Writing a lab report

Dr Sally Alkhafaji

C&M Engineering Department

The University of Auckland

Lab report structure

Title page for technical report Abstract or summary on separate page Contents page List of symbols List of figures List of tables Introduction Theory Materials and Methods Results and discussion Conclusions Recommendations (if required) References Acknowledgements (if required) Appendices

Abstract

Allows the reader to judge whether it would serve his or her purposes to read the entire report,

Provides a concise summary of the entire report and its most important results,

Although is the first section of a lab report, maybe written last, because it is a summary.

The abstract summarizes:

The purpose of the experiment,

What is the question to be answered,

Key findings, what were the results,

Most significant point of discussion,

Significance and major conclusions,

Usually its only one paragraph of few lines (up to 10).

The abstract may include:

Brief method

Brief theory

Lists

Table of contents

List of symbols

List of figures

List of tables

Introduction

Defines the subject of the report,

Outlines the scientific objective for the research performed,

Theoretical background,

Gives some information about the motivation of hypothesis (includes what we already know—or rather, what scientists generally accept as true),

Brief summery of previous related research, a statement of a problem that this research has raised.

Important questions that have to be

answered in the introduction section:

What is the question that the experiment is

supposed to answer?

What it the importance of answering the

question?

What knowledge already exists about this subject?

Theory

Theoretical background to understand how the experiment works, basic principles,

What assumptions has been made, and how the experiment is related to the physics being studied,

Equations that defines the phenomenon studied.

When writing equations, remember to:

Give a number for each equation,

Define all variables,

Writ the units,

Use equation editor.

Materials and methodsMaterials

Description of equipment/ sketch/ block diagram,

Description of materials used in the experiment and how they were used.

Experimental methods includes

All the process steps in the order they actually

happened,

Any difficulties with the apparatus, and if so how

were resolved,

Any problems or difficulties in following the lab

manuals procedure, and if the procedure have been

modified.

Should be written clearly so another

researcher should be able to duplicate the

experiment,

Past tense should be used to refer to

everything was done during the experiment.

When writing experimental procedure also consider

the following:

Results, discussion and data analysis

Results Description of the findings of the experiment, Presenting the data into organized tables, figures,

graphs, photographs, and so on, Attention to key points need to be drawn by sentences, Discussion on how the slope and intercept were

calculated of any linear graphs, Calculation, (sample of calculation, leave the

remainder in an appendix), Compare expected results with those obtained. If there

were differences, how can you account for them?

All figures and tables should:

Include descriptive titles and a legend explaining any symbols, or special methods used,

Be numbered separately and referred to in the text by number,

Be self-explanatory; the reader should be able to understand them without referring to the text,

All columns and rows in tables and axes in figures should be labelled,

Data included in a table should not be duplicated in a figure or graph.

What is the significance or meaning of the results?

This question can be answered by both aspects of

discussion:

1. Analysis What do the results indicate clearly?

What was found? Explanation of what was found with

certainty based on the results.

2. InterpretationWhat is the significance of the results? What questions might we raise? Logical explanations for problems in the data.

Discussion,

Discussion part also include:

Suggestions for the improvement of techniques or experimental design,

Suggestions of future experiments that might clarify areas of doubt in the results,

Compare results to similar investigations,

Error analyzing, experimental errorWas it avoidable? Was it a result of equipment?

Conclusions

Review the purpose of the lab,

Summarize the implications of the experimental

results,

Emphasis the detections from the data analysis in

more details than in the abstract.

References

All references that been used to write the report

including the lab manual,

Example, lab manual, text book, references to get

some data for example steam tables or any sketch

that you’ve copied or scanned.

Appendices

Calculation OR sample of calculations

Raw data

Make of equipments

Each kind of item should be contained in a

separate appendix.

Other important information on writing

lab reports

You are expected to write good clear English in your lab reports,

Use correct grammar in complete sentences,

Remember that the point of any report is communicating with someone else,

If you keep distracting the reader with grammatical mistakes or unclear prose, you will make it difficult for them to concentrate on the meaning,

After writing a report, read it over, watching especially for lack of precision and for ambiguity, each sentence should present a clear message.

Two sheets to be attached to your lab report

(available in Cecil):

Cover sheet

Marking sheet