Quick Steps To Write A Good Formal Report

Formal reports and research papers are the primary means of communication in science
and engineering.

The formal report documents the experiment that was performed and provides a detailed
discussion of the results obtained revealing its importance. It organizes and clarifies the
information that can be found in a good lab notebook, adding background material and a
more detailed discussion of the results.

From such a report, a peer group of engineers who are familiar with the same general
subject matter should be able to reproduce the experiment and perform their own
analysis, such that they could either verify or dispute the conclusions. Therefore, the
author should consider the audience to be familiar with the general engineering
background associated with the experiment, but none of the specifics.

A good lab report does more than presenting data; it demonstrates the writer's
comprehension of the concepts behind the data. Merely recording the expected and
observed results is not sufficient; it should also identify how and why differences
occurred and explain how they affected the experiment.

Note that in science and engineering experimental tests always strengthen the theoretical
point of view.

The formal report must incorporate grammatically correct sentences, correct spelling, and
be structured in a clear and concise manner.

Reports generally have three goals:

1) To justify the reasons for performing the experiment.

2) To record the results of the experiment.
3) To allow others to evaluate the results.

Formal reports should contain the following Parts:

• Title Page
• I- Abstract
• II-Introduction
• III-Experiment Description
• IV-Results and Interpretation
• V-Conclusion
• VI-References
• VII-Appendix
Title Page example:

NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY

Faculty of Engineering
ECCE Department

EEN 221
Logic Design Laboratory
Section A

Instructor:
Eng. Nisrine El turkey

Formal Report # 1
Experiment # 1
Logic Gates

Due on:
10/ 03/ 2008

Submitted by:
Student Name
I- Abstract

The abstract is a one-paragraph of 100-200 words, which clearly and concisely presents
an overview of the report. Nine out of ten readers will read only the abstract of a report,
therefore; it is imperative that clear, concise and to-the-point information must be used.
The information should clearly enable the reader to decide whether they need to read the
whole report or not.

The first one or three sentences of the abstract should briefly introduce the reader to the
problem studied. Next, the scientific approach (main steps of the experiment), major
results and primary significance of the findings should be presented. This section is
normally written after the body of the paper. It should be on a separate page. The abstract
should not contain figures or tables and all abbreviations should be written out, or
defined. References should be written out in full since no reference to the rest of the
report should be made.

In the case of experimental results, the abstract should briefly indicate the methods used
in obtaining them in addition to the degree of accuracy.

In Summary:

The abstract should be: The abstract should contain:

• One paragraph. • Purpose of the experiment.

• On a separate page. • Parts of the experiment.
• Stand-alone. • Main measurements for
• No citing should be made. each part.
• Should not contain figures • Main results of each part.
or tables. • Main results (% error) of
• Clear, brief and to the point. each part.
• Should encourage the reader • Main deductions and major
reading the rest of the conclusions.
report.
II- Introduction

This section is written to provide the reader with all the background needed to appreciate
why the experiment was done and to understand the results and conclusion. To
accomplish this, a brief review of previous work or relevant theoretical materials in
addition to the appropriate references must be provided to the reader.

The last part of the introduction, a brief preview of the parts of the experiment must be
included.

In summary: The introduction should contain:

• The objective of the experiment in brief.

• Relevant background information.
• An indication of the importance of work.
• A brief preview of what will be
described.

III- Experiment Description

This section is divided into two parts:

Equipments and Components List

In this part, all the necessary materials: component and equipments are to be listed.

- In case of components: The name of component in addition to the

value or number should be mentioned.
- In case of equipments: The name, the model number and
manufacturer should be mentioned.

Procedure

This section should include a logical and coherent recount of the experiment conducted.
It should be complete enough for a trained engineer to pick up the report and replicate the
experiment. The figure of the circuit should be included in this part.

The steps of the experiment must be put in a paragraph and not listed. It should not
contain ANY results.

If the experiment is divided into several parts, include all the components and equipments
needed in the Equipments and Components List section. But in the Procedure part, give a
title for each part and explain the experimental procedure for each part separately.
IV- Results and Interpretation

In this part, the data is presented and evaluated. First, the theoretical results (if available)
should be mentioned. Next, the experimental results should be tabulated clearly. Graphs
and tables should be used to make the data more interpretable and understandable.

After presenting both theoretical and experimental values the author should interpret the
results. To do so, it is a good practice to have a percentage error between theoretical and
experimental values if applicable. Note that even if expected results were not obtained,
the probable cause must be mentioned. Unexpected results are often the most interesting.

An assumption that the experiment failed or was successful should not be made. Just the
author should prove to the reader, with logical arguments and supporting evidence the
value of his study.

V- Conclusion

The conclusion section is typically a one-paragraph summary of the report. It should

summarize the goal(s) of the experiment, state whether the goal was reached (maximum
% error obtained during the whole experiment), and describe briefly the implications of
the study.

VI- References

Some sentences or ideas presented in the report may be borrowed from a book or
magazine. In that case, the source should be cited by placing a number at the end of the
sentence or paragraph. If the sentence is taken as it is it should also be put within
quotation marks.

The reference section is the compilation of all citations made within the report.

VII- Appendix

It contains detailed information, which is not necessary in understanding the key points
studied in the body of the report. It may include:

• Detailed calculations.
• Computer programs.
 • Datasheets.

Quick Guidelines for writing scientific reports:

• Be objective.
• Use third person, passive voice and past tense.
• Type your report and be organized.
• Use reasonable font size (12 pt is acceptable).
• Number pages.
• Do not number the title page.
• Number Titles of parts (use larger fonts (16 pt Bold) and Roman numbers).
• Do not underline major Titles.
• Use correct grammatical sentences with correct spelling.
• Name and number figures (below the figure).
• Name and number tables (above the table).
• Use short and self-explanatory titles for figures and tables.
• To refer to tables and figures in text, use “ Table # ” or “ Figure # ” and not
“ fig. # ” or “ table # ”.
• In a lab, an experiment is not made to prove a theory; rather it is performed to
consolidate the theory.