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PHAS0051 Experimental Physics: Formal Report and Laboratory Book Guidelines

Content

1. Introduction

2. Formal Report: aims

3. Formal Report: a typical layout

3.1 Formatting

3.2 Report Content

3.3 Exchange of information, data and references

4. Laboratory Notebook

5. Deadlines, Marking Timescale and Plagiarism

1. Introduction

These guidelines are presented to aid in writing your formal report and laboratory notebook, which make up 25% and 10% respectively of the overall module mark.

The marking of the formal report is performed with the lab-book at hand, to verify that good laboratory practice is maintained. Additionally, as we do not expect reports to contain large sets of tabulated data, lab-books will be compared to the formal report findings, plots and overall data reported, as proof of the students’ personal work.

2. Formal Report: aims

In Years 1 and 2, the objective of the formal report was to prepare the student in the presentation of work performed in the structure of a short journal (or letter) paper. This would generally be constituted of an introduction with some theoretical background to the experiment performed, the method adopted with findings, followed by discussion and conclusions. It is assumed that students in year 3 have achieved this understanding and are ready for a different learning experience.

Most research laboratories (in universities, government institutions and also private firms) perform their research experiments based on funding obtained or granted through different mechanisms (grant applications, proposals, investment opportunities). In all cases though, the funding expires after a period of time. After this time reports are required to be compiled to prove that, based on the scientific motivation underpinning the experiment, the latter has been conducted in the best of ways and with a set of results which are usually described in order to prove that the research funding is well spent and through the scientific findings provide input for future experiments to follow.

3. Formal Report: a typical layout

The total maximum length of the formal report is 2500 words. This excludes the cover page, appendices and the reference list but does include captions.

There is no upper tolerance on the word count.

When writing the report you are expected to include a cover page containing the following:

 Title of experiment

 Names of experiment participants (name of report writer as first author)

 Location of experiment

 Start and end date of experiment

 Word count must be included on the cover page

3.1 Formatting

It is expected that the Formal Report will be presented with the highest standard of formatting. The report must be compiled with a single font throughout and a minimum font of 11 with 1.5 or 2 point spacing.

Figures and plots must be of the highest quality with appropriate software such as Sketch-Up used. Granular images are not acceptable and all text must be perfectly legible. Figure size must be appropriate and figures must be consistently aligned (centred or aligned left), the same applies to figure captions which should make the figure intelligible without reference to the text. Finally, figures must be numbered in the order in which they are referred to in the text.

Tables of data are to be kept short and only to be included if they are the final product of a measurement. The rationale behind this is that everything which is included in the report has the objective to convey information on the work performed and its outcome. You can test this by removing any part of a report and pondering if this decreases the content of information or not.

3.2 Content

An example of a complete Project Report is structured as follows (*):

 An abstract of length no more than 200 words, this is not required for the Interim Report

 Brief introduction with the scientific background to the experiment (often used by funding agencies as instrument of outreach or for the general public)

 Method adopted or alternatively a description of how the experiment was designed and conducted including the instrumentation used: this is important for the reproduction of the experiment findings.

 Detailed list of findings achieved through experimentation. This can be achieved through the description of all measured observables with the appropriate application of statistical tools where necessary.

 Finally, based on the results of the experiment, a discussion on the findings is expected, with appropriate conclusions on the findings, as well as considerations on how to improve any experiment, which may follow the one performed.

(*) This is one way to structure such a report, it is not however a compulsory format. A different layout is acceptable, as long as it achieves the goal of conveying the objective of the experiment, describing fully the experiment performed (including errors) and with appropriate conclusions on the findings.

3.3 Exchange of information, data and references

Scientists and Research Groups do not perform their experiments in complete information isolation. While academic and industrial competition often ensues, to be the first to perform a given experiment and to a higher standard, it is also often the case that some results can only be achieved through a concerted effort and that “competition” is confined to particular aspects of a given experiment (i.e. scientists can discuss how a given result is achievable and then compete on the accuracy or wealth of information of the result).

It is therefore expected that groups working on similar experiments will talk to each other and discuss their findings as a matter of peer comparison.

When this exchange of information becomes substantial (as in correcting of a wrong procedure, or a set of substantially higher quality data due to recognized experimental malpractice or failure of hardware components) it is required that this exchange be recognized and properly documented. Appropriate justification for this exchange is expected (i.e. understanding where the shortcoming in data quality or procedure originated). Such recognition with proper documentation will not constitute reason for a lower mark (when backed by personal notes on the laboratory notebook).

References - All background reading which played any part in the understanding of experiment and in the planning of the experiment procedure must be included at the end of the report in a “Reference” section, as well as any “Private Communication” which occurs with colleagues as specified above (this must include name of person and date of such exchange). References must be numbered consecutively in order of citation, and be given in a list at the end of the main text. Use a scientifically recognised referencing system (IEEE, Physical Review).

The formal report should have a minimum of seven separate references of which five must be peer reviewed journal papers.

You should not include the experiment lab script or apparatus manuals in your reference list.

4 Laboratory Notebook

The laboratory notebook is a working document which should contain details of your experiment as it progresses. The laboratory notebooks (or lab-books, or log-books) may be written in hard copy or electronic form and are expected to be kept to a high standard, legible and well-presented.

The notes you take are critical in being able to recreate the experiment or any conditions necessary for you to repeat a particular measurement, so the lab book must be reasonably organized. Every experiment session should be dated and there should be no blank pages to “fill in later”.

Extra paper to note comments or carry out calculations should not be used but you should include screen shots or print outs where necessary, for example if you used a computer program which generates an image or data analysis using analysis software, then print these out where relevant and include in your lab book. If your experiment generates a large amount of data then include the name of the file the data is saved on rather than printing out many pages of data.

It is intended that the note taking during the lab session will enable you to recreate the exact configuration of your experiment set up and the settings used as well as any modifications whilst the experiment is in progress, this way you will know exactly how each part of your experiment was undertaken.

The lab book should include a risk assessment, an introduction (including aims and objectives as well as the underlying theory) a literature review, ongoing methodology, data analysis, discussions of your results and a conclusion. The conclusion should include a summary of the most important results compared to accepted values, suggestions for experiment improvement, as well as applications of the experimental technique in the wider research and industry context.

The final lab book component mark of 4% will be assessed based on the overall quality of the laboratory notebook record and whether the requisite sections are present and complete.

5 Deadlines, marking timescale and plagiarism

Deadlines for submission of the formal report will be posted on the Overview Moodle page for both the Monday and Thursday groups. Please check the Moodle page regularly for updates.

Submission of the Project Report is considered valid by the time and date as recorded on Turnitin.

It is suggested that you do not wait until the last minute for submission in order to avoid incurring a penalty due to issues in lack of connectivity or computer failure.

The formal report will be tested using anti-plagiarism software embedded within Turnitin. For late submission (3.12) and word count penalties (3.13) please refer to the Academic Manual link below.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/academic-manual/chapters/chapter-4-assessment-framework-taught-programmes/section-3-module-assessment