Q1 Write A Detailed Note On The Major Considerations of Problem Identification
Q1 Write A Detailed Note On The Major Considerations of Problem Identification
Q1 Write A Detailed Note On The Major Considerations of Problem Identification
to some extent lowered ice shelf with phrasing You really want to ensure you are recognizing the
genuine basic issue causing the general medical problem, and this isn't clear all the time
Fostering a nitty gritty issue explanation that remembers the issue's impact for a populace's wellbeing
You want to ensure you are recognizing the valid, basic issue causing the general medical problem —
and this isn't clear all the time.
Numerous partners are associated with the approach interaction. Partners are individuals or gatherings
firmly impacted by or worried about the issue and are keen on arrangement answers for it. Conversing
with partners about the issue will assist you with:
Issues are one of a kind to their specific circumstances, so you will likely need to chat with a few distinct
partners to get the full picture.
individuals
Individuals whose positions or lives may be impacted by the strategy or any piece of the arrangement
cycle
Those with solid impact locally (e.g., media, pastorate, specialists, Chiefs)
Evaluators
thought symbol
Begin with who you know - you can recognize expected partners by systems administration with existing
accomplices.
The general wellbeing model beneath is for representation and shows the idea of recognizing the basic
general medical condition. It very well may be utilized for an assortment of wellbeing themes.
In a city, ladies in Area A were getting sufficient pre-birth care, yet ladies in Neighborhood B were not.
Nonetheless, the areas had a similar gamble factors for not getting satisfactory pre-birth care.
To look further into this issue, analysts asked partners to give information on to what good reason
Neighborhood B had such low paces of pre-birth care. Nearby clinicians said there was an expansion in
the quantity of missed arrangements around there throughout the course of recent years.
Subsequent to meeting medical care suppliers and local area individuals, the group discovered that
transport administrations in the area had been definitely cut over the most recent two years.
In this present circumstance, partner interviews assisted the scientists with figuring out the valid, hidden
reason for the absence of pre-birth care in the city. They initially thought it was a medical care issue, yet
truly, it was a transportation issue.
1. Distinguish the main driver of the issue by gathering data and afterward conversing with partners.
Joining existing examination and data from your partners can offer a few understanding into the issue
and its causes. Consider information sources that could be useful to you all the more plainly characterize
the issue. Begin by doing a natural sweep, a writing survey, and if vital, reviews locally.
thought symbol
Be explicit! - For instance, look for "absence of admittance to new products of the soil" rather than
"weight." Improving comprehend what is adding to the issue and recognize conceivable approach
arrangements.
Depict how the issue happens, how serious it is, and its results and effects. Doing this can likewise assist
you with recognizing any holes in the information you have accumulated. The issue articulation you
create could include:
Writing Audit:
an assessment of the momentum assemblage of exploration about your arrangement issue that can
incorporate conceivable approach choices. This sort of audit might assist you with distinguishing why is
the arrangement choices as well as holes in the ebb and flow research known.
Natural Output:
a proactive, methodical assortment of data about occasions, patterns, and assumptions for what you
could experience during the strategy cycle.
Picture of groups of stars not too far off with the words 'Who is impacted'
Picture of heavenly bodies not too far off with the words 'How enormous is the issue'
Picture of star groupings not too far off with the words 'What adds to the issue'
Picture of star groupings not too far off with the words 'When and where the issue is probably going to
happen'
The general wellbeing model underneath is for delineation and exhibits the idea of fostering an issue
proclamation and can be utilized for an assortment of wellbeing subjects.
Information from CDC show the extent of youngster driving under the influence at the public and state
levels and separates it by segment. Nonetheless, those information alone aren't sufficient to assist you
with understanding whether it is an issue locally. To get more familiar with what the issue means for
your local area, you can counsel specialists in open security, bunches chipping away at avoidance of
tanked driving, and school authorities. Subsequent to doing that, you can compose your concern
proclamation, which could seem to be this:
Albeit less youngsters are driving drunk, this unsafe way of behaving is as yet a significant general
medical condition locally. Driving drunk among U.S. teenagers diminished by half from 1991-2012.
Nonetheless, secondary school teenagers frequently still drive subsequent to drinking — around 2.4
million times each month. In 2010, 1 of every 5 high schooler drivers associated with lethal accidents
had some liquor in their frameworks. Of those drivers, the majority of them — around 4 of every 5 —
had blood liquor fixations higher than as far as possible for grown-ups. Public, state, and nearby
information show that chance variables for high schooler driving under the influence incorporate lower
financial status (which is related with not approaching a vehicle), lower driver training levels, and less
admittance to liquor.
During the most common way of composing your proposition or exposition, you could abruptly
understand that your examination has inborn imperfections. Sit back and relax! For all intents and
purposes all undertakings contain limitations to your exploration. Be that as it may, having the option to
perceive and precisely portray these issues is the distinction between a genuine specialist and an
elementary school kid with a science-fair undertaking. Worries with honest answering, admittance to
members, and overview instruments are only a couple of instances of limitations on your examination.
In the accompanying segments, the distinctions among delimitations, impediments, and suppositions of
an exposition will be explained.
Delimitations
Delimitations are the definitions you put down as the stopping points of your own proposal or paper, so
delimitations are in your control. Delimitations are put forth so your objectives don't turn out to be
unimaginably huge to finish. Instances of delimitations incorporate goals, research questions, factors,
hypothetical targets that you have embraced, and populaces picked as focuses to study. At the point
when you are expressing your delimitations, obviously illuminate perusers why you picked this course of
study. The response could just be that you were interested about the point as well as needed to further
develop principles of an expert field by uncovering specific discoveries. Regardless, you ought to
obviously list different choices accessible and the justifications for why you didn't pick these choices
following you list your delimitations. You could have kept away from these choices because of reasons
of reasonableness, interest, or relativity to the review within reach. For instance, you could have just
concentrated on Hispanic moms since they have the most elevated pace of fat infants. Delimitations are
many times firmly connected with your hypothesis and examination questions. On the off chance that
you were investigating whether there are different nurturing styles between unmarried Asian,
Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic ladies, then a delimitation of your review would be the
incorporation of just members with those socioeconomics and the rejection of members from different
socioeconomics like men, wedded ladies, and any remaining identities of single ladies (consideration and
prohibition standards). A further delimitation may be that you just included shut finished Likert scale
reactions in the review, as opposed to including extra unassuming reactions, which could make certain
individuals more able to take and finish your overview. Recall that delimitations are not positive or
negative. They are essentially a point by point portrayal of the extent of interest for your concentrate as
it connects with the examination plan. Remember to depict the philosophical system you utilized all
through your review, which likewise delimits your study.Limitations
Restrictions of a thesis are expected shortcomings in your review that are for the most part beyond your
control, given restricted financing, decision of exploration plan, factual model limitations, or different
elements. Furthermore, a limit is a limitation on your review that can't be sensibly excused and can
influence your plan and results. Try not to stress over constraints since limits influence practically all
examination projects, as well as most things throughout everyday life. In any event, when you are going
to your number one eatery, you are restricted by the menu decisions. Assuming you went to an eatery
that had a menu that you were wanting, you probably won't get the help, cost, or area that causes you
to partake in your number one café. On the off chance that you concentrated on members' reactions to
a review, you may be restricted in your capacities to acquire the specific sort or geographic extent of
members you needed. Individuals whom you figured out how to get to take your overview may not
genuinely be an irregular example, which is likewise a constraint. On the off chance that you involved a
typical test for information discoveries, your outcomes are restricted by the unwavering quality of the
test. Assuming your review was restricted to a specific measure of time, your outcomes are impacted by
the tasks of society during that time span (e.g., economy, social patterns). You really should recall that
impediments of a paper are in many cases not something that can be tackled by the scientist. Likewise,
recollect that anything restricts you additionally restricts different specialists, whether they are the
biggest clinical think-tanks or shopper propensities partnerships. Particular sorts of impediments are
frequently connected with the scientific methodology you take in your examination, as well. For
instance, a few subjective techniques like heuristics or phenomenology don't loan themselves well to
replicability. Likewise, the majority of the usually utilized quantitative factual models can decide
relationship, however not causation.
Suspicions
Suspicions are things that are acknowledged as obvious, or if nothing else conceivable, by scientists and
friends who will peruse your paper or proposition. At the end of the day, any researcher perusing your
paper will expect that specific parts of your review is valid given your populace, measurable test,
research plan, or different delimitations. For instance, on the off chance that you let your companion
know that your #1 eatery is an Italian spot, your companion will accept that you don't go there for the
sushi. It's accepted that you go there to eat Italian food. Since most presumptions are not talked about
in-text, suppositions that are examined in-text are talked about with regards to the limits of your review,
which is normally in the conversation segment. This is significant, on the grounds that the two
suppositions and restrictions influence the inductions you can draw from your review. One of the more
normal suspicions made in overview research is the supposition of trustworthiness and honest
reactions. Notwithstanding, for specific delicate inquiries this supposition might be more challenging to
acknowledge, in which case it would be portrayed as a constraint of the review. For instance, requesting
that individuals report their criminal conduct in an overview may not be basically as solid as requesting
that individuals report their dietary patterns. It is critical to recall that your constraints and suppositions
shouldn't go against each other. For example, in the event that you express that generalizability is a
constraint of your review given that your example was restricted to one city in the US, then, at that
point, you shouldn't guarantee generalizability to the US populace as a suspicion of your review.
Measurable models in quantitative examination plans are went with suspicions also, some more severe
than others. These suspicions by and large allude to the qualities of the information, like dispersions,
correlational patterns, and variable sort, just to give some examples. Disregarding these suspicions can
prompt radically invalid outcomes, however this frequently relies upon test size and different
contemplations.
Sources of Data
The wellsprings of information can be ordered into two sorts: factual and non-measurable. Factual
sources allude to information that is accumulated for a few authority purposes, integrate censuses, and
formally directed overviews. Non-measurable sources allude to the assortment of information for other
managerial purposes or for the confidential area.
Inner sources
At the point when information is gathered from reports and records of the actual association, they are
known as the inner sources.
For instance, an organization distributes its yearly report' on benefit and misfortune, complete deals,
credits, compensation, and so on.
Outside sources
At the point when information is gathered from sources outside the association, they are known as the
outer sources. For instance, on the off chance that a visit and travel organization gets data on Karnataka
the travel industry from Karnataka Transport Partnership, it would be known as an outer wellspring of
information.
Sorts of Information
A) Essential information
It is gathered interestingly.
For instance, the populace statistics directed by the public authority of India after at regular intervals is
essential information.
B) Auxiliary information
For instance, the location of an individual taken from the phone registry or the telephone number of an
organization taken from Simply Dial are optional information.
Telephonic meeting
Sent survey
(A) Examiner
(B) Enumerator
(C) Source/Respondent
Investigator ● One who conducts examination, i.e., measurable enquiry and looks for data is known
as an agent.
Informant ● A source is the respondent who supplies the data to the examiners or enumerators.
Direct Personal Investigation
(A) Direct personal investigation ● Under this method, the investigator obtains the first-
hand information from the respondents themselves.
(2) Flexibility ● In this method, the questions can be modified according to the level of the
respondent or other situations.
(3) Additional information ● Some additional information may also be collected along with
the required information.
(1) Not suitable for a wide area ● It is not suitable when the area of coverage is
considerably wide.
(3) Expensive ● This method is expensive, particularly when the field of investigation is large.
(4) Personal bias ● The data collected in this method is subjected to personal bias.
Q.1 Explain indirect oral investigation method of collecting primary data. Give its merit and
demerits.
Answer:
(A) Indirect oral investigation Under this method, instead of directly approaching the
informants, the investigators interview several other persons who are directly or indirectly in
touch with the informants.
(1) Wide coverage ● A wide area can be brought under investigation through this method.
(1) Indirect information ● Since the information is not collected directly from the party,
there is a possibility that it will not be fully true.
(2) Lack of accuracy ● As compared to direct personal investigation, the degree of accuracy
of the data is likely to be lower.
(3) Lack of uniformity ● Information collected from different persons for the same party may
not be homogeneous and comparable.
(A) Information through correspondents Under this method, local agents or correspondents
are appointed and trained to collect the information from the respondents.
(1) Wide coverage ● This method is useful where the field of investigation is very wide
and the information is to be collected from different parts of the country.
(3) Suitable for special purposes ● This method is suitable for some special purpose
investigations.
(1) Lack of uniformity ● The information supplied by different correspondents often lacks
homogeneity; hence it is not comparable.
(2) Lack of reliability ● Data obtained using this method may not be very reliable because of
the possibility of personal bias and prejudice of the enumerator.
(3) Less accuracy ● This method cannot be used where a high degree of accuracy is
required.
(4) Costly ● A lot of time and money is spent to collect the information through
correspondence.
(A) Telephonic interviews Under this method, data is collected through interviews over the
telephone.
(1) Wide coverage ● This method is useful where the field of investigation is very wide
and the information is to be collected from different parts of the country.
(2) Economical● This method is quite economical and time-saving.
(3) Reliability ● The collected data is reliable as it is obtained directly from the party.
(1) Limited use ● The disadvantage of this method is limited accessibility to people.
This method is not possible for people who do not own a telephone or mobile.
(2) Visual feedback is not possible ● Telephone interviews also obstruct visual reactions of
the respondents, which become helpful in obtaining information on sensitive issues.
● The informants, after filling up the questionnaire, send it back to the investigator.
(1) Wide coverage ● This method is useful where the field of investigation is very wide
and the information is to be collected from different parts of the country.
(2) Economical● This method is quite economical as it requires less money and labour.
(3) Originality ● The data is very much original because informants are directly involved in
the collection of data.
(4) Free from bias ● Each question is deciphered by the respondent in his own specific manner.
Thus, it is liberated from the individual predisposition of the specialist.
(5) Keeps up with secrecy ● This strategy is appropriate for delicate inquiries and keeps up with
the obscurity of respondents.
(C) Following are the bad marks of the sent survey technique:
(1) Restricted scope ● This strategy is material just where the respondents are taught.
● The witnesses are least intrigued by the examination; consequently, there is an absence of reaction
from their side.
(3) Chance of misinterpretation ● Witnesses may not figure out the right feeling of certain inquiries, and
may not respond to them. Now and again, sources might give dubious and vague responses.
(4) Time-consuming ● The cycle is tedious, especially when the data is to be gotten by post.
(A) Importance of questionnaire A poll is a rundown or set of printed questions, which is filled by
the witnesses. On the off chance that it is filled by the enumerators, it is known as a timetable.
(1) Basic and short questions Questions ought to be short, straightforward, and clear.
(2) Restricted inquiries in a legitimate order The number of inquiries ought to be restricted and they
ought to be in a consistent request.
(3) Clear instructions To help the witnesses, clear guidelines ought to be given.
(4) Pre-testing To know the inadequacies of a poll, it ought to be taken a stab at a little chosen bunch.
(5) Keep away from numerical calculations Questions containing numerical computations ought to
be totally kept away from.
(6) Keep away from individual or dubious questions Personal questions influencing feelings and
disputable inquiries connected with religion, legislative issues, and so forth, ought to be stayed away
from.
(7) Mystery assurance Respondents ought to be given confirmation that their reaction won't be
imparted to anybody.
(8) Cover letter To convey the reason for how it will help the gatherings in question, an exact
introductory letter ought to be encased.
(A) Surveys filled by enumerators Under this strategy, an enumerator by and by visits sources
alongside a poll, clarifies pressing issues, and notes down their reaction in the poll in his own language.
(1) Exact and reliable Since the examiner has direct contact with the respondents, getting precise and
dependable information is conceivable.
(2) Better responses The presence of the enumerator might incite the respondents to give data.
Thus, the possibilities of no reaction like on account of sent survey strategy are less.
(3) Valuable if there should arise an occurrence of uneducated respondents Unlike the sent poll
strategy, this technique can be utilized regardless of whether the respondents are ignorant.
(C) Following are the bad marks of polls filled by enumerators:
(1) Exorbitant method This strategy is extravagant as consumption on preparing, compensation, and
transport is to be borne by the examiner.
(2) Time consuming This technique is exceptionally tedious as the enumerator needs to by and by
visit the witnesses.
(3) Shortcoming and individual bias Inefficiency or failure with respect to the enumerators because
of the absence of legitimate preparation, combined with individual inclination, may unfavorably
influence the aftereffects of the enquiry.
Understudies can investigate this significant idea by tapping on this connection gave beneath:
(A) Importance of optional data ● Optional information alludes to the information that has previously
been gathered by another individual or office and is utilized by us.
classes:
1. Distributed sources
2. Unpublished sources
(1) Distributed sources Published sources mean information accessible in printed structure. It
incorporates the accompanying:
Reports of different boards or commissions like reports of pay commission report, finance commission
report, and so forth.
Reports of global organizations that are routinely distributed by organizations like UNO, WHO, IMF., and
so forth.
(2) Unpublished sources● All the factual material isn't distributed all the time.
● This classification incorporates the records kept up with by different government and confidential
workplaces.
● It incorporates the exploration done by researcher understudies or a few establishments.
● Sources like reports ready by confidential examination organizations can likewise be utilized relying
on the need.
Following are the primary insurances to be taken while utilizing optional information:
(1) Dependable agency ● We should guarantee that the organization that has distributed the
information ought to be solid.
(2) Reasonableness with the end goal of enquiry ● The agent should guarantee that the information is
appropriate with the end goal of the current enquiry.
● The appropriateness of the still up in the air by researching the nature, goals, season of assortment
and so on, of the auxiliary information.
(3) Sufficiency and exactness to stay away from effect of bias ● It is important to utilize satisfactory
information to stay away from inclinations and biases prompting inaccurate ends.
(4) Technique for gathering information used ● The agent ought to likewise discover concerning what
strategy was utilized in gathering the information.
● Every one of these ought to be determined prior to utilizing the optional information.
Utilize our top to bottom internet based review manual for make a noteworthy input assortment study
A rating scale is one of the most ordinarily utilized poll types for online as well as disconnected studies. It
comprises of close-finished inquiries alongside a bunch of classes as choices for respondents. A rating
scale helps gain data on the subjective and quantitative traits.
The most well-known instance of rating scales is the Likert scale and 1-10 rating scale. For example,
when you visit an internet shopping webpage and it requests that you rate your shopping experience.
Such kind of inquiry and decision of choice is called rating scale.
The rating scale is a famous decision for directing statistical surveying. It can effectively gather more
relative data about an item or certain parts of the item. The scale is generally used to acquire input or to
assess. A rating scale can be utilized to acquire understanding on the exhibition of an item,
representative fulfillment or expertise, client support execution, and so on.
A rating scale is partitioned into two classifications: Ordinal scale and Stretch scale. A few information
are estimated at ordinal level and some at span level.
Ordinal Scale: An ordinal Scale assembles information by placing them in a position yet without a level of
contrast.
Stretch Scale: A span scale estimates information with equivalent distance between two nearby traits.
Numeric rating scale utilizes numbers to recognize the things in a scale. Nonetheless, not every one of
the numbers need to have a characteristic connected to it.
For instance, you can request that your interest group rate your item from 1 to 5 on the rating scale. You
can put 1 as completely disappointed and 5 as completely fulfilled.
Verbal rating scales are utilized for torment evaluation. Otherwise called verbal torment scores and
verbal descriptor scale incorporates various proclamations that depict the power of agony and span.
For example, when you go to a dental specialist and you are requested to rate the power from your
tooth torment. Around then, you get a scale with things like, "none", "gentle", "moderate", "extreme",
and "exceptionally serious".
The thought behind VAS is to allow the crowd to choose any worth from the, in the middle of between
two endpoints. In the scale, just the endpoints have credits assigned to numbers and the remainder of
the scale is vacant. Frequently called a slider scale this permits the crowd to rate anything they desire
without being confined to specific qualities or rank.
For instance, a scale rating from very simple to incredibly troublesome, with no other worth distributed
in the scale.
A Likert scale is valuable device for viable statistical surveying to get input on a great many psychometric
qualities. The concur differ scale is especially helpful when you will probably accumulate data on
recurrence, experience, quality, probability, and so forth.
For instance, to assess worker fulfillment with organization strategies, a Likert scale is a decent device to
utilize.
Rather than numbers envision utilizing pictures, for example, stars or smiley appearances to ask your
clients and crowd to rate. The stars and smiley countenances can produce a similar worth as a number.
In specific studies or examination numeric scale may not be of much assistance. A distinct rating scale,
makes sense of every choice for the respondent. It contains an exhaustive clarification to assemble data
with profound experiences.
A rating scale is a basic and simple instrument for both the scientist and the crowd,
As far as promoting studies, a rating scale is a significant device for information examination. It can
acquire item survey for assessment and a further improvement in showcasing procedure.
It doesn't assist with gathering the purpose for a client survey. A rating scale gains admittance to the
general experience yet not the purpose for the view of the crowd.
On account of VRS, the rating scale may intermittently misjudge the patient's aggravation experience.
Moreover, patients with restricted jargon may not comprehend the assertions in a verbal descriptor
scale.
conceivable on Voxco
A rating scale can be utilized to accumulate data on a specific theme. It tends to be utilized to assemble
For example, in the event that you are wanting to begin a business, a rating scale will give you familiarity
with the ongoing business sector interest. With the data acquired, you can plan your plan.
There are different sorts of rating scales accessible in Voxco's statistical surveying programming, every
one of which fills an alternate need. Subsequently, prior to choosing a rating scale it is essential to
calculate the reason for the review and furthermore the sort of data you wish to acquire.
(2). Abstract
(3). Introduction
(5). Results
(6). Discussion
(7). Conclusions
(8). References
Description of the content of each of these sections follows. Additional remarks on report
preparation and writing style are given at the end.
Title page:
The name of the principal author (write NONE if a principal author was not used)
The ABSTRACT is not a part of the body of the report itself. Rather, the abstract is a brief
summary of the report contents that is often separately circulated so potential readers can
decide whether to read the report. The abstract should very concisely summarize the whole
report: why it was written, what was discovered or developed, and what is claimed to be the
significance of the effort. The abstract does not include figures or tables, and only the most
significant numerical values or results should be given.
Introduction:
The INTRODUCTION should provide a clear statement of the problem posed by the project, and
why the problem is of interest. It should reflect the scenario, if available. If needed, the
introduction also needs to present background information so that the reader can understand
the significance of the problem. A brief summary of the unique approach your group used to
solve the problem should be given, possibly also including a concise introduction to theory or
concepts used later to analyze and to discuss the results.
The purpose of the MATERIALS AND METHODS section is to describe the materials, apparatus,
and procedures used to carry out the measurements. Most importantly, the section needs to
provide a clear presentation of how key measurements were obtained and how the
measurements were analyzed. This is where the particular approach followed to reach the
project's objectives should be described. The detail should be sufficient so that the reader can
easily understand what was done. An accurate, schematic diagram depicting the apparatus
should be included and referred to in the text as needed (if a diagram has been already
provided it can be used in the report, provided that the source is properly referenced). To
improve clarity of presentation, this section may be further divided into subsections (ex. a
Materials subsection, an Apparatus subsection, a Methods or Procedures subsection, etc.).
Results:
The RESULTS section is dedicated to presenting the actual results (i.e. measured and calculated
quantities), not to discussing their meaning or intepretation. The results should be summarized
using appropriate Tables and Figures (graphs or schematics). Every Figure and Table should
have a legend that describes concisely what is contained or shown. Figure legends go below the
figure, table legends above the table. Throughout the report, but especially in this section, pay
attention to reporting numbers with an appropriate number of significant figures. A formal
error analysis (such as, perhaps, was done in Physics lab) is not necessary. Still, features of the
data-taking and processing that may have especially contributed to errors should be pointed
out. One classical example is the taking of small differences between large numbers; for
instance, 11.5+0.2 - 10.8+ 0.3 yields a very large fractional error (about 70 %) on the resulting
difference, 0.7+0.5. Another procedure that usually increases error is numerical differentiation.
Discussion:
The DISCUSSION interprets the results in light of the project's objectives. The most important
goal of the DISCUSSION section is to interpret the results so that the reader is informed of the
insight or answers that the results provide. The DISCUSSION should also present an evaluation
of the particular approach taken by the group. For example: Based on the results, how could
the experimental procedure be improved? What additional, future work may be warranted?
What recommendations can be drawn?
Conclusions:
The CONCLUSIONS should summarize the central points made in the Discussion section,
reinforcing for the reader the value and implications of the work. If the results were not
definitive, specific future work that may be needed can be (briefly) described. The conclusions
should never contain "surprises". Therefore, any conclusions should be based on observations
and data already discussed. It is considered extremely bad form to introduce new data in the
conclusions.
References:
The REFERENCES section should contain complete citations following standard form. The form
of the citation depends on the type of source being referenced, and is different for whole
books, chapters in books, and articles published in a journal. One good format to follow is that
used in the Chemical Engineering Progress journal, published by AIChE. The references should
be numbered and listed in the order they were cited in the body of the report. In the text of the
report, a particular reference can be cited by using a numerical superscript that corresponds to
its number in the reference list. If a reference has not been actually consulted, it should be
listed "as discussed in [name of the work that discussed the reference]".
Additional Remarks:
Writing Style
Reports should be as long as they need to be -- no longer. Brevity is desirable, provided the
necessary information is properly communicated. Some suggestions: Avoid reproducing
standard information, for example, calibration curves. Avoid appendices unless there is a
specific reason for them. Consider each sentence - does it meaningfully contribute to the
report?
The reports should consider the background of the fictitious person described in the project
scenario. The quality of the report can suffer both from overly detailed as well as too
incomplete descriptions.
Only the title page, the abstract, the introduction, and the references should start on a separate
page; the other sections should not. However, a heading needs to indicate the beginning of
each section. Sub-headings within sections can be an excellent way to further organize the
report.
While scientific writing does not have to be elegant, it must be precise. To state "The data were
plotted and seemed to agree with the theory." is not precise. To state that "The pressure drop
across the column in inches of water was plotted on log-log coordinates as a function of air flow
rate in cubic feet per minute. The plot, shown in Figure 3, was close to linear and the slope of
the best straight line, 1.92, was close to 2, as predicted by theory." is precise. Also, whenever
possible, phrases such as "small", "large", "greater than", should be used in conjuction with the
actual numbers.
A table or figure should never be inserted into the report without first referring to that table or
figure in the text. Reference to a figure should include a brief description of what it contains
and what it contributes to the point under consideration. Figures and tables should be merged
into the text or placed on a separate page immediately following the first page on which they
are mentioned; they should not be collected at the end of the report.
References must be numbered in the order that they are cited. It is good practice to attribute
and acknowledge. The first of these protects against charges of plagiarism. The second gains
friends and shows a generous nature.
A uniform verb tense should be used throughout the report, preferably past tense.
The imperative mood, i.e. as if giving directions or orders, should not be used. The purpose is to
state what was done, not to tell other people what to do.
Since the reports are formal, the first person (singular "I" or plural "We") should not be used.
Sentences should not start with "It" unless the object that "It" refers to is absolutely clear from
the context.
An excellent way to improve style and grammar is to have others proofread the report.
Needlessly fancy presentation (bold, italic, or underlined fonts; color in text or figures) should
be avoided unless it truly enhances the clarity of the report.
Figures
Figures are categorized as either graphs or drawings. Graphs should follow engineering
standards, not Excel defaults. Backgrounds should be white, not shaded. Style should be similar
to that found in standard engineering textbooks. Grids should be appropriate to what the
reader is likely to extract from the figure. Type sizes for coordinates and legends should be
appropriate: not too small, not too large. A sans-serif (e.g. Arial) font works well for figure
legends and coordinate labels. All legends should be within the graph area, not beside it. Line
thickness should be sufficient to provide for good visibility, but not heavier than necessary.
Figures (drawings, schematics) should be kept simple. Fancy art work and three-dimensional
renditions can be distracting if used indiscriminately. Below every figure or graph should be a
caption that concisely describes what is shown. Figures and graphs should be numbered
consecutively.