… A Practical Guide to Writing a Practical Report …
Your report must have the following sections:
Aim:
Is a statement of purpose – why are you conducting the experiment and what do you hope to find out.
Start with the word ‘To’, then use a word to describe the type of experiment e.g. model, investigate,
determine, test etc.
Hypothesis:
This is a statement about what you think may happen during your investigation. It is a statement you can
test. Use ‘If the [independent variable] affects the [dependent variable] then [what you think will happen]’.
Do not use ‘I think’ or ‘I hypothesise’, – NO PERSONAL LANGUAGE!
Safety/Risk Assessment:
This is critical! You MUST perform a risk assessment before conducting any investigation. Think about the
dangers involved with conducting the experiment and then think about sensible, realistic ways you can
minimise the danger. A good way to show this is by using the following table:
Risk Injury Precaution
Describe the risk What injury is it likely to cause How can the chance of receiving
such an injury be minimised?
Materials/Equipment:
Specific list of all materials required including all measurements and concentrations.
Method:
Procedure you will use to conduct your experiment and how you are collecting your data. A method needs
to:
Have numbered steps.
Be clear and concise.
Be written in the past tense.
Be able to be understood by someone who did not do the experiment with you
Be able to be repeated exactly as you did it
Not use ‘I’, ‘we’ or ‘you’ – NO PERSONAL LANGUAGE!
Results:
Usually shown in table form although depending on the experiment photographs, drawings etc. may be
acceptable.
Constructing a table needs to have
Line between data and heading
Line separating columns
Units present in the heading (never with the data)
Be boxed in
Discussion:
This is where your results are analyzed and discussed. If no guiding questions are given then remember:
T – Trends: Discuss any trends seen in your data and explain the science behind the observed trend.
Research may be required!
M – Mistakes: Discuss any mistakes that you have made during the experiment. Did anything go wrong?
I – Improvements: Suggest ways that the experiment could be improved.
A statement on the experiments reliability, accuracy and validity should also be made in this section.
Conclusion:
This a SHORT statement that answers your aim and hypothesis. One to two sentences max. No new
information is to be included in the conclusion – this would need to be added in the discussion.
Other points:
Variables:
Cows Moo Softly
CHANGE MEASURE SAME
I Don’t Care
INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT CONSTANT
Table 1st Column 2nd Column -
Graph X axis Y axis -
Reliability, Validity and Accuracy:
Some good questions to ask:
first-hand information and data secondary information and data
reliability Have I tested with repetition? How consistent is the information with information
Students should discuss how from other reputable sources?
many trials or samples they Students should be comparing different
have used to draw information sources to ensure consistency
conclusions and whether between them. This will involve discussion
these are sufficient of issues regarding the selection of
material:
o author
o date
o publisher
o bias
validity Does my procedure experiment How was the information gathered? Do the
actually test the hypothesis that I findings relate to the hypothesis or problem?
want it to? What variables have I Students need to make a judgment about
identified and controlled? how relevant the information is and how
Valid experiments are both well it supports the claim they are
reliable and accurate. investigating. They will need to weight
Variables must be controlled multiple pieces of evidence in forming their
conclusions
accuracy How close are my measurements to How correct is the material I have researched?
the correct result? Students should be assessing the
If the actual result is known, correctness of material.
comparisons to this data
should be made.
