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
This is the mapping slide.

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

4. Engineering needs reliable knowledge
Use what you can support with evidence.
Report only the results of your specific trial, not general ideas
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. Practice writing like a professional
Write complete sentences in passive voice
When using graphics, label and describe
Do not “cut and paste” from another source, even the Lab Manual
Print and proofread before you upload
Hand in report on time

7. Writing Lab Reports Purpose of a lab report Format Available resources
This is the mapping slide.

8. Standard format conserves effort
Title page
Abstract
Introduction
Procedure
Data/Observations
Discussion/Conclusions
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
Procedure
The steps you took to test the hypothesis
Data/Observations
What you saw when you used the procedure
Discussion/Conclusions
Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next?

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
Summarizes the experimental objective (“what you did”) – tells result and its significance
Procedure
The steps you took to test the hypothesis
Data/Observations
What you saw when you used the procedure
Discussion/Conclusions
Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next?

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
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
Discussion/Conclusions
Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next?

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

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
Analyze and interpret how well the hypothesis was supported
Procedure
The steps you took to test the hypothesis
Data/Observations
What you saw when you used the procedure
Discussion/Conclusions
Based on the Introduction, did the Procedure produce the expected results? What is next?

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

15. Writing Lab Reports Purpose of a lab report Format Available resources
This is the mapping slide.

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

17. Writing Lab Reports Purpose of a lab report Style and format
Available resources
This is the mapping slide.