REPORT WRITTING FORMAT
A-1 Text and Page Formatting. The report should be typed on one side of A4 paper using the format given in Table A1: (The text in this document has been laid out using the table format to assist you.)

ITEM FORMAT
Paper A4 – Portrait
Font Times New Roman, 12pt
Line spacing Double spacing
Left margin -3cm
Right margin- 2cm
Top margin -2cm
Bottom margin- 2cm
Captions for Figures, Tables, etc. -Times New Roman, 12pt

A-7 The Abstract Page:

Page (iii) is the abstract page.

The abstract must describe in complete sentences the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions of the design (This is a condensed form of the whole report organised in four paragraphs). It must be able to stand on its own as a description of the project. The abstract is a general statement which: A-7.1 describes the project, A-7.2 gives the design principles and methods used, A-7.3 summarises the important results obtained

The abstract does not have any personal statements; references; statements which promote your company. The abstract is written in plain text, (no tables, figures, lists, references, etc).

A-8 The Tables of Contents; Lists of Tables, Figures and Diagrams:

This appears on the following pages (say iv to vii). List all chapters and section headings of each chapter and the page on which each chapter or section begins. The list of references and appendices are also listed. Separate lists for Tables, Figures, and Diagrams follow the Table of Contents. The list should consist of the number of each table, figure, or diagram, a summary of its caption, and the page number on which it appears.

A-9 Table of Abbreviations and Definitions of Terms:

A table of abbreviations (abbr) is to be given in alphabetical order, with the abbr on the left and its full spelling on the right.

How to introduce abbr into the report:

A-9.1 The first time an abbr is used in the report, it must be written out in full, followed with the abbr in brackets:

eg: A…. at a Technical Evaluation Forum (TEF) at which…@ Thereafter the abbr may be used. The abbr is NOT introduced in the title of a section.

A-10 Body of the Report:

The main report consists of three main sections: Chapter 1, the introduction, Chapters 2, 3, etc., the main body of the report, and The last chapter which is the conclusion. These are discussed below.

A-11 Chapter 1, the Introduction:

This starts on page 1. It forms the introduction of the report with a short review description of the scope of the design covered in the report. Also it covers the significance of the design The implications and the potential benefits of the design should be given. The introduction should give details of the following points:

objectives of the project, reason for doing the project, overview of the project, overview of methods used by other people to carry out the same type of project, extent or scope of the project, limitations of the project, short discussion on the benefits of the project, and a broad plan that leads the reader through the main body of the report

Make sure your introduction covers all these items. Each should be discussed with enough detail to show the reader that you understand.

A-12 Subsequent Chapters

Each chapter starts on a new page. (HINT: Use Ctrl-Enter to force a new page.) These chapters must very clearly show all investigations, researches etc, results, calculations, data, discussions, and recommendations of the project. Theory used for design calculations must be briefly explained. Methods used to carry out the project must be described and reasons for using these methods must be given. Procedures for collecting data, (eg meter readings), must be given. (Details of data and tables of data should be placed in an appendix.) The main body of the text ends with a discussion of the project. It deals with:

significance of the project, validity and reliability of the project, comparison and evaluation of the project with other similar projects, explanation of problems encountered and how they were solved, limitations of the project, evaluation of the effectiveness of the methods used to carry out the project

You must demonstrate your ability to carefully analyse what is going on and explain it. You must be critical of what is going on. Look for problems, and show they are solved. Planning should be done to prevent potential problems before they happen.

The following useful Chapter Headings may be considered for a complete Project Remember your project will probably be different and you must use chapter names that are relevant:

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Literature Review / Planning, Design & Estimation

Chapter 3: Methodology / Construction

Chapter 4: Result & Discussion / Testing, Commissioning and Implementation

Chapter 5: Conclusion & Recommendation

Remember that each chapter has an introduction sentence, and a concluding sentence. Note that References and Appendices are not chapters.

It is very useful to decide on the chapter titles in their proper order before starting with the report. This will help a lot with the planning.

Remember:

You are producing a report on an Industrial Project. The report is a description of what was done to carry out the project. It is NOT an assignment where information is obtained from the library or other similar resources and then summarized. It is NOT a pile of print outs of contract documents, contract drawings, photocopies of equipment manuals. It is NOT a pile of print outs of ordering schedules, bills of materials, and quantities. Don’t cut and paste from the Internet or any other source. This must be your own work. The report is a description of what you did and how you did it. You need to explain what you have done to show that you know and understand what is going on. You also need to present your findings in a logical and factual manner. You use the report to demonstrate your ability to apply electrical engineering theory at a B Tech level. This is what the examiner will look for.

A-13 The Use of Outlines and Lists

Refer to the above section. It has two lists of items in the form of bulleted lists (sometimes called outlines). Note that each has an introducing sentence (or paragraph) and a concluding one. These are important for the readability of the report. Also note that a list is just that, a list. It does not EXPLAIN anything. It is best to SEVERELY LIMIT the number of lists used.

A number of draft reports have been received which consist almost entirely of lists. These have been REJECTED. Do not use lots of lists. (Make sure you know what a list is.)

A-14 Electrical Testing Procedures

Tests are similar to laboratory practical assignments. They have an Aim (explanation of what the test is for); Method (how the test is done including the use of a circuit diagram); Results (the readings taken during the test); and a Conclusion (where the results are analysed).

If there are many readings and results these are tabulated in an Appendix and referred to in the main text. In the main text you put a summary of the results in the form of a small table or graph or both. You also have a discussion showing that you know and understand what the test is about and how it applies Electrical Engineering theory. If you have test certificates these are important proofs that you have done the project, so put copies of some in. Don’t put copies of ALL of them in. This is a waste of paper. Just refer the reader to the fact that the rest exist and are available if required.

A-15 Evidence of the Project Work

Did you do the project? It is important to include some evidence. This can take the form of:

Copies of test certificates Some of the drawings that have been approved by other competent people Photographs of important items, or yourself at work

Don’t make piles of copies of all the certificates, drawings, and diagrams. A few examples are good enough with the note that the others exist. Also include a TIME-LOG to account for the time (days) spent on the project.

A-16 Application of B Tech Electrical Engineering Theory

You need to demonstrate your ability to apply some of the theory that you did in the B Tech subjects. This can include the subjects like Engineering Management IV. This must however be planned from the start. Your last Appendix will be one in which the use of B Tech theory is discussed. This should be brief. One page should be enough.

A-17 Conclusion – the Last Chapter

Before writing the conclusion, go back and read the entire report. Make notes of key-points, decisions, outcomes, observations, etc. Summarise these notes briefly and simply. Include an overall evaluation of how the project went. The size of the conclusion is usually less than 10% of the report.

A-18 List of References

There should be at least one mention in the text of each source listed, even if it is merely a reference to a diagram or some aspect. When a text or information source is used, it must be referenced. The references are numbered, and each number is written in square brackets at the end of the sentence where it is used. If two references are used a comma separates them. For three or more a hyphen is used. eg: … cable size as specified in SANS 10142 [1]. or: … material size for lower stresses [2,3]. At the end of the report (after the conclusion and before the appendices) a list of references is provided where the texts used are listed in numerical order. This must be the same order in which they appeared in the text. Use the IEEE method of referencing. This is given near the end of the study guide