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Instructions for writing a lab report using the APA style. It covers various aspects such as formatting, abstract, literature review, in-text citations, and statistical analysis. Students are advised to use recommended fonts, indent paragraphs, and ensure correct in-text citations and references.
Typology: Summaries
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Title of Lab Report
Student Name AB1234: Name of Subject Lecturer’s/Tutor’s Name 29 February 2020
Student papers must have the page number on the top right hand corner of the header
The title should be 4 lines down from the top, in bold , centralized and use title caps All papers must have double line spacing (unless your lecturer states otherwise), from title page to References to Appendices
This is the date of submission
Your subject code and name of the subject as in your subject outline
Use the same font throughout the whole paper Recommended fonts are:
Abstract
The abstract is usually between 150 to 250 words. Refer to your subject outline for the specific word requirement. It provides an overview of the research study so readers can decide if they wish to read further. It is also a concise but comprehensive summary of the most important details of the research study. Details should include essential perspectives of the literature review, the problem being studied and/or research questions, the hypotheses, the method used (design, sample, sample size), the findings/results of the study (effect size, confidence level, statistical significance), the implications of the study, and the applications of the findings. It is formatted as you see here, double-line spacing as with the rest of the lab report (unless otherwise advised in the subject outline). There should be a line for keywords below the abstract, which are important points of research study used as search points for research databases and other researches.
Keyword s: three to five words, research topic, population, method, applications of the findings
All paragraphs must be indented 0.5” or 1.25cm from the left. Remember to cite your sources in the correct APA style based on the 7 th^ edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA; America Psychological Association, 2020). Ensure that you have the relevant reference for the citation in your References list at the end of the paper (APA, 2020).
The final paragraph in this section is a road map of the lab report. It contains the primary (and/or secondary) hypotheses and objectives of the study, how the hypotheses and research design relate to each other, and the theoretical and practical implications of this study.
Method
Participants
These are the people who participated in your study. State their age, sex, ethnic group, and give percentages for comparison. For example, 60% identified themselves as female, 38% as male, and 2% as transsexuals, between the ages of 23 and 26 years ( M = 25, SD = 2.1).
For aquaculture lab reports, this first subsection would be titled “Sample Collection” and explain the details of how and where samples were collected, transported, stored and maintained for the experiment. Include field collection permits where relevant.
Research Design
Describe the specific design of your study; include variables, definitions and justifications. Be specific so that other researchers can replicate and validate your study.
Second level heading, title caps, left aligned and bold font
Second level heading, title caps, left aligned and bold font
First level heading, title caps, centralised and bold font
In-text citation for group authors with acronym, first mention
Subsequent mention of same in-text citation
Measures
Describe the specific instruments you used in your study to collect data, e.g., tests and/or questionnaires. When describing the measures, do discuss the reliability of the measures used.
For aquaculture lab reports, this subsection would contain the specific names of the specific instruments used to collect data for the study. Describe the specific instruments used, for example, tests, genetic sequencing, and others measures. When describing the measures, also discuss the reliability of the measures used. Describe in detail the procedures taken to ensure the tests or other scientific measures for data collection are accurately and correctly administered. The following subsection (Procedures) would not exist in an aquaculture lab report.
Procedure
Here you detail how the sample size was determined and selected. Describe the settings and locations in which the data was collected, any reward for participation, as well as ethics approval for the study.
Statistical Analysis
Here you detail the specific statistical methods applied to the data for analysis of results. It is the same for aquaculture lab reports.
Results This is the section where you describe the analyses of the results of your research study. You can include tables and your graphs from your analyses in this section. It is a good idea to organise the analyses based on your study indicators.
Second level heading, title caps, left aligned and bold font
Second level heading, title caps, left aligned and bold font
Second level heading, title caps, left aligned and bold font
First level heading, title caps, centralised and bold font
Study Indicator 2
Present the analyses and discussion in relation to the appropriate research question(s). If you need to include a graph, embed it as a figure. Number your figures from 1 to N, based on the order they appear in your paper. Even if you only have one figure, still label it Figure
Figure 1
Association Between Naps Taken and Academic Results
Note: This is a fictitious scatter plot. Each dot represents nothing. Describe the details of the scatter plot here in these notes.
Complete the analysis here. Cite any of the studies covered in your literature review that correspond with this analysis (Curcio et al., 2006; Gaultney, 2010) and evaluate the
Y-axis details
X-axis details
Figure number, title caps, left aligned and bold Figure heading, letter caps, left aligned and in italics
Second level heading, title caps, left aligned and bold font
implications for your second research question. When you have finished the analyses and presentation of results, move to the next section, the discussion. APA 7 th^ (APA, 2020) has very specific instructions on how to set up tables and graphs: Refer to the specific page at this link (https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar- guidelines/tables-figures). Discussion In this section, you discuss the evaluations and implications of the analyses from the above section. Discuss relating the analyses to the literature review readings such as Kousaie and Phillips (2102) and Gold et al, (2013), citing where relevant. This is a very important part of your paper as this is where you showcase your critical thinking abilities. This is the section where you remind readers of the hypotheses in your study, evaluate and interpret the implications of the findings, drawing inferences and conclusions for each hypothesis investigated in the study. This is also where you emphasise theoretical and/or practical consequences of the finding. For the critical analysis, you can have sub-sections here for limitations and future directions, ending with your concluding paragraph(s). Limitations and Future Directions Discuss the limitations of your research study, and the implications these have on your analyses and evaluations. Consider the future directions that other researchers can embark on in their research studies in the light of what you have found out in your analyses and evaluations. Possible new directions or ideas arising from your study can be postulated here.
Second level heading, title caps, left aligned and bold font
First level heading, title caps, centralised and bold
Alternative in-text citation for two authors
References American Psychological Association (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th^ ed.). American Psychological Association. https://apastyle.apa.org/products/publication-manual-7th-edition APA Style. (2020). About APA style. https://apastyle.apa.org/about-apa-style Curcio, G., Ferrara, M., & De Gennaro, L. (2006). Sleep loss, learning capacity and academic performance. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 10 , 323-337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2005.11. Gold, B. T., Kim, C., Johnson, N. F., Kryscio, R. J., & Smith, C. D. (2013). Lifelong bilingualism maintains neural efficiency for cognitive control in aging. The Journal of Neuroscience, 33 (2), 387-396. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3837-12. Gaultney, J. F. (2010). The prevalence of sleep disorders in college students: Impact on academic performance. Journal of American College Health, 59 (2), 91-97. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2010. Kousaie, S. & Phillips, N. A. (2102). Ageing and bilingualism: Absence of a“bilingual advantage” in Stroop interference in a nonimmigrant sample. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 65 (2), 356-369. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2011. Trockel, M. T., Barnes, M. D., & Egget, T. L. (2000). Health-related variables and academic performance among first-year college students: Implications for sleep and other behaviors. Journal of American College Health, 49 (3), 125-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/
First level heading, title caps, centralised and bold
Reference for two or more authors up to 19.
Indent second and subsequent lines for each reference