Lab Notebook Detailed Guide

Purpose: Why have a lab notebook?

In all fields of science, experimenters keep notebooks. Frequently, it’s the only proof they have to prove they’ve performed an experiment. As a result, it’s vital that lab notebooks be carefully managed so that people doing follow-up experiments can reproduce and verify the data collected.

SCSh8. Students will understand important features of the process of scientific inquiry.

e. The ultimate goal of science is to develop an understanding of the natural universe which is free of biases.

SCSh6. Students will communicate scientific investigations and information clearly.

a. Write clear, coherent laboratory reports related to scientific investigations.

c. Use data as evidence to support scientific arguments and claims in written or oral presentations.

One of the most important things about lab notebooks is that they’re honest. If you do an experiment and it works out, everything in there needs to be 100% true so that others can follow the lab. If an experiment doesn’t work out, a good lab notebook can save others many hours of time by showing them what doesn’t work in an experiment. No matter what, lab notebooks need to be complete and neat, even if the results are poor.

How to set up a notebook:

Every lab notebook needs to have the following information. All of the information listed is important in a formal lab notebook.

Front Cover:Title Page

The front cover of the notebook should include the following information:

  • The name of the researcher (your first and last name)
  • Teachers name AND your class period so the notebook can be returned in case it is lost
  • The name of the institution where the research was performed (School Name Ex. AMHS)
  • The school year dates the notebook was started and finished (August 2014 – May 2015)

Pages 1-2: Table of Contents

It’s usually a good idea to leave a couple of pages after the title page for a table of contents. There should be a column for the experiment #, the name of the lab, and the pages on which the lab can be found.

All of this information needs to be entered into the table of contents before the lab is turned in or your lab is NOT complete!

Page 3: Your first experiment.

All lab write-ups need to be in the following format (see following page for an abbreviated sample of a proper lab write up). The following major areas of the report must be present:Title.Introduction:Background, Purpose, Problem Statement/Research Question, Hypothesis. Methods: Materials, Procedure, Prediction. Results. Discussion. Conclusion.

Next experiment

Start on next Clean Page

---EXAMPLE---

Dates the lab was performed: (Sep 24, 2014; Oct 30 2014)

Title of the lab: Should be descriptive of the purpose or findings of the lab. Example: Knowing how to correctly organize and write lab reports increases student understanding of lab concepts.

Introduction: This section of the report will introduce the experiment and provide background information about the topic. References should be cited in the introductory text. This section should be several paragraphs in length.

Background/Purpose:The purpose section of a lab is where you tell the reader your reason for doing the lab in the first place. Provide two or three sentences of your own words to explain what you are attempting to determine and the method used. For example, many researchers for drug companies have as their purpose that they want to cure AIDS or some other disease. This section should be 5-7 sentences long. If it’s too short, it won’t be clear why you’re doing the lab. If it is too long, you are doing too much work and the reader will probably just skip over it. Questions to consider: 1. why did you conduct the experiment? (Example: This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of 2. What was the science standard(s) investigated? Write the standard number(s) and statement(s) (Example: SPS6. Students will investigate the properties of solutions. SPS6b Observe factors affecting the rate a solute dissolves in a specific solvent.) 3. What do you hope to learn? 4. What did you think would happen (hypothesis)? (Example: It is hypothesized that adding more calcium chloride to water affects the temperature of the water; it is hypothesized that simulation of the fetal pig dissection is more effective than hands on dissection in the student's ability to learn internal organs.)

Problem Statement/ResearchQuestion:What was the problem? (Example:What would you hypothesize about the effects of adding more calcium chloride to water?)

Hypothesis: A hypothesis is a statement that attempts to answer the research question. It must be able to be tested and measured. The basic form of a hypothesis is usually similar to one of the following:

1) Dependent variable will happen BECAUSE of the independent variable. This form is best used for questions phrased as "What causes ______?" OR
2) AS independent variable is applied THEN the dependent variable will happen or be affected. OR
3) IF independent variable applied AND experiment done, THEN the dependent variable will happen. This version gives the independent variable (If...), basic experimental design (and...), and the dependent variable (then...) in one sentence.

(SCSh 3a understanding variables IV vs DV)

Example:

Question: What causes plants to grow?
Hypothesis Samples:
1) Plants grow more with nitrogen because nitrogen is a nutrient that plants need. "Plants grow more" states the dependent variable; "because nitrogen..." states the independent variable.
2) As nitrogen levels are increased the plants will grow faster. "AS nitrogen levels are increased" states the independent variable; "the plants will grow faster," states the dependent variable.
3) IF plants need nitrogen to grow AND we apply extra nitrogen to some plants, THEN those plants should grow faster/taller/more than plants not given extra nitrogen. "Plants need nitrogen" is the independent variable, "AND we apply...nitrogen," describes the experiment, and "THEN plants grow more" is the dependent variable.

Methods:

Materials: Your materials list must be complete. You need to indicate how much, with units, of each material you will use in the experiment so you know what you’ll need. If you plan on arranging some of the equipment into a more complex setup (for example, if you’re going to heat something over a Bunsen burner, you’d need a ring stand, wire gauze, etc.), DRAW it as well as mentioning the equipment used. It’s never a bad idea to leave a couple of extra lines at the end of this section so you can add more things that you’ve forgotten when you started your lab. (SCSh4)

Procedure: This is a very clear, step-by-step list of things you plan on doing during the experiment. Each step should be short (one phrase or sentence). Again, it’s not a bad idea to leave a few blank lines at the end of this section to add things that you may have forgotten. OR write “See Attached” if lab is attached with procedures. Include Safety Precautions. (SCSh2)

Prediction: Based on the design of the experiment, your prediction of what the results will be, supporting or rejecting the hypothesis.

Results:This is the section where you write down all of your raw data (collected data). It should consist of quantitative (numerical) data arranged in charts, as well as qualitative (non-numerical) data written out as sentences. The results section will most likely be long, so make sure you leave plenty of room. A good rule of thumb when writing the results section is that if you’re not sure if what you’ve seen is a result, write it down. Your results section can never be too long! What did you observe? Did you notice any patterns in your data? Title of data table (Y-X or DV-IV for example: Distance-Time)(SCSh3c, SCSh4b, SCSh)

Discussion: This is where you explain the meaning of your results. If you need to make a graph or a chart, use the data you took in the results section to make the proper charts here. If you need to explain why something happened, you need to write it here. If calculations are required, they belong here. Don’t forget the Error Analysis. The analysis section is the part of a lab where you explain why your hypothesis is right or wrong, based on the data you’ve taken. Like the results section, if you’re in doubt about whether or not to write something here, include it! Note: There must be a visual display of ALL data collected and/or calculated. What was the most important thing you observed during the science experiment? What does the data tell you? Every graph or chart must have a short description underneath. For graph construction: Title of Graph (Y vs X or DV vs IV for example: Distance vs Time) (SCSh 3d, SCSh4b)

Questions and Answers from Lab (Pre Calculations, Critical Thinking Analysis, etc.)

Conclusion: The conclusion section needs to have the following: (At least two paragraphs) (SCSh3e, SCSh3f)

  • The hypothesis stated that ______. The data in the experiment supported/did not support/ partially supported the hypothesis. The data showed that ______(include numbers from data as proof.). This could have been caused by ______OR The experiment creates the following question: ______? Possible errors in the experiment could have been ______. To improve the experiment ______.
  • A one-line sentence that either says that the hypothesis is right or the hypothesis is wrong. For example, if you proved the hypothesis that “If I poke myself in the eye, then my eye will hurt”, this first sentence would be “When I poked myself in the eye, it hurt.”
  • If the hypothesis didn’t work, an explanation of what you think went wrong. These should be specific suggestions (I should have heated the mixture to 550 C), not general suggestions (I should have heated it more).
  • A brief error analysis section. You should list at least two (2) things that could have caused errors in the lab as well as ways you can prevent those errors in the future. The errors you mention should be errors that you can do something about, not mystical errors that probably didn’t happen.
  • Reflection on data and analysis discussed.
  • Provide evidence for your conclusion. Show you know what you are talking about and that what you are saying is true based on strength of your evidence. Your evidence is the data analysis supported by Science principles, concepts, laws, theories, definitions, etc..
  • Describe the purpose, major findings, and explanation for the findings and recommendations for further study. Use the seven (7) questions to guide your writing of the conclusion.
  1. What was the purpose of the experiment?
  2. What did you learn?
  3. What were the major findings?
  4. Was the Hypothesis supported by the data? How do you know? What evidence do you have?
  5. How did your findings compare with other researchers or with information in the textbook? How were the results of your experiment the same or different from the results of your classmates?
  6. What possible explanation can you offer for the findings?
  7. What recommendations do you have for further study and for improving the experiment?

Conclusion should state things that are unique for your investigation. In length it should not less than half a page and more than a page. Just remember that you cannot write your conclusion without completing your experiments or investigations. A general statement like "I have determined the densities of given solids" is not acceptable. You need to refer to your data, methods, and results in your conclusion. First you may state your results for the purpose. Then you may discuss about the errors and their possible causes. Describe your reasoning using science terminology and principles. You should explain as completely as possible what goes through your mind that leads you to your conclusion. While we encourage you to discuss your experiments with your partners, your written lab report must be your own work

References. References are to be listed on a separate page, if apply. The reference page can be singled spaced if typed. The heading should be centered on the page. Double space between the reference heading and the reference list. When listing each reference, the first line of the reference should be flush left with the margin and the remainder indented 5 spaces. References are completed in APA style appropriate to the type of reference.

Rules to Remember:

1)All sections with headings must be present.

2)Each Question of Each Section should be complete.

3)Your lab write up should only be written in blue or black ink. Points will be removed for writing in anything else.

4)Get help if you need it. Labs requiretime, thought, and writing so if you’re floundering, ask for help from your lab partners or teacher. Important note: Copying something from your lab partners is cheating, not help. If you get help from your partners, make sure that it’s in the form of guidance and hints, not outright answers. Always transcribe other person’s words into your own.

5)Turn the lab in on time. If it’s late, it will receive minimal credit. If a lab notebook is not turned in you will fail the lab.

6)Use science vocabulary and concepts as much as possible when writing and to help discuss results. (SCSh9c)

(Professor Erickson Revised 9/23/13)