Report
Format for Word Processing
When preparing the Final Written Report, adhere
to the following word processing format:
Margins:
1" left and 3/4" right margins. (1"
LEFT MARGIN NEEDED to accommodate binding!)
Spacing:
1-1/2 line spacing for all reports, including the
final draft and final report
Font:
Use 12 point Times New Roman or Times font, for
the body of the text. Other fonts may be selected
for specific purposes. For example, you may wish
to use a non-proportional font such as Courier to
set off examples of programming code as disctinct
from the rest of the body text.
Page
Numbering: Lower right in the page footer, 12
point Times New Roman or Times font to be done as
follows:
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- The
Title page through the List of Tables should be numbered
with small Roman numerals with numbers i, ii, iii, etc.
- The
first page of the introduction is page 1, with page numbering
continuing through the last page of the References section.
- Each
Appendix (Appendix A, B, C, etc.) should have its own
numbering scheme with the numbering beginning with A-1
through A-8, etc., B-1 through B-5, etc.
To do
this in MS Word:
-
Insert Page Numbers for the entire document.
- At
the beginning of the new numbered section, (Introduction,
Appendix A, etc.), insert a Section Break by clicking
on Insert, Break… , Section Break Type: Next Page
- In
the section that is to be renumbered, unlink the section
from the previous one by clicking View, Header and
Footer, then click the button Link to Previous
so that it is deselected.
- In
the new section to be renumbered, click Insert, Page
Numbers, Format, Start At, and then enter 1.
You
can finish the Appendix page number formatting by manually
inserting the "A-", "B-", etc., before
the page number fields in the footers in each Appendix section.
Cover
sheet
The Cover Sheet must adhere strictly with the guidelines
given on the following page. The information on the Cover
Sheet will be viewed through a die-cut window in the rigid
binding cover of the Final Report.
Title
page
The Title Page must contain the types of information as
shown in the example below. Make sure that the information
is spaced in a manner that is pleasing to the eye as shown
in the example. Be sure to use middle initials in the Student
and Advisor names.
Abstract
A
good abstract is a concise summary of the entire project:
introduction, problem statement, work accomplished, results,
conclusions and recommendations. This requires efficiency
of words and phrases. An abstract is written to stand alone,
without jargon or reference to figures and tables in the
report body. Note that an abstract emphasizes what was accomplished.
The abstract should be about 200 words. The abstract should
be on a separate page in the report.
Key
words
Provide a list of words or short phrases that are descriptive
of your project - words that would enable a researcher to
zero-in on your work in a database search. List these below
the abstract. Future Senior Design Project students will
locate your paper by searching on the key words. Include
approximately 10 words.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledge the contributions of the sponsor, university
staff, other students, faculty, and other persons who were
of assistance. Be tactful in your descriptions of the contributions
of those acknowledged.
Table
of Contents
The table of contents should reflect the organization of
the report. Sections and subsections in your report should
be numbered and titled in such a way as to assist the reader
in understanding the organization of the report. In MS Word,
legal-formatted outline numbering works very well for a
structured table of contents. The Table of Contents should
follow the abstract and be on a separate page.
Note
that the Table of Contents should be structured to exactly
follow the list of Objectives. The Objectives should map
out the "plan of attack" for solving the problem.
The Objectives provide an excellent structure for the rest
of the report and show the reader what to expect in the
rest of the report.
List
of Figures
A simple listing of all figures in the report and their
location by page number should follow. The figures should
be numbered in order with the chapter number and the figure
number within that chapter. Use dot leaders which are put
in by formatting the Tabs in MS Word. The List of Figures
should immediately follow the Table of Contents without
a page break.
List
of Tables
This is a simple listing of all tables in the report and
their location by page number. The tables should be numbered
in order with the chapter number and the figure number within
that chapter. Use dot leaders. Again, these are put in by
formatting the Tabs in MS Word. The List of Tables should
immediately follow the List of Figures without a page break.
Introduction
The Introduction should be a brief but thorough discussion
of the context of the problem. This is accomplished by discussing
the Company, the product, the market, etc., and transition
into the area that will be the focus of the project. Discuss
the current status of the product, process, or system that
reasonably makes it something that should be analyzed for
improvement or redesign. There should be a brief discussion
of current excessive costs or potential increased revenues
from addressing the current focus of the project. In other
words, the introduction should be both an engineering and
an economic introduction to the project. There must be both
engineering and economic motivation discussed in the introduction.
It should be clear that the sponsor will increase profits
in some manner through the project that is being introduced.
A typical
introduction will be about 1½ to 2 pages long and
MUST include photos or other illustrations that give the
reader better understanding of the context of the project
and its eventual focus. As the reader comes to the end
of the Introduction, the next logical idea presented to
the reader should be the Problem Statement in the next
section. Do not make the mistake of putting the Problem
Statement into the Introduction, or of putting the Introduction
into the Problem Statement. Each of these sections serves
a distinct purpose.
As one
finishes reading the Problem Statement, one should understand
what the company is about, how it makes money in its business,
how the focus of the project is involved in making money,
and what challenge or opportunity is presented with the
current status of the product, process, system, etc. One
is then ready to continue to the Problem Statement which
will precisely define what the Company sponsor wants to
accomplish.
Problem
Statement
The Problem Statement must be a concise and complete statement
of the focus of the project and the specific criteria, constraints,
and deliverables that will be observed and completed. The
Problem Statement should also be considered a complete scope
of work for everything that is to be accomplished. In other
words, the Problem Statement is to be completely unambiguous
in nature. It should precisely define what the project should
include, and once those items are completed, the project
is finished. It defines the goal line. If the Problem Statement
is ambiguous, then the goal line is ambiguous and it becomes
impossible to precisely determine if you have completed
everything you have been asked to do - because it is subject
to broad interpretation. This can result in "Scope
Creep" which allows the project to be extended and
expanded again and again such that you never get done. Keep
in mind that if you write a precisely defined Problem Statement,
you will know when you have done everything that is required,
and so will your Advisor, your Graders, and your Sponsor.
Again,
the Problem statement is not meant for ANY introductory
information. ALL introductory information belongs in the
Introduction. An efficient Problem Statement can be written
by completing this sentence, "Acme, Inc. desires that
... (insert goals of the project) ... subject to the following
criteria:" Then give a numbered list of the constraints,
criteria, and deliverables. Continue with the Problem statement
immediately after the Introduction without a page break.
Objectives
The objectives form a "battle plan" for the project,
and are essentially a breakdown of the logical steps or
accomplishments that must be completed to achieve the overall
project goals. The Objectives give the reader a high-level
problem solving "algorithm" of all the major tasks
that must reasonably be accomplished to complete the project.
The Objectives should be established in the first 2-4 weeks
of the project. These will be used to direct the effort
for the rest of the project, and may be subject to some
revision as the project progresses. The Objectives form
a reasonable structure, not only for the work on the project,
but also for the rest of your report.
The
Objectives should be a numbered list of items with one or
two sentences of explanation. If the Objective is almost
self explanatory, use only one sentence of explanation.
If more explanation is necessary, then a second sentence
may be used. The Objectives should not be written as a mini-report
of the work you have already accomplished, what it means,
etc. Save all of that for the body of the report. Write
the Objectives with a viewpoint from the beginning project
just after the first plant trip and first few advisor meetings
when the objectives were first established.
Note
that the first objective should be "Analysis of Current
(Process/Product/System, etc.) ". This Objective is
done to establish the current status, costs, metrics, design
goals, etc. for the project. See more details about this
in the Initial Analysis section in Chapter 2 of the handbook.
In some cases, it may be appropriate to begin with a "background"
section to give the reader more technical information about
the context of the project.
The
Objectives can be listed after a single sentence such as,
"The following objectives were determined to be necessary
for the successful completion of this project:"
The
Objectives should follow immediately after the Introduction
with no page break.
Body
The
Body of the paper is the meat of the report in which the
work completed and the results are reported. Keep in mind
that the report is an engineering report and therefore should
be written in a technically rigorous manner. But, it is
also essentially the report of a consulting team which is
written for the client. It must be written for the needs
of the company sponsor and with regard to the motivations
of the company sponsor. The final purpose of the project
is to make the company more productive and profitable, and
this is a theme that should be followed in some manner through
the entire report. Keep in mind that economics motivate
the very existence of the project, as well as the direction
of the possible solutions, and the selection of the final
solution to be recommended to the company sponsor.
The
Body of the paper consists of several major sections which
are logically structured and arranged. As mentioned above,
the Body structure can come directly from the list of Objectives.
The Body will be more detailed in structure, but the basic
flow should be essentially the same. Again, the major section
should be entitled "Analysis of Current…".
(The only exception to this is a "Background"
section, if deemed necessary.) This initial analysis, forms
a basis for the entire report and sets the design criteria,
metrics, and costing criteria that will be used to gauge
the final solutions. See the "Initial Analysis"
section in Chapter 2 of the handbook for more detail.
In
each section, use consistent terms, definitions and jargon,
and establish main points or themes that will be developed
and followed through the later sections of the report. Motivate
each section with a brief discussion of what the section
is contributing to the report. Include the approaches used,
present results, and assess the significance of each result
in achieving the goals of the project, specifically with
respect to the items listed in the problem statement. Include
some conclusions in each section and a transition to the
next section if appropriate. This is especially essential
in the Initial Analysis section. Include relevant data analyzed,
discussion of results of calculations and experiments, and
drawings of prototypes. Place figures and tables where they
enhance discussion in the text.
You
MUST use figures, tables, graphs, numbered lists, bulleted
lists, drawings, etc., to support your discussion and make
the comprehension of your paper as pleasant as possible
for the reader. See the section Figures
and Tables.
Do
not embed lists of significant items in the sentences of
a paragraph. Place the list of items in a numbered
list or table for the ease of the reader. For example, your
report MUST include:
-
Figures
- Tables
- Graphs
- Numbered
lists
- Bulleted
lists
- Drawings
If
your discussions are not supported with figures, graphs,
tables, numbered lists, drawings, etc., then your report
is not acceptable.
Include
raw data in the body of the paper when it is germane
to the immediate discussion. Other data may be included
in an appendix. When referencing an appendix, make sure
you tell the reader where to look in the specific appendix
page number, e.g. (See Appendix A-4). Don't create a wild
goose chase for data that is misplaced or doesn't exist.
After
one section of your report is completed, continue with the
next section on the same page, if possible. Do not waste
paper with unnecessary blank space.
Economic
Analysis
Include an analysis of the economic impact of your work
and its significance to the sponsor. Most sponsors will
specify their investment requirements in terms of payback
period which must be met by all project recommendations.
Your Economic Analysis must include the following four items:
-
Net Cash Flow Diagram
-
Payback Period
-
Net Present Value
-
Return on Investment (ROI or IRR)
Typically the economic analysis is the most crucial section
in the report for the sponsor, as it will dictate the most
logical and profitable way to implement your recommendations.
Make sure your economic analysis is clear and your sponsor
is in agreement with your calculations and predicted savings.
This is NOT a place where you want last minute surprises
from your sponsor or vice versa. Make sure you have discussions
with your sponsor's cost accounting, marketing, and/or other
personnel who can give you accurate costing information
and help you understand how your sponsor tracks costs, profits,
overhead, burden, materials, inventory, marketing, warranties,
etc. See
Chapter 9 of you handbook for more discussion
of economic analysis.
The
economic analysis section must be included in the midterm
and the rough draft even if the final results of the economic
analysis are not completed. You should be able to
show the methods that will be used for the analysis, including
the total cost of the problem and the potential savings
of the proposed solution, even if rough estimates are used
at this point.
In some
cases it is impossible or impractical to directly measure
or calculate the savings from your recommendations. You
may have to indirectly estimate savings as a function of
a parameter yet to be determined from the project result.
In this case, the economic analysis can be done as a function
of that parameter, through a range of its possible values.
An example of this is found in the Solo Cup thermoforming
project. The technical result that improved airflow in the
thermoforming die could not be directly translated into
cycle time reduction in the thermoforming process. Test
implementation in the actual production process was prohibitively
expensive during the course of the project. The students
expressed the potential savings as a function of cycle time
reduction in hundredths of a second. Since the cycle time
costs were well known, the potential savings could then
be easily expressed. See your Advisor or the GE494 Chairman
for clarification, if necessary.
Note
that ALL calculations for costs, savings, etc. must be endorsed
by your company sponsor for use in your economic analysis.
Conclusions
Summarize the conclusions obtained from your work, and relate
them to the project goals and objectives. Be specific. It
is often helpful to present conclusions as a numbered list
with adequate discussion to fully clarify each item. Also,
when possible, quantify the dollars saved and technical
benefits. There should be nothing new here; all conclusions
should be an echo of conclusions drawn in previous sections.
NOTE:
The Conclusions section is NOT to be simply a summary
of the entire paper and everything you did. Conclusions
are just that… what you conclude from the work you
have done and the results you have obtained, as well as
their impact on the business model for the company sponsor.
The
Conclusions section is also your opportunity to clearly
illustrate and tactfully state that all of the requirements
of the problem statement have been met. You may also include
additional insights which you gained during the course of
the project, not specifically required by the problem statement,
but still of potential value to the sponsor.
Tact:
Avoid subjective statements that may be interpreted as negative
by the sponsor. Keep in mind the sponsors take pride in
their operations. Instead of saying, "The quality of
the production line is poor." rephrase to, "The
production line does not currently meet quality requirements
and specifications."
Recommendations
These are a list of specific actions to be taken as a result
of the conclusions of the project and economic analysis.
Recommendations should include an introductory paragraph
or two, followed by a numbered list of specific actions
to be taken. Reference specific drawings, vendors, part
numbers, costs, maintenance requirements, training, software,
etc. There should be no guesswork by the sponsor here. It
may be appropriate to list recommendations in order of their
importance, costs, savings, etc. You may want to group them
for a stepwise implementation program into phase 1, phase
2, etc. (Again, do not surprise your sponsor; all recommendations
should have been discussed or at least alluded to earlier.)
Note:
If your project recommendations include significant procedural
steps and capital expenditures, you may need to include
a section on implementation strategies to map out an implementation
plan. Typically sponsors will want to implement the most
cost effective items first, and wait for others. If your
plan involves a major disruption to production, give a stepwise
implementation strategy which minimizes disruption. This
may involve planning for implementation during annual plant
shutdowns or other periodic opportune times.
References
Include references for all significant sources of information,
such as textbooks, scientific papers, manufacturers' publications,
etc. (In some cases a list of special sources may be appropriate,
such as web sites, systems used for patent searches, etc.)
Begin compiling your reference lists at the start of
the project as you are doing your research.
Reference
and Citation Format
You must include a list of references that you cite to support
facts that are not common knowledge, or expert opinions
that you include in your report. In general, it is better
not to use a bibliography of sources consulted for general
background knowledge, instead, make a habit of citing the
sources that you actually used. The following examples demonstrate
the format to use in your report and in the Reference section
at the end of the report Body.
Book:
For a discussion of some of the weaknesses of Taguchi
methods, see Montgomery (1991).
or
Taguchi methods have a number of well-known shortcomings
[Montgomery (1991)].
Article:
There are a variety of outlier rejection methods [Stefansky
(1972)] available for experimental design.
Report
with no author:
Critical values for the random variable with an F distribution
are available from the Bureau of Standards (1943).
To fit a generalized linear model to the data the GLM
procedure in SAS (1988) was used.
Conversation:
A linear model was chosen since they are often appropriate
for power plants [Wearle (1995)].
References:
Montgomery, D. C. (1991). Design and Analysis of Experiments,
John Wiley and Sons, New York.
SAS/STAT
User's Guide (1988), SAS Institute Inc., Cary,
North Carolina.
Stefansky,
W. (1972). "Rejecting Outliers in Factorial Design,"
Technometrics, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 469-479.
Statistical
Tables, (1943). U. S. Bureau of Standards, Washington,
D. C.
Wearle,
S. R., personal communication, February 28, 1995.
Appendices
Include data tables, background calculations, specification
lists for equipment used, details of experimental configuration,
and other information needed for completeness, but which
would bog down the discussion in the body of the report.
Your
Appendices must each have a footer with numbered pages for
that appendix. Appendix footers may be easily inserted with
use of a section break in MS Word. Use a different section
for each appendix (A, B, C, etc.), and restart the appendix
page numbering in each new lettered appendix section. Numbering
format must be A-1, A-2, A-3,… B-1, B-2, etc. See the
Table of Contents section earlier in this chapter for details.
Mechanical
drawings
Mechanical drawings must accompany many types of projects
and are typically placed into an appendix. Drawings may
range in size from A through E for typical report purposes.
See Section 8.6 for specific guidelines for inclusion of
drawings.
Equations
Number equations near right hand margin.
| MS
= MS(A) + MS(B) |
(9)
|
| F
= ma |
(10)
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Units
By now, the eventual conversion of the United States to
the SI system of units is no longer hypothetical. In the
SI system, as you know, the fundamental units are:
| force: |
Newton |
distance: |
meter |
| mass: |
kilogram |
time: |
second |
Your
Final Written Report must contain SI units. If you
work on a project in an industry where SI units are already
commonly used, then you should add the appropriate English
units in parenthesis, e.g.:
...
"for a distance of 1.00 m (3.28') the system ..."
If the
industry typically uses English units, then put the SI equivalent
in parenthesis immediately after it is needed so that both
SI and English units are present in your report.
If you are not sure of the correct SI units for a particular
quantity, find out what they are. The above discussion
of units applies to drawings as well as text.
Figures and Tables
Figures and tables are invaluable to the clarity and completeness
of your report. Many times the quality of a report is judged
by the quality of the figures and tables it contains because
these items stand out more readily than the text. The figures
and tables visually show the effort and attention to detail
by the authors of the report.
Note
that you MUST reference each figure and table in the text
of the report, and do so at the place in the text where
the figure or table is essential to the discussion. Figures
and tables must be well labeled and should answer questions
for the reader and create no ambiguities. Make sure your
figures and tables are very clear and understandable.
Figures
should be numbered and given a descriptive title or caption
that is placed under the figure and should be explanatory
of what the figure shows.
Tables
should be numbered and given a descriptive title or caption
that is placed above the table and should be explanatory
of what the table shows.
Keep
in mind that some readers may simply want to scan your report.
Well labeled and captioned figures and tables allow them
to do this efficiently without significant loss of understanding.
Figures
should answer questions but create no new questions or ambiguities.
Makes sure your figures are clear and readily understandable.
Use labels to identify pertinent features.
Pages
bound "sideways" (landscape format) should have
the "bottom" along the unbound, right-hand margins.
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