Louisiana State University - Mechanical Engineering Department - ME 3701

Utilize 1" Margins, Single-Space with 12 Point Times or Times Roman Font on all Lab Reports!

The Lab Report Format outlined here is based on the suggestions of J.P. Holman in "Experimental Methods for Engineers," McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, 1978.

Follow the procedure listed below when writing full Lab Reports:

     1.) Sketch an outline of the report including as much detail as is available.

     2.) Wait for a period of time, a day or so, before proceding.

     3.) Revise the outline and make any corrections you feel are necessary.

     4.) Write the entire report relatively quickly in rough-draft form.

     5.) Again, wait for a period of time, a day or so, before proceding.

     6.) Proof-read your draft making corrections as you go; try to get the report in final form.

     7.) Have a competent colleague proof-read the report in detail.

     8.) Rewrite the report in its final form considering your colleagues comments when appropriate.

The organization provided by the following report format is straightforward and suitable for the types of experiments that will be conducted in this class.  In the text that follows, each section of the report is discussed in detail.   It will become clear that each section of the report has a specific function and minimum requirements that must be met by the writer.  If each section is written so that it performs its intended function, the final result will be a clear and efficiently written laboratory report.

• Lab Reports will be graded based on Content and Completeness.

- ALL of the following sections should be included in the Full Lab Reports; each section will carry a point value and be appropriately weighted in determining the Report Grade!

- The "Lab Requirements" pertaining to the applicable experiments MUST ALL be addressed in the formal report; most of the "Lab Requirements" should be answered/presented in the "Discussion" section of the report.

 

1.) FRONT MATTER

- Title Page (3 Points)

- Abstract (17.5 Points)

- Table of Contents (3 Points)

- List of Nomenclature (3 Points)

- List of Figures and Tables (3 Points)

- Introduction (7.5 Points)

The Title Page is a separate cover sheet that should clearly identify the report by title, class, section number, date and the instructor’s name.

The Abstract should concisely (briefly and accurately) inform the audience of what is contained within the report.  It should tell what was done, and should briefly state the conclusions, but the mathematical formulations should not be discussed here; this information is found in the report’s body.  Abstracts are generally very important; in industry, and in academia, since the abstract is often the only part of a report that is read and generally determines whether or not the reader continues.  Although located at the beginning of the report, the Abstract is a summary and should be written after the rest of the report is complete.

Table of Contents – Self Explanatory

The List of Nomenclature is a list defining any variables used within the report.

List of Figures and Tables – Self Explanatory

An Introduction should be included to prepare the reader for the more detailed discussions contained within the body of the report.   It’s purpose is to describe the purpose and scope of the experiment.  It is best to orient the reader by first introducing the broad topic, narrowing it down to those areas addressed in the report, and then explicitly stating the scope and primary aims of the experiment.  There is no need for an extensive introduction; in effect it describes the broad question of the general usefulness of such experiments.

 

2.) BODY

An Experimental Apparatus and Procedure (7.5 Points) section should always be included so the reader is able to understand what the experiment involved.  If the report is concerned with research and new knowledge, a detailed discussion of the apparatus is required so that the experiment can be repeated by the reader if desired.  If the test results are being reported in accordance with standard procedures (ASME, ASTM, etc.) then the specific standard should be referenced.   For this course, the procedure should include a list of the materials tested and important equipment used.  A step-by-step procedure should NOT be presented; concisely describe the procedures that were followed and indicate the relevance of each procedure to the purpose of the experiment.

An Experimental Results (10 Points) section should present the important results in a clear and organized manner. This includes all figures, tables, and graphs needed to support the discussion and conclusions that follow.  Raw data and sample calculations are not normally discussed and should be placed in the appendix. Every figure and table should have a brief description of where the data came from, what it shows, how it compares to the results that were expected, and a comment about the accuracy and reproducibility of the results.

The purpose of the Discussion (17.5 Points) section is to demonstrate how the results were analyzed and how they support the final conclusions.  The results are discussed in terms of what they show about the material’s behavior and what they mean in the context of the purpose of the experiment.  In this section of the report, the arguments and logic needed to support the conclusions are developed.  The discussion forms the bridge between the original observations and what they ultimately mean to the reader.  While the previous sections show how the experiment was conducted, this section focuses on analytical abilities and  understanding of the material properties/behavior being studied.   "Lab Requirements" are generally answered/presented in this section!

A Conclusions (17.5 Points) section should clearly present the important findings of the experiment in a set of concise statements (possibly in bullet form) focusing on the key observations/findings and their significance.  It is the final product of the report and, most importantly, it is the answer to the question posed in the Introduction.  The conclusions can be quite specific or quite general depending on the type(s) of experiments conducted.  This is the second most important section of the report (Abstract is the most important); make sure it’s thought out and accurately written.

All References (3 Points) utilized within the report should be cited within the report with an identification number such as [1] or ¹ and properly listed in a Reference section at the end of the report.

The Appendix (7.5 Points) is the section of the report for things that were relevant to the experiment, but not important enough to be included in the body.  Items such as the sample calculations, original data sheets, chart recorder outputs, computer printouts & algorithm listings, etc. should be included.  All HAND-WRITTEN LAB REQUIREMENT WORK should also be included in this section.