Guidelines for Writing a Formal Lab Report
Title Page - A cover page for the report listing the title of the lab report, your name, the class number and the date.
Abstract - This is a brief overview of the work (approximately 50-200 words). This would include a description of (1) the purpose of the lab, (2) the basic procedure, and (3) the main conclusions. This should be considered a document within itself and should be "self-contained." That is, don't refer to equations, references, appendices, etc. that are part of the main body of the report. Abstracts are often published separately. They provide a potential reader with enough information to know if they should read the full document. Short and to the point!
1. Introduction - This section lays out the objective of the lab and the basic procedure used. In research oriented work it would also cite any relevant previous work (by other researchers or by the author) and would explain the novel contribution of the current work. A good introduction often includes a paragraph at the end describing the contents of the remaining sections (one or two sentences per section). This lets the reader know what the organization of the paper is and helps to orient them. Don't be afraid to use some of the same words and sentences as you did in the abstract. Remember, that is a separate document. This section generally does not include equations or figures.
2. Theoretical Calculations - This section presents any relevant theory and theoretical calculations. You will likely include equations and figures here. Make sure that any figures, tables and equations are properly introduced, explained and labeled (see Formatting section below). Feel free to create subsections to organize your ideas. Do not include experimental results of any kind in this section.
3. Experimental Results - In this section, all experimental results are presented. Theoretical predictions may be presented here to provide a comparison with the experimental data. Be sure that all figures and tables are properly introduced and labeled. Be sure to provide sufficient discussion of all data presented, as well as a comparison of analytical, theoretical, and experimental results. Make every effort to account for any disparities between the theory and experimental results as best you can. Note that all figures and tables must be mentioned and described in the body of the text. Don't include a figure and say nothing of it in the body of the text. Refer to each by number (e.g., Figure 1). Also make sure to adequately answer all questions posed in the lab handout. Use subsections as needed.
4. Conclusions - Sum up the work and explain what was learned and/or verified.
References - Put your bibliography here (not need for our labs).
Appendix - (OPTIONAL) This is a section where hand calculations, large data tables, MATLAB code and any other supplemental information used to complete the lab (that cannot easily be embedded into the report) can be attached. If you need to reference information from the appendix within the body of the report, be sure to note that the information is contained within the appropriate section of the Appendix (e.g. "See Figure 1 in Appendix A").
Formatting and Writing Conventions
Avoid First Person - Avoid first person when doing technical writing, although the use of "we" is generally considered acceptable (but should be used sparingly). Also, write entirely in the present tense (I did not invent the conventions, but like it or not, you will be expected to follow them if you do any technical writing in your job).
Text - I prefer that the title be in 14-point bold text. The section headings should be in bold 12-point type. All text in the main body of the document should be single-spaced 11-point or 12-point type.
Figures - Each Figure should be centered within the page and include a caption below it in bold 10-point type. All Figures should be numbered in the order in which they are introduced and described in the body of the text. The caption should first contain the word "Figure" followed by its respective number and a colon. The caption should provide a brief description of the figure and possibly its significance. Figures should be embedded within the document after they are introduced in the body of the text . Keep in mind that EVERY Figure in your report needs to be referenced in your discussion. When referring to a Figure in your report, be sure to spell out its name (e.g. "Figure 1"), making sure to capitalize the ‘F' in Figure.
Below is an example:
The schematic for a Thevenin Equivalent Circuit can be seen below in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Schematic for a Thevenin Equivalent Circuit.
Tables - Tables should also be centered within the page and include a caption above it in bold 10-point type. Tables should also be number in the order in which they are introduced. The caption should first contain the word "Table" followed by its respective number and a colon. Afterwards, a brief description should be given about what the Table contains. Also, try to make sure grid lines are visible to improve readability. When referencing a table in the body of your report, refer to it as "Table N", where N is its respective number, making sure to capitalize the ‘T.' See the example below:
The voltage and current measurements for the resistor shown in Figure 1 are provided in Table 1.
Table 1: Experimental VI Measurements for Resistor Rth.
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Voltage (V)
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Current (mA)
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1.23
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2.34
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2.34
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4.56
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3.45
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3.23
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4.56
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2.34
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5.67
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5.67
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6.78
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10.33
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Equations - When including equations in your report (using Microsoft Equation Editor), it is important that they are properly punctuated. An equation should be introduced as part of a complete sentence, with the appropriate punctuation. They should appear on a separate line and should be indented from the left margin or centered. Also, each equation is numbered in order of appearance as shown below. When referencing an equation, refer to it as "Equation N", where N is its respective number, making sure to capitalize the ‘E.' Below is an example:
Ohm's law is given by
V = IR (1)
Where V is voltage in volts, I is current in Amps, and R is resistance in Ohms.