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Persuasion and Lab Reports

Understanding the Process of Writing Lab Reports

Understanding the Structure of the Lab Report

TITLE

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

• GUIDELINES: Writing Equations

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RESULTS

• ETHICS NOTE: Presenting Data Honestly

DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

REFERENCES

APPENDIXES

Understanding the Role of Science and Engineering Articles

• DOCUMENT ANALYSIS ACTIVITY: Evaluating Lab Reports

Sample Lab Report

WRITER’S CHECKLIST

EXERCISES

CASE 19: Introducing the Scientific Method Through a Lab Report and

Research can take place in a lab or at a field site. Lab reports play an important role in the process of understanding a scientific problem and solving it in the real world.

Because communicating ideas in writing is central to the process of creating and publicizing knowledge, scientists and engineers spend a significant portion of their professional lives writing. Lab reports are one important way they communicate the results of their work. Adding new knowledge to a field is the collective effort of many people, each contributing information and ideas and building on the work of others. Although scientists and engineers might work alone or in small groups in a lab, if they want to contribute to their fields, they must convince readers that their findings are valid. For this reason, the ability to write clearly and persuasively is both necessary and valued in the sciences and engineering.