Handout
Section D: Parts of a Lab Report
Handout: Types of Experimental Errors
Use this helpful handout for your Lab Report.
Download PDF
Download the Types of Experimental Errors handout.
Preview: PDF Handout
Example: Annotated Lab Report
Learn more about writing strategies for the Lab Report.
Interactive Activity
Launch the Lab Report annotated example that you can review in your browser.
Preview: Interactive Version
Download PDF
Download the Lab Report annotated example that you can review and print.
Preview: PDF Version
Next: Review and Practice
Now that you have reviewed this guide, you can try our interactive Guided Writing Tools to work on sections of your own Lab Report.