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Prepared by University of Waterloo

Section B: Planning and Researching

In this section, you'll read about activities to do before, during, and after your lab. You'll learn how to plan your time so that you get the most out of each stage.

What will I learn?

By the end of this section, you will be able to

  • identify specific expectations of your readers,
  • prepare materials to work in the lab effectively, and
  • organize and evaluate your research before writing.

Lab work assignments involve multiple activities that must be completed before you start your lab work, while you’re in the lab, and after you finish the pre-lab. Understanding what you are supposed to complete at each stage can, however, be tricky. Therefore, understanding your assignment is an important first stage when you begin any lab work. As you read through your assignment:

  • Read carefully and ask questions.
  • Consider your audience.
  • Think about your writing situation.

Read carefully and ask questions

These strategies are the most important. If you read the assignment directions thoroughly, you should not miss important information. But if some information is still unclear, asking your instructor can ensure that you understand. Often, the biggest errors we make are the result of not paying attention to details and not asking questions.

To help you improve these essential skills, here are a few tips to be a more active reader:

Active reading strategies

  1. Read through your assignment with a pen or pencil in hand.
  2. Underline or circle important points.
  3. Highlight key words.
  4. Write down your questions as soon as you have them. Then, ask your instructor about them.
  5. Study each paragraph individually. In one sentence, summarize what the paragraph is telling you. In a second sentence, summarize the purpose of the paragraph (i.e., what does the information help you to understand?).

Consider your audience

Knowing who will read your report will help you know how to think about your assignment. The content and style of your lab report can change depending on who reads it, so you’ll want to think about the expectations of your readers. However, as a student, your lab report will be read and graded by your instructor, who wants to make sure you are learning the course content. Take a closer look at some questions that will help you understand the expectations of different audiences.

Understanding Readers

Understanding the readers of your lab report.

  • What group(s) of people are you writing for? Professional scientists? Business executives? Students? Other professionals?
  • What knowledge does your audience already have?
  • What do they need to know to understand your report?
  • What information will they expect to find in your report?

Understanding Instructor Expectations

Understanding your instructor’s expectations

  • What does your instructor value in class work?
  • What does your instructor want you to learn?
  • Did your instructor note any additional questions or concerns for you to think about?
  • Did the instructor include any special style tips for organizing or writing the report?

Think about your writing situation

Although an instructor may dream that her students devote all the time in the world to her assignments, in reality, time is limited. Thus, when reviewing your assignment, think about how much time you’ll have to complete it.

Below are a few questions to help you better plan your time:

  • When is the assignment due?
  • Is there a page minimum or maximum?
  • Are you trying out new skills or methods in this assignment? If so, what?
  • Will you need to include research to complete this assignment? How much?
  • How important is this assignment for your grade?

Most undergraduate labs will provide a lab manual that includes background information for the lab, safety rules, and procedures you need to follow to complete the experiment. Your lab manual will probably include all you need to know about the lab and lab report assignment, so as we’ve discussed, read carefully and ask lots of questions.

During the in-lab stage of your lab, you’ll likely be asked to keep a laboratory notebook. These notebooks are a record for others so that a lab can be easily repeated. However, taking detailed notes during the lab will also prepare you to write the formal lab report.

Instructions for how to keep a laboratory notebook vary across disciplines and instructors, so be sure to clarify what is expected for you. The primary guideline is to write notes in such a way that someone, a few years from now and with your skill level, can repeat your experiment. Attention to detail is key.

Answer Key Questions

Many lab instructors require that you complete a pre-lab worksheet before going into the lab. These worksheets help you to think through important aspects of the lab experience:

  • the concepts behind the lab
  • the purpose of the lab
  • your hypotheses about the experiment outcomes

Whether or not your instructor wants you to complete a pre-lab worksheet, asking a few key questions before the lab will prepare you to think more deeply about your experiment. If you can answer these questions now, you will write a better lab report later on.

Worksheet: Key Questions To Ask Before Your Lab

Use this helpful worksheet for your Lab Report.

Download PDF

Download the Key Questions To Ask Before Your Lab (PDF) worksheet.

Preview: Key Questions to Ask (PDF)

In addition to the background information in your lab manual, your instructor may also ask you to research the lab topic a little further. You might gather your research from articles or textbooks you read in class, or you might need to use a library database to find other relevant articles. The research you find should help you develop your hypothesis(es) for the experiment. Later, you’ll incorporate the research into your lab report.

The Research Process

Starting any research project, however small, can feel overwhelming—so much so, that you might feel tempted to give up. However, if you understand what the research process looks like and use a few key strategies as you work, you will be more likely to succeed.

Below, you’ll find a brief overview of how the research process works: