LECTURE PACKAGE 1: REPORT WRITING

Topics 1. Objectives of report writing

covered 2. Abstracts and conclusions
: 3. Basic formatting and templates
4. Tables, figures, pictures, captions and equations
5. Third person, tense, numbers and units, etc.
6. Citations and referencing
7. Common mistakes: apostrophes, colloquial language, etc

 Objectives of Report Writing o Technical Language

 Structure of a Report o Third person, tense, numbers and units,
o Basic formatting and templates etc. Common mistakes: apostrophes,
o Abstracts and conclusions colloquial language, etc
o Tables, figures, pictures,
captions and equations
o Citations and referencing

1. Objectives of Report Writing

 Engineers need to communicate with others (generally other engineers) to share

ideas, results, conclusions, etc.
o It is most important to pitch one's report at the target audience;
o for example: when writing for another engineer, technical terms may be assumed
to be understood, but when writing for a non-engineer, additional background
information and definitions may need to be provided.
 Very often, decisions by funders, investors, etc. are made based on the
successfulness of the communication in a written report and not on the merits of a
novel new product alone. It is therefore imperative that an engineering student be able
communicate effectively via a written report.
 In engineering, there is seldom a correct answer, only a well-reasoned answer or a
poorly-reasoned answer.
o A technical report can be compared to an advocate's argument in court: a
postulation is first given, evidence is then provided, and an argument is
developed, slowly leading the judge step by step to a final conclusion, until the
judge agrees: "The argument makes sense, I am convinced that this is the right
conclusion!".
o A logical plan must therefore be devised before writing a report, to present a
convincing argument, with appropriate evidence and or reasons, that leads the
reader to the important conclusion that one is trying to convey. Evidence can be
in the form of references, experiments, test results, graphs, et cetera.
Example of Report main sections Example of SHORT Report main sections
Cover page/Title page Cover page/Title page
Abstract Abstract
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Table of contents
List of tables
List of figures
Nomenclature
Introductory chapter(s) Introduction
Central chapters Analysis and Discussion
Conclusions Conclusions
Recommendations

1
 References/Bibliography References/Bibliography
Appendices Appendices

A START, a MIDDLE and an END

START Introduction, Background, Aims and objectives
ABSTRACTS Executive summary of the report.
Includes specific findings and conclusions.
INTRODUCTION The high level contribution of the report.
The “what” and “why” of the investigation.
AIMS & Aims are general statements concerning the overall goals, ends or
OBJECTIVES intentions
Objectives are the individual stages that must be achieved in order to
reach the goal(s)
BACKGROUND Literature survey.
Discussion of existing research and basic principles that sets the
scene for understanding the investigation.
Assumptions and constraints
MIDDLE Method, Result, Analysis, Discussion
METHOD Topic-specific sections.
The “how” of the investigation
RESULTS Results are usually presented in tables, graphs or other
graphical formats and described in written text
ANALYSIS & How do the results achieved support (or do not support) the
hypothesis or aim of the investigation?
DISCUSSION If results do not support, can they be explained or reasoned
out?
Are the assumptions valid or do they need to be revisited?
END Conclusion, Referencing, Appendices
CONCLUSION Have the results from investigation given more insight to the aim or
hypothesis?
New information or ideas should not be presented at this stage
REFERENCING List references in numerical order after the conclusion.
The number should relate to the order it is cited in the report.
Information listed under the reference should allow the reader to easily
find the source
APPENDICES Additional information that is not directly related to the purpose of the
main report, but is vital for the audience/reader to understand the
“specialist” content discussed.
Should be stand-alone with its own introduction and conclusions.
Must be cited in the main report, i.e. Refer to Appendix A for more
information on ___.
Must be identified in alphabetical order (Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.)
and cited in alphabetical order in the main report

Cover page/Title page

 The purpose of the cover page is to identify the report. It must contain the title, the
initials and surnames of the authors, the date, the name of the department and
university, the emblem of the university, the name of the supervisor(s).

2. Abstracts and Conclusions

An abstract (2nd page of the report)

2
o a very short, to-the-point paragraph, summarising: what the work / project was about,
what testing was done, what were the results, and what conclusions were drawn. The
word-count is typically limited to 150 words or less.
o An abstract is used to catch the reader's attention, and is very often, the only
component of a report (together with the title) that is read, before a reader
o decides its importance and relevance to their own work, subsequently either perusing
the report entirely, or discarding it.
o The abstract (and title) therefore needs to be extremely well drafted as they are in
essence the most important component of the report.
o "The aim of this project was to …" would be a common way to begin an abstract.

Dedication
 This is a short sentence, in the middle of a separate page, in which the report is
dedicated to a family member, friend or acquaintance. It may be left out and is seldom
included in short technical reports. It is more suited to theses.

Acknowledgements
 In this section, other people or organisations that were directly involved in the
execution, presentation and financing of the project or report are acknowledged, such
as technicians, typists and institutions that provided money or made facilities available.

Table of contents
 The table of contents must begin on a new page. The page is provided with a heading,
such as “Contents” or “Table of Contents”, followed by a list of the three main levels of
headings and their page numbers. Journal papers do not have a table of contents.

List of tables List of figures

 These lists, arranged according to the table and figure number, each begin on a new
page and indicate the relevant page number in the right-hand column.

Nomenclature
 The list of the symbols that are used in the report.

Introductory chapter(s)
The introductory chapter or chapters should provide the reader with the following
information:
 The context in which the report originated, i.e. the work from which it originated, how it
links to/differs from preceding or related work, the limitations that were placed on the
work (as a result of external circumstances or through own choice), and so forth;
 The purpose of the report, i.e. the problem that was examined and the specific
objectives of the work;
 The motivation for the work or report, that is, why the work was undertaken. If it is
relevant, the introduction will contain a general overview of previous work in the field
and definitions of words or expressions that have a specific meaning in the document
(Literature survey). An overview of the rest of the report is sometimes also provided.

Central chapters
 The structure of the central chapters depends on the contents of the report. The
following are general guidelines for the central chapters:
 Every chapter should be focused on one topic, i.e. it should have a clear purpose. The
title of the chapter normally reflects the purpose.

3
 The contents of the central chapters must remain strictly linked to the purpose of the
report. Contents that are only of marginal importance should preferably be placed in
the appendices.
 Every chapter has its own internal structure: introduction, underlying or simplified
assumptions, analytical or numerical theory used, measured results (results of the
analysis or observations), processing of results, interpretation of results and
conclusions.

Conclusions
 The purpose of this section is to make it clear to what extent the purpose of the report
was achieved and which findings were made. All statements in the Conclusions must
be supported in the report.
 The conclusion is an equally short, to-the-point summary of the report, and includes:
o what the aim of the work / project was, what were the results and what
conclusions were drawn i.e. very similar to the abstract.
o HINT: It is often very advantageous to write the abstract and conclusion of a
report, together, last, after the rest of the report has been.

References/Bibliography
 The purpose of references is to indicate the origin of statements that are not general
knowledge in the field, or to acknowledge the work of others, and to provide additional
information for readers who might be interested in obtaining further information.
 A bibliography is a list of sources, usually books, that provide a broad background on
the topic, but to which no specific reference is made. Only comprehensive technical
reports, such as some theses, have a bibliography.

Appendices
 Detail that disturbs the flow of the main text, and particularly detail that does not form
an integral part of the main text, must preferably be provided in the appendices.
 Examples of this are complicated technical derivations, detailed descriptions of
apparatus, computer programs, lists of unprocessed data, sample calculations and
concise commercial information (data sheets)1.

3. Basic Formatting and Templates

Reports produced in first year should be;

1. SINGLE COLUMN, margins set to “NORMAL” (for MS Word)
2. Written in 11 PT OR 12 PT FONT SIZE (for main text)
3. HEADINGS must be 14PT OR 12PTwith NUMBERED formatting in BOLD STYLE,
with NO UNDERLINING
4. EACH PAGE should be NUMBERED, where numbering starts at the beginning of the
Introduction section

 Many templates exist for different kinds of documents, including reports. An

engineering report has a typical structure and only minor details would change
between different Schools, companies, etc.
o Using an existing template would be very time-saving and would spare the need
to study the nitty-gritty details, as per below.

1
http://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/eng/mechanical-mechatronic/Documents/
Undergraduate/Current%20UG/MM%20Procedures%20for%20Final%20Year%20Projects/
skryfgids_3_4e.pdf

4
 The aim of the formatting and template is to produce a very neat and pleasant to read
document; attention to detail is therefore essential.
o Scientific studies have been done to compare the ease of reading of different
fonts for example, and this is factored into most templates.

 It is important therefore that spelling, grammar and formatting mistakes be eliminated

as these detract from the quality of report, and of course the perception of the author!
4. Tables, Figures, Pictures, Captions and Equations

 IMPORTANT material of the report

 They should be CLEAR AND UNDERSTANDABLE
 They should be NUMBERED AND CAPTIONED
 REFERENCE them if they are outsourced
 Always accompany the presented material with a MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION

 "Picture say a 1000 words!" Using drawings, figures, graphs, etc. provides a significant
amount of information to the reader, that is much easier to absorb, than in writing.
o However, just like writing, thought must be given into what exactly the message
to be conveyed is, and therefore what drawings, figures, graphs, etc. would be
most beneficial to present.
o Again, this depends on the audience: a technical person in a workshop may want
projection views full of detail, whilst for another engineer, an isometric drawing
may suffice.

 Drawings need to be clear and concise; proper pictures showing the required detail
must be used.
o Regarding detailed formatting: all drawings, figures, graphs, etc. are
centred in the report and require a caption that contains a figure number,
and is located BELOW the figure.

 Tables are often used to present specific and relevant data. Appropriate headings are
required and the data within the cells should be neatly positioned (perhaps centred).
o Similarly, the table is centred in the report and a suitable caption and table
number is given, and is located ABOVE the table.

 Imported images must have sufficient resolution (preferably uncompressed jpegs) and
the aspect ratio must be locked to prevent for example, images of round objects
looking squashed.

 Only the simplest of equations should be written in text, such as "the voltage is given
by V=IR", as anything more complex starts to impact the formatting of the text.
o In such cases, the equation is written on its own line, and centred; a string of
dots and an equation number, like … (1), is then placed at the right-hand margin
and is used to link that equation, where necessary, for example: "The voltage is
given by equation (1)".2
𝑉=𝐼∙𝑅 (1)
5. Third Person, Tense, Numbers and Units, etc.

1. The use of the possessive form should be avoided.

2
Note [1]: In MS Word – Insert/Equation

5
 2. Each sentence should FOCUS ON ONE IDEA, OR LINK TWO IDEAS
3. Avoid presenting the entire report in point form, or one-line paragraphs.
4. Adjectives and emotive words should be excluded from the report. “It was huge” is
meaningless in the scientific terms –huge compared to what?
“It was 1 000 m tall, and therefore much larger than an average height of 100 m”

 A technical report is written from an observer's point of view i.e. as a witness (in the
third-person), for example: "The aim of the project was to...." and not in the first-person
such as: "For the project, we were required to...." In short, no: I, we, they, my, etc.
 • Generally, reports are written in the present tense, for example: "The results show
that …". However, where appropriate, the correct tense should be used, for example:
"Tests were done ...." and "A new prototype will be developed …".
 Regarding numbers, 1 to 10 is written in full, for example: "There are five students
per team…" but larger values are written as numbers, "There are 250 teams …".
However, numbers with units, such as measurements, are written as the number
followed by the abbreviated unit, such as "The distance measured was 7.2mm …".
However, "The current was in the order of hundreds of Amps …" is correct.
 When using abbreviations, the long version comes first, with each of the key letters
being capitalised, followed by the abbreviation, in brackets. Once defined, the
abbreviation can then be used throughout a document. For example: “The Faculty of
Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE) is located on West Campus. FEBE
comprises five schools ...”.

6. Citations and Referencing

6.1 PLAGIARISM!!!

AVOID!
“copy-paste”
copy a sentence (or paragraph) and replace certain words with synonyms (words that
have similar meaning)

The correct procedure for sourcing and citing information would be:
1. READ the source THOROUGHLY; UNDERSTANDITS CONTENTS.
2. Consider how the content of the source RELATES to the report topic, not all of it will
be relevant.
3. EXTRACT RELEVANT INFORMATION by taking notes –no phrases or sentences
from text.
4. RECONSTRUCT INFORMATION from the notes in YOUR OWN
WORDS (do not refer to the original text).
5. CITE the new sentence or paragraph with the reference.

6.2 CITATIONS AND REFERENCING

 When existing information (say found from research) is used as evidence, a reference
must be provided to show that that particular piece of information has come from
somewhere else.
o The information being used MUST be written in the author's own words, unless it
is being quoted directly, in which case quote marks must be used.
o For example: I am studying at Wits because "Wits gives you the edge" must be
written in quotes because this is the exact statement made by someone else (the
university).

6
 o However, I am studying at Wits because students at Wits are given an
advantage over others is presenting the same information but written in the
author's own words and is therefore correct.
o Para-phrasing, such as I am studying at Wits because Wits gives us the edge is
not acceptable and would be considered as plagiarism (illegal copying) - an
infringement on the original copyright.
 In ALL cases, the source of the information must be cited immediately after the
inserted information, in numerical order of appearance, for example: I will have the
edge from Wits [1]. The EXACT source of the statement is then presented in a
references list at the end of the document, for example:
o References
[1] Wits Marketing, "The Official University Slogan", available online:
www.wits.ac.za/slogan [last accessed: 28 July 2019]
o Two referencing styles are used in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built
Environment – the Numeric and Harvard styles. Examples of in-text citations
and reference lists are given for both styles in the following table.3

Numeric Style Harvard Style

In-text citation Example: I will have the edge
from Wits [1].
Reference list References
[1] Wits Marketing, "The Official
University Slogan", available
online: www.wits.ac.za/slogan
[last accessed: 28 July 2019]
The list of sources cited in the
text is arranged in numerical
order (the same order in which
they appeared in the text).
Example: I will have the edge from
Wits (Wits Marketing, 2019).
References
Wits Marketing. (2019). The Official
University Slogan, [online]. Available
at: www.wits.ac.za/slogan
[Accessed 28 July 2019]
Citations are listed in alphabetical
order by the author’s last name.

7. Common Mistakes: Apostrophes, Colloquial Language, etc.

1. PUNCTUATION
Find a good, modern guide to punctuation and read it carefully
Pay particular attention to any area you have trouble with.
2. COLLOQUIAL LANGUAGE
Take a few moments to identify and visualise your readers.
3. GRAMMAR Read widely in your field or on your topic
Consult good guides to grammar
Practise writing frequently

 Apostrophes:
o Ownership by a single person: "The student's pen …".
o Ownership by multiple persons: "The student s' class rep is …" or "The students'
projects were excellent!".
 Omission (generally NOT used in technical reports): "Students shouldn't use omissions
in technical reports, but should rather write should not …".

 Colloquial language: "I wanna do FEBE1004" is not allowed. Likewise "The

microprocessor is the brain of the computer" is not acceptable.

3
http://globalcenter.info/insode/Numerical.pdf and https://www.citethisforme.com/harvard-referencing

7
WHAT IS THE POINT?
INFORM and sometimes to PERSUADE

8. TYPES OF TECHNICAL REPORTS

Research proposal before any work is done, or any money spent

Feasibility study some preliminary work done to prove a concept for further
exploration
Design report using fundamental knowledge to solve a problem
Experimental report clearly defined experimental procedure
Research report answering a research question

WHAT DOES IT CONSIST OF?

CONCLUSION
1. Make the LIBRARY YOUR FRIEND
2. READ! READ! READ!
3. PLAN your report structure and contents
4. PRACTISE technical report writing
5. Constantly REFRESH YOUR KNOWLEDGE in Punctuation, Grammar, Formatting,
Referencing, etc.
6. DO NOT LAY-CLAIM TO OTHER PEOPLE’S WORK!

.
.
.