Lab Reports

Lab reports are another common type of technical document you can expect to produce at work, especially if you enter a medical, scientific, technical, engineering, or research field. The main purpose of a typical lab report is to document procedures and results of experiments or other similar primary research. The target audience of a lab report is usually a colleague or peer who will use the information to make a decision, better understand the material being studied, or replicate the procedure or experiment. Although most lab reports share these underlying similarities, the structure, organization, presentation of material, and design of the document vary widely by field and institution. If your particular discipline’s style guide does not offer details on how to prepare a lab report, you should seek the guidance of a subject-matter expert in your field or at your organization.