Environmental Engineering Lab report

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING A TECHNICAL REPORT GENERAL INFORMATION  Technical reports are always written in third person  There should be no spelling or grammar errors  Spell out all acronyms once before you use them in the paper. (Example: Total

Solids (TS), then the next time you use TS in the report you do not have to spell it out.)

 Raw data do not belong in the body of the report. Attach raw data and sample calculations in an appendix

 Cite all references; either paraphrase or use quotations for a direct quote. You MUST include all references in the reference section of the report.

 Remember to put enough detail in the report so that someone else can read it and duplicate the experiment

 Every report should include a title page, table of contents, introduction, procedure, results, discussion, and appendices

TITLE PAGE (4 PTS) Should include at a minimum:

 Class title & section (Monday or Wednesday)  Experiment title & number  Date performed & submitted  Student Name  Laboratory partners’ names  Name of person submitted to

Make sure the author of the report is clearly identified on the title page. -1 point for missing information - 3 points if page numbers do not begin after the table of contents TABLE OF CONTENTS (6 PTS) Should include at a minimum:

 All headings & corresponding page numbers  A list of tables with titles and corresponding page numbers  A list of figures with titles and corresponding pages numbers  List of tables and list of figures MUST be listed separately from the table of

contents; however, they should be present on the same page.

The page numbering must begin after the Table of Contents -3 points for not listing corresponding page numbers -2 points for each missing component (list of tables, list of figures, etc.)

INTRODUCTION (14 PTS) Should include at a minimum:

 General purpose & background information Treat introduction assuming the reader knows nothing about the subject matter

 Describe the experiment and theories behind it  Clearly state your objective

Write in your own words! - 14 points if the introduction is copied from the laboratory manual - 5 for missing background, general, or experimental information - 3 points for missing secondary source -2 points for missing objective -1 point for each missing citation PROCEDURE (6 PTS) Should include at a minimum:  Written step-by-step procedure in paragraph form  Any person unfamiliar with protocol should be able to perform experiment based

on what you wrote (think of it as a recipe!)  Should be written in third person (do NOT use I, you, we, us, etc.)  Citation is needed (where did you get protocol)

- 6 if procedure is copied from laboratory manual -2 if anything was done differently than noted in manual is not described -2 if not written in third person -1 for missing citation Point deductions for missing step RESULTS (20 PTS) Should include at a minimum:  Description and analysis of collected data (one to two paragraphs)  All relevant formulae and definition of variables used with units  Final data from trials (additional “raw” data must be presented in appendix)  Necessary graphs or tables where applicable  Tables should be labeled on the top  Figures should be labeled on the bottom

-8 if missing final data -8 if missing description of results -2 for incorrect formatting of tables/figures/graphs -2 for raw data in results

DISCUSSION (35 PTS) Should include at a minimum:  This is a very important section of your reports  Interpret your data and results obtained  Report observations made during the performance of the experiment  Discuss trends, if they are as expected or not and why  Report possible errors  Provide a real world application which pertains to the experiment performed  Use questions in your laboratory manual to guide your discussion and answer all

the questions for full credit. Each write up question will be assigned a corresponding point value -2 points for incorrect formatting -5 points if personal interpretation of results, experiment, etc. is not present REFERENCES (5 PTS)  Standard bibliographic format (choose style; APA, MLA, or one from a

professional journal of your choice)  Must cite the laboratory manual at a minimum  All sources listed must be cited in your report when used -5 points for no references -2 points for no recognizable format -1 point for missing reference

APPENDIX (10 PTS) Should include at a minimum:  Sample calculation  Full data set (RAW data which were taken during experiment)  Any other pertinent information which does not fit in the body of the report  If calculations were performed in Excel, a copy of the spreadsheet used should

be included -5 points for missing sample calculations -5 points for missing data set -2 points if formatting is incorrect

NOTE: Laboratory reports are worth 100 points each and are the main source of your grade in the laboratory. Plagiarism at New Mexico State University is strictly prohibited; any report that is found to have been plagiarized will be given a grade of zero points. You may work together when completing your data calculations and analysis, but students must submit their own report. No portion of any two reports can be identical.