Lab reports serve two equally important purposes. First, they indicate your technical comprehension of the topics addressed in the labs, and second, they indicate your ability to present and discuss your results in a clear and concise manner. You will be graded on both aspects of your report.
The general format for your lab report is given below. This is just a sample format and it represents the minimum amount of information you should include in a typical report. You may need to add more sections and discuss your findings in greater detail.
Do not copy parts of the lab assignment handout in your lab report. Think about it, interpret it, and explain it the best you can, in your own words.1. A Cover sheet must begin every lab report. Staple it to your report.
Written work may be done on any type of paper (though graph paper will generally produce a better result) and must be neat whether typed or hand-written. Bound lab books should not be used.
2. Design and Test Procedures. Where appropriate, explain the following:
(a) Step-by-step description of what you did. Include a reasonable level of detail that clearly demonstrates you correctly performed and understand the lab. Do not include insignificant minute details or things given in the lab handout.
(b) All necessary calculations.
(c) Circuit diagrams of your design. If applicable, use a modular approach in presenting your design: first, give a top-level block diagram, then elaborate on each block.
3. Results. Present your results clearly and concisely (labeling graph axes, including all units of measurement, etc.).
4. Answers to Questions. Answer all questions listed in the lab handout.
2015/01/21 Minor updates 2019/01/06 Minor updates 2021/01/01 Minor changes for online submissions 2021/09/28 Changes for paper submissions