1. LAB REPORTS
A quick synopsis

2. 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

3. 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

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

5. 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)

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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

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

12. 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.”

13. 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