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Lab Report Compartments

Although all compartments in an industrial lab report are important, you will want to pay special attention to what you write in the Tests compartment. The Tests compartment is where you will detail your test and the findings. The amount of information that must be included in the compartment will depend on how much detail the audience needs or wants to know.

For example, if the audience will be primarily interested in the results, you can include just the essential details in the Tests compartment. However, if your audience wants to know exactly how the tests were performed, you will have to give a full description of the test, and be as in-depth as possible. You can also include simple diagrams to illustrate the testing equipment, if this will help your audience get a better visual picture of the test. Just remember that if you find that you have lengthy lists, or the diagrams become too complex, you can move those to the Evidence compartment as attachments.

The sub-compartments in the Tests compartment will help guide you on exactly what you need to write, so don't be intimidated if you find you must include a highly detailed, full description of the test.

Take the Test Method sub-compartment as an example. In this sub-compartment, write exactly how the tests were performed. If your audience is more interested in results, then just include a brief outline. Detail each step for someone who needs to understand what was done during the tests, or if your analysis of the results will depend on having detailed steps in this sub-compartment.

If you're going to discuss more than one test in the report, create an introductory paragraph in the Tests compartment that announces the tests you are going to discuss.

"We tested three aspects of the water filtration
system: 1. Name of first test, 2. Name of second test, and 3. Name of third test."


Notice that in the example, above, we gave each test a number. Just like we learned to number paragraphs earlier in this course, you should also number tests in a lab report. After the introductory paragraph, you would write "1. Name of Test" as a heading, then write the paragraphs that detail the first test.


You must write clear and direct in the Test Method sub-compartment. What you write must be objective and unbiased. The same holds true in the Test Results sub-compartment where you detail the findings from the test(s).

In the Analysis sub-compartment, you will interpret the test results and comment on what the results mean.You will want to talk about the aspects that influenced or evolved from the test(s), then talk about if they led to a predicted or logical conclusion – or even an unforeseen outcome.This sub-compartment leads into the Outcome department by helping your audience understand the conclusion you'll present.

The Outcome department can either answer the question posed at the beginning of the test, give resolution to a problem, or even respond to the Background compartment. If the Background compartment talks about the purpose of the test, the Outcome compartment will respond to the purpose. Maybe it's to prove or disprove a theory or fact. That said, you should never present new information or data in the Outcome department.

The Evidence compartment is for attachments. We have already established that in prior lessons. Any attachment that you add to the Evidence department must be referenced in the report. Look at the example below. We highlighted the reference to the attachment.


Each attachment should be labeled and on a separate page.


NOTE: Don't forget that you can use headings and paragraph numbering in your report.

Section Review 1

Below are excerpted paragraphs from a draft of an industrial lab report. Read the paragraph, then choose the compartment or sub-compartment in which the paragraph belongs.
  1. We allowed the water to run continuously for 10 minutes and then filled three 1-gallon bottles with the water before shutting the water off.

    1. ___ Summary

    2. ___Background

    3. ___ Test Method

    4. ___ Outcome

  2. The water on our site contained large traces of chemicals. All personnel were banned from drinking water from any tap on-site on April 5. A water filtration system was purchased and installed on May 1 in order to provide safe and healthy drinking water for the staff.

    1. ___ Summary

    2. ___Background

    3. ___ Test Method

    4. ___ Outcome

  3. Our tests show that the water pulled from the tap now contains a trace amount of chemicals and is safe for drinking.

    1. ___ Summary

    2. ___Background

    3. ___ Test Method

    4. ___ Outcome



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