Writing Professional Technical Reports ME 195 – Senior Project Writing Professional Technical Reports Presented by: Dr. Raghu Agarwal October 12, 2016 Mechanical Engineering Department An Jose State University San Jose, CA

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 Key Questions What is the purpose of writing a technical report? To communicate information gained in the process of completing a project, which follows a logical sequence Should it be written in first person, second person or third person narrative? Always use a third person narrative Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 The Report Structure Title Page Executive Summary/Abstract Table of Contents Introduction Theory Design Sample Calculations Results and Discussion Conclusions Appendices Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 1. Title Page Title Page: Includes Project Title Authors’ Name Course name, number, and section Instructor’s name Date University and department affiliation Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Title Page (continued) How to Choose a Project Title: The Project title should be short, meaningful, and indicative of the project contents Good Title: Design of a Hydraulic jack Bad Titles: The lifter Car Assist Magic Jack Report Writing - October 12, 2016

2. Executive Summary/Abstract Include either an Executive summary or an Abstract (check with your professor for the preference) An Executive Summary is an extended version of Abstract, generally used when writing project reports Use of Abstract is common in research papers Both give reader the summary of why, how, and conclusions of the results Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Executive Summary/Abstract (continued) Executive Summary/Abstract is always written last, after the project has been completed Abstract: One paragraph, less than half-page length Single-line spacing Third person narrative Describes the why, how, and conclusions of the results Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Executive Summary/Abstract (continued) Maximum length is generally one to two pages Describes the Why (the need, objective), How (methodology), and conclusion of the outcome (results, functionality, etc.) Written in third person narrative Has an easily readable format (line spacing and fonts) Intended to give a descriptive overview of the project Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Executive Summary/Abstract (continued) What not to include? Abstract or executive summary shouldn’t include: General information Why you are carrying out the project Reference to diagrams or references. Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Follow any of your standard text books Table of Contents Follow any of your standard text books Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 3. Introduction Define the work carried out in the project Define the objective of the project Include description of the problem and reasons for the work being done Give sufficient background information of the problem Must answer the question: Why was this project done? What is the specific purpose of the study? Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 4. Theory Described the theory being used: Formulae, equations, hypotheses, etc. Provide references of the original source Include only the necessary and sufficient mathematics in the text, rest in the Appendix The theory section ascertains that your project is not ‘Jerry- rigged’, it is based on the advanced engineering concepts Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 5. Design This section will depend on the type of project being done. For design projects: Give a detailed list of engineering specifications Description of preliminary design and the steps leading to the final design Reasons for the selection of parts, material, processes, etc. Governing theories, formulae, equations, etc. In the appendix, provide: A compete list of Bill of Materials Detailed parts-drawings and vendor catalog Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 6. Sample Calculations Sample calculations are part of the Results section They are based on mathematical relations mentioned in the Theory section If the calculations are repetitive and too many, include only one sample calculation in this section, the rest should be included in the Appendix Report Writing - October 12, 2016

7. Results and Discussion Results should be analyzed, interpreted, and stated clearly Use figures and tables that are fully labeled Any deficiency, errors, or poor results should be discussed and explained how they affect the objective Numerical data should be presented in the form of graphs or tables Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Results and Discussion (continued) This section should answer: What do the results clearly indicate? What was the final outcome? What is the significance of the results? Are the results fully discussed and conclusions drawn based on the knowledge gained? How did error or deficiencies occur? Did any of the errors or deficiencies affect the conclusion of the project? Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 8. Conclusion Summarize the significance of the results: Answer any questions raised in the introduction regarding the objective and the purpose of the project Explain the significance of the project Avoid discussion of new information not already mentioned in the report Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 References Journal articles Books Web sites Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 References A journal paper that you have cited in the text: Babuška, Ivo; Banerjee, Uday; Osborn, John E. (June 2004). "Generalized Finite Element Methods: Main Ideas, Results, and Perspective". International Journal of Computational Methods 1 (1): 67– 103 Referencing a book you have used: Reddy, J.N. (2005). An Introduction to the Finite Element Method (Third ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 9780071267618 Referencing a web site: Finite Element Methods. Retrieved from Wikipedia 10/15/2014: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finite_element_method Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 9. Appendices Include the useful information that was too lengthy to include in the main body Sample calculations Raw data Detailed drawings Bill of Materials Vendor brochure Any item included in the Appendix must be referenced in the report. Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 Check List Do the paragraphs within a section flow in a logical manner? Do the ideas in each section flow from general to specific, big picture to small? Does the report shows readers how the project was carried out? Are the tables, figures, and diagrams fully interpreted and understandable? Are the tables, figures, and diagrams appropriately labeled and referred to within the text? Is the report written in third person narrative? Is the writing clear and thoroughly revised for spellings, syntax, and grammar? Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 Miscellaneous When to use Numerals & not words: If the number is larger than nine (double digits: 10, 11, 12, etc.) When the number is connected to units of measure: 3 lbs, 2 sq-ft, etc. Decimal and fractional numbers: 1.5, 2.7, etc. A combination of numerals and words for very large numbers (especially in money): The Light Rail System will cost over $6 billion Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 Miscellaneous When to spell out the numbers: A number less than 10 (single digit) A number in the beginning of a sentence: Fifty million dollars is a large amount. When single and multi digit numbers appear in a sentence: We have two labs with 6 computers in one and 20 in the other. Round numbers: About a thousand units have been ordered To avoid confusion: We ordered eleven 8 foot pipes Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 Summary Report purpose: Communication of work done Use third person narrative Include: Title page Executive summary Table of Contents Introduction Objective Methodology: Theory and Design Results and discussion Appendix Report Writing - October 12, 2016

Report Writing - October 12, 2016 Thank you Report Writing - October 12, 2016