Writing an Engineering Report
Unit 6, Beer
Plagiarism.
A grade of zero will be given if:
the majority of the paper consists of
copied material with little or no
original material from the student
major parts of the paper were
copied or paraphrased from other
sources with no direct reference
given
References
Less than 5 relevant references
(must be directly related to content)
Amount to be subtracted from total
0 references - 100 points
1 reference 80 points
2 references 60 points
3 references 40 points
4 references 20 points
Engineering Reports
Used to report on projects
Follows detailed specifications
Are read in a hurry
Are seldom read cover to cover-
Different people read different
sections depending on their needs
Lots of redundancy
Engineering Report
Transmittal Letter
Document Cover and Labels
Table of Contents
List of Figures
Executive Summary
Introduction
Body of the report
Appendixes (including references)
Engineering Report Mechanics
Paper and margins
Page numbering
Line Spacing
Writing numbers
Symbols
Capitalization
Formatting Headings and Text
Figures and tables
Paper and Margins
White A4 paper
Each major section starts on a new
page
Use 2.0 cm margins on all sides
Bound reports have a left-hand
margin of 3.5 cm, and 1.5 cm on
the other three sides
Page Numbering
All pages except front and back are
numbered
Use lower case roman numerals for
pages before introduction (i,ii,iii,iv,..)
Use Arabic numbers for the rest of the
main part (1,2,3,etc)
For Appendices, use appendix letter
and number consecutively per
appendix: A-1, A-2, B-1, B-2, etc.
Numbering
Do not number the title page.
Place the number at the bottom
center of the pages
Use footers to position page
numbers (need different sections for
different parts)
Line Spacing
The cover page, letter of
transmittal, document cover label,
table of contents, list of figures, list
of tables and references will be
single-spaced.
Each reference on the reference
page will have double space before
it.
The abstract, body of the report and
appendices will be double-spaced.
Rules for Writing Numbers
Spell out single-digit numbers (zero
to nine).
Use numerals for multi-digit numbers
(10, 11, 12, etc.)
Rules for Writing Numbers
Exceptions: Always use numerals
With a unit of measurement or other
symbol: 6.50, 12 mm, 4.30 lbs, 2%
With numbers that include decimals
or fractions: 1.5,
(Include the leading zero for numbers
less than one) 0.12345
When referring to a chapter, figure,
table, etc : Chapter 1,Figure 7, Table
5, etc.
Rules for Writing Numbers
Exceptions: Always spell out
1. Numbers that start a sentence:
Three years old is too young to be
left alone.
2. Approximate numbers: The three
students each wrote about twenty
sentences.
3. The first number when using one
number is used to a quantity of
another: eight 10 cc vials of
penicillin, four 3 x 3 m tiles.
Rules for Writing Symbols
Write symbols in lower case, except when
the symbol comes from a proper name.
e.g. m for meter, g for gram, but A
for ampere.
Liter is an exception as a lower case L
could be mistaken for a one.
Do not add an s to symbols. e.g. 10 m
not ms
Do not put a period after a symbol unless
it is at the end of a sentence.
Rules for Writing Symbols
Put a space between the numeral and the
symbol (e.g. 1 L), except with degrees,
where there is no space between the
degree symbol and C or F. e.g.
Water boils at 100C
Use symbols instead of unit names with
numerals. If there are no numerals, use
unit names. e.g. In England, gasoline is
sold in liters. Add 20 g of sugar to 100 ml
of water.
Capitalization
Capitalize only the proper names
of individuals and organizations
Widows and Orphans
An orphan is a word or short section of a
line isolated at the bottom of a paragraph or
a page. Orphan headings, or headings that
are at the bottom of one page with their
associated text on the next, are especially
annoying.
A widow is an isolated word or sentence
the top of a page.
Try to avoid these, as they are both ugly
and confusing.
Formatting of Headings
Number your Headings using the decimal
system, according to their importance and
formatted as follows
Heading Location Point Font Example
Level Size Style
Preliminary Centered 18 bold Abstract
First Centered 18 bold 6 Major Sub-components
Second Centered 14 bold 6.1 Turning Mechanism
Third Flush left 12 bold 6.1.1 Driver motor
Forth Flush left 12 bold 6.1.1.1 Motor Mounting Bracket
Figures
Figures: pictures, drawings, graphs, charts and
illustrations
Center figures on the page with the caption
centered below.
Captions that are part of the figure use 8-point,
Times New Roman, regular type.
Label figures with the word Figure; a
consecutively numbered Arabic number; and a
short caption.
The caption will be in 12-point New Roman bold
type, with only the first letter of the caption and
the first letter of proper nouns capitalized.
Do not put a frame/border around your figures.
Figure Example
8 point
Figure 1 Ceramic core carbon resistor 12 point
Engineering Report
Preliminary pages
Letter of Transmittal
Cover letter to the document
Usually written in formal business
letter format
Attached to outside or inside behind
the cover
Communication from you to
requestor of the report stating that
the report is finished
Letter of Transmission - Paragraphs
First: Cites the name of the report, in
italics & date of agreement to write
the report
Middle: Purpose of the report and
brief overview of contents
Final: Encourage reader to get in
touch if questions, close with
gesture of good will, hope the
reader finds it satisfactory
(Begin 1st line 2.5m from top of paper) Kim Nguyuen
145 Pasteur Street, Q3
TPHCM, Vietnam
27 April 2007
(1 blank line)
Mr. Richard G. Bradley, MAL, MSM
Vietnamese-German University
Block 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District
TPHCM, Vietnam
(1 blank line)
Dear Mr. Bradley
(1 blank line)
Enclosed is my final report entitled Automated Window Slats; A Prototype Design submitted to
partially meet the requirements for Presentation of Information, as specified on 26 January 2007.
This report describes the design of a prototype Solar Controlled, Automated Window Slate system.
Each component of the system is described and illustrated, and schematics of the circuit design,
using both International Style and United States Customary symbols & notations.
I appreciate the time you are taking to review this proposal and hope that it meets your and the
boards approval so that we may go ahead and build and evaluate the prototype. If you have any
more questions feel free to contact me either by telephone 99-999999 or e-mail:
[email protected].
(1 blank line)
Sincerely yours,
(3 blank lines)
Kim Nguyen
Team Leader
(1 blank line)
Enclosure: Automated Window Slates: Prototype Design (1 Copy)
Cover and Label
Covers give reports a professional
look and protect it
Design a label to go on the cover
Without a label, a report is
anonymous; often ignored and/or
lost
Document Label
The document cover will have a label,
centered, one-third down the page from the
top, with the following information:
The title and subtitle of the report
centered at the top
Your name
Your student ID number
The Course Name: Course: Skills for
Communicating Information (IT007UN)
The name of your school: The School of
Computer Science and Engineering
Label
Report title
Your name
You organization
Tracking number (if applicable)
Date
Automated Window Slats 18 pt,
A Prototype Design Times New
Kim Nguyen Roman
EE3: Technical Writing
Vietnamese-German University 12 pt
6 December 2007 Times New
Roman
Unprofessional Covers
Clear or colored
plastic with plastic
sleeve on left side.
Look cheap and
are annoying to
use
Binders - Better
Use 3.5 cm on left margin for holes
Best
Best is spiral binding
with cardstock cover.
Allows the report to
be laid flat
Use 3.5 cm on left margin for binding
Engineering Report
Preliminary Pages
Title page
Disclaimer
Abstract
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Table
Title Page
Centered at the top of the page (16 pt, Times Roman,
normal font):
Vietnamese-German University
Department of English
Technical Writing
Centered in the middle of the page (24 pt, Times
Roman, Bold font):
Title and sub-title of the report
Centered down the page (16 pt, Times Roman,
normal font)
Your names with the family name underlined
Centered at the bottom of the page (16 pt, Times
Roman, normal font)
The name of your instructor
The due date of the report
Disclaimer
Makes you legally responsible and
subject to punishment if you plagiarized.
Disclaimer
We declare that this report is a product of our own work, unless
otherwise referenced. We also declare that all opinions, results,
conclusions and recommendations are our own and may not
represent the policies or opinions of The Department of English or
The Vietnamese-German University.
Nguyen Thi Kim (Leader)
Nguyen Thanh Long
Nguyen Anh Tu
Abstract and Executive Summary
Descriptive Abstract for Engineers
Overview of purpose and contents of
the report
Executive Summary for Managers
Summarizes the key facts and
conclusions
Abstract
Dihydrogen-Monoxide Extraction Device
Nguyen Thi Kim (Leader)
Nguyen Thanh Long
Nguyen Anh Tu
27 April 2011
Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is a colorless and odorless
chemical compound, that is directly responsible for the
death and injury of thousands of Vietnamese citizens every
year as well as billions of Dong in property damage.
Handicapped people and children are especially at risk
when exposed to liquid DHMO and are often unable to rid
their places of residence of excessive quantities of this
substance. This project was, therefore, initiated to develop
a prototype system that can rid dwellings of excessive
quantities of liquid DHMO.
--------------------------------------
Key Words: dihydrogen-monoxide, extraction, handicapped
Executive Summary
Normally used within a commercial
enterprise
With double spacing, it usually runs one
or two pages in length.
Written for non-technical audiences who
are unlikely to read the report it is
summarizing
Written in less technical language
Summarize the report in greater depth
than an Abstract
Executive Summary Format
Start with a title Executive Summary,
centered at the top of the page.
Immediately below the title, justified full,
will be an Introductory Paragraph that will
discuss the Problem and the Purpose of
the Report.
Next will be one or more paragraphs that
discuss the Scope, Limitations and
Procedures.
The concluding paragraph will include
significant considerations, analysis and
decisions or recommendations.
Executive Summary
Not required for this class
See page 128 A Guide to Writing as
an Engineer for an example.
Acknowledgement
Usually optional, but a good idea.
Students should acknowledge
colleagues, supervisors,
organizations or others who
provided significant assistance.
If you produce a report as part of a
group project, clearly identify the
writers of the different sections.
Table of Contents
Include chapter headings, and the first and
second level sub-headings.
Headings beyond the second sub-level should
not be included.
The sections of the preliminary section, except
for the title page will also be included.
Indent sub-levels, as below, so the user can
easily see the structure of the report.
5. Top Section
5.1 Sub section 1
5.1.1 Subsection 1.1
Note the numbering structure (5,5.1,5.1.1)
Table of Contents
Use the Table of Contents feature of
Microsoft Word to save you a lot of work
List of Figures/Tables
If your report includes figures or
tables, you need to include a List of
Figures and/or a List of Tables.
Both are formatted in a similar
manner to the Table of Contents
and include the table or figure
number, caption and page number.
Your report should include figures
and, therefore, a List of Figures
Engineering Report - Body
Introduction
Chapters
Conclusion
Recommendation
References.
Introduction
the objectives of the report
general background information
a review of previous work or
research
the scope and limits of the report
Objectives
1 Introduction
1.1 Purpose of the Report
This report was created to partly
satisfy the requirements for
successful completion of the course
Technical Writing and discusses the
design of a prototype Dihydrogen-
Monoxide Extraction Device.
Background
1.2 Scope of the Report
This proposal discusses the design,
installation and testing of a prototype
system that extracts and discharges into an
appropriate disposal system excessive
quantities of Dihydrogen-Monoxide in small
structures. Not included in this report are
any designs for a backup power supply to
allow the system to operate in the absence
of electric power and only limited discussion
of structural modifications that may be
needed to reduce the intake of excessive
quantities of DHMO that may be present in
the exterior environment.
Chapters
Main part of the report
Should provide a clear description of
your project
Incorporate tables and figures that
are needed to support the text in
the chapter into the body of the
report and place them as close as
possible to the first reference to
them.
Include additional supporting
material in the appendices.
Conclusion
The concluding chapter will include
a summary of the preceding
chapters and any conclusions
drawn.
Do not introduce any new material
in this section.
References
All sources from which material was
either taken, as direct quotes or
paraphrased are included here.
Students will list all references in
the order they appeared using the
IEEE standards.
Appendixes
Appendices include material either incidental
to the report or too lengthy to be included in
the body of the report.
Label each Appendix with a capital letter
(Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.) and the pages
using the letter and a number (A1, A2, B1,
B2, etc.)
If you are writing for an audience who may
not be familiar with some the vocabulary you
are using, include a Glossary of terms and
abbreviations as Appendix A.
Engineering Report
Referencing (not the same as in
academic writing)
Citations in the text of the document
Give each citation in the text a unique,
sequential number written in square
brackets, e.g. [27].
You will use the same number for each time
you reference a particular item. It is not
necessary to mention the authors of a
reference; however, you may do so if it is
relevant to the text.
Example: In 1920, Albert Einstein proposed a
theory describing the relationship between
energy, speed and mass [33].
Guidelines for Listing References
List references in the order they
appeared in the report.
List each bracketed number on a
separate line.
List only one reference per
bracketed number.
Do not include footnotes or any
other words and phrases that are
not part of the reference format.
Capitalization
Capitalize every important word in
the title of a book or journal.
Capitalize only the first word of an
article, paper, thesis or book
chapter (except for proper nouns,
acronyms, etc.)
Abbreviations
Either spell out the entire name of each
periodical you reference or use accepted
abbreviations. (be consistent)
Do not spell out words such as volume,
months longer than four letters, etc.,
use abbreviations.
e.g. vol., Dec..
Indicate page ranges with pp, (pp. 1-
22), and singles pages with only one p
(p. 51).
Books
Author(s) initial(s).Surname, Title of
book. Edition., Place: Publisher, date.
Number of volumes (if more than one),
page numbers.
Example
[1] H. Inose, P. Fingle, and J.R. Pierce,
Information Technology and
Civilization, 2nd ed., New York:
Freeman, 1984, p. 105.
Chapter of a Book
Author(s) initial(s).Surname, Chapter
Title, in Title of book. Edition., Place:
Publisher, date. Number of volumes (if
more than one), page numbers.
Example
[2] G.O. Young, "Synthetic structure of
industrial plastics," in Plastics, 2nd
ed., vol. 3, J. Peters, Ed. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1964, pp. 15-64.
Electronic Books
Author. (year, month day). Title.
(edition) [Type of medium]. volume
(issue). site/path/file
Example
[10] J. Jones. (1991, May 10)
Networks. (2nd ed.)
[Online].www.atm.com
Retrieved 27 Oct 2009
Electronic Journals
Author. (year, month). Title. Journal. [Type
of medium]. volume (issue),
pages.site/path/file
Example:
[11] R. J. Vidmar. (1992, Aug.). On the use of
atmospheric plasmas as electromagnetic
reflectors. IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.
[Online]. 21(3), pp. 876880.
www.halcyon.com/pub/journals/21ps03-
vidmar
Internet Resources
Author(s) First name or initials. Surname,
Title of article. Date of publication; url.
Example
[15] Walter Fendt, Simple AC
Circuits. Dec 2002
Retrieved 27 Oct 2009 from
www.walter-
fendt.de/ph11e/accircuit.htm
Questions?
References
[1] IEEE Information for Authors, [Online] Available:
http://www.ieee.org/portal/cms_docs/pubs/trans
actions/auinfo03.pdf
[2] J. Ramey, How to Write a Useful Abstract
[Online] Available: http:/www.technial-
writing.net/articles/Abstract.html
[3] G. Jay-Christensen, Executive Summaries
Complete the Report 27 Nov 1997, [Online]
Available:
http://www.csun.edu/~vcen006/summary.html
[4] D. Beer and D. McMurry, A Guide to Writing as an
Engineer, 2nd ed., Hoboken:John Wiley & Sons,
Inc., 2005, pp.233-248.
