Lab Report Format

The purpose of the BU lab program is to both provide a personal experience of the physical principles and also give students practice communicating their findings in a clear, concise manner with easily identifiable objectives, metrics, and results. All lab reports in the ME curriculum should be written using the same format. Click on any item below for further information concerning that lab report section.  Further information about the use of graphics and avoiding plagiarism are found at the end of this page.  Note that this is a standard format but that it is not the only format possible for a lab report.  We have selected it because it is clear and concise and will provide consistency across the program.

  1. Title page
  2. Introduction
  3. Theory
  4. Measurement Methods (spot checks)
  5. Analysis and Results
  6. Discussion and Conclusions
  7. References
  8. Appendices

Students should arrive to perform a lab able to describe the goal of the lab and the methods that will be used.  If data sheets are supplied as part of the lab, students should bring them to the lab. If there are no data sheets supplied, students should arrive at the lab with a data template they created. Students should also be prepared to complete their spot checks as they perform the lab.

An example lab report can be accessed here.

General Tips:

  • Reports should be written in third person.  Occasional usage of first person is allowed in order to alleviate overuse of the passive voice.
  • Any figure or table that appears in the report should be numbered and referred to in the text of the report.
  • The report should be written concisely.
  • Many writing errors can be eliminated by reading the report out loud to oneself.
  • Guidelines for presenting data (plots etc.) can be accessed here.

Title Page:

This should include the title of the lab, course number, names of all members of the lab group, and the date on which the lab was performed. Please make this a separate page.

Write this as if it is going to your boss.  How will they know what this report is about?

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Introduction:

This should briefly state in your own words what you are trying to accomplish and why you are performing the experiment. Do not simply copy or paraphrase the lab handout.

DO NOT write a question. DO NOT re-write the lab handout.  Give a synopsis of what you did, why you did it, and major principles you employed to do it. NO FIRST PERSON.

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Theory:

This should explain the relevant theory that describes the physical principle of the lab. Equations should be properly numbered (in parentheses on the right margin), and all variables should be explained in the text. Be sure to properly document any derivations that are appropriate for the lab.

Prove you know the concepts behind what you used. Do it briefly, concisely and correctly. You must do a little reading on the topic and put things into your own words. Equations MUST BE TYPED. ALL variables must be defined. A nomenclature section as an Appendix can be referenced.

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Measurement Methods (and spot checks):

This should explain the measurement techniques, equipment used, and procedures to be employed in the lab. It is almost always desirable to do an analysis of some data points in the lab while the experiment is running. This is called a spot check. A spot check permits you to see if the results make sense, or if the experiment is generating data that is obviously erroneous and either the experiment or your method of analysis needs correcting.  Your prelab preparation should identify the relevant equations, along with the necessary unit conversions & constants to reduce in-lab time. Then in the lab, you will only need to plug in your experimental values.  The method for performing this spot check should be described in this section.

During the lab, be sure to make a note of problems with the equipment, if appropriate and include this information in your final report.

DO NOT re-write the lab handout. DO NOT write a list of steps. In a technical report, you summarize what you did in prose format. You may use present or past tense, but be consistent. Give enough detail that a competent person could re-do exactly what you did and obtain the same results. Make sure you mention all components used and how they were used.

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Analysis and Results:

This section should summarize and display the results of the experiment. This section should be purely factual, where the results are displayed primarily in the form of graphs. Describe the results clearly and concisely. Do you see expected trends? Figures should be numbered and have a caption below the figure. Use tables if appropriate. Tables should be numbered, and have a title above. Cite equations from previous sections as necessary.

Figure axes should be properly labeled, with proper units. If you have multiple trends to show, make sure to include a legend that compensates for black and white printing if you don’t have access to a color printer (ie, use distinct symbols)! Use linear or log scaling where appropriate. If you are going to comment on how two results compare then they need to be plotted on the same graph. Do not include graphs of each individual trial. Combine them into composite figures for easy comparison.

Introduce and discuss all tables and figures within text – do not just throw them in. Use proper units and significant figures.

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Discussion and Conclusion:

This should examine whether the lab satisfied the stated purpose, and explain what you have observed and learned. Try to explain any differences that you observed between theory (or accepted experimental data) and experimental results. What are the implications of your results? How could they be used in the future? What different methods could you use in the future? What parameters were more important in design, less important? Why?

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References:

If you used information from external sources (ie, other than the lab manual or your own work), be sure to cite these references using appropriate bibliographic style. Quoting references without a proper citation is plagiarism.

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Appendices:

The raw data from the lab should be included in an Appendix. Sample Calculations can be included in an appendix. Data tables that are not crucial to the discussion in the lab of the results but may be helpful to the reader as a reference can be included as an appendix. The use of appendices helps to unclutter the lab report.

More Info on Graphics:

  • Introduce each graphic before it appears in document.
    • Readers will not know the purpose of a graphic until you tell them. NEVER include a graphic without mentioning it in the text. This includes stuff in an Appendix.
  • Place the graphic as close as possible to its discussion in the text.
    • To avoid confusing people, don’t make your readers flip forward/backward unnecessarily.
  • Label each figure and table with a number and a caption.
    • Your graphic should be able to “stand” on its own – the reader may only see the graphic and caption… make sure they know what it means.
  • Present the graphics professionally.
    • Sloppiness undermines the quality of the document. Take your time to do it right.
  • Make sure the graphic is large enough to see clearly, and of high enough resolution.
    • Seems obvious… but if your graphics aren’t 100% legible, they’re 0% useable.
  • Avoid cluttering the document with unnecessary graphics.
    • As with any good thing, too much can be a problem. Use graphics to enhance understanding of material, In long reports, redundant pix can be moved to an appendix.
  • Further guidelines for presenting data (plots etc.) can be accessed here.

Avoiding Plagiarism:

It can be difficult when you’ve collected information from a variety of sources to avoid representing someone else’s words or ideas as your own. Please note, these are some examples of plagiarism:

  • Copying a phrase, sentence or passage from a source and not giving credit to the original author;
  • Summarizing or paraphrasing someone else’s ideas without acknowledging the source;
  • Allowing someone else to write significant portions of your document for you without admitting the help;
  • Forgetting to place quotations around another writer’s words;
  • Copy/pasting figures, tables, equations without citation;
  • Using values from books without citing the source.

Arriving at an understanding of the material which coincides with what others also understand is expected.  The engineering concepts do not change over time.  Expressing your understanding in your own voice with your own words though is important.  Thus, copying part of a lab from a previous year or from an online resource when it describes your understanding as well is still plagiarism.

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