Evaluation and Confidential Reports

Updated: April 2015
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
WORK TERM REPORT GUIDELINES
Table of Contents
Click below to jump to a section:
 About
 The Purpose of a Work Term Report
 Plagiarism
 Subject Choice
 Evaluation and Confidential Reports
 Developing Your Report
o Suggestions for Writing Effectively
 Format
o Paper and printing, pagination, margins, and spacing
 Work Term Report Structure
 Preliminaries
o Title Page
o Letter of Transmittal
o Summary
o Table of Contents
o List of Figures and Tables
o Acknowledgements
 Samples of Preliminary Material
o Sample Title Page
o Sample Letter of Transmittal
o Sample Summary
o Sample Table of Contents
o Sample List of Figures
o Sample List of Tables
o Sample Acknowledgements
 Main Text
o Introduction
o Body
o Figures and Tables
o Conclusions and Recommendations
o Sample Conclusions
o Sample Recommendations
 Reference Material
o References
o Glossary and Nomenclature
o Appendices
o Footnotes
o Sample References
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INTRODUCTION
Success at the work site demands effective communication skills. Your unique proposal for a new design or process
will die on the drawing board if you cannot convince others of its potential. Most work place communication is written.
To grab attention it must concisely articulate a clear, interesting message. An involving topic, an organized text and a
readable style increase the likelihood of your work being noticed and taken seriously. Often, written work such as
reports, assessments and memos are the first and only impression upper management receives of you. Your writing
becomes your sole representative and reflects the quality, accuracy and professionalism of your daily work activities.
Successful completion of Work Term Reports is an academic requirement for graduation with the co-operative
education distinction. This manual will guide you through the process of writing a Work Term Report by explaining
their purpose and format and by offering suggestions on improving your writing style.
THE PURPOSE OF A WORK TERM REPORT
A Work Term Report is an integral component of your Co-op education since effective communication skills are a
prerequisite to a successful career. It should contain an analytical element, relating your academic knowledge to your
practical experience. Its purpose is to help you develop your writing and analytical skills; you will not only gather
information but also interpret, organize and present it clearly and understandably.
It may also allow you to examine in detail aspects of a project or the organization which you did not have the
opportunity to study during your daily work. Ideally, the report will be of practical benefit to your employer.
Finally, the Work Term Report is a permanent record of your work and, if well done, serves faculty, other Co-op
students and potential employers as an example of your abilities.
PLAGIARISM
Your work must be your own, otherwise it is classified as plagiarism. “Dalhousie University defines plagiarism as the
presentation of the work of another author in such a way as to give one’s reader reason to think it is to be one’s own.”
(Dalhousie University Calendar, Undergraduate Regulations). Thus, using written sections or figures from papers,
manuals, internal reports etc., without giving credit is plagiarism, which “may lead to loss of credit, suspension or
expulsion from the University” (Dalhousie University Calendar, Undergraduate Regulations).
SUBJECT CHOICE
Choosing a subject is the most important aspect of your Work Term Report. Managers may help in selection of a
topic. This is to their advantage since their early contribution can lead to a report that will be of direct use to them.
Your “outside”, objective view of a problem or situation can benefit the organization.
Your work term report must have an analytical element. Because of this, user guides, descriptions of processes,
systems or existing mathematical models, summaries of technical papers or literature are all unacceptable as topics
for the report. If, for example, you have been developing computer programs which your employer has required you
to document, this documentation is not acceptable as a suitable report unless it also contains objectives, constraints,
feasibility analyses of alternatives and criticism of the outcome. Even if your employer does not require this
information, it must be included in the report submitted to your Faculty Co-op Advisor in order to be evaluated as a
work term report.
Even if you have not been assigned a specific project during your work term, your report must still contain an
analytical, technical element. You could, for example, present an evaluation of the way your employer’s organization
(or a section of that organization) functions in one area, such areas as research and development, production, quality
control, design processes, industrial safety, wage incentive plans, pollution control. The topic does not have to be
original but the report must be your own work.
If you doubt your judgement on a topic, speak with your supervisor or call your Faculty Co-op Advisor. Above all,
choose a topic which interests you; even good writing cannot mask boredom.
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EVALUATION AND CONFIDENTIAL REPORTS
A faculty member will evaluate your Work Term Report according to the criteria on this evaluation form. The Faculty
Co-op Advisor will have two weeks to evaluate the reports and notify students whose work is deemed unsatisfactory
and must be resubmitted. Students have one week to remedy their deficiencies and resubmit the report. The Faculty
Co-op Advisor will then have one week to notify the Faculty with the Final grade for the work term.
Reports must be submitted to your Academic Departmental Office one week following the commencement of the next
study term. Reports that do not meet the professional standards outlined in this guide, at the time of their submission,
may be subject to an automatic failure.
If your report contains confidential information you must make suitable arrangements with your Faculty Co-op Advisor
and Supervisor to allow for the report to be evaluated by the University. This might require you to eliminate selected
confidential data or write a report on a non-confidential topic.
Either of these options will take time so you should meet with your supervisor the first week of your work term to
determine whether the content of your work term will be confidential. If this is established and you decide to write your
report eliminating the confidential data, it will be your responsibility to devise a schedule to ensure that your report is
reviewed and approved by your supervisor in time to allow you to meet the University’s due date. Late submissions of
work term reports will be not be permitted.
A report is required for each four-month work term. You will need three copies of your report:
1. One for your personal files (The University does not keep a copy on record),
2. The original for your Faculty Co-op Advisor, and
3. If required, one for your manager (submitted in time to be evaluated before you leave the work site).
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DEVELOPING YOUR REPORT
Starting early is the key to producing a top-notch, professional report. Last-minute efforts are reflected in a lack of
research and poor quality of writing and usually result in an “unsatisfactory” grade. While you cannot write your report
the first month on the job, you can begin gathering information and outlining your ideas. Once you have chosen a
topic, keep notes to record your activities related to the report’s research – methods, observations, meetings attended.
Preparation is an ongoing process.
Planning is essential — a well-laid out, logical report reflects similar thinking. Decide what you want to say and to
whom and keep those in mind as you organize your thoughts. Gather together all the information you have collected
and divide it into categories. You may want to put each section heading on separate pieces of paper and rearrange
them until you have found a satisfactory order. Some of what you have gathered will be useful, as background
information in the introduction, some as support material in the appendices and some will be discarded. The
information you finally decide to use becomes the basis of your outline – an essential organizing tool in report writing.
Remember that the outline can be modified in the planning stages but, once you start writing, stick closely to it so you
do not stray off the topic. By the time you complete your report, the outline will have naturally evolved into your Table
of Contents.
Once you have gathered your information and planned an outline you can begin writing. Allow yourself one to two
uninterrupted hours and plenty of desk space to hold all you will need, before you sit down to put pen to paper. Do
not worry about fancy beginnings or profound ideas – just let ideas flow!
As you work, keep your audience in mind. Remember you are writing to an informed reader, but one who may not be
familiar with the particulars of your topic. Do not explain the obvious, but do explain equipment, designs, procedures,
technical terms and acronyms that are not generally known. Are they familiar with the technical terms and acronyms
of your work place? Your language must be their language: however, do not use jargon.
Once you have completed your first draft, put it away and give your mind a rest. When you take it out begin revising.
Substitute accurate words for ambiguous ones, clear sentences for complicated phrasing. You may want to rewrite
paragraphs or entire sections. The bottom line is to produce a smoothly written, logical report. Having someone else
read your revised draft is a sure test of effective communication. A friend or colleague will tell you if what you have
written is understandable. Revise a second time on the basis of this criticism.
Your final version should be flawless. Your report’s credibility is based as much on perfect grammar and spelling as
on content.
“When your thinking is in order, your imagination perking, your knowledge of the reader sure and your own
purposes firm, the words will come, the sentences will build. Take care of the sense and the words will take care
of themselves.”
— Handout, Writing and Reporting Class; Brodinsky, Ben.
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SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITING EFFECTIVELY
You took care of the “sense” in your planning and outlining stages. The suggestions offered here will help you revise.
Use them as you rip apart your first draft.
 Use image-bearing nouns and active verbs to avoid generalizations and ambiguity. Use verbs that push,
beat, throb, guide and thrust your ideas forward. Replace variations of “to be”, such as “is” and “are”, with
more active verbs. Rather than: “This chapter is a presentation of my findings,” write: “This Chapter presents
my findings”. Replace the passive “The value of this procedure is being considered by the president of the
company.” with the active “The company president is considering this procedure’s value.”
 Use past tense to refer to actions completed (for example, work done) whether the action was completed in
the near or distant past. Use present tense to refer to statements of general truth and to work in progress.
 Avoid beginning your sentences with ‘there’ and ‘it’. Rather than “There are eight major components to this
turbine,” write, “The turbine has eight major components.”
 Take control of your material — do not let it control you. Each sentence should contain one thought and each
paragraph a series of connected thoughts. Having a host of information does not mean using it all; do not
ramble. Say what you are going to do. Do it. Support it. Conclude. Avoid single-sentence paragraphs.
 Avoid the personal pronouns I and you. If appropriate, use we; otherwise use the third person, for example,
the study revealed.
 Write to inform, not to impress. Jargon and colloquialisms confuse rather than clarify. Do not write:
“Repairing the equipment was tough-going and the extra work cost the company a bundle.”, when what you
really want to say is: “Repairing the equipment was complicated, time-consuming and expensive.” And all of
us have read sentences like this: “The lexical ambiguity and syntactic arrangement inherent in this prose
communication tend to predict a degree of confusion in the desired recipient.”, which should have read like
this: “The meaning and order of the words in this manual tend to confuse the reader.” And constantly, as you
write, ask yourself, “Who is my audience and what do they already know about this subject?”
 Avoid contractions. “The company can’t proceed on the project until the work order’s been approved,”
should be replaced by “The company cannot proceed on the project until the work order has been
approved.”
 Avoid vague comparisons and references to quantity. Rather than writing: “A large amount of money was
spent on maintenance,” write: “The maintenance costs were $50,000.” Do not use: “The conveyor system
operated much faster with the new belt.”, but rather: “With the new belt, the conveyor system operated at 50
ft./min, twice original speed.”
 As an engineering/computer science student you are expected to be concise and accurate in your
statements but not to an unwarranted degree. Poor: “The temperature was kept constant at 93.476 degrees
Celsius.” Good: “The temperature was kept constant at 93.5 degrees Celsius.”
 Being accurate is part of being professional. Verify your figures, information and facts. Do not depend in
spell-check and be sure to verify definitions in a dictionary. Search for more accurate words in a thesaurus.
Be consistent in tense, person and presentation. If you quote, footnote or reference; plagiarism is
unacceptable.
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WORK TERM REPORT FORMAT
Your report must be on white, 8 1/2 x 11 paper with spacing and margins as indicated below. It must be bound with a
front and back cover; stapled sheets are not acceptable. The front cover must show the title, author’s name and date.
Poor organization of the report, missing pages, inadequate figures and captions, incorrect grammar and spelling
mistakes are NOT acceptable.
Paper and Printing
 Use high-grade paper and laser printing.
 Print only on one side.
 Throughout the report, use 12 point, standard serif typeface (such as Times New Roman).
 Print general text in black. However, colour is acceptable for illustrations and, where it would contribute to
clarity or emphasis, for small segments of text.
Pagination
 Paginate the Table of Contents, the Abstract, and Lists in lower case Roman numerals centered at the
bottom of the page.
 Paginate the body of the report, beginning on Page 2 of the introduction, in Arabic numbers centered at the
bottom of the page. (The first page of the text is not numbered.) The first page of each subsequent chapter
may be numbered at the center of the bottom of the page.
 Include Reference List and Appendices in the numbering system of the report.
 Begin each chapter on a new page.
Margins
Use standard margins:
 Left 3.8 cm (1.5 in)
 Right, top and bottom: 2.5 cm (1 in.)
Spacing
Space lines as follows:
 Abstract: single
 General body of report: one-and-a-half
 Footnotes or lengthy quotations: single
 References: single and double between each entry
 Text within tables and figures: single
 Indent five spaces to indicate new paragraphs
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WORK TERM REPORT STRUCTURE
This section covers suggested report structure. This is distinct from the format requirements above. The advice given
here should apply to the majority of projects. However each project is different, and if necessary you should get
additional input from your supervisor about how to structure your report. Remember that you are writing a formal
report, not a diary of your work. Do not simply transcribe the contents of your diaries or project logbook; organize the
material in a structured way along the lines of the suggestions to follow.
PRELIMINARIES
Title Page
Letter of Transmittal
Summary or Abstract
Table of Contents
Lists of Tables and Figures
Acknowledgements
Title Page
The title page introduces your reader to your report by listing the following information: report title (indicating
topic), employer’s name and location, date of report, your name and course of study, university name, your
supervisor’s name and the “partial fulfilment” phrase.
Letter of Transmittal
The letter of transmittal is addressed to the Departmental Faculty Co-op Advisor and is not to be bound into your
report. The purpose of the letter is to encourage the recipient to read the report. The letter should state what you
are submitting and should briefly give your main findings and conclusions. Two or three paragraphs are usually
sufficient. It should contain a statement of endorsement indicating that you wrote the report yourself, that it has
not already been submitted to another academic institution and it should also contain acknowledgements (e.g.
information, data borrowed).
You should also use a letter of transmittal when sending the report to your employer. This version of the letter of
transmittal should include any acknowledgements of assistance you received in preparing the report.
Summary
The summary or abstract is the most important page of your report. It summarizes the body of the report by
outlining its:
1. Scope and purpose
2. Major findings
3. Highlighting the key conclusions
4. Recommendations
The summary allows a busy manager to understand the report’s significant information without reading the whole
text. Write your Summary after you have written the report. Do not restate but highlight the important factors. Do
not say things like: several recommendations are made. It should be about 200 words.
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Table of Contents
The Table of Contents lists all sections and sub-sections in the main body of the report using their exact titles,
and referring to the corresponding page numbers. The Table of Contents itself is not listed. Remember: ease of
use is paramount. Numbering each chapter and section heading is a good organizational tool. For example,
section 1 Introduction might contain three subsections such as 1.1 Purpose of Study, 1.2 Location of Project, and
1.3 Scope and Acknowledgements.
List of Figures and Tables
The lists of figures and tables identifies each figure and/or table by number, title page number but does not list
those figures and table in the Appendices.
See Figures and Tables for several points to remember when using figures and tables.
Acknowledgements
This section can be used to acknowledge assistance received from any institutions, funding bodies or individuals
in preparation of your report.
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SAMPLES OF PRELIMINARY MATERIAL
Sample Title Page
Dalhousie University
Report of Winter Work Term Project
January 3 – April 29, 2002
Role of the MIS Department
at ABC Computer Company
Performed at
ABC Computer Company
123 Chip Street
Byteville, N.S.
by
Able Smith
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
of the Engineering Co-operative Education Program
Date: May 3, 2015
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Sample Letter of Transmittal
April 23, 2014
Dr. Paul Amyotte
Faculty Co-op Advisor, Department of Chemical Engineering
Dalhousie University
P.O. Box 1000
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2X4
Dear Dr. Amyotte:
I am submitting the enclosed report, “Evaluation of a 20-L Chamber for Routine Dust Explosibility
Testing”, in accordance with the requirements of the Faculty of Engineering co-operative education work
terms. The report evaluates the Mines 20-L vessel for its application to routine dust explosibility testing.
The Bureau of Mines chamber is a bench-top apparatus and is relatively simple to operate. Excellent
dust dispersion is readily obtainable and the use of energetic chemical igniters leads to accurate and
reproducible explosibility results. Premature flame quenching does not occur due to the near-spherical
shape of the vessel. It was concluded that the 20-L chamber is a suitable device for dust explosion
testing.
Please contact me through the student mail service if you have any questions concerning the report.
Sincerely,
( s i g n a t u r e )
John Doe
Department of Chemical Engineering
Dalhousie University
P.O. Box 1000
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2X4
Enclosure
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Sample Summary
Summary
This report deals with the testing and comparison of three data compression techniques on an internal IBM
software system.
A description of each of the three data compression techniques used is provided with the testing protocol
and results.
It was concluded that, although all three of the techniques resulted in substantial data compression, the
increase in CPU time used to execute the compression functions was not acceptable and therefore, none
of the three compression functions would be implemented in the system at this time.
It is recommended that a more exhaustive literature search be done to find other compression techniques
and that development takes place to create and test new techniques.
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Sample Table of Contents
Title of Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS	PAGE
Summary	i
List of Tables	ii
List of Figures	iii
Acknowledgements	iv
1. Introduction	1
1.1 – Aluminum	12
1.2 – Previously Completed Work	14
2. Apparatus and Procedure	16
2.1 – Coupons	16
2.2 – Bath Preparation	19
2.3 – Galvanizing Furnace	21
2.4 – Coupon Preparation	21
2.5 – Galvanizing Procedure	23
2.6 – Data Analysis	26
3. Results	27
3.1 – Visual Observation	27
3.2 – Metallographic Observations	44
4. Discussion	52
5. Conclusions	56
6. Recommendations	57
References	58
Appendix A	59
Appendix B	60
Appendix C	62

AssignmentTutorOnline

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Sample List of Figures
Sample List of Tables
Sample Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
This research was conducted at the Fluids and Hydraulics laboratory of the S.J. Carew Building of Memorial
University of Newfoundland. It was funded by a M.U.N. ‘President’s NSERC Grant’ and by funds from the Faculty of
Engineering and Applied Science. It was performed under the direction of Drs. D. Hansen and G.H. George. The
author and G.H. George jointly conducted the experiments which provided the basis of the report.
List of Figures

Figure 1.1	Zinc-Rich End of Zn-Fe Phase Diagram	7
Figure 1.2	Typical Sadelin Curve	13
Figure 2.1	Dimensions of Steel Samples	21
Figure 2.2	Steel Coupon With Wire Handle	22
Figure 3.1	Photographs of Galvanized	32-43
Figure 3.2	Micrographs of Galvanized	46-51

List of Tables

Table 2.1	Compositions of Zinc Bath	23
Table 3.1	1. Surface Appearance of Coupons Galvanized in Bath Containing 0.03%	45
1. Surface Appearance of Coupon Galvanized in Bath Containing 0.04% Al	45
2. Surface Appearance of Coupons Galvanized in Bath Containing 0.05% Al	46
Table 3.2	Coating Thicknesses Produced on All Coupons	50

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MAIN TEXT
Introduction
Body
Conclusions
Recommendations
Introduction
The introduction defines the subject of the report so the reader is prepared for the text which follows. It outlines
the background and scope of the report, gives a clear statement of objectives of the study and briefly explains
the methods used in the study. An introduction answers the question, “Why was this report written?”
Setting the background is important because the faculty member evaluating the report may not be familiar with
the detailed operations of your employer.
Example:
Of course, there is no need to give a highly detailed account. The information on the plant layout and number of
employees would only be given if it relates to later parts of the report, as it did in this case. The second part of
the background should outline the history leading up to the project or study. This is useful to both your manager
and the evaluating faculty member.
Example:
From this second part of the background, the reader can now anticipate the objectives of the study, which should
be crisply stated and conceptually separated from the background and the method used.
Example:
Because, in another section of your report, you will detail the methods used, keep your introductory outline brief:
The sulphite plant at the Bowater Paper Company, Mersey Division, processes the excess sulphur slurry
from the digesters for storage and also for shipment to other paper companies in the immediate area. The
slurry is first passed through a paper machine to convert it to a very thick paper sheet which passes
through cutters, a press, and finally to the balers to be packed for shipment. Figure 1 shows a layout of the
plant. The plant has eight employees on each of three shifts; one foreman, one shipper, two men on the
paper machines, two on the cutters and two on the balers.
In 1964, the Nova Scotia guidelines were introduced recommending that employees working in areas with
noise levels in excess of 90 decibels over an eight-hour day is requested to wear acoustic ear protectors.
The paper machine operators in the sulphite plant were then supplied with and instructed to wear this
headgear. Last year (1979) more stringent guidelines were introduced, recommending ear protectors for all
employees working in areas with noise levels above 85 dB, with compliance expected before June 30,
1980. In the intervening period, a new slurry pump was introduced in the plant, increasing the general
noise level. Also, some machine operators recently have been observed not wearing the acoustic ear
protectors.
The primary objective of the present study was to determine whether, because of these changing
circumstances, more employees in the plant should be wearing headgear. A secondary objective was to
determine the degree of compliance with the present regulations by the employees, to investigate the
reasons for non-compliance and to suggest methods to ensure full compliance.
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Example:
Your reader is now prepared for the report that follows. He/she will be looking for sections dealing, in the case of
this example, with noise meter readings, the spot checks, the interviews, and the result of each.
To determine if more employees must be instructed to wear headgear, noise meter readings were taken
in the working area of each employee. Spot checks on employees were made to see if they were
wearing their headgear. Interviews were held with the relevant employees to determine the reason for
non-compliance. The writer worked with these employees for several hours in the plant environment to
experience their problems directly.
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Body
The body is the longest part of your report. It should demonstrate adequate effort (3000 words). It is here that
you develop your theme by examining the problem, your findings and their meaning. There should be sections
and headings throughout the body, reminding readers where they are in your report.
Although every report will have different section headings, there are certain themes that run through all reports –
a description of the methods used to acquire data, a summary of the data, (or information or observations)
obtained and finally a discussion of the interpretation of the data (or information or observations). In this context
the work can have such different meanings as actual scientific measurements, textbook information,
manufacturer’s literature, plant logbooks, financial statements, opinions of experts or employees and so on.
Thus, in the example given previously, major headings could be:
1. Obtaining Noise Data
2. Result of the Noise Study
3. Discussion of Results
In this example, Section 2 divides logically into three subsections:
See the section on Developing Your Report.
Figures and Tables
 Each figure and table must have a number and caption in the form of one or more complete sentences.
The figure and table numbering is in the order in which they appear in the text. The captions are leftjustified and placed below figures and above tables. If the information in the figure or table is borrowed,
the reference must be cited in the caption. Important elements within graphs should be clearly labelled.
Refer to technical journals in your discipline to see the organization of tables and figures.
 Number figures and tables consecutively throughout the report according to the chapter in which they
appear (Fig. 1.1, Fig. 1.2, Fig. 2.1, Fig 2.2, etc.)
 Every figure must be referred to at least once in the text.
 The word figure is abbreviated Fig. (plural Fig.) within a sentence. You must write the word out in full if it
begins a sentence.
 Place a figure or table immediately after the page of text in which it is referred.
 Figures and tables, if small, should not occupy the whole page, but be incorporated into the text.
 When using landscape layout, the top of the figure or table must be adjacent to the binding.
2.1 Noise Levels at Employee’s Locations
(In this section, you describe the instrument used to make noise measurements and give the location
where the measurements were made.)
2.2 Determination of Degree of Employee Compliance
(In this section, you describe the method and the timing of the spot checks on employees.)
2.3 Employee Interviews
(In this section you describe when, where and with whom the interviews took place.)
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Conclusions and Recommendations
Conclusions and recommendations are often confused but they are not identical. Conclusions are derived from
research outlined in the main body and do not introduce new material. They may be presented in a sequence of
two or three sentence paragraphs or a set of numbered points.
Recommendations are proposed plans of action for the future. They are suggestions following logically from the
conclusion. Remember that conclusions deal with the present, recommendations with the future. Each should be
presented on a separate page.
Sample Conclusions
Sample Recommendations
Conclusions
From the foregoing discussion of the results, it can be concluded that with proper adjustment of the
parameters so far mentioned, a high level of conversion of hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulphur can be
obtained. In Table 3, one set of parameters which gave more than 99.9% conversion of hydrogen sulfide
is given for each gas mixture employed in the laboratory scale operation. These conditions may not
represent the optimum set for commercial operation. However, they demonstrated that by combination of
the parameters, high conversion levels could be obtained.
Recommendations
Based on presentations received, visits made and our deliberations, it is recommended to:
1. Establish a program of support for feasibility studies of wood fuel substation where preliminary
analysis indicates favourable opportunity for conversion.
2. Provide funding assistance for the demonstration of wood energy technology where appropriate
to encourage conversion or initial installation.
3. Investigate the potential for district heating systems in Nova Scotia and their impact on the use
of wood fuel energy, employing appropriate demonstration sites.
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REFERENCE MATERIAL
References
Glossary and Nomenclature
Appendices
Footnotes
Figures
References
A reference list includes all those books and journals to which you specifically referred in your report. Materials
from other authors and diagrams that you have not drawn should be acknowledged explicitly when they are first
used in your report. Using a recognized system, document all material from secondary sources, including direct
quotations, paraphrased information, table and figures. See Sample References.
Glossary and Nomenclature
The glossary is only needed when you have used specialized terms, mathematical symbols or professional
jargon. If you have used the occasional term, it is acceptable to define it within your text. This same rule applies
for the nomenclature. It is only required if a large number of symbols are used throughout the report.
Appendices
The appendix (or appendices) provides your reader with supporting information, diagrams, tables and data,
which elaborates on but are not essential to the main body of the text. Do not supply information in the appendix
that has not been previously referenced in your text. One way of itemizing appendices is by letter: Appendix A,
etc. and should be labelled in the order they are referred to in the text. Very little grading weight is placed on
material provided in the appendices. Not all technical reports will have appendices.
Footnotes
Use footnotes to identify the source of a direct quote. Use them (footnotes and, therefore direct quotes)
sparingly. A footnote appears at the bottom of the page on which the quote appears.
Sample References
You should consult your Technical Writing notes and journals in your discipline. Below are a few sample
references of different types of publications.
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Books
One Author:
Robert D. Pehlke. 1973. Unit Processes of Extractive Metallurgy (New York, NY: American Elsevier Publishing
Company), 176-199.
Editor, compiler, translator:
Lawrence E. Murr, ed. 1985. Industrial Materials Science and Engineering (New York, NY: Marcel Dekker, Inc.),
98.
Multivolume work or series:
H. Baker et al, eds., Metals Handbook, vol. 2. 1979. (Metals Park, OH: American Society for Metals), 60.
Journal
E. H. Lee, R. L. Mallet, and W. H. Yan. 1977. “Stress and Deformation Analysis of the Metal Extrusion Process,”
Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 10 339-353.
Reports
11. D. N. Robinson. 1978. “A Unified Creep-Plasticity Model for Structural Metals at High Temperature” (Report
ORNL/TM-5969, Oak Ridge National Laboratory).
Personal Communication
James F. Rogers. 1978. private communication with author, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 10 September.
Patents
15. W. F. Caley and S. N. Flengas, U.S. Patent 4 097 351, June 27, 1978.
Web Reference
Innovative extrusion process bonds thermoplastic elastomers to metals without adhesives, 2001,
http://www.santoprene.com/site/Resource_Library/News/1673/quanexnr.pdf