Lab Report Assignment | Custom Essay Help
Writer’s choice ( lab report on a laboratory exercise in which the scientific method is used)I have uploaded the instructions and guidelines below
Laboratory Reports )
Students are required to submit one lab report on a laboratory exercise in which the scientific method is used. The lab reports must be word processed. The lab reports will be based on the physiological exercises performed in class as directed by the professor. Experiments are performed in groups, but reports are written individually. A laboratory report requires that you record, interpret and communicate information about an experiment that you performed in the lab. It does not require extensive library research. You will be reporting about an experiment that you will be doing, and the information in the report should be given in enough detail that another person could go into the lab and perform the same experiment. The scientific method will be used in planning and executing the experiment and the write-up will reflect this in the format that is used in the report. The report must demonstrate the correct use of English including grammar and spelling. Outlined below are the sections that MUST be included in your report. Write the titles for each section in bold CAPITAL LETTERS at start of that section as a heading (only for the sections defined in 2 through 10 below; do not include either the grammar or the spelling section). The lengths for each section stated refer to single line spacing, font = aerial, text size = 12, and margins = 1inch on all sides using standard letter size paper, and are intended as a guide only (you can go over the guide vales, but anything less than the guide values will mean you have not included enough information into the report). The grading scheme is shown in parentheses and in bold blue after the section title, and this represents how much each of those sections are worth of the grade for your lab report.
- YourNAME
- TITLE: The name of the experiment in bold.
ALL LAB REPORTS MUST BE STARTED AS FOLLOWS…
Last name, First Name –TITLE
Example: “Kantheti, Sravanti – 2 POINT DESCRIMINATION IN DIFFERENT BODY REGIONS”
- INTRODUCTION(15%): This section should include background (theoretical) information specifically related to the topic. This information should provide a basis for understanding the experiment. The source for this information can be your laboratory manual and/or textbook. This information has to be relevant, concise, and easy to read. Length of introduction is to be 125 to 250 words.
- OBJECTIVE (10%): Write a statement that gives a reason for doing the experiment. In other words state the problem that is to be solved. Write in complete sentences and be concise. No length requirement.
- HYPOTHESIS STATEMENT (10%): This is what you might call an brief “educated guess” on possible relationship between two variables. For the report the hypothesis must be testable, so the hypothesis statement would be a concise testable prediction about what you expect to happen in a study. For example, a study designed to look at the relationship between two point discrimination and skin mechanoreceptor density/receptor field size might have a hypothesis that states, “The prediction is that regions of the body with higher mechanoreceptor density/receptor field size would have 2-point discrimination at shorter distances.” A hypothesis can sometimes be stated in a If/Then logic statement; “ if higher mechanoreceptor density, then shorter 2-point discrimination distance”. There will be one hypothesis per question you are asking. Remember to be concise. No length requirement.
- METHODS, MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES (5%): This section is a detailed account of how the experiment was performed. You can think of this as essentially a “cooking recipe”, and model that kind of approach when writing this section. For example; “A 2point probe was constructed by attaching two paperclips with a straightened free end 90 degrees perpendicular to the rest of the paperclip. The paperclips were then attached to a ruler suing scotch tape such that the straightened wires were precisely 0.1, 0.3, 0.7, 1, 3, 7 and 10 cm apart”). Be sure to include every step in procedures. In certain situations, a flow diagram and accompanying text may be advisable. Write in the past tense (so an example of a sentence from this section would be, “Each probe point was placed onto subject’s skin regions at probe distances defined above”). Do not use personal pronouns (I, we, he, she, it, or they) or refer to the names of people (research subjects have protected privacy rights). This section must also include what kind of analysis methods you employed. If this involves the use of math, you must define your math equations either with defined variables or with words (“Averages for each experimental group were calculated by the method; average of 2-point detection distance = sum of distance for all observations on one part of the body / the number of observations made on that part of the body”). No Length requirement.
A note on data collection
When collecting data, you need to try and make multiple observations. This is called repeated measures, or doing something multiple times. The minimum for doing a true statistical analysis often requires no less than 5-6 repetitions of an individual measure (like measuring 2-point discrimination on the same body region 6 times, be that 6 measurements on one person or 1 measurement on 6 different people). The reason for this has to do with the decision to make “truth” be something you are 95% sure of (truth in science and medicine is defined mathematically). Findings can become impossible to interpret and conclusions impossible to defend if there is no way to back things up with math. I don’t expect you to do a sophisticated statistical review, but I’d like to see at least 5-6 repetitions for measure taken.
- RESULTS (15%): Record all observations that you make as you conduct the experiment in an experimental notebook. Observations are called data and could be qualitative (descriptions) or quantitative (number values). Record the data in tables, charts, or labeled illustrations. All must have an appropriate titles. Measurements that you report must have the appropriate units. You can also analyze data in this section by graphing or applying statistical operations (a minimum of comparing averages, but more would be nice). For results that are drawings or illustrations, these must also be submitted (take images and put them into your report’s computer file). For results that are tables and calculations, these must be generated electronically, like on a spreadsheet or graphing program, and not drawn by hand. Do not discuss or interpret results in this section, just keep to data presentation and the analysis you preformed. No length requirement as different projects will generate very different results.
- DISCUSSION (20%): This is the final section of your report where you will interpret the results obtained. Determine if they support the hypothesis. Provide conclusions based on the results. Discuss any problems experienced with the procedure, experimental design, or data collection that may be a source of experimental errors. Give ideas for improving the experimental design or modifying the procedure, and suggest further experimentation. Provide detailed explanations of your results. This section should be relevant, concise, and easy to read. Length of discussion is to be 250 to 500 words.
- CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE (10%): Discuss any “Clinical significance” of the experiment. This section must be related to the course (human biology and pathophysiology/disease). This section required detailed explanations of real world importance. This section should be relevant, concise, and easy to read. Length of clinical significance is to be 250 to 500 words.
- REFERENCES(5%): You must have a minimum of 3 references in addition to any A&P1 textbooks used (minimum of 4). References should appear in the text of the lab report when they are used, and in a bibliography. References other than an A&P1 text book can be from any source, such as scientific journals, books (not A&P1 textbooks, magazine articles, and the like. An example of a journal would be the Journal for the American Medical Association (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama). You can use websites, but they need to be from an online publisher (i.e. copy written). One example would be www.sciencedaily.com, which publishes journalistic reports of medical research that commonly includes interviews with scientists and medial health professionals.
Cite references used as shown below. Lab manual or lecture text book for BIOL-2114 course. Laboratory manual or textbook Edition, Chapter number and title, Section heading, Page numbers. Scientific paper. Author names (Surname, First Initial) (Year in parentheses). Title of article. Journal name, volume number, page numbers (x-y). Publisher or website.
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GRAMMER AND SPELLING (10%): This will be considered in grading.
SUBMISSION: All laboratory reports MUST be submitted to the appropriate blackboard dropbox by the stated due date on in the assignment folder. (Monday, May 11th)
