Report

Title

Prepared for:
CV ENG ####
Fundamentals of ****

By:

Names

Date
Table of Contents

ABSTRACT............................................................................................................1

1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................2

1.1 Scope of Work or Research Motivation.....................................................2

1.2 Organization of Report...............................................................................2

2 BACKGROUND...............................................................................................3

2.1 Previous studies..........................................................................................3

2.2 Other sections.............................................................................................3

2.2.1 Sub heading..........................................................................................4

3 Procedures or Experimental Setup....................................................................5

4 Results...............................................................................................................6

5 Discussion.........................................................................................................7

6 Summary and Conclusions................................................................................8

References................................................................................................................9

Appendix A –.........................................................................................................10
List of Figures
Figure 4-1: Provide descriptive captions for all figures......................................................7
List of Tables

Table 2-1: Previous research …..........................................................................................3

An abstract (usually found in journal or research papers) or executive summary

(usually found in technical reports) tells the reader quickly what the report is about.

Generally, this section is only about 1 page long and concisely covers the goal of the

work (why it was done), what was done (experiments or designs performed), and major

conclusions (what was determined, suggested actions).

The first part of the technical report is the introduction. This sets the stage for the

reader and provides needed background information. As such, the introduction must

cover the purpose of the design/experiment, scope of work, and any needed background

knowledge.

1.1 Scope of Work or Research Motivation

Scope of Work – The scope of work is a description of the design or laboratory.

This section should include a brief description of the project and outline the calculation

requirements.

Given Information – This section should include information given in the problem

statement. Typically, this section includes information that is provided by the professor or

client and does not require interpretation.

Assumptions – This section should briefly describe any assumptions that are

made in addition to the project description and requirements. Typically, assumptions are

made by the engineer, not the client, and can be modified or changed.

1.2 Organization of Report

This report is organized as follows:

 Chapter 2 is …

 Chapter 3 describes …

 ...
2 BACKGROUND

Background – This section provides the needed technical background for the

reader. If the reader is not familiar with this area of study this section will need to be

quite detailed so that the reader can fully understand the experiment and results.

Sometimes the background is it’s own separate chapter/section in a report.

2.1 Previous studies

Describe the previous studies or literature relevant to the report. Table 2-1

shows….

Table 2-1: Provide descriptive captions for all tables

If the any section is extensive, break up into other headings and sub headings as

needed. Remember the heading and subheading are there to help guide the reader to the

sections they are most interested in.

2.2.1 Sub heading

Sub heading help better define piece of the report to make it easier to digest. Try

not to go beyond about 3 to 4 levels of headings. Otherwise, they can get confusing.
3 Procedures or Experimental Setup

This can be used to describe the equipment and procedures used for a lab

experiment, or the basis/assumptions, codes, etc. used for a design. It can also include

the equations used in an analysis as in Equation 3-1. Usually, one of the easiest sections

to write – you are simply saying what was done and how it was done. Be sure to be

concise with your writing (no overly long explanations) and make sure you completely

cover the procedure (someone else could repeat the experiment or design based on the

information you give them).

Equation 3-1
4 Results

The results section simply states the results of the design or laboratory

experiments. Depending on your writing style you may combine this section with the

discussion section. It consists of properly formatted tables and figures with explanations

and descriptions of the tables and figures (you must reference every table and figure in

the text). You should present without analyzing or commenting on significance (unless

you are combining it with discussion).

In an experimental or laboratory research report the results will typically consist

of the results of the calculations and/or experimental data. It typically consists of the

tables and figures as well as clear and direct wording that highlights the most important

results. Do not draw conclusions or make comparisons to other work in this section (that

is for the discussion). Reference to the table and figures must be provided in the main

body of the report.

In a design report the results typically consist of calculation work done in

interpreting the design. If the calculations required are not extensive then this can be

included in the main body of the report. Each step in the calculations should have a brief

description. Provide equations used. Each equation should have a number for reference

and all variables should be defined. If the calculations are extensive they can be included

in the appendix (i.e. Sample Calculations), however a brief summary of the procedure

should be in the main body of the report.

350 Engineering
300 TRUE
250

Stress (psi)
200

150

100

50

0
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40
Strain

Figure 4-1: Provide descriptive captions for all figures

The next section is the discussion of the results. This is the heart of the technical

report and shows what you determined in the design or learned from the experiment.

In an experimental or laboratory research report, you should analyze your results

by discussing the data and interpreting your results. State the significance of your results

clearly, and compare your results with theory or other work. Be sure to use quantitative

comparisons in your discussion. Indicate if the results support the underlying theory or

contradict it.

In a design report, you should highlight the main recommendations of the design

or compare the design with other alternatives. This may be where you evaluate the value

vs. cost of the proposed design. The reader should have a clear understanding of why this

design was chosen.

The final section of the report is the conclusions. This section sums up what was

learned from the experiment or recommended in the design. It generally focuses on

restating the main discussion points. There should be nothing new presented in this

section – all points were previously covered in more detail earlier in the report.
References

Make sure that you follow the required format for references
Appendix A –