Technical Report Writing for Engineering Students

THE BODY OF A REPORT

The body is the longest part of the report. It is here that information is presented, interpreted and analysed. There are five components in the body of the report :

1) Theoretical background
This refers to a description of the theory that underlies your project. More

2) Project description
This component comprises two different areas.
a) Firstly, you are required to give a physical description of the device/equipment you have constructed. More
b) Secondly, you have to tell your reader how your device is used. More

3) Product Development
Don't confuse this with the Process Description mentioned above. This Process Description is where you tell the reader, in detail, how you made/built your project item. More

4) Assembly and Testing
In this section you give a description about the operation and the tests which you have conducted to check that the device/equipment you have produced works. More

5) Discussion
In this part of your report, you will discuss the following:-
a) what you have achieved in your project
b) the lessons you have learnt
c) the shortcomings of the project
d) the reasons for these shortcomings.

The following is an example of the kind of information you have to include in each of the components (Ref: Temasek Engineering School, Singapore).

Michael Vallance