Locations and Hours
We are located in the annex across the atrium from the library. Questions or comments? Call us (X4493 on campus, 240-895-4493 off-campus) or e-mail us at scmagruder (at) smcm dot edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I schedule an appointment?
You have several options: you can stop by during our walk-in hours, and we'll do our best to assist you; you can use our online scheduler (your login, if you've never used it before, is your school email with your last name as your password); or you can give us a call at x4493. Calling or stopping by is the best option if you can't make any of the posted hours.
What is the meaning of life?
We don't know either. But keep looking. Let us know if you figure it out; we may post your answer. Meanwhile, try typing "What is the meaning of life?" into Wolfram Alpha.
Meet the Tutors:
Danielle Doubt
Major: English
Minor: Women, Gender, and Sexuality
Writing: I am interested in rhetoric, political writing and journalism, as well as creative fiction and creative non-fiction.
Interests: feminist movements, local food movements, running, so really any kind of movement, be it social, political or physical I probably find pretty cool.
Click here to see all of our peer tutors.
The Lab Report
Though expectations and requirements may differ between teachers, and formats may differ between fields, this handout can be used as a general reference for the scientific lab report. If your teacher does not provide you with specific requirements or a model for your reports, this basic format may suffice. If your professor has provided you with clear instructions, you may still want to refer to this handout for tips on constructing a good lab report.
Title Page
Your lab report must have a title that describes your experiment accurately, precisely and concisely. You will want to use specific words that illustrate clearly the subject of your experiment. You should also include your name, the names of any lab partners, and any other relevant information like the instructor, the course and the date. Generally, you should center elements on the title page and maintain even margins top and bottom. The title page should not be labeled "title page" though the other sections of the lab report will be labeled this way.
Abstract
The abstract offers a brief summary of the report and usually consists of between 50 and 300 words. Because this is a summary of the report, it should be composed after all other elements have been completed and then provided a separate page.
Introduction
The introduction, in one or two paragraphs, presents the subject and purpose of the experiment. The hypothesis of the experiment should be stated clearly as well as any relevant background information and research significant to the experiment. To cite any references, use in-text citations stating name and year, for example (Marlow 1998).
Materials and Methods
This section will be written in list form, detailing the experiment itself. Explanations of every action in chronological order are required as are exact measurements. Materials should not be listed separately, but included in the description of the experiment.
Write your narrative of the experiment in past tense. Instructors will differ on their preference between using passive voice (The mixture was heated for 40 seconds) and active voice (I heated the mixture for 40 seconds). Passive voice creates an objective, distanced tone while active voice creates a more dynamic tone. If your teacher does not express a preference, choose one voice and remain consistent.
Results
This section provides the place for your data. Here you will include your graphs, tables and diagrams with brief explanations. These are quantitative results, but you should make certain you include clear, accurate labels. You do not interpret your data here, but in the discussion section.
Discussion
This section explains what happened in the experiment to produce such results, providing the opportunity to explain errors or problems you faced during the experiment. Here, you must explain the relationship of your results to your original hypothesis and determine the significance of your experiment. Spend time on this section; it will reveal your ability to analyze and interpret.
Conclusion
Conclusions may be given a separate section, or they may be presented in the discussion section. Your teacher may indicate a preference. In this section, conclusions are drawn from the results and discussion sections, attempting to answer the larger questions of your experiment's importance.
Bibliography
If your report requires a list of references at the end, you should consult a style guide accepted by your field of research. Your bibliography should begin on a separate page from the text of your lab report.
