HSM / Top 10 Common Mistakes Seen in Laboratory Reports

Top 10 Common Mistakes Seen in Laboratory Reports

Abstract:

1. Does not stand alone as a brief summary of the entire experiment (lacks elements of an introduction, methods, results and/or discussion).

2. Results and discussion lack specific detail.

Introduction:

3. No references used to support statements made.

4. Experimental aims not included at the end of the introduction.

Results:

5. Results paragraph is not included which describes (without repeating) the results obtained, including those presented in tables and figures (most common mistake)

6. Figures and tables lack descriptive meaningful title/legends

Discussion:

7. Fail to reintroduce the experimental aims at the very beginning

8. Lacks references to support explanations and discussion

References:

9. Very few (<4-5) original references used that weren’t the textbook, lecture notes.

10. Harvard reference style not used