Scope: When working in the laboratory an Engineer or Scientist records day-to-day progress in a logbook.

Once the experiment or series of experiments is complete however, a Formal Report for publication

is produced. For Engineers and Scientists, communicating their results is as important as getting

them in the first place because most of the work they do involves collaboration with other people.

Writing reports is an important skill for you to develop to help you during your degree, and later in

the workplace.

Requirements You are required to submit 2 Formal Laboratory Reports, one on each of the due dates shown above.

Report 1: You can choose any experiment conducted in Semester 1

Report 2: From Semester 2 AND your experiment must relate to a different module to the one you

chose for the first report.

All reports must be typed; graphs and figures should be produced electronically.

Submission All reports should be submitted electronically via Blackboard. The appropriate link and instructions

for doing this can be found in the ‘Coursework’ folder on Blackboard.

You must submit your report by 12:00 noon on the due date. If you are unable to complete the

work on time due to illness or severe problems, you must ask the Student Office for an extension

before the due date. Reports submitted after the due date and time will be subject to the standard

late penalties. Information about late submission penalties can be found in the ‘Coursework’ folder

on Blackboard. Reports submitted after 12:00 noon on the due date will count as 1 day late. Please

note that it is your responsibility to keep back-up copies of your work as necessary. Computer failure

and corrupt disks are not allowable excuses for deadline extension.

Format The format of a formal laboratory report is almost standard throughout the world. The titles of the

sections may vary a little, but the required content does not. You can find an abundance of websites

that will give you tips on how to write a report. By searching for articles on the internet related to

‘writing lab reports and scientific papers’ you will find much information on the topic. The Formal

Report is typically made up of the following sections, although as mentioned above, each case may

vary slightly:

(i) Title

(ii) Abstract

(iii) Introduction (to include background information, context etc.)

(iv) Theory

(v) Methodology Materials, Methods and/or Description of Apparatus and/or Experimental

Procedure etc.

(vi) Results

(vii) Discussion

(viii) References

(ix) Appendices

You may also find useful guidance in:

Kircup, Les, (1994). "Experimental Method", John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 0471335797, Hartley Library

catalogue number QC 39 KIR

Barrass, Robert, (1978). “Scientists must write”, Chapman & Hall, ISBN 0412154307, Hartley Library

catalogue number T11 BAR

Length There is no fixed length for the report. It should be long enough to contain all the necessary

information and to make clear what you have done and what you have concluded. On the other

hand, it should be concise enough to contain no unnecessary or irrelevant information. As a general

guide about 6-10 pages in total is usually about right for a typical undergraduate experiment,

although this will clearly vary from experiment to experiment

Marking The marking criteria will be the following:

Abstract 10% Write a summary of the report aimed at a non- technical audience. This should briefly set out the aims and objectives of the experiment together with the outcome and conclusions. Note that the emphasis is on writing in a style that a lay person would be able to understand. Marks are awarded based on a clear and concise abstract in the appropriate tone. The abstract clearly outlines the protocol, results and conclusions made. Good use of English language and grammar.

Introduction, Theory and Research 10% A well-presented introduction that has reference to the practical along with reference to existing research relevant to the practical like reasons why this experiment may be carried out in a research context. The theory should be included and referenced. It is also highly encouraged that the research based around the theory of the experiment should be explored to suggest how and why this type of experiment and the fundamental science behind it is needed in our modern-day society. Aims clearly indicated – these may be under an additional subheading. Marks are awarded based on the how well the introduction is written in an appropriate tone and uses good English language and grammar. In-text citations have been with references being from a variety of sources. For higher marks the student has evaluated other experiments that would allow you to reach the same end point. The student will have also considered errors and potential issues to look out for when conducting this type of experiment.

Methodology 10% The methodology should be clear and concise – the methodology can be written either as a series of bullet points or in prose. An equipment list is present. Good use of English language and grammar. The methodology would allow a lay person to repeat the

experiment without hindrance. Risk assessments delivered. You should double check when writing this section: Is it obvious what you have done? Are things described in the right order? Does it make sense? Is it written in an objective way? Is it grammatically, correct? Has it been spell- checked?

Results 30% Results are presented in a suitable format (tables and graphs) Tables and graphs are labelled. Any calculations used are clearly explained and presented in a suitable format. Any extrapolation of the results is clearly highlighted.

Discussion and Conclusion 30% The results should clearly be reviewed and analysed in the discussion section. Any anomalies or trends have been highlighted and the reason that particular outcome has occurred discussed. Any potential error in the experiment has been highlighted and an explanation to how this error has been/could be reduced is present. High marks are awarded to the students who offer additional information about the practical including way to develop/improve the experiment if it was to be carried out again. Are all your conclusions justified by your findings? Are the limitations of the experiment explained? Are any improvements to the experiment realistic? Is the error analysis sufficient?

References, Quality of Report writing and Structure 10%

References: In-text citations are present. Appropriate references used. A reference section at the end of the report exists and the School of Engineering’s referencing system used. This includes the standard of the English grammar and punctuation, the quality of diagrams and the degree to which the report is well structured, enabling a reader to understand what you have done and why. Is the information arranged into suitable sections? Are the sections numbered and do they have appropriate titles? Does each figure,

graph and table have a title? Does each figure, graph, table, and equation have a number?

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