LAB REPORTS A quick synopsis

Every report must say… Who – who wrote it, for whom it was written What – what is the subject of the report Why – why the report was prepared How – how you did the analysis or study or investigation Where – the context/location

Every report must … Present a logical case to explain and support your conclusions and recommendations FLOW smoothly, from the general to the specific and from your starting point to your conclusions

Table of Contents Introduction Literature review (for a scholarly paper) Methodology or calculations Analysis and findings Conclusions and recommendations References cited Appendix

Specific Outline for CE 453 Cover – Project title, team members (with who did what), and date Table of contents Executive summary (varies with the specific project) Body of report (see table of contents)

Introduction Problem statement – the purpose of the analysis you are reporting

Background Information Where is the project located What is the purpose of the analysis you are reporting Background data (such as existing traffic, etc) Statement of assumptions and/or sources

Method or Calculations Build your case by starting with the foundation, that is, list the basics. For example, a table listing the development you expect with building size parameters such as square feet, number of motel rooms. A simple layout plan showing the locations of the buildings

Method or Calculations (cont) Show a sample of your equations (with sources if not yours) For example, show how you used the populations of adjacent cities to proportion the base traffic

Analysis and Findings What results did you get? For example, “based on our evaluation of recent census data for Hardin County, which showed an annual growth rate of less than 1%, we conclude that a traffic growth rate of 1.0% is appropriate for this project.” Use graphics whenever possible to show your results

Conclusions and recommendations What do these results mean? What should be done based on these results?

Conclusions and recommendations For example, “Based on the projected traffic for the intersection of (Hardin) County Highway D35, we recommend that consideration be given to providing for future expansion of the proposed interchange to accommodate projected growth.”

Appendix Massive tables of data (but be sure to include key results in the body of your report) Background data Other figures that may be requested