Lab Report Expectations

FEH H191 Week 5 (and forever…)

Formatting

• 20 points

• Check spelling

• Check grammar

• Use third person consistently

• Use tense consistently

In other words -

Please proofread!!!

Additional Formatting Issues

• Provide units

• Provide NEAT sketches if done by hand

• Number pages. Text begins on page 2. Title page number does not appear

Equations

• Equations should not be numbered as figures

• Equations should be centered on a new line with no other text

• Write equation in variable form then in the text DEFINE the variables. Do not rewrite the equation in words

Figures and Tables

• Label and title all figures and tables• Number tables, figures and appendices in the

order they are mentioned in the report• This should also be the order they are placed in

the report• Create figures and tables in Excel or other

program when possible• Charts do not exist - only tables, figures, and

equations• Capitalize the title of a reference in the text:

“... can be found in Figure 1.”

Appendices

• Sample Calculations

• Lengthy equation derivations

• Large figures

• Supplemental figures

• Data sheets if appropriate

• Try to make figures that can be put into the body for better flow

Language issues

• This is not AP English– Do not use fancy language unless it is more

descriptive. Peak is ok. Apogee is inappropriate– Do not use colloquial language. Be formal– Do not use contractions (Do not use Don’t)

• Do not use subjective words like pretty good, reasonable, very, a lot

• Be careful using absolutes such as exactly, perfectly, all, and every

Appendix Format

• Title Page

• Number every page

• Title and number all figures and tables independently of report or other appendices

Content

• 80 points

• Discussion ~ 25%

• Results and Description ~ 40%

• Other sections make up the rest of the points

The exact break down changes every week

Introduction

• Introduce lab objective– Often found in on-line lab write up– Mention generally (i.e. do not say “students”)

• Briefly describe report– Explain where data can be found in the report– State what other sections include

Intro Don’ts

• Do not include experimental methodology– DO: Spring constants were determined for x,y

and z springs…– DO NOT: Spring constants for x,y,z were

determined by adding weights …

• Do not give background– Found in some technical reports. Not ours.– Do not explain why the world needs to bend

beams for peace and prosperity

A good introduction tells the reader what type of experiment was performed and how the information about the experiment is broken down in the report

Experimental Methodology

• Describe process for collecting data

• Mention instruments used

• When necessary, describe conditions– Sunny, cloudy, temp…

• When appropriate, include a fully labeled figure of the test set up and describe

EM Don’ts

• Do not mention students, group, teams

• Do not give ANY results

• Do not describe format of results

• Do not break down every stage of everything. A summary of the process is fine

• A good experimental methodology gives enough information for the reader to recreate the lab. Measurement tools should be described but do not need to be exact. Transformer ratios are needed, but transformer company and year of production are not (for FEH).

Results & Description

• State all results in tabular, graphical or written form

• Describe all figures and tables

• Break out equations from paragraph

• Include as many tables and figures in results section as are appropriate without breaking up the report too much

Results Don’ts

• Do not discuss errors in data• Do not paste a bunch of figures with no text• Do not put everything in the appendix• Do not write everything in one long paragraph• Do not give the results personalities:

– “The result came to be…” is a terrible sentence

• A good results and description section mentions all of the data and describes all figures and tables. A reader should glean as much from the text as from the figures. There should be overlap in the information in these.

Discussion

• Compare experimental and theoretical values

• Answer questions where appropriate

• Discuss relationships in the data

• Mention any results that seem erroneous and describe possible reasons for the error

Discussion Don’ts

• Do not number questions

• Do not write one long paragraph

• Do not over generalize error. What type of human error? Why was there measurement error?

• Do not conclude

• Do not introduce new results

• A good discussion tells the reader about the data, what is means, and how and where it deviates from what is expected. A discussion is the segue to a conclusion. It sets up all the needed information to form reasonable conclusions

Summary and Conclusions

• Include a summary of the important data points

• Look to the introduction for items to conclude (e.g lab objectives)

• Conclude appropriately on the data– Did it match the expected?– What were the sources of error?– What can this be applied to?

S&C Don’ts

• Do not include new results

• Do not discuss

• Do not over-generalize– “All electricity distribution systems have

problems with…”

• Do not forget to summarize

• A good summary mentions the important (usually most descriptive or telling) points of the data, or sources of error

• A good conclusion explains how the lab objectives have or have not been met and provides considerations or recommendations for future experimentation