FORMATTING AND STYLE OF LAB REPORT III
Short Report Format
The main difference between a short report and a
full, formal report is that a short report holds no sections for
"Introduction" or "Procedure". These can be BRIEFLY
discussed at the beginning of your "Results & Discussion"
section.
SPECIFIC SHORT REPORT FORMAT is found on page
4 of the MSE Lab Report Formats.
TIPS FOR WRITING GOOD REPORTS can be found (1) below and (2) in the lab GRADING CRITERIA
Abstract
1. The abstract is placed ON the
cover page
2. It must include Purpose, Scope, Results and Conclusions
3. These should all be contained in 2-3 sentences for a total of less than 150
words
Results and Discussion
1. Note that in the long report
format, these are two separate sections. Although they are combined here in the
short format, you should still try to keep the two concepts separate –
that is, in your writing, distinguish your raw measurements and calculations
from your interpretations.
2. Be sure to discuss all of the relevant issues of the
experiment, any questions from the end of
the lab handout should be incorporated within the body of your text.
3. Compare your results to previously reported or published data to verify the
validity of your experiment.
Tables and Figures
1. Size: make your figure or
graph sufficiently large to interpret
2. Caption: completely describe what the figure or table shows and specifically
point out what is important about the item. Also, use a smaller font size to
set the caption apart from the rest of the main body of text.
3. Numbering: the numbers of you figures and tables are determined by the order
of presentation in your report. You should insert them into the text, in order.
4. In the text refer specifically to each figure and discuss the important
points of each figure/table.
5. If you have a data table and make a graph using that data, don't include
both in your report - put the data table in an APPENDIX and leave just the
graph in the report.
Conclusion
1. Reiterate the major trends and
conclusions of the lab. Discuss what causes them make references to important
graphs, data or pictures.
2. Don't talk about something for the first time in the Conclusion.
References
1. If you used anything but your
own thoughts to write the report, at the end of the report create a references
section. Both labs III and IV should have references.
2. Number each reference using either brackets [1], or superscripts 1 for each
reference.
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