10.1. OVERVIEW
To formally document a laboratory experiment, a written technical report is
prepared. However, it should be noted that detailed lab notes compiled during
the experiment are essential, so they can be used later in the full written report.
The overall goal for any laboratory report is to summarize an experiment
efficiently for an intended audience. Therefore, knowing who will read the
laboratory report (e.g. researchers in a similar field in a technical journal,
business leaders in a company as an internal white paper, or the general public
for mass consumption) will dictate the style, the tone and the level of technical
jargon needed in the written work. After identifying the target audience, the
lab report should explain the purpose of the experiment, the research questions
answered, the experimental procedures, the data observed, the analysis method
and the results.
