Writing Lab Reports Writing Lab Reports Purpose of

Writing Lab Reports

Writing Lab Reports • Purpose of a lab report • Format • Available resources

Consider the Writing Situation • Audience: Other engineers • Purpose: Discuss significance of experimental results

Engineering Needs Reliable Knowledge 1) Use standard procedures and describe your findings qualitatively 2) Report only the results of your specific trial, not general ideas 3) Avoid claims that are beyond your evidence

Analyze the Experiment, Not Yourself Do not report what you “learned”: Report whether you reached your experimental your data is not the results from a quiz! objective.

Practice Writing Like a Professional 1) Write complete sentences in passive voice 2) When using graphics, label and describe them 3) Do not “copy and paste” from another source, even the lab manual 4) Print and proofread before you upload 5) Hand in reports on time

Writing Lab Reports • Purpose of a lab report • Format • Available resources

Standard Format Conserves Effort 1) Title Page 2) Abstract 3) Introduction 4) Procedure 5) Data/Observations 6) Discussion/Conclusions 7) Works Cited 8) Lab Notes (Extra Credit)

Logic, Not Time, Organizes the Report Abstract Brief trajectory of the report Introduction Background information to understand the hypothesis you test in the experiment Procedure The steps you took to test the hypothesis Data/Observations What you saw when you used the procedure Discussion/Conclusions Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next?

Logic, Not Time, Organizes the Report Abstract Brief trajectory of the report Introduction Summarizes Background information to understandthe experimental the hypothesis you test inobjective the experiment (“what you did”) – tells result and its significance Procedure Data/Observations The steps you took What you saw when to test the you used the hypothesis procedure Discussion/Conclusions Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next?

Logic, Not Time, Organizes the Report Abstract Brief trajectory of the report Introduction Background information to understand the hypothesis you test in the experiment Procedure Presents concepts The steps and equations that you took to test the come up later hypothesis Data/Observations What you saw when you used the procedure Discussion/Conclusions Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next?

Logic, Not Time, Organizes the Report Abstract Brief trajectory of the report Objective, Introduction without Allows an outsider to Background information to understand evaluation or the hypothesis you test in the experiment calculations verify results Procedure The steps you took to test the hypothesis Data/Observations What you saw when you used the procedure Discussion/Conclusions Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next?

Logic, Not Time, Organizes the Report Abstract Brief trajectory of the report Introduction Background information to understand the hypothesis you test in the experiment Procedure The steps you took to test the hypothesis Data/Observations What you saw. Analyze when and interpret you usedhow the well the hypothesis procedure was supported Discussion/Conclusions Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next?

Learn to Excel Within This Format 1) Abstract: State experiment clearly and avoid educational goals 2) Introduction: Provide important knowledge needed to understand what should happen 3) Data/Observations: Explain what happened in detail so the report is like a movie 4) Conclusion: Analyze your data to explain how close your test came to the ideal case in the Introduction Writing Consultants can deduct up to 10 points for repeat offenses!

Writing Lab Reports • Purpose of a lab report • Format • Available resources

Where to Find Help 1) Lab Manual (https: //manual. eg. poly. edu) • Lab Report Format • Annotated Lab Report: Competition, Regular 2) PTC Writing Center (JAB 373) • (646) 997 -3425 3) Your writing consultant

Writing Lab Reports QUESTIONS?