1. Writing Lab Reports Writing Consultant Presentation EG 1003: Intro to Engineering and Design NYU’s Polytechnic School of Engineering

2. Writing Lab Reports  Purpose of a lab report  Format  Available resources

3. Consider the writing situation Audience: Other engineers Purpose: Discuss significance of experimental results

4. Engineering needs reliable knowledge 1.Use standard procedures and describe your findings qualitatively 2.Report only the results of your specific trial, not general ideas 3.Avoid claims that are beyond your evidence.

5. Analyze experiment, not yourself Do not report what you “learned”: your data is not the results of a quiz! Report whether you reached your experimental objective

6. 1.Write complete sentences in passive voice 2.When using graphics, label and describe 3.Do not “ cut and paste ” from another source, even the Lab Manual 4.Print and proofread before you upload 5.Hand in report on time Practice writing like a professional

7. Writing Lab Reports  Purpose of a lab report  Format  Available resources

8. Standard format conserves effort 1.Title page 2.Abstract 3.Introduction 4.Procedure 5.Data/Observations 6.Discussion/Conclusions 7.Works Cited

9. Logic, not time, organizes the report Abstract Brief trajectory of the report Introduction Background information to understand the hypothesis you test in the experiment Discussion/Conclusions Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next? Procedure The steps you took to test the hypothesis Data/Observations What you saw when you used the procedure

10. Logic, not time, organizes the report Abstract Brief trajectory of the report Introduction Background information to understand the hypothesis you test in the experiment Discussion/Conclusions Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next? Procedure The steps you took to test the hypothesis Data/Observations What you saw when you used the procedure Summarizes the experimental objective ( “ what you did ” ) – tells result and its significance

11. Logic, not time, organizes the report Abstract Brief trajectory of the report Introduction Background information to understand the hypothesis you test in the experiment Discussion/Conclusions Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next? Procedure The steps you took to test the hypothesis Data/Observations What you saw when you used the procedure Presents concepts and equations that come up later

12. Logic, not time, organizes the report Abstract Brief trajectory of the report Introduction Background information to understand the hypothesis you test in the experiment Discussion/Conclusions Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next? Procedure The steps you took to test the hypothesis Data/Observations What you saw when you used the procedure Allows an outsider to verify results Objective, without evaluation or calculations

13. Logic, not time, organizes the report Abstract Brief trajectory of the report Introduction Background information to understand the hypothesis you test in the experiment Discussion/Conclusions Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next? Procedure The steps you took to test the hypothesis Data/Observations What you saw when you used the procedure Analyze and interpret how well the hypothesis was supported

14. 1.Abstract: State experiment clearly, avoiding educational goals 2.Introduction: provide important knowledge needed to understand what should happen 3.Data/Observations: Explain what happened so well that the report is like a movie 4.Conclusion: Analyze your data to explain close your test came to the ideal case in the Introduction Learn to excel within this format

15. Writing Lab Reports  Purpose of a lab report  Format  Available resources

16. 1.Lab Manual (http://manual.eg.poly.edu) “Specifications for Writing Your Lab Reports” “Annotated Lab Report” 2.The Writing Center (JAB 373) (718) 260-3425 tutoring@poly.edu 3.Your friendly neighborhood writing consultant Where to find help

17. Writing Lab Reports  Purpose of a lab report  Style and format  Available resources