Lab ReportSteal Ideas and Inspiration
"Monkey See, Monkey Do." That's an old saying uttered by a wise, ancient sage who knew how to write a great lab report. Or maybe he didn't, but he could have figured it out if he just found an excellent lab report written by someone else to use it as a template while stealing ideas and inspiration.
Or maybe he could have used an actual lab report template in some ancient version of Microsoft Word, but the problem with templates is that they have all those empty spaces! No ideas to steal. It's much better to use excerpts from published lab reports to make a template.
In high school, you were told not to steal other people's ideas, but you're in college now. Or maybe you're not, I don't know. I assume you are. College is a place for stealing ideas.
Monkey see, monkey do. That means you're supposed to copy ideas from someone else. It sounds like cheating, but it's actually the foundation of all instruction/education.
So use excerpts from some good lab reports to make a template, and replace all the information with your own information. This is the best way to learn. You will see how every concept, every little element within the other lab reports, has been applied in a real situation. It helps to type your headings for each section with some lines in between, turning a dreaded 'report' into a simple fill-in-the-blank sheet with information you have already gathered.
You can also use material from other lab reports as a checklist to ensure that you don't leave out anything important. It's great that you have a text book to explain all the aspects of lab work, but nothing is more useful and meaningful than seeing another person's example.
And you can draw from their inspiration! This is where it starts getting all esoteric, so maybe you empirically-minded science students won't like it, but I'm mentioning it anyway. The design and carrying out of an experiment is creative work, and it should be treated as a matter of inspiration and creativity. Excitement. The lab report you use as a template should be one that was written by someone who was all fired up about the work being done.
Excitement and emotive language are not used in a lab report, but with a bit of research you can find the stories that surrounded the lab work and you'll see how passionate some scientists have been. You'll get great ideas that increase the quality of the work you're doing. In this regard, I highly recommend a book called The Body Electric by Becker. His enthusiasm is contagious, and you'll feel a chill of inspiration move up your spine.
Monkey See, Monkey Do
Make your template from articles that interest you and that you can easily understand. Find ones that are well-written by someone who seems experienced and inspired. As for your own lab, an experiment is only as useful as the record you keep of it. Be sure to write as many detailed observations as possible, because even the smallest details can help you come to your conclusion. It will make the writing easier, perhaps even effortless. Anyone can write a great lab report in no time if they are aware of these key considerations.