The Lab Report

The process of writing a lab report should be a learning experience: it should help you find your own scientific voice.

Content

A well-written lab report should address the following:

The Basics: Always include your name, course, lecture section, lab section, assignment identifier, and the date. If the lab includes electronic submission, include your BSU CS username.
Problem Statement: Restate the purpose of the lab and the general methodology. If you refer back to your solution after several months, you may not remember the exact format of the lab: your lab report should contain sufficient information to recreate the problem.
Approach: Explain how you solved the problem, why you used this approach, and the complications that arose from your decision.
Correctness: If you think that your solution is correct, justify it. This often includes reporting test results and explaining how they indicate that your solution is incorrect. If you think that your solution is incorrect, explain why, again using data and test results to justify your argument.
Analysis and Conclusions: Did you get the results you expected? Would you approach the problem the same way if you had to do it again? What did you learn from the experience?
Lab-specific requirements: Always read the lab description carefully: often there are specific items to be included in the lab report.
Extra credit: If you included any extra credit submissions, always describe them in the lab report.

Communication skills are necessary for success in science and engineering. Here are some suggestions to help you write effective lab reports:

Be precise.
Be concise.
Always use correct grammar and punctuation.
Avoid flowery language and analogies: describe things as they are, not what they are like.
Use tables and diagrams to present your data.
If you need help, ask for it! The professor and graduate assistants are available to help with lab reports. Other on-campus resources include the Learning Center and the Writing Center.