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Insight · Science and writing · 5 min read

How to write a lab report discussion that follows from the data

The discussion is the part of a lab report most students find hardest. It gets easier when every claim comes from the data.

Theme · Reading and writing

StatusIn preparation · the full piece will follow our opening

What the discussion is for

The discussion explains what the results mean. It answers the question the experiment asked, using the evidence collected, and is honest about what that evidence can’t show.

A simple structure

State what the data show. Explain why, using the science. Compare with what you expected. Name the sources of error and how they might have affected the results. Suggest what you would change next time.

Every claim should come from the data.

The short version

Common mistakes

Claiming more than the data support. Repeating the results without explaining them. Blaming “human error” without saying what it was. Each can be fixed by asking of every sentence: where in my data does this come from?

What you’ll take away

01Every claim should come from the data.
02Explain, don’t just repeat.
03Name specific sources of error.

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