how to write a lab report electrical engineering

Electrical Engineering Lab Reports

Writing a lab report is both a journey and a destination. During an experiment, you travel beyond the information in a textbook to a tactile environment. Here, you'll encounter unexpected characteristics about devices and concepts. Once the experiment is finished, you gain insight by analyzing your results. Performing experiments and writing lab reports provide hands-on experiences with engineering concepts and devices.

A lab report is an account of an experiment and what was discovered during the experiment. Typically, lab reports present data, discuss results, and provide conclusions. Some lab reports also describe the experiment and the procedures followed. As a student, lab experiments provide you with hands-on experience. Writing about your work in a lab then forces you to think logically about your data. For example, if you get unexpected results from a lab experiment, you'll speculate why you got those results in the report.

Project Notebooks

Project notebooks record your experiments and include information about the procedures you followed and your findings, as well as the successes and failures during an experiment itself. Notebooks also help you remember an experiment's details. If several weeks or months have passed since you actually completed an experiment, reading your entries from that time as you write your report will help you remember the details.

Readers may or may not know the details of a lab report. You shouldn't assume that they know a test well enough to fill in the report's blanks or that they know anything about the actual lab. Check with your instructor to know who your audience is. To help you describe your lab thoroughly, assume you're writing for a peer in your class, a student who knows what the instruments are, but who doesn't know any of the details of what you're doing. Or, assume you're writing for engineers who will use your information on a project. They may not be familiar with all the terms, so you should explain the lab to them.

Types of Lab Reports

Not all laboratory work requires a report. In fact, at times you may conduct an experiment and only document the numerical results. Other times, you'll elaborate on the experiment's details by formally presenting the procedures you followed and the equipment you used.

Another type of lab report is a project report. A project report is similar to a lab report in that they both present data. However, the difference between the two is often the amount of information conveyed. Project reports usually document more than results. Always check with your instructor to know what type of report you are required to write and what information you should include.

Lab Reports

Lab reports typically cover a more narrow scope than project reports. For example, you may be asked to report only the answers to equations or a specific experiment's results. Lab reports, like their name, report work completed in a laboratory. The format of a lab report may be as simple as filling in blank lines on a worksheet or as complex as writing a full report with an abstract, procedures section, results section, summaries, and conclusions. Lab reports usually don't include references; however, as a student, you may refer to information from your textbook and lectures for some reports.

Project Reports

Project reports typically cover a broader scope than lab reports. In other words, this type of report presents a wider understanding of a specific topic. For example, instead of reporting only the resulting numbers of an experiment, a project report might supply background information or alternate solutions to a problem. Further, a project report does not necessarily document an experiment's results. It may describe a design or concept instead. Because project reports provide a "bigger picture," they usually include references.

General Format

Lab reports, like other kinds of writing, have an organized format. Organizing your report depends on how the report will be used and what headings your readers expect to find. For example, in industry, an engineer reading a report may be concerned only about a test's results and not the procedures or equipment used. On the other hand, a peer in your class reading your report may need to know what equipment you used or how you conducted your test. Most lab reports follow a general format. However, you may be required to use different headings or to present your data in a different order. You may also be required to include or exclude specific information. Be sure to check with your instructor before using the format depicted here.

A lab report should always include a title clearly identifying the lab. A title should be descriptive and accurate, but not wordy, verbose or too terse. Discussions with several instructors show that no relationship exists between the length or literary quality of a title and the quality of a report. That is, a long title does not reflect how good the report is.

The abstract is extremely important because it helps readers decide what to read and what to pass over. The idea of the abstract is to give readers an honest evaluation of what's in the report, so they can quickly judge whether they should spend their valuable time reading the report. This section should give a true, brief description of what's in the report. The most important purpose of the abstract is to allow somebody to get a quick picture of what's in the paper and make a judgment.

The abstract is a brief summary of your report. Its length corresponds with the report's length. So, for example, if your report is eight pages long, you shouldn't use more than 150 words in the abstract. Generally, abstracts define the lab's objective and the procedures followed. They also include the lab's results.

Introduction

The introduction provides a rationale for why you are doing an experiment and why the experiment is useful. It sets the framework or overview for the rest of the report. Here, you can also present the problem you are solving and summarize any related research.

An introduction should be an introduction. For instance, if you're going to give a speech, presumably the master of ceremonies will introduce you. He or she will give your name, perhaps provide your background, the title of what you'll talk about, and maybe why you have chosen to give the talk. An introduction to a report works the same way.

Under the experiment heading, you should describe each step of the lab test. Here, you might also document your goals and the steps taken to accomplish those goals. Basically, you are writing down everything you did during the experiment.

The experiment section tells readers what you wanted to accomplish (to measure a the voltage of a circuit, for instance), what steps you took to accomplish your goals, and what materials and equipment you used to accomplish your goals.

In the results, you should report what you found. Here, you may or may not include data interpretations. Some readers expect interpretations, or conclusions, to be a separate heading. Check with your instructor for what to include in your results.

The results section documents the test's outcome(s). Here, readers discover what the test measured with exact data. Calculations or equations may also be included.

Discussion & Conclusions

One of the goals of the discussion and conclusions section is to comment on the outcome of what you did. You can also speculate about the implications of what you found. Or even about the methods you used to obtain your results.

Typically, the Discussion & Conclusion sections demonstrate what was learned from the experiment. Here, what's been gained in understanding, both from the experiment itself and from any background reading in preparing the report are emphasized. For example, you might note that the procedure you used was a good method for measuring capacity. As a student, it's not likely that you'll be familiar with as many procedures as a practicing engineer, but you can learn about them by reading textbooks and published reports.

Lab reports may or may not include references. If you use information from the course textbook, cite it as a reference. You should also cite any IEEE, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. standards used in your report. Check with your instructor to determine which reference style you should use.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc .

Graphics provide illustrated information to readers. In general, graphics are designed to make it easier for readers to understand your report. Deciding when to insert a graphic depends on the information you need to convey. For example, as you're writing your report, you find yourself struggling to describe a complex concept. Fitting your description within a few paragraphs is impossible, so you decide to create a graphic. Often, graphics are useful when concepts, designs, or processes are too complex or cumbersome to describe in written or oral form.

Perspectives on Lab Reports

In this section, you'll read about how electrical engineers think about lab reports.

Derek Lile, Electrical Engineering

Considering Your Audience

"When you write a technical report, how much do you assume the reader knows? I think normally, if you're writing, let's say, in the IEEE Transactions - you'd better assume the reader is an electrical engineer. He or she knows what ohms are, what farads are, what a capacitor is, and what an oscilloscope is. But you shouldn't assume that he or she knows anything about the measurement that you're doing. "

The Abstract's Function

"An important part of skillful reading, particularly when reading technical material, is sorting out the chaff from the wheat--finding what's important to spend your time reading. When they read a technical paper, most people won't go to a journal, find a paper and sit down and read it. Instead, they'll look at the title and decide if the article sounds interesting or not. If it looks interesting, they'll go to the next step. Some people at that point will read the abstract next, while others might glance at the figures and then look at the abstract. The point is that the abstract becomes a crucial decision maker about whether or not to read the full article. If the abstract looks interesting, then readers would go to the next step of skimming the paper. If that looks good, then they'd read the whole paper. Reading the whole paper takes valuable time. The abstract is one of the steps to devoting a lot of time to the paper. A key thing to remember is that you're not trying to trap people into reading the paper--there's nothing to be gained by that. "

How Readers Use Introductions

"When I read a report and after I've gone through the abstract and decided that the report looks like something I'd want to read, I'll probably look at the results section. If the results are interesting, then I'll come back and I'll start reading the introduction. As I read the introduction, I'll be looking for information about why the results of the experiment are important."

The Experiment Section's Goal

"The most important goal of this section is to explain clearly and precisely what was done to obtain the results. You also need to tell your readers the precise procedures that you followed to obtain those results. In a way, it's like telling the ingredients for a cake without revealing the steps necessary to combine and bake them."

Writing an Effective Results Section

"Good results sections are to the point and really talk about the results. They don't go off on a side track discussing the experimental stuff again, and that's the way it should be. You shouldn't be repeating information over and over - except to the extent of reminding the reader, or helping the reader follow what you're doing. Then repetition is okay. A reader should not have to fill in the blanks. "

Discussion & Conclusions: Organizational Concerns

"Sometimes the discussion and conclusion sections are two separate sections - you'll have a discussion section and a conclusion section. I personally like them together, because the conclusions section can sometimes become a little artificial and doesn't really add anything. So, I like to lump them together and just have one final section. "

John Mahan, Electrical Engineering

Project Reports Versus Lab Reports

"Project reports and lab reports are like recipes. You need to include certain ingredients to make them succeed. More responsibility is placed on students with project reports than with lab reports. After all, in a project report, students are not always told exactly how to proceed. They may be told solve this problem instead of build this device. You might even say that project reports are more like design projects since they sometimes require you to create designs. "

The Value of Lab Work

"I can learn a lot from reading and hearing information, but there's something fascinating about actually doing lab work, about creating a functioning electronic system. It's no longer a diagram in a book, but rather components put together…something I wired correctly and it works! That's basic human interest!"

Citation Information

Dawn Kowalski. (1994-2024). Electrical Engineering Lab Reports. The WAC Clearinghouse. Colorado State University. Available at https://wac.colostate.edu/repository/writing/guides/.

Copyright Information

Copyright © 1994-2024 Colorado State University and/or this site's authors, developers, and contributors . Some material displayed on this site is used with permission.

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Table of Contents

Circuit simulation, lab hardware and software, lab activities and exercises, general background information., things to think about, equipment and materials, results and discussion, conclusions, measurement errors, information on component selection, note about diodes and bandgap conventions:, introduction to electrical engineering based lab activity material.

The laboratory activities provided on this wiki are considered open source and available for free use in non-commercial educational and academic settings. The only requirement is that they continue to retain the attribution to Analog Devices Inc. Supplying them on the ADI wiki allows registered users to contribute to the materials posted here improving the content and keeping them up to date.

Lab Preparation

Basic information and material on circuit simulation , including tool links and usage information.

Most of the labs are populated with LTspice resource files which contain the schematics of the circuits discussed at a specific topic. A file containing the ADALM2000 connections for the schematics can be found here: m2k_conn_ltspice .

These labs can be performed using the ADALM1000 (M1K) entry level Active Learning Module or the ADALM2000 (M2K) more advanced level Active Learning Module. This document outlines how labs might be altered for use with either M1K or M2K.

The ALICE Windows executable installer, in addition to the main ALICE Desktop program, includes the following DC measurement tools:

• DC Voltmeter Quick Start Guide (volt-meter-tool-1.2.exe)
• DC Ohmmeter Quick Start Guide (ohm-meter-vdiv-1.2.exe)
• DC Meter-Source Quick Start Guide (dc-meter-source-tool-1.3.exe)

Oscilloscope Terminology

The labs are generally written to be performed using just the components provided in the Analog Parts Kit, ADALP2000 , supplied through ADI and our authorized distribution channels, however additional devices are sometimes needed (additional information on component selection included below).

The assumption is made that the reader has some familiarity with either the ADALM1000 Lab hardware and ALICE software system or the ADALM2000 Lab hardware and Scopy software system, before starting these lab activities depending on which set of labs are to be preformed.

Learning to mathematically analyze circuits requires much study and practice. Typically, students practice by working through lots of sample problems and checking their answers against those provided by the textbook or the instructor. While this is good, there is a much better way. You will learn much more by actually building and analyzing real circuits, letting your test equipment provide the “answers” instead of a book or another person. For successful circuit-building exercises, follow these steps:

1. Carefully measure and record all component values prior to circuit construction, choosing resistor values high enough to make damage to any active components unlikely.

2. Draw the schematic diagram for the circuit to be analyzed. Or perhaps print out the schematics shown in these lab activities.

3. Carefully build this circuit on your breadboard.

4. Before applying power to your circuit check the accuracy of the circuit's construction, following each wire to each connection point, and verifying these elements one-by-one on the diagram.

5. Mathematically analyze the circuit, solving for all voltage and current values. Circuit simulation software such as LTSpice can be very useful for automating this process.

6. Carefully measure all voltages and currents, to verify the accuracy of your analysis.

7. If there are any substantial errors (greater than a few percent), carefully check your circuit's construction against the diagram, then carefully re-calculate the values and re-measure.

One way you can save time and reduce the possibility of error is to begin with a very simple circuit and incrementally add components to increase its complexity after each analysis, rather than building a whole new circuit for each practice activity. Another time-saving technique is to re-use the same components in a variety of different circuit configurations. This way, you won't have to measure any component's value more than once.

The Good Lab Report

When performing lab tests, whether in college or industry, the lab report is vital for communicating the results in a logically ordered, readable fashion to others. To ensure readability, the report should be done using a word processor that can do text formatting, as well as math equation editing and drawing simple diagrams and schematics. A spell checker is useful to avoid spelling mistakes. All sections of the lab should be organized in some logical fashion, for example in the order the steps were performed. Material in later sections should reference any related material in previous sections.

The following section describes the layout that should be used.

In order to write a successful lab report it should contain the following key elements: objectives, pre lab calculations, equipment used, methods, results discussion, and end with conclusions.

The objectives section should be a brief one paragraph summary of the objectives of the lab experiments. In other words, this section should contain a short list of the steps to be performed as well as the expected test results.

Any preparation that was done prior to the lab should be presented here. This section should contain a short list of tests to be performed as well as the expected results. Expected pre-lab calculations or other work such as circuit simulations is often set out in the Lab worksheet.

This section includes a list of equipment, hardware and material used to perform the experiments. This list should include the make and model of any equipment used and a complete list of parts. Expected components, hardware and equipment to be used is often set out in the Lab worksheet.

The Methods section should include detailed descriptions of each of the experiments to be performed. This should include both a description of the circuit and the test setup used to acquire the measured data. The measured data should not be included in this section, but rather in the results section. When describing the circuits and test setups, all relevant descriptions should be illustrated with diagrams and/or schematics. Enough information should be provided so that the reader can repeat the experiment completely.

All of the test results should be included here. The results from each experiment should be presented in the same order as it was in the above methods section. The data or each experiment should be presented in a logical, concise format such as a graph or a table. Graphs should be completely labeled and all the axis should be scaled correctly. Sketches should be to scale with all pertinent points measured and marked correctly. Spreadsheet programs are a good way to generate graphs of your data. Much of the tests are performed using computer software tools. These tools often provide a means to save data or screen images to a file for inclusion in your lab report. Finally, the data should be discussed. Any apparent errors or unexpected results should be discussed.

At the end sum up your results and lessons learned from problems and mistakes made along the way. A few comments on next steps or further work to examine the subject matter in more depth is also a good practice.

There is no such thing as a perfect or ideal measurement which provides the “true value” of the measured quantity. There are a number of reasons for this, from limitations of the measurement equipment used and those of the observer, to the variations in the components in the circuit for which the measurement is made. This does not mean that good, useful measurements are not possible. Obtaining them requires not only adequate instruments but also some attention and vigilance against common mistakes which seem to lurk in even the best of laboratory setups. Gross mistakes are such errors as connecting a voltmeter lead to a wrong point in a circuit or entering data incorrectly into a notebook or a computer. These can be avoided by following proper procedures, careful data recording etc. Here we are concerned with two other important concepts: accuracy and precision.

Accuracy can be defined as the difference between the value obtained from measurement and a real “true” value of a quantity. It can be expressed in absolute numbers, such as 10 mV , or in relative numbers, such as 0.5%. In the first case the measured voltage may be different from the actual voltage by no more than 10 mV , in the second by the given percentage. Accuracy is difficult to determine, because we never know what the real value of the measured quantity is, but it can be roughly estimated if we know the precision of instrument and the reliability of it's calibration.

Precision of a measurement is related to the smallest difference between the measured values that can be distinguished. For example, if a voltmeter precision is 0.1 V we could measure the difference between 10.2 V and 10.3 V but no better. A reading of 10.25 may be assigned to either of these values, we could not tell. Precision is often confused with the resolution of the instrument scale. Just because an instrument has a finely divided scale on which we can read numbers “precisely” (true for many digital instruments), it does not necessarily follow that the measurement is precise. It may happen that when you disconnect the meter and connect it again to the same source you get a different reading on the same “precise” scale. It is generally true, however, that more precise instruments are designed with finer scales or more digits in their numerical display.

To understand better the difference between accuracy and precision consider a voltmeter that measures voltage consistently and reliably with the precision of 1 mV . A measurement of the voltage of an accurate standard source used for calibration of instruments gives a voltage 5 mV too high. This last error is the measure of the voltmeter accuracy. Its measurements were quite precise but the instrument was not well calibrated and showed consistently higher values. Such an instrument is still quite useful since we are often interested in comparing different voltages and this meter is able to measure the ratio of two voltages much better than it measures their absolute values.

In considering the effect of precision of instruments on measurement errors we are usually concerned with relative rather than absolute numbers. An error of 0.1 V for measurement of power line voltage of 117 V is very acceptable, since it gives the relative error of 0.1/117 < 0.1 % The same absolute error in a measurement of an amplifier output of 1 V gives a large relative error of 10%.

First, here are a few words about components that might be suitable for use in these lab experiments. Transistors that can be used are general purpose NPN types like the popular 2N3904 NPN and the 2N3906 PNP complement. Similar type devices can be used such as the common 2SC1815 and the 2SA1015 PNP devices which are also considered comparable complements of each other. A supply of various diodes, resistors, capacitors and inductors should also be available. Another potential source of transistors for use in these lab exercises are transistor arrays such as the LM3045 / LM3046 / LM3086 NPN Arrays from National Semiconductor. Similar NPN arrays from Intersil are, CA3045 / CA3046 / CA3083. Arrays of two or four 2N2222, 2N3904, 2N3906 and other types are available from some manufacturers like Fairchild and ON Semiconductor. A readily available enhancement mode NMOS transistor is the 2N7000. Advanced Linear Devices Inc. offers dual and quad N and P channel MOS arrays (ALD1106 and ALD1107) as well. The CD4007C CMOS logic package consists of three complementary pairs of N and P-channel enhancement mode MOS transistors. The N and P type pairs share either a common gate or common drain terminal which limits their use as six individual devices but these devices can still be useful for Lab experiments.

Remember, not all transistors share the same terminal designations, or pinouts, even if they share the same physical appearance. The order of some types is CBE (base is center lead) and BCE (collector is center lead) for others. This is very important when you connect the transistors together and to other components. Be careful to check the manufacturer's specifications (component datasheet). These can be easily found on various websites. Double-checking pin identities with a multi-meter's “diode check” function is highly recommended.

The common convention is that a typical silicon BJT base–emitter diode drop, V BE , is 0.65V and a standard general purpose silicon diode drop is 0.6V. Other conventions use 0.6V or 0.7V for one or both. These are highly dependent on the manufacturing process used and the physical size of the components. The results you measure in the laboratory will most likely be between these values. Diodes and BJTs implemented on the same integrated circuit ( i.e. , on the same silicon die) may have equivalent characteristics. That is, the diodes and transistors will be more closely matched. Matched components are convenient to use in many circuit designs. We use discrete elements in most of these activities, and so it is not possible to match components unless they are all fabricated on the same silicon die. In the laboratory, a diode-connected transistor, with its base shorted to its collector may match the base–emitter characteristics of another transistor of the same type better than a simple diode.

Diode drops are strongly temperature dependent. Room-temperature transistors (~27ºC or 300ºK) have base–emitter drops around 0.65V, but as the temperature of the transistors increases, V BE drops near 0.5V. So temperature matching is just as important as component matching. Internal temperature compensation in bandgap voltage references lets them provide a temperature-independent voltage reference. Their output reference of ∼1.22V is the extrapolated V BE at absolute zero ( i.e. , 0ºK or −273.15ºC). It is not a coincidence that the Silicon bandgap ( i.e. , the energy separating valence and conduction electron bands) is ∼1.22 eV.

Temperature dependence and manufacturing variations (and the Early effect) are always a concern.

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1.2: Laboratory Reports

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• Page ID 76762

• James M. Fiore
• Mohawk Valley Community College

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Unless specified otherwise, all lab exercises require a non-formal laboratory report. Lab reports are individual endeavors not group work. The deadline for reports is one week after the exercise is performed. A letter grade is subtracted for the first half-week late and two letter grades are subtracted for the second half-week late. Reports are not acceptable beyond one week late. A basic report should include a statement of the Objective (i.e., those items under investigation), a Conclusion (what was found or verified), a Discussion (an explanation and analysis of the lab data which links the Objective to the Conclusion), Data Tables and Graphs, and finally, answers to any problems or questions posed in the exercise. Details of the structure of the report along with an example report may be found in Appendices A, B and C.

Experimental laboratory reports in engineering

Writing lab reports

Explore how to complete your reports with the IMRaD structure and use our template

Most scientific reports use a similar structure designed, often referred to as IMRaD.

Here we'll explain what the IMRaD structure is so you can apply it to your assignments. 

Introduction

Results, and

The IMRaD structure has been in use for over 50 years and is a simple and straightforward way of organising either lab reports or research papers in the sciences. It is worth noting that sometimes different terminology is used and, depending on the experiment or purpose of the report, different sections may have more or less emphasis; or other sections are also required, such as: a title page, an abstract, a contents page (you will need to check the precise requirements with your tutors and/or in the assessment brief).

Below is a more detailed template for writing experimental laboratory reports in engineering. At different sections/stages, the writing has different functions, such as describing, explaining and discussing. Keep these in mind when writing each section.

Writing experimental laboratory reports in engineering template

Introduction and background.

• Briefly states the engineering research problem or question being addressed
• Briefly explains how the experiment addresses the research problem or question
• Presents the key principles involved
• a. States the equations used with explanatory comments (see lab sheet) OR b. Derives, where appropriate, equations for this experiment, with explanatory comments (see lab sheet)
• Ensure intro flows and develops logically in an appropriate engineering style

Methods (apparatus and procedure)

• Clearly labelled diagram (attributed if relevant) (a 2D diagram? are photos allowed?)
• Description of the apparatus and how it works
• Experimental procedure described
• Ensure methods section flows and develops logically in an appropriate engineering style
• Processed data, tabulated and labelled in this section (raw data is usually in the appendix and cross referenced in the text)
• Explanation of how the processed results were obtained from raw data
• Processed results presented in tables and figures
• Ensure results section flows and develops logically in an appropriate engineering style
• Brief discussion of problems in the experiment, and how they affect the analysed results and conclusions
• Estimation and quantification of the uncertainties in the raw and analysed results
• Qualitative and quantitative comparison of the observations with the theory
• Exploration of any difference between theory and experiment (relation of the discrepancy to the experimental uncertainties and assumptions behind the theory)
• Discussion of whether the research question or problem has been addressed.
• Ensure discussion section flows and develops logically in an appropriate engineering style

Conclusions

• Conclusions: a concise summary of the key outcomes of the experiment
• The implications of the results in relation to the problem stated in the intro.
• Future research: Does the experiment need to be run again (because the results are unsatisfactory) or if the results are satisfactory what research should be done next
• Ensure conclusions section flows and develops logically in an appropriate engineering style

Overall presentation

• Correct format of equations
• Correctly formatted references and reference list
• Accurate spelling/punctuation/grammar
• Professional layout/format of the report

Download our laboratory report revision sheet

Download this page as a PDF for your laboratory report notes.

Basic data interpretation

Writing clear sentences

Reports and essays: key differences

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As a professional engineer, you have myriad experiences solving problems. Your reports, both formal and informal, help your client, supervisor, or other stakeholders make actionable decisions about those problems. Explore these resources to learn how to write more effective reports for greater project and career success:

• How do I write an effective report?

How do I use Microsoft Word to my advantage?

• Where can I find more information about writing reports?

Whether formal or informal, interim or final, your report is an essential part of the problem-solving process. Begin by analyzing your communication situation (note: link to Communication Situation) and reviewing communication basics?? (note: link to Communication Basics), then find out how to structure and format your report as effectively as possible:

What elements should my report contain?

What is the best way to present those elements.

Whether you’re writing for a client, your supervisor, or some other project stakeholder, your audience will likely want to know [adapted from P.V. Anderson’s Technical Communication (1)]:

• What will we gain?
• Are your facts reliable?
• What do you know that is useful to us?
• How do you interpret those facts from our point of view?
• How are those facts significant to us?
• What do you think we should do?

An effective report will be structured to answer these questions clearly and specifically. Depending on its level of formality, your report structure will include all or some of these elements [adapted from the Purdue Online Writing Lab (2)]:

• Front matter This report element includes the title or cover page, letter of transmittal, acknowledgments, table of contents, and lists of figures and tables.
• Executive summary and abstract These report elements provide an overview of what you’ll discuss in the body of the report.
• Body This report element includes the introduction, summary/background, methods/procedures, results, discussion of results, conclusion, and recommendations.
• Back matter This report element includes references, appendices, and attachments.

Front matter refers to the preliminary, supporting components of a report. It appears where you might expect: at the front of the report. You will typically attend to this element last and in conjunction with back matter, after you have written the body and executive summary and abstract.

Your report’s front matter includes [adapted from the Purdue Online Writing Lab (3)]:

• Title or cover page Include a title, the name of the person authorizing the report, your name, your company’s name and contact information, and the date you submit the report.
• Letter of transmittal Describe the problem you’re solving for, the purpose of the work you’ve done, the time period for the work, and your results and recommendations.
• Acknowledgments Credit anyone who contributed substantially to the project, and include any permissions for copyrighted materials use.
• Table of contents Provide a guide that includes every report element and the page on which it occurs. Page number front matter with lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.); page number the rest of the report with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.). You can use Word to automatically generate your table of contents.
• Lists of figures and tables Provide a separate guide, like a secondary table of contents, that includes the name and page location of every figure in your report, and another for tables.

Formal reports include every component listed above; an informal report may only include some of them. In some cases, your company may specify which of these components to use and how.

Executive summary and abstract

Your engineering report may include both an executive summary and an abstract, or it may only include one or the other. These elements appear between the front matter and the report body. Write these after you have written and revised the report body.

What is an executive summary?

An executive summary is an overview of the key points in your report. It should summarize the purpose and scope of your work, the methods you used, and your key findings, conclusions, and recommendations [4].

What is an abstract?

An abstract is a short but specific summary of the details you cover in the report’s body. It should briefly mention the purpose and scope of your work, the methods you used, and your key findings, conclusions, and recommendations [5].

What’s the difference between the two?

The difference lies primarily in their purpose and length. The abstract provides a preview of the report’s content meant to entice readers to read the entire report. It is typically less than a page long. The executive summary, on the other hand, provides enough information to allow stakeholders to make a decision without reading the full report. It is typically as long as 10% of the full report [6].

The body of your report is where you provide the details of your work. It is the longest part of your report and falls after the front matter and executive summary and abstract. You will produce the body before any other element of your report, with the possible exception of graphics, like figures and tables.

Your report’s body includes [1] [7]:

• Introduction Summarize your major conclusions and recommendations. Also describe the organization of your report and its scope.
• Summary/background Describe the existing research or activity you relied on to guide your work.
• Methods/procedures Describe what you did and how you did it. Include the equipment you used.
• Results Reveal your research findings. This report component may be combined with the discussion of results.
• Discussion of results Describe what your results demonstrate and why that is important to your audience. Highlight notable trends the results reveal, as well as the limitations and assumptions in your work. This report component may be combined with the results.
• Conclusion Make meaningful statements based on the discussion of results. This report component may be combined with the recommendations.
• Recommendations Provide actionable recommendations based on your conclusions. This report component may be combined with the conclusion.

Back matter

The back matter of a report is its succeeding, supporting components. As its name implies, it appears at the back of the report. You will typically attend to this element last and in conjunction with front matter , after you have written the body and executive summary and abstract .

Your report’s back matter includes [1]:

• References List the references you cited throughout your report. Use your company’s or engineering field’s style guide (note: link to What is a style guide? Which one should I use?) to determine the appropriate format for your reference list.
• Appendices Present detailed information related, but not essential, to your report in the appendices. Some examples of materials appropriate for the appendices, includes data, analysis methods, and equipment details [3]. In some cases, you’ll include all your tables and figures here rather than in the body of the report. Put the appendices in order by their mention in the body of the report.
• Attachments Attach materials appropriate for the appendices that are too large in size to fit the report format. For instance, you may have oversize blueprints that would be unreadable if reduced to the typical 8.5×11 size of a report.

According to Paul Anderson in his book Technical Communication: A Reader-Centered Approach , “Good [formatting] helps readers understand your information, locate information, and notice highly important content” [8]. A successful report is formatted well.

What components should I consider while formatting?

When formatting your report, pay attention to these common components [8]:

• Body text Sentences and paragraphs
• Headings Titles, headings, subheadings
• Headers and footers Recurring components at the top and/or bottom of every page, like page numbers and report title
• Graphics Tables, figures, photos
• Space Empty areas between headers, paragraphs, graphics, and captions

How do I format those components?

Consider these basic principles adapted from graphic design theory when formatting your report [9]. Scroll to the bottom of this page for a rough example of these principles applied to the above components:

• Contrast Use contrasting size, weight, and typeface to establish focus and hierarchy on your pages. For instance, set your top-level headings in a bold, sans-serif, 14 point typeface like Arial; set your body text in a regular weight, serif, 10 to 12 point typeface like Times New Roman.
• Repetition Use the same formatting for every page and similar components on that page. For instance, include page numbers in the same place, with the same formatting on every page (10 point, bold, Arial, at the bottom, center of the pages, for example). Style your body text and headings the same throughout the report (Microsoft Word styles can help you do this easily).
• Alignment Connect every component on a page with a strong visual alignment. For instance, place graphics, like tables or figures, on the left side of the page in alignment with the left edge of the text. Align headings to the left like the body text.
• Proximity Use space to group related items together and separate unrelated items. For instance, place graphics near their mention in the body text. Put less space between a subhead and its related body text; put more space between the bottom of body text and the next, unrelated subhead.

Reference Report examples

Your company likely has numerous examples of reports that include some or all of these elements and their individual components. In addition, examples of formal reports abound in professional journals in your field.

Microsoft Word includes numerous tools and functions that will save you time and hassle, and allow you to consistently format your reports. Visit the links from Where can I find more information about writing effective reports? to learn how to use these time-saving tools and functions:

• Styles Rather than manually styling text, use styles to change the formatting of the same type of text (body, headings, captions, etc.) from one formatting dialog at one time.
• Page numbering and sectioning Instead of manually numbering your pages one at a time, use automatic page numbering and sectioning to organize your report.
• Table of contents creation Instead of manually creating and numbering your report’s table of contents, use automatic table of contents creation to provide access to the organization and contents of your report.
• Graphics Place and resize graphics from programs like Excel or from other text documents to fit your report’s format.

Where can I find more information about writing effective reports?

The IEEE Professional Communication Society’s site provides you with a basic understanding of writing effective reports. Explore other resources to gain more knowledge about this topic.

• Writing an executive summary for engineering reports (vidcast) Watch this 6-minute video that demonstrates how to write an effective executive summary for an engineering report.
• Writing a title page for engineering reports (vidcast) Watch this 4-minute video that demonstrates how to put together an effective title page for engineering reports.
• Report checklist Use this checklist to make sure you’ve addressed every element in your engineering report.
• How to use styles in Microsoft Word to save a lot of work Read this resource that teaches you how to use styles in Word to make your report formatting consistent and efficient.
• Create an automatic table of contents in Word (video) Watch this 4-minute video to learn how to generate an automatic table of contents using styles in Word.
• How to create a table of contents in Microsoft Word Read this thorough resource that shows you how to automatically create a table of contents in Word.
• Table of Contents tips Consult this source that points out some fine points of creating and modifying tables of contents in Word.
• Add page numbers to documents in Word 2007 and 2010 Read this resource that shows you how to add page numbers in both Word 2007 and 2010.
• Word 2003 page numbers Watch this 3-minute video to learn how to insert page numbers in Word 2003.
• How to insert page numbers in Microsoft Word 2003 Read this quick set of instructions for inserting page numbers in Word 2003.
• How to restart page numbers in a Word document section Read this quick set of instructions for sectioning Word documents and page numbering each section differently.
• How to copy a chart from Excel into a Word document Consult this resource to learn how to place and modify Excel charts in Word documents.
• Move Excel graph to Word tutorial (video) Watch this 13-minute tutorial to learn how to place and modify Excel charts in Word documents.
• How to crop and resize an image in Word 2010 (video) Watch this 2-minute video to learn how to crop and resize images in Word.
• Insert and position graphics in Word documents Read this resource to learn how to insert and position graphics in Word.

[1] P.V. Anderson, “Writing reader-centered reports,” in Technical Communication: A Reader-Centered Approach. Boston, MA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2007, pp. 539-556.

[2] E. Cember, A. Heavilon, M. Seip, L. Shi, and A. Brizee. Sections of reports. Purdue Online Writing Lab. [Online]. Available: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/726/05

[3] E. Cember, A. Heavilon, M. Seip, L. Shi, and A. Brizee. Mechanical elements of reports.  Purdue Online Writing Lab.  [Online]. Available: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/726/0 8

[4] Processes for writing an executive summary.  Writing at Colorado State University.  [Online]. Available: http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/page.cfm?pageid=1508

[5] E. Cember, A. Heavilon, M. Seip, L. Shi, and A. Brizee. The report abstract and executive summary.  Purdue Online Writing Lab . [Online]. Available: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/726/07

[6] K. Khan. (2008, Sept. 19). Difference between executive summary, abstract and synopsis. University of Balochistan. [Online]. Available: http://www.scribd.com/doc/55954574/Difference-Between-Executive-Summary-Abstract-and-Synopsis

[7] E. Cember, A. Heavilon, M. Seip, L. Shi, and A. Brizee. The report body.  Purdue Online Writing Lab.  [Online]. Available: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/726/06

[8] P.V. Anderson, “Designing reader-centered pages and documents,” in  Technical Communication: A Reader-Centered Approach.  Boston, MA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2007, pp. 372-398.

[9] R. Williams,  The Non-Designer’s Design Book.  Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press, 2004.

Writing a laboratory report for senior electrical engineering courses: Guidelines and recommendations

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A Guide to Writing an Engineering Laboratory (Lab) Report

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Radina Mohamad Deli

Given the importance of writing skills for communicating messages in the field of engineering, and the seemingly perpetual conflict between novice engineers " poor ability to write and the quality expected by employers, it is worthwhile to investigate student engineers " writing ability or experiences prior to their employment. This study thus aims to investigate English as a Second Language (ESL) students " writing in engineering studies. The objectives of the study are to (1) identify the genres of writing by ESL undergraduates in engineering studies, and (2) analyse students " laboratory reports for " moves " typically identified in the genre. Students " written scripts were collected from various engineering courses within the mechanical, electrical, and electronic engineering programmes of a Malaysian public university, and identified by genre based on their structure and content. The preliminary finding suggests that the majority of the writings are laboratory and technical reports. Based on a " move " analysis outlined for student laboratory reports in science and engineering (Parkinson, 2017) a total of 14 laboratory reports was analysed and 5 macro-sections were identified namely introduction, method, result, discussion, and conclusion. This differs from the 6 macro-sections found for engineering in Parkinson (2017) study. Although the number of moves identified was essentially similar, some steps were unavailable in the laboratory reports within these macro-sections. It is believed that findings from this genre-based study can have pedagogical importance in that it may help to enhance the writings of ESL students in engineering studies to reach a standard that may be more aligned to the accepted norms of laboratory report writing. Contribution/ Originality: This study contributes in the existing literature by detailing common " moves " found in ESL student writing of laboratory reports in the engineering field. Most analyses of moves for similar written genres in the engineering discipline have focused on the writings of native speakers of English.

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How To Write A Technical Report Electrical Engineering

Table of Contents:

5 Best Topics for Technical Reports in Electrical Engineering . Electrical engineering is a part of an engineering study where student who opt for this field have to study and deal with the application of electricity,

Although it is a rare topic but it is rated as one of the best topics for technical reports. Basically parameterized, BOOM is a superscalar, synthesizable out of order RISC-V core redesign which is served as a potential baseline workstation for future architectural studies for non-working processor. This report provides an open source execution, readable, for education, industry and research.

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Video advice: Engineering Technical Writing & Effective Communications

As an engineer, are you good with numbers but struggle with writing technical reports? This video shows you a step by step method for creating simple and concise reports that present your innovative engineering solutions effectively.

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It is considered as one of the most important topic of electrical engineering although it is a very new topic. This report depicts the rise of data services that are distributed over geographically distributed data network which has led to create a sudden change in the design of modern data management system. This report is based on the vacancy, abeyancy and the general throughput penalties attached with the basic mechanism. For example serializable transaction, large classes of system such NoSQL that has sought less appropriate alternatives that bars the engagement of expensive communication process during the operation of the system.

Technical Writing Format

There are two common conventions in Engineering: 1) the author-date format and 2) the numerical format. You will use the author date format for all assignments in Engineering, however the numerical format is required by some journals (such as the American Concrete Institute journals).

• Author-date format
• Numerical format
• Building Codes and Provisions
• Electronic Materials
• Journal Articles
• ASCE Journals
• ASCE Committee/Technical Reports
• Introduction

The format of the technical writing depends on the audience and purpose. A short memo may simply describe the purpose of the memo in the first paragraph and answer a few key questions in the subsequent paragraphs. A comprehensive lab or design report will be longer and typically divided into many sections. There is not one “correct” format. The main importance is that the writing is structured so that the reader can easily and quickly recognize important information. This section provides some format examples for technical reports and memos. The formatting requirements for citations, references, cross-references, and cover sheets are the same for all written communications.

Guide to Technical Report Writing : Study guides : … : School of Engineering and Informatics : Schools and services : University of Sussex

Guide to Technical Report Writing.

If you have finished your report, and before you decide to staple it, you should check it cautiously yourself. Next create it for another person, e.g. your fellow students, to see carefully and appearance for just about any errors in content, style, structure and layout. You need to record the this individual inside your acknowledgements.

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Structure
• 3 Presentation
• 4 Planning the report
• 5 Writing the first draft
• 6 Revising the first draft
• 7 Diagrams, graphs, tables and mathematics
• 8 The report layout
• 1 Shore-based systems
• 2 Deep-water systems
• 10 References to diagrams, graphs, tables and equations

3 Methods of harnessing wave energy

A technical report is a formal report designed to convey technical information in a clear and easily accessible format. It is divided into sections which allow different readers to access different levels of information. This guide explains the commonly accepted format for a technical report; explains the purposes of the individual sections; and gives hints on how to go about drafting and refining a report in order to produce an accurate, professional document.

Video advice: Technical Reports

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Has a mixture of factual information (conventions on how a report should be structured) and motivational information on improving writing and communication skillsIts a powerpoint designed for a specific class and context. Please re-use and attribute as appropriateTechnical reports.

How to Write an Engineering Report

Nobody would just show up at site and start placing equipment and running pipelines without a detailed, thoroughly reviewed model and execution strategy. Yet that’s just how most of us write our reports. Before you start to write a complex report, do some front-end planning of the document’s structure.

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Why Write an Engineering Report?

No matter what kind of engineer you are, you will eventually need to write an engineering report. This type of technical writing means knowing how to share information about research and analysis and then present it clearly in writing. Writing a report about engineering services, like those we provide at Vista Projects, means communicating ideas in addition to furthering innovation and improvements. This skill makes you an even more significant asset to your company and allows you to solve problems and create solutions.

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Writing a lab report is both a journey and a destination. During an experiment, you travel beyond the information in a textbook to a tactile environment. Here, you’ll encounter unexpected characteristics about devices and concepts. Once the experiment is finished, you gain insight by analyzing your results. Performing experiments and writing lab reports provide hands-on experiences with engineering concepts and devices.

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A lab report is an account of an experiment and what was discovered during the experiment. Typically, lab reports present data, discuss results, and provide conclusions. Some lab reports also describe the experiment and the procedures followed. As a student, lab experiments provide you with hands-on experience. Writing about your work in a lab then forces you to think logically about your data. For example, if you get unexpected results from a lab experiment, you’ll speculate why you got those results in the report.

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How do you write an engineering technical report?

• Writing an Engineering technical report.
• The role of 'the literature' The role of 'the literature'
• Title page Title page.
• Summary Summary.
• Introduction Introduction.
• Body of the report Body of the report.
• Conclusions and recommendations Conclusions and recommendations.

What are the steps of writing technical report?

What about the right technical report format?

• Writing the abstract. ...
• List down the experimental details. ...
• Mention the results. ...
• Include the . ...
• Include the List of Figures and Tables. ...
• Acknowledge whoever contributed to your project. ...
• Craft an impressive introduction. ...
• Discuss the experiments.

What are the 5 sections of a technical report?

Parts of a Technical Report

• Introduction.
• Literature review.
• Design analysis and methodology.
• Construction and results testing.
• Conclusion.

What are the 3 main parts of a technical report?

The sections are: 1. Introduction 2. Body of the Report 3 . Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations .

What is technical report example?

A technical report example is a written document made by a researcher which contains the details about a project's results . ... Such a report may contain procedures, design criteria, research history, images or illustrations, and other data relevant to the project.

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• How To Write A Technical Report Engineering
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Hidrovo, C. H., and D. P. Hart. “Dual Emission Laser Induced Fluorescence Technique (DELIF) for Oil Film Thickness and Temperature Measurement.” Proceedings of the ASME Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting (June 11-15, 2000): FEDSM2000-11043.

Manz, Devon, and Wai Cheng. “On-Line Measurements of Engine Oil Aeration by X-Ray Absorption.” Proceedings of the ASME Internal Combustion Engine Division Spring Technical Conference (May 8-10, 2006): ICES2006-1356.

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