6.1: THE BASICS
- Page ID
- 135970
Different lab courses14 will have different report requirements, but the organic chemistry reports at PSU are based on the framework followed in most scientific research articles. These are typically divided into three parts:
- The why: gives the information necessary to contextualize the experiment, states the goal of the experiment.
- The how: gives information about how the experiment was performed
- The what: provides relevant data and interpretation as it relates the goal of the experiment
Below is a table showing the different pieces that need to be included in your lab reports.
Table 1. Key goals of a report
# | Section | Name | Key goals of section |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Why | Title | A short title of the experiment. |
2 | Why | Purpose of | The main goal and purpose of the experiment. |
3 | How | Reaction scheme | The reaction scheme for the transformation attempted. |
4 | How | Procedure | A description of the procedure is provided so that a professional can reproduce your experiment. |
5 | What | Data | The key data obtained are presented, usually in tabulated form. |
6 | What | Discussion | The results and findings from #5 are discussed, and the outcome of the experiment as it pertains to #2 is explained |
7 | What | Conclusion | A conclusion is stated, based on the results. |
8 | What | References | Relevant references are provided. |
As the table shows, each section serves a distinct purpose and function. We will now look at each section in detail, and focus on the general goals of each, followed by things to watch out for, and common mistakes. The section numbers #1-8 follow the sections used in the report forms at PSU.
14 Different scientific disciplines, and even sub-disciplines, have different reporting requirements, different ways of pre- senting information, and different ways of using technical language.