Presenting the results of your lab experiments in the right format is extremely important so that there are no problems in the readability and you can get the credit you deserve. It basically shows your entire thought process and the strategy you employed to test the hypothesis you created.
A case study is written as an essay with clearly defined headings and subheadings so that the reader can easily comprehend the main points. After analysing the case (which is either hypothetical or based on real life events) for the theories and problems in it, you can discuss the many solutions or recommendations. Different case studies are approached differently and therefore expressed differently as well.
Table of Contents
Lab Report & Case Study
Both laboratory reports and case studies are written after observations and then either a theory is confirmed or rejected. This can give important insights and information about what to do next regarding a problem. The only difference in both these situations is that a case study observes something that has already happened whereas a lab report studies something that is created by the researcher himself.
A lab report follows a straightforward and structured approach. Each section of the lab report has to be written properly. The main sections of a lab report are title, abstract, introduction, methods and materials, results, discussion, conclusion, and references.
A case study is usually a part of research design in which a certain person, group, event is studied with the intent to provide solutions. It is written like a report and is applied for research and as a tool to study business trends. A case study is a very focused study, for example it is a study of a specific patient’s medical history if you are studying medicine. It is usually 500-900 words long and follows a narrative like storytelling. The main sections of a case study are executive summary, background, case evaluation, proposed solution, conclusion, implementation and references.
Background and Literature Review
In order to start studying a phenomena or case, it is important to show th e-reader that you have done your research by studying other theories.
In a lab report, this is done within the Introduction by discussing the theories related to the research and the reason for conducting the experiment.
For a case study, within its body, the background information is discussed. This includes all the relevant theories and facts within the case. You must also elaborate on the importance of raising the question under discussion and how this knowledge will help expand the understanding of the subject.
Materials and Methods
The Methods and Materials section of the laboratory report includes all of the equipment used in the experiment, as well as the steps included for the exact methods followed. This section should be so clearly and accurately defined that if another researcher follows these steps, the exact results are obtained.
Materials can include anything from the apparatus, substances and their specific amounts, etc. For example, pipette, 1.2 mg of sodium, and so on.
When listing the method, you basically have to convert the lab instructions into the lab method by using a passive voice. You should start by talking about how the apparatus was set up. This includes everything, all the small details like checking the cleanliness of the equipment, etc. Then the steps which you took to collect the data are clearly listed and any obstructions in the process are discussed as well.
Within the Methods section of the case study, you have to clarify why a certain study was chosen to answer the question in the thesis statement. It can not be randomly selected and ideally, it focuses on subjects in a complex system so that a three dimensional view of the research problem is obtained through the case study. For example, if you are choosing the certain person to study, you must make it clear how the subject stands out from the rest of the population through their background or relationships so that it can be very apparent why they were well suited for the research question.
Results and Analysis
The body of the case study discusses the results of the case study which means the data you have observed from the case. For example, 30% of the students do not use the library resources for research. If you are observing an experiment, you have to basically give a summary of the findings and whatever information that you have extracted by observing the subjects of the study. Analytical tools and methodology used for this is justified.
Similarly, the lab report mentions the data that was collected in the experiments. The data is mentioned in figures, tables, charts and other graphical presentations but also a short summary given in words. One more important thing that has to be mentioned is the calculation- formulae used to obtain the results and related figures.
Discussion and Interpretation
This part is the most important in a lab report as it shows the critical thinking of the researcher applied to the data collected. This includes any anomalies in the results and a discussion of why they could have occurred. To write this section thoroughly, the experimenter must know the errors that could have occurred and how they could be avoided in the future. From this entire view of the experiment, you can analyse the methods you have used and their strengths and weaknesses. Showing how the results are important and how they are related to the theories- gaps and further room for questioning is also a part of this.
A case study focuses only on the case in point and the discussion is written with the stakeholders in mind. The major problem(s) is discussed and the pertaining solutions for them are also presented. Then apply your critical thinking onto the solutions to see their benefits and disadvantages so that you can show how rooted in reality they are. You have to be careful in this section not to over-generalise.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The case study’s conclusion is used to prove or reject a hypothesis so your concluding statement must address this. In clear words, a statement is made like one below
From this study, I have concluded that students who use online resources have lower grades than the ones who have put their time reviewing the archives in the libraries.
After this, you must give some solutions for the problem that you have discovered and these should sound recommendations. Apart from this, mention the limitations of the study as well.
The lab report also gives a summary of the experiment and gives the concluding remarks about the claim made in the beginning- whether or not it was confirmed. Whatever is learned is stated in a concise manner and recommendations for the future are made.
References and Appendices
In order to avoid plagiarism and give credit to the right sources of information, any claims you have made or theories discussed in the lab report are cited in the recommended format. References section should follow the format of the overall report so that the in-text citation and references are aligned. After the References section, the Appendices are mentioned. These are tables and figures, or text that is too long to be included in the lab report and the details they are linked to with a number are mentioned in the report.
A lab report or case study must always be coherent and if you are having problems organising the information, you can get some help with your assignment and submit the perfect report.
