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Writing Technical Reports

January, 2011

1. Format

All laboratory reports must be done on a computer using a word processing software system. All mechanical engineering students have access to the computer laboratory in which the computers and software are required to comply with this requirement. Reports must be printed on 8.5 x 11 white un-ruled paper. Allow for a one inch margin on each edge of the paper, except the inside edge which should be 1.5 inches to allow for binding. The major headings in the report should be on the left side and underlined. Number all pages, including plots and appendices, at the top right corner of the page in Arabic numerals. The report must be bound in a cover with a label affixed to identify the contents and the author. Remember, laboratory report grades are unduly influenced by the quality of the presentation of the report.

2. Report Organization

Most technical reports have the following general organizational structure:

l) Title Page

Title of Experiment

Experiment Number

Your name, student ID and group number

Course Number & Name

Department

University

Date of the test

2) Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures

q A table of contents should be provided for ease of locating the desired material of the report. The table of contents gives page numbers for easy reference to the individual sections of the report, and provides an outline of the topics to be covered in the report.

q All tables in a report should be numbered and titled. The list of tables is the index to all tables in the report.

q All figures in a report should be numbered and titled. The list of figures is the index to all figures in the report. All graphs and sketches are to be given figure numbers and titles.

3) Nomenclature

List of all mathematical symbols with their respective units and description.

4) Abstract

The abstract is the last thing that is written and the first thing that is read of a technical report. All technical reports should begin with an abstract. The abstract is a summary or synopsis of the experiment written for the reader who wants to know whether or not he/she would be interested in reading the full text of the report. Therefore the abstract should be self‑contained and independent of the rest of the report. The abstract should not exceed a full page in length (about 300 words). The purpose of the abstract is to inform the reader of the important aspects of the work. Any new equipment or unusual procedures used to perform the work and the significance of the results obtained should be briefly presented in the abstract.

5) Body of Report

The body of the report will contain four (4) sub‑sections:

Introduction, Data and Results, Discussion, and Conclusions and Recommendations. The information that should be included under each of these sections will now be considered.

A. Introduction

An introduction is not always necessary, but it is usually desirable to spend a few sentences describing the background of the project and the reasons for undertaking it. Reference to previous work of a similar nature is often cited, and the differences between those projects and the current study are presented. Any important notation or mathematical preliminaries can be briefly given in the introduction.

B. Data and Results

The original data collected during experimentation should be included in an appendix. In this section, the data collected and the findings they imply are to be summarized in a few short paragraphs. Tables, graphs and other materials are included if required to support the presentation of the results. Graphical presentation of the results are often effective; however, deviations from smooth curves should be carefully checked. Apparent discrepancies should be pointed out and explained. Results of uncertainty or error analysis should be presented.

C. Discussion

This section presents the theoretical and practical evaluation of the results reported in the previous section. The discussion should include the extent to which the objectives of the experiment have been achieved. The reliability of the results, the meaning, evaluation and application of the results should be considered. Compare the results with those which might be expected in practice, theory, or both. An important rule in writing the discussion is that any part of it that could have been written without doing the experiment is not an evaluation of the work done, nor is it a conclusion drawn from the experiment.

D. Conclusions and Recommendations

In this section, the writer should summarize the findings of the report and draw attention to the significance of these results. Any deviations from the accepted theory should be noted and their statistical significance discussed. Conclusions are to be drawn with reference to the previously stated objectives of the project. Each conclusion should be supported by reference to data and results, and should follow directly from the numerical results quoted.

Recommendations are often more important than conclusions. Recommendations should be made in this section on changes in the procedure or instrumentation of the experiment, which could make the experiment more accurate or effective. Few experimental projects are an end in themselves. Either the results are to be used for a purpose, or at least the experimenter sees more work that could be done to adequately accomplish the original project.

6) References

A list of references, and reference material should always be included in a technical report. This gives readers an indication of where to look for more information on the subject under study, and gives proper credit to information used in the report that was not original with the work of the project.

7) Appendices

All information important to the completeness of the report, but either too detailed or cumbersome to include in the smooth flow of the report should be put in an appendix. This would include information such as original data collected, sample calculations, calibration data, computer programs, etc. For the laboratory reports on the experiments, at least the following appendices must be present:

Appendix A: Apparatus

A sketch of the experimental apparatus showing all instrumentation and control stations should be provided. A schematic diagram is adequate, but it must be neat and complete. Describe the experimental setup and the instruments used including limitations and relative accuracy. Full and accurate identification of all instrumentation should be given, including model and serial numbers or other unique identification.

Appendix B: Procedure

A write-up of how the experiment was conducted should be provided. This write-up should be of sufficient detail that anyone, with the proper equipment and your report, could reconstruct the experiment and achieve the same results. This write-up should be factual, almost a log of the steps you went through in performing the experiment to the point of reporting the errors made, and later discovered, in conducting the study. Changes which you would recommend be made to the experimental procedures should be noted in the conclusions and recommendations section of the report. Preliminary tests, equalizing periods, duration of runs, and frequency of readings, should be recorded. Special precautions for obtaining accuracy and means for controlling conditions should be described. Independent variables and reasons for their selection should be given.

Appendix C: Calibration Data

The calibration procedure and the results of the calibration process for all equipment should be included in this appendix. Calibration plots may often be included in the body of the report to support the results of the experiment; however, all the supporting materials used to develop those charts or tables should be detailed here.

Appendix D: Experimental Data

Copies of the original data sheets from engineering laboratory notebook should be included.

Appendix E: Sample Calculations

Examples of calculations used in the experiment should be included in this appendix. Mathematical developments of special equations should also be included here.