lab+report+hints

The abstract is a //clear, concise, and complete// summary of the project, including the purpose, methodology, results, and major conclusions. Although the abstract is the first section that the audience reads, it is usually the last section that the author writes. The abstract should be one or possibly two paragraphs in length and appear on the title page. The abstract will repeat information provided in the report. The abstract //is not// an introductory section of the report, but must be able to stand alone. Some people may read it and continue on with the report; others may never read the rest of the report. Your job is to entice the reader to continue reading the report.
 * Abstract **

The report introduction will have some elements that resemble the abstract, but it must include other information as well. Don’t worry about anything that seems repetitive or redundant with the abstract; repetition here is alright because the abstract is not a replacement for the introduction. Nor is the introduction supposed to flow from the abstract – they are distinct entities within the report. The report introduction serves, literally, to introduce the reader to the report that follows. It needs to draw the reader in, to make her/him interested, to ensure that the relevance of the report is apparent. Thus the introduction offers more kinds of information than the abstract did. To write an effective introduction, try to include the following information: · any background information that will help orient the reader (the context of the experiment, the need for the information). A brief statement that covers this information can be very useful to readers, especially as reports get filed and not read again for months or years hence;
 * Background / Introduction **

= Purpose = · a statement of the purpose of the experiment/results being reported on; · a statement of the scope of the report, including any limitations of what it does and does not offer to the reader;

= Problem / Question =

= Hypothesis =

= Procedure = · a roadmap (overview, preview) of what information is provided subsequently in the individual report sections. Do not write verbatim what was written in the Lab Handout! **DO NOT USE FIRST PERSON! i.e., do not use “I” or “we”**. The document should be double-spaced or one and one-half spaced. The margins should be one inch on all sides. You can choose to justify the text or not, but whatever you decide, be consistent. The Introduction section should include the pertinent literature and background from other referenced sources (if appropriate). These references must be listed in the **Reference** section. When you cite a reference in the text give its number at the end of the relevant sentence in square brackets, e.g., “Free vibrations may be classified as underdamped, critically damped, or overdamped [1].” ** Experimental Results ** In this section, describe the results. Remember to refer your reader to specific Figures, Tables and Appendices where applicable and show your calculations and data manipulation. Note that it is preferable to have Figures and Tables close to the text where they are discussed. The goal here is to report the results – **//NOT//** to discuss whether they are good or bad results. Usually the trends in a graph are pointed out, but not fully explained. The discussion of the trend is saved for the Discussion section. ** Discussion of Results ** In the discussion, you should point out how your experimental results compare with theory, and suggest and explain reasons for deviations. Discuss the sources of error in this section. ** Conclusions ** Summarize the project goals and the major findings in a paragraph. There may be repetition with the Abstract, but again that is o’kay. ** References ** 1. S.S. Rao, //Mechanical Vibrations,// Fourth Edition, Prentice-Hall, Inc., New Jersey, 2004. ** Appendix A: Types of Information Included in Appendices ** ** Note: ** Each appendix should begin on a separate page. Appendices are used for specific calculations that would clutter the main body of text. Remember to specifically refer the reader to an appendix in the body of the report. · Detailed derivations · Raw data · Computer programs · Other information that is too detailed to place in the main body of the report.