Report Writing Principles

General formatting guidelines

Long report similar to Chapter 1.9 (Jeter and Donnell)
Short report similar to Chapter 1.6
Use CPE616 guidelines as ultimate guide

Report preparation
Identify your audience the client
Outline your report identifying crucial information (and restrictions)
Dont attempt to write final version in first draft

Report objectives
Clarity
Conciseness
Convey what you did, why you did it, and what you found
Meet all requirements for the document

Long Report Format

(i) Letter of transmittal
(ii) Title Page
(iii) Table of Contents
(iv) Abstract
(v) Introduction (or Objectives)
(vi) Theory and Technical Background
(vii) Experimental Apparatus and Procedure
(viii)Results
(ix) Discussion of Results
(x) Conclusions and Recommendations
(xi) Nomenclature
(xii) References
(xiii)Appendices

Appendices
Appendix A: Uncertainty Analysis
Appendix B: Instrument Calibration Details
Appendix C: Experimental Data and Computed Results
Appendix D: Sample Calculations
Appendix E: "Other" relevant information

Letter of Transmittal , Title Page &

Table of Contents
Simple cover letter
-Describes briefly to whom report is addressed
-Gives briefly the content of the package
-Sample in J&D pg. 68 (sample will be posted on
BlackBoard)

Title page
-First page of report
-Short, descriptive title of work
-Authors, dates (of experiment and submission) and to
whom report is submitted

Table of contents
-Identify key sections by page number (including
appendices)

Abstract Purpose
By reading the abstract, the relevance of
the report to the reader should be clear:
-Should know whether it is worthwhile or necessary to
obtain and read the rest of the report.
-May have provided the result needed (e.g. rate
constant, validation or improvement of a model or
correlation).
-Results may not be relevant to the reader (wrong
range, material, type of result, quality of result.

Abstract Elements
What was done and Why?
-Goals/Objectives/Hypothesis
-Do NOT give a general overview of the topic (that goes
into introduction).

How were results obtained?

-1-2 sentences on equipment scale/methodology

What results were obtained?

-Specific and quantitative yet concise and readable.

What conclusions were drawn and/or

recommendations made?

Abstract is Concise
Should be as concise as possible every
word needs to have a reason to be
included.
-Most important part of the report although only 150200 words (typical length; may be enforced).
-Therefore it needs to be carefully written; no room for
redundancy, but short length means that it is easy to
leave out key information needed to understand the
report.
-Multiple revisions WILL be necessary.
-Have someone other than the writer review it for
clarity and to avoid ambiguity.
First: Does technical content emphasize the key points and
accurately?
Second: Does it read well? Is it concise? Is redundancy limited?

Introduction (Objectives)
Gives purpose for experiment
-Why is the work important
-What are the implications of the work

Relates current work to previous work

-What has been done in the past, what was found in
these studies
-How does the current work expand on this

Theory and Technical Background

Theory
-Gives reader key physical concepts relevant to
experiment
-Theory/principles/concepts and equations for analyzing
the work

Equations
-Provide equations necessary for manipulating data
-All equations need to be numbered and symbols
defined when first introduced
-Provide assumptions and limitations of equations
-Properly cite literature used in equation development

Experimental Apparatus and Procedure

Apparatus
-Give information to allow reader to understand how
data was acquired
-Provide clear description of equipment (generally
includes schematic of apparatus)
-Report on experimental conditions and calibration
details (including measurement uncertainty)

Procedure
-How was calibration/experiment run
-Give sufficient detail to allow reader to reproduce your
experiment
-NOT a detailed instruction manual

Results
Data
-Important raw data is presented clearly in tables or
figures (with uncertainty)
-Should be accompanied by narrative which describes
content of tables and figures and method of
preparation
-Final calculated results presented next along with
correlations and models
-Well conceived tables and figures necessary to convey
information to your reader
-Focus of this section is to compare measured values to
existing data and theory

Discussion of Results
Evaluation of data
-Critical examination of experimental results
-Factors limiting accuracy are identified
-Significance of results are stated clearly
-Validity of major assumptions from Theory discussed
-Identify discrepancies and provide reasonable basis for
likely causes
-Do not just report the results and trends, interpret
them based on theories and concepts presented
earlier

Conclusions and Recommendations

Conclusions
-Brief restatement of important results and conclusions
drawn from them

Recommendations
-Based on experimental results what would be logical
extension of study
-How would further experimentation build on results
presented in report

Nomenclature and References

Nomenclature
-All symbols used in report listed (alphabetically) and
defined with proper units
-Roman and Greek symbols listed separately

References
-All references used in report listed here
-Citations can be Numerical ( [1], [2], etc.) or
Alphabetically ([McCabe, et al. (2005)])
-Use proper bibliographic formatting

Appendix A
Uncertainty analysis
-Not used for first report
-More detail on uncertainty will be given during
Uncertainty lecture
-Will include derivation of equations for uncertainty
analysis
-Include measurement uncertainties
-Standard deviations, confidence intervals, standard
errors for slopes, etc.

Appendix B
Instrument calibration details
-Include calibration plots for thermocouples,
conductivity probes, pressure transducers, etc.
-Brief narrative describing how calibration was
performed
-Some experiments will have more calibrations
performed than others

Appendix C
Experimental data and computed results
-Provide all data in tabular form, neglecting
unnecessary columns, with proper significant digits
-Should be of same quality as tables/figures found in
report body
-Proper captions provided and all tables/figures
properly numbered
-Accompanying uncertainties provided next to reported
quantity

Appendix D
Sample calculations
-May be hand written
-All equations used should be provided with proper
citations (including those not explicitly shown in
Theory)
-Indicate the data set used for calculations (eg. data
was from first row of Table A.1)
-Calculations should include units and check for
dimensional consistency

Appendix E
Other relevant information
-For 2nd and later reports, include a response to most
significant evaluation comments from previously
graded report and what was done to maintain
strengths and improve identified weaknesses
-May include information necessary for your report but
not included elsewhere (eg. equation derivation for
data analysis not included in Theory section)
-Any tables and figures vital to analysis but not
included elsewhere in report/appendices
-NOT a place to dump unused information from your
experiment
*everything here should be pertinent or not
included

Writing Style
Be empirical and objective
-We found pressure varied with temperature
-Pressure increased linearly with increasing
temperature

Avoid personal statements

-We used Equation (4) to calculate the Reynolds
number
-Equation (4) was used to determine the Reynolds
number

Be precise
-A sample was heated to high temperature for a long
time then was cooled quickly
-70 grams of sample was heated to 200C for 4 hours
then cooled to 0C over the span of 20 minutes

Writing Style
Submit complete reports
- All sections included
- Proofread to avoid grammatical errors

Use proper paragraph form

- Begin each paragraph with topic sentence
- Include supporting sentences to expand on topic
sentence
- If necessary (long paragraph) use concluding
sentence to organize major points and lead into next
paragraph

Properly format figures and equations

- Figures should have caption below describing what is
seen in figure (Table caption appears above tables)
- Equations should be formatted with Equation Editor
and appear centered in line of text and numbered

Written Report Grading

Rating

OVERALL
TechnicalWork
Teamwork, effective use of time (including pre-labs) in lab evident
Quality of data set
Theory makes results and discussion understandable
Thoughtful and accurate analysis
Conclusions meet objectives
Overall assessment of technical work
Numerical Score
PresentationofTechnicalWork
Professionally presented with all necessary sections included
Effective title: concise yet relevant and specific
Well organized, easy to follow logical flow of ideas throughout the report
Sections are well-integrated, redundancy absent
Well-structured paragraphs
Grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.
Overall assessment
Numerical Score

Rating
-Exemplary
-Good
-Competent
-Developing
-Fails to meet standards
(See posted Grading Rubric for
more general details)

Written Report Grading

REPORTSECTIONS
Abstract
Appropriate length
Statement of objectives
Description of methodology
Quantification of results
Organization of ideas
Overall assessment
Numerical Score
Introduction
Relevant background provided, with references
Significance of topic conveyed
Establishes importance of objectives
Description of objectives
Conciseness and clarity of expression
Overall assessment
Numerical Score
Theory&TechnicalBackground
Relevant physical principles established
Key equations used in data analysis presented
Assumptions, limitations on equations/theory briefly noted
Equations formatted and numbered properly
Relevant literature used and cited
Logical presentation of concepts
Conciseness and clarity of expression
Overall assessment
Numerical Score
ExperimentalApparatus&Procedure
Apparatus described in appropriate detail
Schematic aids description (long report)
Key steps in procedure described
Variable ranges, key dimensions provided
Calibration method linked to Appendix B
Clearly described with appropriate level of detail
Overall assessment
Numerical Score

REPORTSECTIONS
Results
Data set presented appropriately and linked to Appendix C
Results correctly calculated from data as indicated by Theory section
Results presented effectively and linked to Appendix C
Uncertainty (and sig. figs) correctly determined and presented
Professionally designed figures and tables
Effective figure captions
Clear focus maintained on key results
Overall assessment
Numerical Score
DiscussionofResults
Data and results correctly analyzed and interpreted
Results compared to theory, correlations, or literature, as appropriate
Deviations from anticipated results fully and quantitatively evaluated
Significance and utility of results made evident
Concise, clear and effective discussion
Overall assessment
Numerical Score
ConclusionsandRecommendations
Conclusions are developed logically from the Results
Conclusions are specific and address the Objectives
Significance and quality of results clearly established
Significance and utility of results made evident
Concise, clear and effective discussion
Overall assessment
Numerical Score

Written Report Grading

REPORTSECTIONS
Appendicesalsoseecommentssheet
Numerical Score

AppendixA:UncertaintyAnalysis
Specifically referenced in the body of the report
Measurement Uncertainties listed
Calibration uncertainty analysis description
Calibration uncertainty analysis
Data uncertainty analysis description
Data uncertainty analysis
Overall Assessment (out of 100%)
AppendixB:instrumentCalibration
Adequately supports experimental section
Complete description of calibration procedure
Complete set of calibration data
Adequate plot, when appropriate
Overall Assessment (out of 100%)
AppendixC:Experimentaldataandcomputedresults
Adequately supports Results and Discussion of Results section
Complete data sets provided
Figures numbered and titled, clearly laid out, easy to follow, effective labeling
Tables numbered and titled, clearly laid out, effective headings
Brief narrative summarizing figures and tables presented
Specifically referenced in the body of the report
Clearly and neatly presented
Overall Assessment (out of 100%)
AppendixD:SampleCalculations
Raw data used in calculations is specifically identified by table
Result of sample calculations is specifically identified by table
Example calculations for all computed quantities, including uncertainties, provided
Sources of literature values cited in this section
Sample calculation presented standard algebraic formatting
Overall assessment (out of 100%)
AppendixE(ifneeded)
Materials have a clear reason for inclusion
Overall assessment (out of 100%)
Safety and Professionalism in Lab
Total Points