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?

<p>The quick dissemination of information for decision-making (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>To present the data collected during the experiment (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>To understand what the data show (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>To improve the clarity and coherence of the report (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>To display data in a clear and concise manner (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

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

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

<p>So you don't accidentally plagiarize (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the general guideline for avoiding plagiarism in writing?

<p>Lift no more than 5 words in a row from another source (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>As an alternative to a common drain field (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>They often use standard language, making it hard to vary the words (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of citing sources in academic work?

<p>To avoid plagiarism and give credit to the original author (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Any one of a number of ways of taking and submitting an exam improperly (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Plagiarism is submitting someone else's work as one's own, cheating is taking an exam improperly (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>To organize and document information for future use (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>To keep a record of helpful facts and data for future use (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Evaluating the sources and the information itself (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Decide whether to use all or only some of the information collected (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why should you check the information against your outline?

<p>To determine the relevance of gathered information (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of citing information from sources?

<p>To avoid plagiarism and give credit to the original author (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Index cards or word-processing file (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Stop collecting information on that topic (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of plagiarism according to the text?

<p>The verbatim copying of another person's work without acknowledgement (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is referencing necessary in academic writing?

<p>To support arguments with published work (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>To acknowledge sources cited in the report (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of paraphrasing without acknowledgement?

<p>Changing a few words or altering the order of presentation without acknowledgement (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>To organize data for analysis (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>To support arguments with published work (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of plagiarism from a published source?

<p>Paraphrasing a sentence from a book without acknowledgement (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>To acknowledge sources cited in the report (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Need for evaluating sources of information (C)</p> 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?

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

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

<p>Their expertise in the subject matter (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>Because they are not always reliable and unbiased (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of evaluating sources of information?

<p>To ensure the integrity of one's writing (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>By documenting the date of access (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of a reliable source of information?

<p>It is favourably cited by other technical subject researchers (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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

<p>To evaluate the credibility of the website (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

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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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