ABUDHABIUNIVERSITY

DepartmentofMechanicalEngineering

CollegeofEngineering&ComputerScience

REPORTGUIDELINES

REPORTGUIDELINES

By
MohamedS.Gadala

ABUDHABIUNIVERSITYDepartmentofMechanicalEngineeringCollegeofEngineering&ComputerScience

TITLE:
COURSENAME&NUMBER:

COURSE NAME & NUMBER

INSTRUCTOR
ASSIGNMENT OR PROJECT
TITLE & NUMBER
ISSUE DATE
1.

SUBMITTED BY:
STUDENT NAME: LAST, FIRST
STUDENT NUMBER, SIGNATURE

2.
3.
4.
5.

Pledge of Honor
No part of the calculation was copied from anybody elses work without proper reference or
written authorization. We will not share any part of this document with any subsequent student
of this course.
My degree of pride in this project report is
... (10 = Nobel prize quality; 9 = Will be proud to show at job interviews; 7 = Mr. or Ms.
just above average; 5 = I should have done better; 3 = I goofed this one; 1 = Not worth
the paper it is printed on).

Signed

Dated

Signed

Dated

Signed

Dated

Signed

Dated

A GUIDE TO TECHNICAL & REPORT WRITING

1. GENERAL:
1.1 READER, LANGUAGE:

The report must be written at a technical level suited to the intended reader.

Standard formal English must be used. Colloquialisms and jargon are not acceptable.

Get to the point. Technical people should spend their time in reading a message, not in
looking for it. But even reading the message is not always easy.

Technical people read for information, not for pleasure. They read and write to move
information that enables them to do their jobs. Whereas the ordinary reader reads what he
wants, the business reader reads what comes before him. Thus the powerful personal
interest factor is lacking.

The first person (I, we) is used only in the letter of transmittal and the preface. In the report
context, use direct phrases or third person (passive). For example,
The experimental results indicated that .
It was decided to choose ..

To briefly summarize writing faults that get in the way of easy reading:
- long, involved sentences
- clutter of words and ideas
- heavy language
- disorganized organization

To briefly summarize writing guidelines that make for effective writing:

- Avoid long sentences: (2-3) line maximum.
- Cut clutter words: say it briefly and simply.
- Use active verbs: "Experiments indicate that . "
- Put message on top: get to the point.

Cut unnecessary words: For example, delete all the underlined words in the following
paragraph and you deliver the message much clearer:
This assignment has taken a little longer than was at first anticipated due primarily to the
necessity of preselling proposals and discussing them at length at various levels in the
organization in an effort to ensure their acceptance and active support upon installation.

Although it is true that 'you can't write writing!', but it helps to go through the following
steps after the report is written:
Paragraphs:
Should have a topic and a topic statement near the beginning. Discuss one topic and be
coherent.

Sentences:
Straightforward and simple with subjects and verbs immediately apparent. Avoid lengthy
sentences and use shorter to the point sentences.
Average sentence length & Fog Index:
Count 100 words.
Find the average sentence length.
Count the number of complex words, e.g., three syllable words (or more).
Add the average sentence length to the number of complex words and multiply by
0.4 to get the fog index.
Fog indices greater than say 15 should be targeted for highly technical audience
(index roughly goes with grade school levels).
Words:
Simple (as much as possible), not complex or unfamiliar, with no redundancy.
Avoid stereotype statement, fancy meaningless and clumsy statements.
1.2 INGREDIENTS AND CONTENTS:

The ingredients of a good report should answer the following basic six questions:
Who is the audience to whom the report is addressed?
What is the report about?
When & Where each piece of information or discussion should be considered and
placed?
Why specific methods and approaches are used?
How is the work done and how could it be improved?
Always lay out the structure of the report before you start writing it. Then assign
particular topics to each section before any detailed writing takes place.

Decide how much formal you should be depending on the type of the project and the
client you have.

Must be neat, attractive, exquisite, and easy to follow and read. Should reflect a
professional image.

2. ORGANIZATION, GENERAL FORMAT AND CONTENTS:

2.1 GENERAL ORGANIZATION:

Paper
Use a good quality white typewriter bond. Erasable bond is not acceptable.

Typing
The report must be typed.

Spacing
Drafts and the finished report must be either one-and-half spaced or double spaced.
Footnotes, bibliography, letter of transmittal and table of contents should be single spaced.

Margins
A 25 mm (1.0) margin should be used on the left and right sides and of the page. Same
margin or slightly bigger one (32 mm or 1.25) may be used for the top and bottom of the
page.

Position of Material
In formal reports and theses only the right page is used and the left page is left blank. For
school reports and assignments, you may use both pages.

Page Numbering
(a) Pages before the body are considered front or prefatory pages and are numbered with
lower case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc). The title page is page i, but no number is put
on this page.
(b) Arabic numerals are used in the body. The first page is page 1 but no number is put on
this page.
(c) Page numbering of appendices is a continuation of that in the text.
(d) Page numbers are placed 25 mm from the top or the bottom of the page and flush with
the right margin. There are no periods, hyphens or parentheses used with page
numbers.
(e) The Table of Contents does not have a page number. Pages in the body which have
only the name of the following section are included in the numbering sequence but the
number is not printed. For example, the appendices may be separated from the body of
the report by a page with only "APPENDIX'.

Underlining
Underlining is used only when indicating names of books and journals in footnotes or
bibliography.

Sections and Headings

Each section headed by a headliner (see next point) must begin on a separate page.

Headings
A sample page layout is shown in Figure 1.
(a) Headlines, headings and sub-headings are used to identify sections of the report.
Headlines are used for main divisions (Conclusions, Recommendations and main
sections of the report). Headings and sub-headings are used to identify different topics.
Headings are different sizes. Headlines are largest and sub-headings the smallest.
Headings should be in bold type. The style must be consistent.

(b) Headlines are either centered or left justified and capitalized.

(c) A heading is located at the left margin. Capital letters are used only to begin important
words. It is preceded and followed by a double space. No punctuation is used.
(d) A subheading is subordinate to a heading and is either located at the left margin or
indented. It is typically a smaller type size that the heading.
(e) Numbers are typically used to identify sections and sub-sections. Use either Arabic
numbering system, e.g., (1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2.1) or Roman numbering system, e.g., (I.1,
II.1, I.2.1). Numbers make it easy to refer to a specific section. Avoid third sub-heading
numbers, e.g., I.2.3.4.

Figures
All figures in the report must be numbered and captioned. Captions are placed below
figures. If a figure is placed in landscape format it must read from the right. The caption is
below the figure. See Figures 2 and 3.
The source of copied figures must be referenced.

Tables
All tabled in the report must be numbered and captioned. Table number and caption are
above the table.

SAMPLE PAGE LAYOUT

Page number

4.0 DISCUSSION (FONT SIZE 14 BOLD)

(SPACE MAY BE 12-14 FONT)

4.1 POWER SUPPLY (Font Size 12 bold, All or Small caps)

(SPACE MAY BE 10-12 FONT)

4.1.1 Requirements (Font Size 12 bold)

(SPACE MAY BE 10-12 FONT)

Normal text is written with font size 12 regular.

Margin 25 mm (1.0 inch)

Margin 25 mm (1.0 inch)

Outline border is only

shown for illustration. No
border is drawn.

Outline border is only

shown for illustration. No
border is drawn.
Margin: maybe 25 mm
(1.0 inch) or 32 mm (1.25
inch)

Figure 1. Sample Page Layout

3 Placement of

figure

Figure 2 Placement of horizontal figure

2.1 REPORT GENERAL FORMAT AND CONTENTS:

The sections used will depend on the purpose of the report and not all of the sections listed may
appear in every report.

Cover page
Title page, Abstract or Executive summary
Table of contents
List of figures (if necessary), List of tables (if necessary)
Introduction
Body of the Report
Discussion
Conclusions
Appendix(ces)
References or bibliography

Most of the variation in any report would be in the section titled Body of the Report.
Depending on the type of the report, this section may take significantly different format. A
typical example for design reports is given below under the title Table of Contents.

2.3 TYPICAL TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR A DESIGN REPORT:

Table of Contents
Cover and Title Page
Pledge of Honor
Executive summary
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
1. Problem Statement
2. Introduction
3. Preliminary Investigation and Background
a. Searches Performed
b. Problem Description and Expansion
4. Conceptual Design
a. Conceptual Design Ideas
b. Generation of Alternatives and constraints
c. Assessment of Alternatives
d. Material Selection
e. Preliminary Cost Analysis
5. Detailed Design
a. Force and Constraints Analysis
b. Experimental Testing
c. Numerical and Computer Modeling
d. Discussion of Results
e. Engineering Drawings
f. Cost Analysis
6. Conclusions and recommendations
References
Appendices

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF REPORT HEADINGS:

3.1 Cover and Title Page:
The cover and title page usually has a special format showing the report title, the authors, the
date of issue and other general information. The title must be specific and concise. Companies
will have standard report covers with a very simple design and the company logo. The title
would be added to this standard cover. If a report is written for a course the cover title page may
state this. A sample title page is attached (at the top of this document). The title page is page "i'
but the number is not printed.

3.2 Executive Summary and Abstract

Executive summary (or extended abstract) aims at giving someone an opportunity to become
familiar with your project work without being required to read through the entire report in detail.
Consider this part will be read by the engineering manager of your department. This person(s),
while technically capable, may not be intimately familiar with the details of the design and will,
normally, not have the time to read the entire report.
The purpose of the executive summary (and generally the abstract) is to simply be a miniature
report. It should contain general information about the project and any specific methods used in
the design or analysis. Also, brief account of results and conclusions must be discussed in a
clear, concise, and easy to understand format, sometimes (but not often) with graphics as needed
to explain the basic design and the final conclusions.
The length of the executive summary is normally slightly longer than the length of a regular
abstract. The abstract should be about 2-5% of the length of the report whereas the executive
summary may be as long as 10% of the report. Avoid common deadwood phrases as "this report
contains...' or "this is a report on...' that clutter many abstracts. Dont refer to any references,
sections, figures, tables, etc. contained in the report.
The executive summary or the abstract is generally considered to be the most important part of
the report.

3.3 Table of Contents:

The table of contents lists all headings and sub-headings in the report and gives their pertinent
page number. The table of contents functions as an outline of the report.

3.4 List of Figures

Gives figure number, title and page number. In the text figure title is placed under the figure.

3.5 List of Tables

Gives table number, title and page number. In the text table title is placed above the table.

3.6 Problem Statement:

Briefly provide a problem statement and highlight the objectives, main requirements and
constraints.

3.7 Introduction:
The introduction generally contains (without sub-headings):
-

Subject and purpose of the report. This is a brief statement of why the report was
written and what the report is intended to achieve.
Describes the scope of the work to be done in the report.
Identifies the plan of development, analysis methods, major assumptions and
procedures.
Briefly highlight the conclusions and recommendations (Keep in mind that there is a
separate section at the end that will detail the conclusions and recommendations).
A historical review, if it is applicable/necessary, may be given to orient the reader to the
present situation.

3.8 Preliminary Investigation & Background:

This section should include (but not be limited to) any of the following sub-heading that may be
applicable to the specific project. It is important to note that not all the following sub-headings
are applicable to each project. Also, the author of the report may come up with additional subheadings that may be more relevant to the project.

Literature search, patent search, market search and other searches: Summarize the
most relevant information found in your searches that are directly related to your design
project. You must give proper reference and citation for text, ideas, sketches and
drawing that you may use from the literature.

Problem description and expansion: This may include function decomposition analysis;
input-output analysis; generation of initial specification sheets and overall design limits;
identifying project goals and constraints; etc.

3.9 Conceptual Design:

This section and the following one normally constitute the bulk of any design report. This section
must include as a minimum the following sub-headings:
a. Conceptual Design Ideas
Outline design concepts and ideas based on your team research and brain storming. State
a list of all sub-functions that you identified in the preliminary design and give a brief
description of each.
b. Generation of Alternatives:
For each sub-function present clear and professional sketches of concepts and
arrangement, identifying the names of all key components. Generated alternatives must

be clearly sketched with specific statement of their constraints. Definitions at this point
will allow the reader to better understand the detailed design that follows.
c. Preliminary Assessment and Choice of a Concept
Perform a preliminary assessment to choose the best alternative and have a concept
design. No detailed analysis is required at this stage. Identify upper limits and constraints
on dimensions, torques, forces, etc. Experimental testing designed to test alternatives
should be discussed and detailed here.
d. Selection of Appropriate Materials
Select appropriate material for all components of your system. Make proper and brief
justifications to your choices.
e. Preliminary Cost Analysis
Perform preliminary cost analysis. You may consult appropriate catalogs and/or web sites
for rough pricing of standard components. Very crude estimates should be given to labor
and material costs for components that would be machined.

3.10 Detailed Design

This section and the preceding one normally constitute the bulk of the design report. This section
is best to be divided into sub-sections based on the pertinent project. As an example if you are
designing a gear box, the main subsections here may include: power, torque and force analysis;
shaft design; bearing selection and design; gear selection and design; etc. Another example in
designing an armored car the subsections may include: attack mechanism; defense mechanism;
power transmission; switches; container; etc. A third example if you are designing a bridge, the
subsections may include: Truss configuration; joint design; support design; platform and deck
design; etc.
For each sub-section identified above, you should detail the following:

Final force analysis and constraints on the design.

All detailed design calculation and selection procedure including any iterative solution
that you may have performed. Some components need many iterations to achieve the
final design and in such case you should include only one iteration and place all other
details in an appendix.
Details of all experimental testing and results that you may have performed during the
synthesis and detailed design phase. You must clearly state all assumptions involved in
setting up the experiment.
Details of any numerical and computer models that you may have performed during the
synthesis and detailed design phase. You must clearly state all assumptions involved in
the models.
Discussion of the results of experimental testing and/or numerical models and how you
justify the accuracy of these results.
Appropriate engineering drawings for the pertinent item. Engineering and technical
drawings are essential and important part of any design report. The technical drawings
must be adequate to manufacture the part; provide enough details using sectioning and

partial views as necessary; provide proper dimensioning, manufacturing tolerances and

requirements as necessary, show bill of material, parts list and title block.
Final cost analysis.

3.11 Conclusions and Recommendations

Did your design meet the initial specifications and requirements? Detail any changes you would
make if you had time to further refine the design. Conclusions are normally presented in
paragraphs, one conclusion in each paragraph.
Conclusions must be based entirely on previously stated information in the report, never
introduce new material or evidence, and dont suggest or recommend future actions.
Recommendations may be a separate heading or a sub-heading. Recommendations should
derive logically from conclusions, be supported by data in the report body, and may be positive
or negative.

3.11 Recommendations
Recommendations must:
a) Derive logically from the conclusions
b) Be supported both by the conclusions and by the data in the discussion
c) Be complete and clearly worded
d) Be worded so that either a positive or negative response is possible
e) Be expressed in parallel form.

References:

Should be in a standard form using standard abbreviations.

If there are less than five references to literature cited, use footnotes for the references.
Otherwise, number the references consecutively and include a list of citations at the end of
the paper/report. Extreme care must be taken with references. A single error, e.g., volume
or page number, causes waste of time in locating the reference and waste of money if a
reader orders copies of an article by mail.

Give last name and initials of author, in inverted order (e.g., Smith, A.B.). If there are no
more than three authors, give all names. Capitalize all main words in titles (or papers,
articles, book reports). Separate all items in the citation with commas. Give inclusive page
numbers, where applicable.

For journals, give authors, article, journal, volume and number, month and year, page
numbers. For books, give authors, chapter, book, edition, volume, publisher and location,
year, page numbers.

Sample standard formats are given below:

M. M. Prieto, L. S. Ruiz, and J. A. Menendez, Thermal Performance of Numerical
Model of Hot Strip Mill Run-Out Table, Ironmaking and Steelmaking, vol. 28, pp. 474

480, (2001).
M.S. Gadala, Recent trends in ALE formulation and its applications in solid mechanics,
Computer Methods Appl. Mech. Engrg., 193 (2004) 42474275.
M. Seraj and M. S. Gadala, Numerical investigation of an impingement flow due to a free
surface axisymmetric long jet, Proc of the ASME 2011 International Mech Engng Congress &
Exposition, IMECE2011, Nov 11-17, Denver, Colorado, USA, (2011) 12 pages.
K.J. Bathe, Finite Element Procedures, Prentice Hall, (2007).

Appendices
Include documentation showing meeting minutes of the group and work assignment for each
individual.
Include an account of the work done by various individuals in the group.
Include documentation for any other material or detailed analysis that was not included in the
report.