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Planning, Geography, and Environmental Studies

UFV/Planning, Geography, and Environmental Studies/Student resources/Student e-handbook/Citations and Assignments/Assignment types

Lab and field reports

The purpose of a lab report is to present information collected in the field (or similar), analyze the data, and interpret the results based on published material. The level of analysis required in lab reports largely reflects the level of the course. Individual instructors will clarify expectations for a particular assignment when it is assigned.

The purpose of a field report is to summarize and review the geography of a particular location(s). In lower level classes, the instructor will commonly provide you with ‘in-field’ discussions of a particular location and point out key sites. As a student, you will compile ‘field notes’ (including date and time of observations) that will form the basis of your report.

In upper-level classes, there will likely be less focus on ‘show and tell’ and an emphasis will be placed on the students to make their own observations or collect their own data. Information is again recorded in field-note form to be compiled into a report.

Your lab and field reports must be well written. Many of you will eventually be employed in fields where report writing is common. The way in which you express yourself is as important as the information that you are trying to convey.

If your report is poorly written, it will cost you marks!

Lab and field trip reports must be written in grammatically correct English.

Subject to instructor clarification, the preferred layout is as follows:

  1. Title Page – Title of your report, student name and number (appears on page i)
  2. Table of Contents – List of each section in your report and relevant page numbers (appears on page ii)
  3. List of Tables – Provide table numbers, full captions and relevant page numbers in this list (appears on page iii or equivalent).
  4. List of Figures – Provide figure numbers, full captions and relevant page numbers in this list (appears on page iii or equivalent).
  5. Introduction – A brief introduction of the purpose of the report (page 1).
  6. Background Section or Literature Review – A review of the relevant literature to set the necessary background for the study. This provides basis for discussion of the results, etc. (This section may not be needed in some reports.)
  7. Methodology – Describe your data collection methods, date of data collection, source of data, and type of equipment used etc. The purpose of this section is to provide the reader with enough information to repeat the experiment. Remember to include diagrams or photos to assist the reader.
  8. Results – Present the collected data in table and graphical form. Also include a written description of your results. If large amounts of data were collected, only include summary data within this section and place the complete raw data set in an appendix. All graphs, etc. are referred to as figures and require sequential numbering and detailed captions.
  9. Discussion of Results/Interpretation – Discuss the observed patterns/trends in the data and attempt to explain them. Refer to appropriate literature for sources to support your interpretations.
  10. Conclusion – Summarize your report findings.
  11. References – Cite all the external sources used for your report. (See Citations and reference lists of this guide)

See our Sample Report for an example of a reference list, title page, table of contents, and etc.‌

Lab and field trip reports must be written in grammatically correct English.

Subject to instructor clarification, the preferred layout is as follows:

  1. Title Page – Title of your report, student name and number (appears on page i)
  2. Table of Contents – List of each section in your report and relevant page numbers (appears on page ii)
  3. List of Figures – Provide figure numbers, full captions and relevant page numbers in this list (appears on page iii or equivalent).
  4. Introduction – A brief introduction of the purpose of the report (page 1).
  5. Study Area Map – A clear map of the study area. Do not use MapQuest or street maps; better sources include National Atlas of Canada, Google Earth, topographic maps, etc. All maps need a scale, source statement and north arrow. (Map appears as part of introduction and is commonly Figure 1.)
  6. Background Section or Literature Review – A review of the relevant literature to set the necessary background for the study.
  7. Stop Discussions – In this section, relevant information presented on the field trip together with additional information and photographs or diagrams should be included. All illustrations are ‘figures’ and are numbered sequentially and must appear in the list of figures. It is useful to review the information covered at an individual stop and compile similar information together in paragraphs. Remember that a paragraph should only talk about one item.
  8. References – Cite all the external sources used for your report (See Citations and reference lists of this guide).

See our Sample Report for an example of a reference list, title page, table of contents, and etc.‌

Individual instructors may choose to use a different field trip report structure than that used above. The ‘themed’ structure requires the student to present their findings topically, rather than chronologically, and the field report should serve as a discussion of key findings.

This format is more likely to be used when the instructor or instructors cover a number of different ideas multiple times in different locations, such as on a study tour.

Structure your report according to the key issues/ themes/ ideas presented. Make reference to stops and literature—including the required readings when applicable—in your discussion.

Subject to instructor clarification, the preferred layout for the alternate format is as follows:

  1. Title Page – Title of your report, student name and number (appears on page i)
  2. Table of Contents – List of each section in your report and relevant page numbers (appears on page ii)
  3. List of Figures – Provide figure numbers, full captions and relevant page numbers in this list (appears on page iii or equivalent).
  4. Introduction – A brief introduction of the purpose of the report including a thesis statement and discussion of methodologies (page 1).
  5. Study Area Map – A clear map of the study area. Do not use MapQuest or street maps; better sources include National Atlas of Canada, Google Earth, topographic maps, etc. All maps need a scale, source statement and north arrow. (Map appears as part of introduction and is commonly Figure 1)
  6. Background Section or Literature Review – A review of the relevant literature to set the necessary background for the study.
  7. Theme Discussions – In this section, the student will sort observations and information into a series of key themes or ideas that were identified on the field trip. The number of themes or key ideas will vary according to the length of the trip. The discussion will be supported with photographs, diagrams, and other visuals.

    Reference to specific stops must be made as part of the discussion of the themes. All illustrations are ‘figures’ and are numbered sequentially and must appear in the list of figures. It is useful to review the information covered at an individual stop and compile similar information together in paragraphs.  Remember that a paragraph should only talk about one item. An example of what this might look like in the paper is as follows:

    Ex. 1: “The legacy of Lake Yellowstone is found in many areas within the Lake region of park. For example, the old shoreline of Lake Yellowstone can be observed at Trout Creek Overlook (Stop XX, Figure XX). Here, the meandering Trout Creek is evidence of the…”

  8. Findings and Conclusions – Summarize your report findings.
  9. References – Cite all the external sources used for your report.