Communication and ME 481 “Your Future is Today”

Directa of Comunacashun Depertmunt of Machenicle Enginerearing MUS Criag Goon Directa of Comunacashun Depertmunt of Machenicle Enginerearing MUS

Craig Gunn 2443 Engineering Building 355-5160 gunn@egr.msu.edu 336-9032

Important Elements of ME 481 You are the Ambassadors of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and MSU. Projects come and go with the level of your communication skill. You are professionals. This IS the Real World! Ask for help when needed.

The Communication Tasks 1. 1st Progress Report – By September 20 2. 1st Presentation – By September 27 3. A Synopsis of the Project – 3 Photographs – (different poses) – October 6 4. 2nd Progress Report – By October 22 5. 2nd Presentation – By October 29 6. Final Report – December 8 7. A Poster Presentation – December 10 8. Oral Presentation – December 10 9. Peer Participation Review – December 13

Photos Highest possible resolution setting Good light and make sure the background is in contrast to the subjects In focus (a tripod works best) Multiple shots

Photo Concerns Don’t be too far away Get someone else to take the photos Ask about location Head to toe and head to waist Evaluate the participants Think about what you are wearing

Equipment Laptops Projectors Cameras – digital still Cameras – digital movie As soon as you know that you need them, tell me

ME 481 Reports Plagiarism Style issues Readability

Plagiarism The act of using anything that belongs to someone else without his/her permission and or giving him/her credit for the item. (The really simple definition!)

Awareness Don’t assume that everyone knows someone else did or said it When things are copied or paraphrased you need to give credit As an example, videos others have done need to be credited to the source

Style Issues Tables and Figures Grammar

Tables and Figures Table 1.Title (on top of table) Figure 1.Title (on bottom of figure) table 1, figure 1, fig.1, Fig.1 Number consecutively

Grammar Subject/verb agreement Company is an It. Data - plural Abbreviations - Commercial Differentiation Model (CDM) Commas and semi-colons

There are items to address in this report: jobs, power and loyalty. I will give the $99,000.00 to Bob, Sally and Mark. The amperage was peaking, and I felt that you, as the leader, should do something about it.

Readability Clarity Vocabulary Parallel Construction Flow

Clarity Make sure the reader knows exactly what you want them to know. Never allow interpretations. A lot A few Close Many Around

Paragraph Construction

Vocabulary Aim for the clearest choice of words: Cheap – inexpensive Break up – divide Economically satisfying Cooler manufacturers

Flow Sentence to sentence Paragraph to paragraph Flow is a feeling that a reader gets when reading any written text. The feeling sensed is that the ideas move smoothly in a concerted effort toward some conclusion. The facts are presented in an orderly fashion, and the language used is at the level of the reader.

Tests of the transient and steady-state operation of the new turbine will generate many signals. Of course, the Development Group will analyze the variation of the working fluid's Thermodynamic and transport properties. The "frequency signature" of the vibrating components will also be determined. Small variations in this signal often indicate imminent failure. By measuring and modifying the natural frequencies of the turbine and its forcing functions, catastrophic failure due to resonance can also be avoided. Finally, the acoustic output of the turbine will be monitored, and sources of unwanted noise will be pinpointed and eliminated. Although the Development Group will collect data in the time domain, most of the analysis will be completed in the frequency domain.

Revision – Everyone READS! 1) First Revision a) Weigh only the content 2) Second Revision a) Increase clarity 3) Third Revision a) Meet the standards of correctness 4) Fourth Revision a) Work on Brevity 5) Fifth Revision a) Improve the style

Questions??? Comments!!!