Experimental Report Template

● Title – This should accurately describe the experiment. Don't try to be cute or funny.

● Introduction – This will summarise basic information on the topic including any relevant background
information of a technical nature that may need to be expressed to place the experiment in context.
Sometimes definitions are good to be included to provide clarity, especially if there are several
acceptable definitions or meanings. You may use this section to legitimise your design by articulating the
processes that guided you to conduct an experiment of this nature or in this exact manner. It would not
be unacceptable to have referencing in this section.

● Aim/Objective – What do you want to discover? What is your goal? Examples; To investigate the
relationship between ants and aphids; To observe the effect of light/dark colour on heat absorption
measurable by temperature fluctuation. CR275 Unit Outline Part B: Assessment Guide V4.20170727 9

● Hypothesis – This is based on your prior knowledge or your observation. It is a statement, not a
question, which predicts the outcome of the experiment. Examples; Wearing fabrics that are tightly
woven will block the sun’s harmful rays, thus provides better sun protection than fabrics that are loosely
woven; During the duration of plant growth, the surrounding soil do not show observable reduction in
mass. Therefore, the plant must have obtained most of its mass (in growth) from air.

● Material –

- You must list all the procedures and equipment/reagents used.

- Where possible, state size, type of material and exact quantity used. For example; 1x 250mL glass, 25g
of castor sugar, 25mL of distilled water.

- Where necessary, state brands of products (since most have ingredients that differ and may alter the
outcome).

- The equipment can be presented in a list/bullet format.

- You may include a computer-generated diagram or photographic evidence showing how the
experiment is set up. Make sure all diagrams have been assigned appropriate titles and all items shown
in pictures are clearly labelled and meet all the other parameters of scientific diagrams.

● Methods –

- This will be a logical, step by step recount of how you conducted this experiment.

- Describe exactly how you completed every procedure you undertook to perform the experiment. For
example: The temperature of the liquid used. How long did you stir the solution for? Be precise.

- How many times did you repeat this experiment? How many samples did you use per trial?

- A safety protocol (where applicable) should also be noted here, i.e. safe handling of reagents,
glasswares, personal safety.
- It MUST be written in past tense - it is a statement of what YOU HAVE done not what you want the
reader to do.

- It will be written in list format that is numbered and sequenced in order that the actions were carried
out.

● Results

- This will include the raw data from the observations you made during the experiment which can be
presented in a tabular format. Sometimes results may also be documented in photographs.

- You will summarise the data into words/sentences (probably a very small paragraph) and include a
ranking order of results where appropriate. This is not a discussion of the results. You are simply
succinctly stating information.

- You should in this section a graph (if applicable to the nature of the data). This should be correctly
labelled with consistent used of scientific notations and the information should be easily read. Be careful
to represent the data on the appropriate axis.

● Discussion –

- This section is for you to demonstrate your ability to conceptualise and develop an insight on the topic
of interest, whilst employing the inquiring skill to evaluate the experimental results in order to assert
your proposed hypothesis.

- Your discussion must revolve around the expected outcomes and whether or not they were achieved.

- If the expected outcome was not obtained, then an explanation should be posited and this may include
critiquing the experimental design if it was contributory to anomalies.

- You might also use information from other experts that helps with your explanations and/or supports
your conclusions. Therefore, it would not be uncommon to see referencing in this section.

- You will need to include in this section the life application underpinning your research of interest, i.e.
how will this experiment assist humanity; how is it applicable to SHE.

- The inclusion of a one paragraph discussion on the relevance of Christian perspective related to your
specific scientific investigation is required.

- This piece of writing should be persuasive in nature and would conform to writing conventions that
would see thought process flow and link from paragraph to paragraph.

- It will probably be several paragraphs long.

● Conclusion –

- Summing up (summarising) your work in one short paragraph.

● Future studies –

- This section gives you the opportunity to further engage in your conceptual understanding on the
related topic.
- It allows you to plan/design further experiments to support or disprove your extended hypothesis
based on your current experimental results. Therefore, any extended study you wish to expand on from
your current study will be included here.

● Acknowledgement

- A form of recognition to those whom you have worked with, parties and/or individual(s) to whom you
believe had shown a considerable impact in helping you achieve your end goal.

● References –

- Unlike ‘Bibliography’, ‘References’ are all the resources you have made referenced or citation to in the
assignment.

- Should be less than 5 years old unless the reference has made a significant contribution to the area of
study.

- The list of references must be in the alphabetical order and should be included at the end of your
assignment.

- Your referencing should comply with the College’s referencing system.

● Appendix –

- Any supplementary information such as ‘Glossary of Terms’, should be included here.