Protocols, sometimes also called "methods," give detailed instructions on how to conduct an experiment. They serve multiple purposes by allowing you to design your experiment, helping you plan out what steps to take while conducting your experiment, and enabling others to replicate your experiment if they so choose. They can be written as either a list of paragraph; in this website, we will teach you how to write them as lists. These have two parts: Materials and methods.
Materials lists tell readers what items they should acquire prior to starting the experiment; think of them as a shopping list! Always include as much detail about the materials as you can -- aspects like the quantity you will be using, the model number of devices, the volumes or sizes of containers, and concentrations of chemicals used. Any numbers used should adhere to the metric scale. Here is an example:
1 2 L bottle of Diet Coca-Cola
1 laboratory notebook
1 pen
1 UltraCruz Four Channel Alarm Timer (sc-201632)
The protocol should be a detailed step-by-step instruction that includes all information necessary to complete an experiment. Start by explaining how to set-up for the experiment. Then, explain the steps to change your independent variable. Finally, explain the steps for how to measure your dependent variable.
Here is an example:
Gather all materials necessary
Place the cups the counter
Fill one cup with 500 mL of water
Repeat steps 3 4 more times, until each of the cups are filled
Make sure to mention important details like time, quantity, and material used. A good way to evaluate your procedure is to ask someone else to read it, and explain it to you. Then, identify any details missing or gaps in the protocol. Have a detailed procedure before you start or this can lead to problems while conducting the experiment!