BMES.

301

Lab Report Guideline

AY.14-15_Q1 (Fa)

Written Report Guideline (v4.0)

General (100 pts):
The aim of the report is for you to BRIEFLY explain what you did, what you
found, and what it means. It will be 3 pages or less (1.5 spaced, >= 12 point
font, >=0.5in margins) and will have the following sections. Reports will be
graded based on 100 total points.
The report is based around your hypothesis statement. The introduction builds
a case for your hypothesis, the methods section explains how you tested you
hypothesis, the results tells the reader if variables increased or decreased
SIGNIFICANTLY, and the discussion tells the reader if your hypothesis was
correct.
1. Introduction (25 pts): Your introduction should set up your
hypothesis. First, you motivate the study, then you describe what's
known (this will be used to justify your hypothesis later), next you describe
what is unknown (not generally, but rather the unknown that will be
answered by your study), therefore the objective of your study is X, and
you hypothesize that Y, because of Z.
a)Problem Statement This should motivate your study.
What is the health problem associated with the tissue you
are testing?
How do the properties you propose to measure relate to
this problem?
b)Known: (Describe what's known about the CLINICAL problem,
so that you can justify your hypothesis statement)
Describe what you know about the problem and
differences between the two groups you are studying. What you state
here is CRITICAL for justifying your hypothesis.
c) Unknown: (Describe what is unknown about the problem, and
this should set up your objective statement.)
Describe what you do NOT know about the SPECIFIC
problem which you are about to test.
d)Objective Statement:
Therefore the objective of this experiment is
e) Hypothesis Statement:
We hypothesize that variable X, will
INCREASE/DECREASE/NOT CHANGE, BECAUSE Z ... (go back to you
what you presented in the known section)
2. Methods: (25 pts)
a)Sample preparation
Brief, but detailed and specific, description of how you

BMES.301

Lab Report Guideline

AY.14-15_Q1 (Fa)
prepared the specimen for testing. (Think that you want the reader
to be able to REPEAT your experiment and any instruments they
might need)
b)Geometric measurements:
DETAILED description of how you measured the
specimens geometry, include
c) Testing Protocol:
DETAILED description of your testing protocol, with
justification as to WHY you tested this way (references would be
helpful)
d)Analysis:
DETAILED description of how you analyzed the data, this
should include ALL equations
You must also EXPLAIN that these parameters mean
(briefly!)
e) Statistics
Must describe what statistical tests you ran on your data
to determine if differences were SIGNIFICANT.
3. Results: (30 pts)
a)Describe your results:
TEXT!!! You must describe your results (not discuss!!!).
Eg. The modulus for group A was greater than group B, but not
significantly (see table.X or figure.Y).
ALWAYS present data in tabular form, and reserve figures
for variables that are of particular interest and you want really want
to illustrate to the reader.
Captions should be DESCRIPTIVE! That is tell the reader
what they should take away from the figure (This means it cant be
something like: Figure.1: Tendon Modulus)
4. Discussion: (15 pts)
a)Discuss your results, and their meaning. For example, change
in stiffness was not significant, but increase in area was significant,
therefore the decrease in modulus was due to change in geometry. Also
put any SIGNIFICANT differences in context. For example, a variable
may increase significantly, but by only 5%. Would that likely be a
clinically relevant increase?
b)Discuss the limitations of you methods. (You MUST discuss
what the ramification of this limitation were. For example, would adding
additional specimens change your results, and why?)
c) Conclude: Did your results support (don't say 'prove') your
original hypothesis?

Writing style: (5 pts)

BMES.301

Lab Report Guideline

AY.14-15_Q1 (Fa)

NOTE: You must use the PAST tense when describing what you did. When
writing ANYTHING please keep in mind the person grading your work is reading
several of these, and would likely rather be doing something else. So put a lot of
effort into clear and concise writing.