Engineering Lab Reports

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Questions and Answers

What is the main purpose of a lab report in an academic setting?

To argue a point of view with the instructor

To showcase one's writing skills

To convince the reader of a particular hypothesis

To document the experimental procedure and results (correct)

What should you do if you deviate from the experimental procedure?

Ask your teammates to redo the experiment

Hide the deviation and try to recreate the experiment

Carefully note the deviation in your report (correct)

Consult with your instructor before proceeding

Why is it important to keep a notebook in the lab?

To record all data and observations during the experiment (correct)

To record only the final results

To record only the team members' contributions

To note only the procedures used

What is the primary focus of the reader in an industry lab report?

The quick dissemination of information for decision-making Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the Results section in a lab report?

To present the data collected during the experiment Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of organizing the data in a lab report?

To understand what the data show Signup and view all the answers

Why is it necessary to revise and rewrite a lab report?

To improve the clarity and coherence of the report Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of creating figures and tables in a lab report?

To display data in a clear and concise manner Signup and view all the answers

What is plagiarism, as defined by the University of Texas at Austin?

The appropriation, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means someone else's work and submitting it as one's own Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to be careful with words used in papers and reports?

So you don't accidentally plagiarize Signup and view all the answers

What is the general guideline for avoiding plagiarism in writing?

Lift no more than 5 words in a row from another source Signup and view all the answers

What is the Seepage Pit (Dry Well) used for?

As an alternative to a common drain field Signup and view all the answers

What is a common issue with descriptions and specifications in engineering?

They often use standard language, making it hard to vary the words Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of citing sources in academic work?

To avoid plagiarism and give credit to the original author Signup and view all the answers

What is cheating on an exam defined as, according to most universities?

Any one of a number of ways of taking and submitting an exam improperly Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between plagiarism and cheating on an exam?

Plagiarism is submitting someone else's work as one's own, cheating is taking an exam improperly Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of managing information in a research project?

To organize and document information for future use Signup and view all the answers

Why should you create a list of references even if not specified by the instructor?

To keep a record of helpful facts and data for future use Signup and view all the answers

What is the first step in managing information in a research project?

Evaluating the sources and the information itself Signup and view all the answers

What should you do if you have determined that a website is a reliable source?

Decide whether to use all or only some of the information collected Signup and view all the answers

Why should you check the information against your outline?

To determine the relevance of gathered information Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of citing information from sources?

To avoid plagiarism and give credit to the original author Signup and view all the answers

What tools can be used to keep track of sources of information?

Index cards or word-processing file Signup and view all the answers

What should you do with the information on a topic that is no longer relevant to your research?

Stop collecting information on that topic Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of plagiarism according to the text?

The verbatim copying of another person's work without acknowledgement Signup and view all the answers

Why is referencing necessary in academic writing?

To support arguments with published work Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of creating a list of references in research reports?

To acknowledge sources cited in the report Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of paraphrasing without acknowledgement?

Changing a few words or altering the order of presentation without acknowledgement Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of managing sources of information in research?

To organize data for analysis Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of referencing and citation in academic writing?

To support arguments with published work Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of plagiarism from a published source?

Paraphrasing a sentence from a book without acknowledgement Signup and view all the answers

Why is it necessary to create a list of references in research reports?

To acknowledge sources cited in the report Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of declining air quality in U.S. cities?

Need for evaluating sources of information Signup and view all the answers

According to APA style, how would you cite a source when giving credit to the author as part of the sentence?

RDX has long been used in a mixture with other explosives according to Rizk (1996) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main criterion for evaluating the credibility of a source who is an expert?

Their expertise in the subject matter Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to evaluate websites from technical subjects like Computer Systems Engineering?

Because they are not always reliable and unbiased Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of evaluating sources of information?

To ensure the integrity of one's writing Signup and view all the answers

How can you evaluate a website's credibility if there is no date of publication?

By documenting the date of access Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of a reliable source of information?

It is favourably cited by other technical subject researchers Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of checking the domain of a website?

To evaluate the credibility of the website Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Writing Projects in Engineering Classes

Lab reports document experimental or testing procedures and results.
Keep a notebook to record all data, observations, and deviations from the procedure.

Steps to Write a Lab Report

Define the law or hypothesis to be tested.
Record data as you go through the procedure.
Organize the data and think about what they show.
Create figures and tables to display data.
Write a first draft of the Results section.
Check findings with teammates (if applicable).
Revise and rewrite the report.

Managing and Documenting Information

Evaluate the sources and the information itself.
Informally, but thoroughly, document all sources of information.
Keep track of sources using index cards or word-processing files.
Cite sources to avoid plagiarism.

Evaluating Sources of Information

Check the credibility of the source (e.g., expert, reputable publisher, or recognized technical journal).
Evaluate websites by checking domains, author, date of publication, sponsoring organization, and purpose of publication.
Document the date you accessed the site if there is no date.

Avoiding Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as passing off someone else's work as your own.
Examples of plagiarism include verbatim copying, close paraphrasing, and unacknowledged quotation of phrases or ideas.
Avoid plagiarism by making sure you have not "lifted" more than 5 words in a row from another source.
Be careful when using standard language for descriptions and specifications.

Referencing and Citation

Referencing is necessary when writing academically to support arguments by citing other published work.
Commonly used referencing systems include the Harvard and American Psychology Association (APA) styles.
The Harvard and APA styles are known as the author and date systems.
Cite sources using the APA style, e.g., (Rizk, 1996) or (Makole, 2021: 1).

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Description

Learn about typical writing assignments in engineering classes, including procedures for accomplishing lab reports and generating sections of a report or proposal.