EXPERIMENT REPORT: CHARACTERISTICS, WHAT IT IS FOR, STRUCTURE, EXAMPLE - SCIENCE - 2025

The reports of experiments are written documents that aim to record the steps or observations made during the development of a scientific experiment court.

For example, after conducting an experiment on a group of diseased plants, the researcher can write a report explaining what type of disease the plants suffer from; be it fungi, pests, among others.

Scientist making a report after looking at the microscope. Source: pixabay.com

In that same report, the researcher establishes the conclusions reached through the experiment. Continuing with the example, the researcher could affirm that the plants are sick because they are located in a very humid environment, which causes the appearance of fungi.

It should be noted that experimental reports are made by many people from an early age; For example, in biology classes, students are required to submit a report at the end of each experiment.

These reports are also used in more advanced studies and disciplines, as biologists and other scientists use them on a recurring basis during their research.

Features of the experiment report

- Describe the experiment

The experimental reports are used to describe the characteristics or qualities of the experiment. They also allow recording the phenomena or particularities observed by the researcher during experimentation.

For example, if a scientist conducts an experiment to find out the behavior of certain birds, in the report he will specify the characteristics of these birds (color, size, age) and the objectives of his investigation (to know how the sounds and sounds interact with each other). that they emit, among others).

- Use an informative and formal language

Experiment reports are documents of a scientific nature, so whoever prepares them must use a formal and precise language.

As its name implies, these reports have the objective of informing, so it is necessary that the content of the text is clear and concise, maintaining objectivity and using the terms required by scientific methodology.

An example of this language: through a microscope, it was possible to verify the presence of the Salmonella bacteria on the skin of a group of turtles.

- Requires the scientific method

The experimental reports follow the scientific methodology, since this allows to grant veracity and objectivity to the research that is being carried out.

The scientific method consists of the systematic observation (that is: ordered, that follows procedures) of a phenomenon or object of study. This method also requires experimentation and hypothesis formulation.

What is an experiment report for?

Generally speaking, the experiment reports function as a kind of proof that the experimentation was carried out. In other words, the reports are proof that the experiment was carried out by the researcher or researchers.

In addition, these reports also serve to record data or particularities that were observed during the experiment. In this way, the researcher can have a file where she can locate the characteristics, possible drawbacks, and the results of her experiment.

Likewise, this report will serve future researchers who are interested in the subject that was discussed in the experiment. For example, a scientist may resort to the report made by another scientist with the aim of expanding the object of study and contributing new elements.

Within the student field, experimental reports allow teachers to evaluate the performance of their students in scientific subjects (biology, natural sciences, among others). Writing these reports familiarizes students with scientific methodology.

Teachers encourage their students to conduct science reports and experiments. Source: pixabay.com

Structure

1. Summary

In this section, the researchers provide a brief summary of the work carried out. This summary should describe the main objectives of the work, along with some of the procedures that were carried out.

2. Introduction

In the introduction the motivations of the work are placed, together with an explanation that allows understanding the theory that was used in the experimentation.

For example, if you want to make a report for the Physics subject, you must place the physical laws that will be used for the experiment, the phenomena that were selected to apply these physical laws, among other aspects.

3. Development

In the development the researcher must detail the processes of the experiment. That is, in this section a description of the steps that were followed during the experiment is placed, as well as the instruments or materials that were used (for example: microscope, telescope, pipette, test tube, among others).

4. Results

In the results the data obtained after carrying out the experiment are placed. Some researchers place graphs, since these allow to identify the phenomena or findings more precisely.

For example: if a researcher is studying plant diseases, in the results he can place that 80% of them proved to be infected with fungi, while 20% proved to be infected with worms.

Run reports can include charts. Source: pixabay.com

5. Conclusions

Then, the researcher or student places the conclusions that he could reach thanks to the experiment.

Continuing with the previous example, the researcher could conclude that certain plant species are more likely to contract fungi depending on climatic variations.

6. Bibliography

Finally, the materials that were consulted by the researcher are placed to complement or support the experiment; These can be books, videos, photographs, among others.

Example of experiment report

Plant germination in the dark

Abstract: The objective of this experiment consisted in observing and describing in which way the seedlings - recently germinated plants - of beans seek the light. To do this, a couple of bean seeds were placed in a glass jar surrounded by moistened cotton.

Introduction: After the seedlings germinated, they were placed inside a cardboard box with a hole; this in order to check if the seedlings would approach the hole to obtain sunlight. The reason for this experiment is to analyze and understand the need for plants to receive good lighting to grow.

Bean seedlings. Source: pixabay.com

Development: The materials used for this experiment were: a glass bottle, cotton, a cardboard box, gloves to manipulate the seedlings and a magnifying glass. On the fourth day, the seeds began to take root. Later, several seedlings grew.

After two weeks, the plants were guided by the lighting coming through the hole in the cardboard box, so they slowly slid towards it. In the third week, the leaves appeared outside the box.

Result: From this observation, it was known that, of the four germinated seedlings, three of them managed to cross the hole.

Conclusions: In this way it is concluded that bean plants need sunlight to develop properly. For this reason, the growing seedlings will seek illumination.

Bibliography: To carry out this experiment, the book El Porvenir de la vida: Natural Sciences for Second-year Children (2014) by the author Basilia Mejías was used.

References

1. Martínez, C. (sf) What is an experiment report? Retrieved on March 9, 2020 from Lifeder: lifeder.com
2. Mejías, B. (2014) The future of life. Natural Sciences: 2nd year bicentennial collection. Retrieved on March 9, 2020 from Guao.org
3. SA (2015) How to write an experimental report or lab report. Retrieved on March 9, 2020 from Editage: editage.com
4. SA (nd) What is a report? Retrieved on March 9, 2020 from Concept: concept.de
5. SA (sf) How to Write a Lab Report. Retrieved on March 9, 2020 from Simply Psychology.org
6. SA (sf) Scientific Reports. Retrieved on March 9, 2020 from The writing center: writingcenter.unc.edu