Abstract - What, how, and what happened?
At the top of any journal article (scientific or not), you will find an abstract. The abstract is a concise and yet
detailed summary of the report. It exists so that very busy researchers can learn what you've achieved and how
you've achieved it, without having to read your whole report. It should contain the purpose of your experiment, the
method and conditions used (e.g., RP-HPLC using a Waters Symmetry Shield column; 8% ACN as the mobile
phase at a flow rate of 1.1 mL/min.; UV detection at 265 nm, etc.), the results, and your conclusions. It should be
no longer than a short paragraph. Many TAs require an abstract in a lab report—find out if your TA expects one.