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Engineering Design > 11.3 The project report: Writing for the client, not for history > Flashcards

11.3 The project report: Writing for the client, not for history Flashcards

1
Q

What is the purpose of a final project report?

A

The purpose of a final project report is to communicate with the client in terms that ensure the client’s thoughtful acceptance of a team’s design choices.

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2
Q

What do the client’s interests demand regarding the design problem?

A

The client’s interests demand a clear presentation of the design problem, including:

  • analyses of the needs to be met
  • the alternatives considered
  • the bases on which decisions were made
  • the decisions that were taken made
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3
Q

How should the results of a project report be summarized?

A

The results of a project report should be summarized in clear, understandable language.

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4
Q

Where is highly detailed or technical materials typically located in a report? Why is it placed there?

A

Highly detailed or technical materials, as well as supporting materials, are often placed:

  • in appendices at the end of the report
    • in order to maintain clarity
  • in separate volumes
    • especially for large public works projects
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5
Q

When is clear, simple language and separation of technical and other materials in reports especially important?

A

Clear, simple language and separation of technical and other materials in reports especially important when the client and the principal stakeholders are not engineers or technical managers, but perhaps members of the general public.

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6
Q

Describe the sequence of a useful structured process that a design team might follow.

A

One structured process that a design team might follow would include the following steps:

  1. Determine the purpose and audience of the technical report
  2. Construct a rough outline of the overall structure of the report
  3. Review that outline within the team and with the team’s managers or, in case of an academic project, with the faculty advisor
  4. Construct a topic sentence outline (TSO)
  5. Review the TSO with the team
  6. Distribute individual writing assignments
  7. Assemble, write, and edit an initial draft
  8. Solicit reviews of the initial draft from managers and advisors
  9. Revise and rewrite the initial draft to respond to the reviews
  10. Prepare the final version of the report
  11. Present the final report to the client.
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7
Q

For which audience should the project report be written?

A

A project report often has several different audiences. The team, however, should write clearly and well for each audience, regardless of the organizational principle selected.

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8
Q

What are the major sections into which a report is typically divided?

A

Major sections into which the report is divided, which typically are:

  • abstract
  • executive summary
  • introduction and overview
  • problem statement and problem definition or framing
    • including relevant prior work or research
  • design alternatives considered
  • evaluation of design alternatives and basis for design selection
  • results of the alternatives analysis and design selection
  • supporting materials
    • often set out in appendices
    • include:
      • drawings and details
      • fabrication specifications
      • supporting calculations
      • modeling results
      • other materials that the client may require.
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9
Q

What does every entry in a topic sentence outline represent?

A

Every entry in a topic sentence outline represents a paragraph.

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10
Q

What is usually useful to create once the rough outline of a report has been established?

A

Once the rough outline of a report has been established, it is usually quite useful to build a corresponding, detailed topic sentence outline (TSO) that identifies the themes or topics that, collectively, make up the report.

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11
Q

What is an advantage of rough outlines and topic sentence outlines?

A

One advantage of a rough outline and a topic sentence outline is that their structures allows teams members to write in parallel or simultaneously.

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12
Q

What is a key role pertaining to the report?

A

One member of the team should enjoy the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining to being the editor.

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13
Q

What is the role of the report editor?

A

The editor’s role is to ensure that report:

  • flows continuously
  • is consistent
  • is accurate
  • speaks in a single voice
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14
Q

What is meant by continuity?

A

Continuity means that topics and sections follow a logical sequence that reflects the structure of the ideas in the rough outline and the TSO.

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15
Q

What is meant by consistency?

A

Consistency means that the report uses common:

  • terminology
  • abbreviations
  • acronyms
  • notation
  • units
  • similar reasoning styles

and so on, throughout the report and all of its appendices

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16
Q

What does accuracy require?

A

Accuracy requires that the following are done and reported to appropriate professional standards and current best practices:

  • calculations
  • experiments
  • measurements
  • other technical work
17
Q

What is meant by the voice of a report?

A

The voice or style of a report reflects the way in which a report “speaks” to the reader, in ways very similar to how people literally speak to each other.

18
Q

What is essential in a technical report and who is responsible for that aspect?

A

It is essential that a technical report speaks with a single voice. Among other facets, the report has to read (or “sound”) as if it was written by one person, even when its sections were written by members of a very large team.

Ensuring a single voice is one of the editor’s most important duties.

19
Q

What does a good review process ensure?

A

A good review process ensures that a draft final report gets:

  • _​​_thoughtful reconsideration
  • meaningful revision
20
Q

From careful readings by whom do draft reports benefit?

A

Draft reports benefit from careful readings and reviews by:

  • team members
  • managers
  • client representatives or liaisons
  • faculty advisors
  • people who have no connection with the project
21
Q

What is meant by the importance of final reports being professionally done and polished?

A

A final report should be professionally done and polished.

This does NOT mean that it needs:

  • glossy covers
  • fancy type
  • fancy graphics
  • an expensive binding.

Instead, it means that the report and its graphics/figures is/are:

  • clearly organized
  • easy to read and understand
  • clear and easily comprehended/interpreted
22
Q

What is executive summary?

A

Executive summary is a way to address readers who may not have the time or interest to read all of the details of the entire project.

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