WRITING UP YOUR

MINI-PROJECT
Workshop 1:
Structuring your project
Robert Blake SLDC &
Nikki Longden, Communication Systems

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 Writing Up Your Mini Project: Outline

In workshop 1:

1. An overview of technical report writing structure

2. How to structure Comms mini-project reports

In workshop 2:

1. How your report will be assessed: what are

lecturers looking for?

2. Referencing and avoiding plagiarism

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 Workshop Supplementary Material (i)

In addition to the workshop presentations, there

is a handout containing supplementary information.

This handout is split into 4 parts:

1) What Lecturers are Looking for in Your Dissertation
2) Structure of sections before and after the main body
of the report
3) Technical writing reference information
4) Final checklists

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 Workshop Supplementary Material (ii)

Parts 1 and 4 are stand alone and do not need

to be read in conjunction with sections from the
main presentation
Part 2 should be read with the “overview of
technical report writing structure” section of this
Presentation
Part 3 should be read with the “technical writing
inc. references!” section of this presentation

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Before we start …

What do you think the purpose of the mini

project report is?

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PART 1
AN OVERVIEW OF TECHNICAL
REPORT WRITING STRUCTURE

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 TECHNICAL REPORT STRUCTURE

We’ll start with 2 questions:

• What is the conventional format for technical reports?

• What are the main sections you expect ?

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Technical Report Structure

Title page
Abstract
Contents list
Glossary
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion of results
Conclusions/Future work
References
Acknowledgements
Appendices 8
 Technical Report Structure: IMRaD+ C

The core sections of a technical report are

IMRaD
Introduction
Methods
Results
&
Discussion
Or IMRaD + C
i.e. with the addition of a Conclusion

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 IMRaD & C diagram

The diagram shows the shape

of the IMRaD & C structure Introduction
• Note how in the
introduction the focus of the
Method
report is broad before
focusing on your specific
study Results
•The structure remains
narrowly focused in the Discussion
Methods & Results but
gradually broadens in the
Discussion & Conclusion Conclusions and Further Work

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Report Sections

• Which sections do you think are the most

important in your mini project reports?

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SECTIONS BEFORE THE MAIN BODY OF THE REPORT

1. Title (see slides 5-7 of supp. mat.)

2. Abstract
3. Table of Contents
4. Lists of Figures, Tables, Formulae and Acronyms
(see slide 8 of supp. mat.)
5. Glossary (see slide 9 of supp. mat.)

NB – You may be required to insert a declaration after

the title page

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The abstract (i)

This is one of the most difficult parts of a report to

write.
It should give your reader a brief but complete
summary or overview of the entire report from aims to
conclusions
•From the abstract alone, your reader should know
what you have done and found out
•It is the last thing that you write

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The abstract (ii)

• Typically 100 to 200 words in length

• One paragraph
• Highly succinct
• Is not an introduction
• 1st section to be read, therefore important

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 The Contents Page (i)

• Needs to be self explanatory

• Gives a clear overview of structure
• Uses headings to guide the reader through the report
structure
• Uses numbering, indentation, subheadings (especially
in long reports). Use automated features in MS Word
to do this [index, tables, cross reference, page
numbers]

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 The Contents Page (ii)

1 Introduction 1
1.1 Overview………………………….1
1.2 Aims………………………………….3
2 Exercise 1 5
2.1 Method……..…………………….. 5
2.2 Results……….……………………. 7
2.3 Analysis…..……………………….10

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 The Contents Page (iii)

• Your chapters, sections & subsections in the main

body of your report should be numbered in the
same way
• When you use figures you should also include a List
of Figures with
1. Figure number
2. Figure caption / description
3. Page number
• The same applies for tables

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SECTIONS IN THE MAIN BODY OF THE REPORT

1. Introduction

2. Methods

3. Results

4. Discussion

5. Conclusions

NB You may tailor the main body of the report to suit your specific
mini project needs 18
 The Introduction (i)

This Sets the scene for the report, by introducing &

explaining information needed to understand the rest of the
report.
You’ll put your reading here. It gives :
• brief background to the study
• explains reason[s] for the work carried out
• explains connections with previous work i.e. reviewing
relevant technical papers (referencing!)
This is the section where you will bring in any reading & cite
the work you’ve read
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The Introduction (ii)

At the end of the introduction

• explain your aims clearly

• introduce how you will address these

• explain briefly how the report is structured

[signposting]; helpful/reader- friendly

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Methods (i)

Now detail the methods you used to address the aims

you introduced in the introduction.
Depending on your study, the methods may describe:
• software or hardware design
• a model or simulation
• the production of a media artifact such as a video
• research you have undertaken

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 Methods (ii)

The aim of this section is to enable another researcher to

repeat your methods so you need to explain to the
reader
• How you designed the model
• Reasons for choices made etc.
• Certain functions of a software package you have used
This section should also demonstrate that you are using
standard technical procedures

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Results (i)

Presents the data or results i.e. data from the simulation/

model or experiment. There is little analysis here, unless
you have a combined results & discussion chapter
You need to consider the most appropriate method of
organising & presenting results
Do not just include figures & tables, ensure that
the text provides:
• a commentary guiding the reader through the figures &
tables
• references to all of these
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Results (ii)

Figures & tables need to be well presented:

• Carefully labeled
• Carefully numbered, e.g. Figure 3.2
• They must have a caption describing the data
presented
• Figure axes must have clearly specified units when the
data being presented has units

Remember the reader will look at the figures & tables

only if directed to do so in the text.

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Discussion
In this section you interpret your data or results, in
other words analysing your results & discussing the main
findings of your lab work or simulation

Keep your project aims in mind- don’t deviate from

these.

If there are any limitations of your study, state them.

Broaden the scope of your discussion to compare your

findings with those of earlier work i.e. link back to to
earlier sections
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Conclusions
This section is short & succinct
• State what you major conclusions are, referring back
to your original aims. Have you achieved these aims?
• Highlight key features
• Discuss what advances you have made
• Some reports also include a Further Work or
Recommendations section

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SECTIONS AFTER THE MAIN BODY OF THE
REPORT

1. Acknowledgements (see 11 of supp. mat.)

2. References (to be covered in workshop 2)

3. Appendices

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References
We will look at referencing in detail in workshop 2
tomorrow

Briefly, if you use the work or ideas of others, you

must cite them in your dissertation & then list the full
details in a referenced list at the end

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 Appendices (i)
To make your report easy to read & not swamp your reader
with too much data, it is often useful to include some
material e.g. code, full programmes in an appendix (cd or
paper?)
• Many readers of your report may not read these sections &
certainly should not need to read them to follow your
report.
• However, some readers will want to analyse your detailed
results in greater depth e.g. to compare with their own
findings.
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Appendices (ii)

If you include any appendices, then reference them in

the main report (otherwise the reader will not be
aware of them or fail to understand their purpose).

The presentation of appendices needs to be of the

same standard as the body of the report. Each
appendix needs a self-explanatory title.

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 Appendices (iii)

Examples of what should be contained in the

Appendices:
• Listing of code developed
• Scripts
• Interviews
• Story boards

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 Appendices (iv)

•An Appendix may be on paper or on media such as a CD

(check with your supervisor)
•Do not put something in an Appendix that the reader of
your dissertation requires to follow your work
•Appendices should be numbered in a similar manner to
the dissertation sections but beginning with a letter, e.g.
Appendix A.1
Appendix B.2.1
Appendix C

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PART 2
HOW TO STRUCTURE
COMMS MINI-PROJECT
REPORTS

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 Structuring Your Mini-project Report

There are 2 main types of mini-project report each with its

own structure:
1) Reports for unstructured mini-projects
2) Reports for structured mini-projects
Remember to adapt the structure to suit the information
you are presenting & organise it more effectively.
•Use as many headings as you need
•Make sure the scope of each chapter or section is clearly
defined by its title & the introduction to that chapter.
• Make sure the layout is logical & the work flows.
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Structuring your Comms Report: Writing for the reader

Before you start writing, think about who the reader will
be. Who are you writing for?
• Then make sure you write in a manner & level of detail
appropriate for them
• Explain to your reader
why & what you did,
what the outcome was
• Write concisely whilst explaining clearly.
• Write in good formal technical English [clearly,
accurately & reader friendly]

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Structuring your Mini-project Report
We saw earlier that standard technical reports have a

Title page
Abstract
Contents list
Glossary
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion of results
Conclusions. Future work
References
Acknowledgements
Appendices
Slide 37 shows the layout for the 1st main type of mini-
project 36
Mini-project Report: Layout 1 – Unstructured Task
Abstract
Contents list
Glossary

Introduction
Requirements Analysis / Task Analysis
Design - Software, Hardware, Media, Research
Implementation
Testing / Verification - if appropriate
Conclusions/ Future work

References (If any reading is used)

Acknowledgements [if necessary]
Appendices [cd]

Which sections form the body of the report?

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Layout 1: Unstructured Task

Adapt the central chapters to help your reader to:

1) understand what you did & how you did it,

2) realise your understanding of the task

3) what could be taken further & how

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Mini-project Report: Notes on Layout 1

In Layout 1, an important subsection of the Conclusions is

Further work.
• Given more time & funding how would you overcome
limitations (weaknesses) & take the work further
• You’re demonstrating your wider technical & theoretical
awareness & knowledge, & discussing aspects you didn’t
have time for

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 Mini-project Report: Notes on Layout 2

• The 2nd type of mini project has a series of structured tasks

that lead you through the project rather than 1 particular
test or simulation.
• Here you have to use your ingenuity to develop a coherent
structure
• You may wish to group similar tasks together or you may
wish to repeat the MRaD + C structure for each exercise. Add
concluding statements.
• There should be a logical progression through the report
with an overall introduction & conclusion
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 Report Writing Style

• Remember that all mini-project reports should be

written in technical English
• You need to write in the third person, i.e. not using
the words “I”, “You”, “We” or “They”

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