Writing an Engineering Report

The report can be divided into the following sections: Letter of transmittal Covers and label Table of contents List of figures Executive summary (abstract) Introduction Body of the report Conclusions Appendixes (includes references)

Letter of Transmittal
This is a cover letter. Use the formal business letter format. Attach it to the outside of the report OR bind it inside the report. It explains the content of the report. Content and organization is: o First paragraph. Cites the name of the report in italics. It also mentions the reason for the report and the date it was assigned. o Second paragraph. The purpose of the report and a brief synopsis of the contents. o Third paragraph. Acknowledges any funding or help you have received from other people and also mentions any limitations or omissions in the report. o Final paragraph. Closes with a gesture of good will, expresses hope that the reader finds the report satisfactory. It also contains your contact information should the reader need to get in touch with you. This section may have to be modified for specific situations.

Figure 6-1. Transmittal letter and report front cover.

Covers
Do NOT use clear or colored plastic slipcases with plastic sleeve on edge. Acceptable but not preferred: o Covers for which you punch holes in the paper and load pages by bending down metal brads. o Loose leaf notebooks o Expensive leatherette covers Best to use anything that will lie flat, such as a plastic spiral for the binding and thick cardboard for the covers.

Labels
Best way is to print it out with your word processing software with a box around the text. Cut it out and have it photocopied to the cover of your report. The label should contain: o Report title o Your name o Name of your company or organization o Date

Page Numbering
All pages are numbered with these exceptions: o Front cover o Back cover o Page one of the introduction o Any page with a chapter or section heading at the top. Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) All pages before the introduction (first page of the body of the report) uses lower case roman numerals. Best place for numbers is the bottom center of the page.

Abstract (Executive Summary)

Summarizes the report in no more than three pages Provide a quick summary Designed with duplication in mind

Figure 6-2. TOC (Table of Contents) and Abstract Note: Use roman numerals for these pages.

Table of Contents
Shows readers the topics and subtopics that are discussed. Designates a page number where the sections start. There are several design options: o How many levels you choose to use. In longer reports do not use too many lower-level headings. o Indentation, spacing and capitalization. Align left, all headings of the same type. Align right, all page numbers. Main chapters or headings are all capitalized. First level headings use a capital letter on the first letter of every word. All lower level headings capitalize the first word only. Make sure the heading names are the same as the headings within the report.

List of Figures and Tables

Use the same design as the table of contents. Readers use this list to find illustrations, diagrams, charts, and tables in the report. Do not confuse tables with charts. Tables contain rows and columns of words. Show the page number of this section in the main TOC (table of contents).

Sample of List of Figures

LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1. FIGURE 1. Natural Gas used by SH and EEH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Natural Gas used by BP and WEH . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1. TABLE 2. Natural Gas used by SH and EEH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Natural Gas used by SH and EEH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ILLUSTRATION 1. Pipe Lines used by SH and EEH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 ILLUSTRATION 2. Gas used by SH and EEH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Figure 6-3. Sample of List of Figures, Charts, Tables

Introduction
The introduction does not dive into the subject matter. Introductions discuss the following points (not necessarily in this order): o Indicate the specific purpose and topic in the first sentence. o Intended audience (the knowledge required to read this report). The situation that brought about the need for the report. Scope of the report (topics that are covered as well as the topics that are NOT covered, especially something the reader might expect.) Background (concepts, definitions, history, statistics)just enough to get the reader interested. For a typical 20-page report the introduction should not be more than 2 pages, and the background no more than 1/3 of the introduction.

Body of the Report

`Headings o Use these to mark different topics so the reader can skim the report to the sections of interest o Use the decimal style. Lists o Use bulleted, numbered lists where needed. o Use two-column lists to define key terms and definitions. Symbols, numbers and abbreviationsremember rules for writing out numbers or using Arabic numerals. Sources of borrowed informationdocument all sources to avoid plagiarism. Graphics and figure titles. o Be consistent in the format. o Use the section headings to specify the location. Cross-referencespoint readers from the discussion of an idea to a graphic illustration or previously cited information.

Figure 6-4. Pages from the body of a report. Note: The use of headings and graphics.

Conclusions
Concludedraw logical conclusions from the discussion that has preceded, make inferences on the data that has been presented. Summarizereview key points and facts. Do not present any new information or ideas to the reader while doing this. Generalizemove away from the specific topic of the report to implications, future developments, and applications.

Appendixes
Use this section for large bits of informationanything that will not fit into the body of the report. Large tables Big chunks of sample code Fold-out maps Large illustrations

Documentation
Indicate your sources. This is necessary to establish your credibility. Refer to your textbook on pages 262-265 for examples of formatting.