Lab Reports in Industry
Tom Siller, Civil Engineering
Lab reports are done in industry because engineers need their materials tested. The purpose of commercial labs is to produce data, and often junior engineers work in these labs and write reports to clients. Also, engineers read lab reports throughout their careers. One way to become a discriminating reader is to write lab reports yourself. This way, you come to understand how the data evolves. Now, that doesn't mean you have to be a great novelist to read a novel, but by producing lab reports in school, you practice gathering and presenting data.