Formal Report WritingDr. N. S. Harding

Chemical Engineering 477

January 28-29, 2013

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Major Report SectionsTransmittal LetterTitle PageFront Material (Table of Contents, List of

Illustrations)Executive SummaryIntroduction (Objective) and BackgroundExperimental Procedure/MethodsResults and DiscussionConclusions and RecommendationsBack Material (Acknowledgements, References,

Appendix)Chem. Eng. 477 - 2013

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Transmittal LetterLAST section writtenDateTo Whom?Subject – Succinct description of project1 paragraph on what was asked and how it

was done1 paragraph on conclusions and

recommendationsSignatures

Chem. Eng. 477 - 2013

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Title PageDescriptive titleTo Whom?From Whom?Date

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Front MaterialFor these short (formal) reports it is optionalIf you include, then the Title Page is “i”Use roman numerals up to Executive

Summary which would be “1”

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Executive Summary2nd to last section written1 page maximum

Use key bullet points (conclusions/recommendations)

Summarizes:Objective, what was doneHow it was doneWhat were the resultsWhat are the conclusionsWhat are the recommendations

IF figure/table, must have different number, e.g. ES1Chem. Eng. 477 - 2013

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Body of ReportUse a header and footer; one of which has

the page number.No smaller than 11 pt typeDouble-spaced; not less than 1.5 spacingUse headings and sub-headingsRefer to figures/tables before showingBe consistent

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Paragraphs/TextEach paragraph organized around key sentenceKey sentence should be 1st or 2nd sentenceRest of paragraph supports/discusses key sentenceKey sentences can be used as outline for the report3rd person is preferred in technical writingBe consistent in verb tense usage

Completed items in past tenseDiscussion/analyses/recommendations – presentAlmost nothing in future tense

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FiguresCaptions are below figureLabel axes correctly with unitsUse common scales for multiple figures, sig.

figs.Pay attention to symbols, colors, etc.Make the figures clear and cleanBe consistent

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TablesTitles are above tableAlign columnsDon’t forget units (column headings)Significant figures!!!“*” or call outs are directly beneath tableBe consistent

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Equations (Reactions)Numbered consecutively on right side: (#)Identify all variables first time usedSame size font as text or may go to 10 pt. Capital “E” when referring to specific

equation

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Results/Discussion Section(s)Data analysis

Good: Includes all results so one can duplicate or make a decision based on data

Better: Summarizes data into figures/tables so one can quickly make a decision based on data

Best: Synthesizes the data to show: In-depth analysis Significance of results Context and meaning Credible recommendation(s)

Want reader to think, feel, or do something differently because they read the report!

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Back MaterialAcknowledgements (optional – should include MIKE!)References – requiredAppendix – required (Separate Subsections)

Detailed derivations of theoryRaw and reduced dataSample calculationsStatistical analysisOther supporting documentation

Note: Equations, figures, tables are numbered, A1, etc.

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Bottom LineFrom your report, the reader should know who, what,

when, where, why and how and be able to completely duplicate your experiment and get essentially your results and conclusions within your calculated confidence level!!

Note: There is no good writing, only good re-writing!

Suggestion: Finish the report and sleep on it – then next day review one last time.

QUESTIONS?Chem. Eng. 477 - 2013