ME 469 Report Content Guidelines

Report contents:

1. Abstract: The abstract should give a clear indication of the objective, scope and results presented in the report. It should be short - approximately 150 words.
2. Introduction: The introduction should describe the problem and the approach to studying the problem.
3. Theory: This section should outline any governing concepts and equations, if any, that will be used in the analysis.
4. Apparatus and procedure: Describe the apparatus, i.e., the robot, and provide an illustration or photograph. Describe how the user interfaced with the robot, and the general approach used to solve the problem.
5. Results: Describe whether you were successful in accomplishing what you originally set out to do. Provide data or other evidence of your success or failure.
6. Discussion: Were there any unusual or unexpected results or phenomena? Are there any trends in data that would allow you to extrapolate or otherwise suggest any general phenomena? Do the results agree with the theory? Why or why not? Is there an explanation or conjecture regarding any unusual or unexpected results?

   Also, for every project, you must offer suggestions on how the project could be improved. Can the project be made easier while not diminishing any educational benefit of the project? Having done the project, can you think of any other related projects or modifications that would make it more fun, or a better educational experience? In total, how much time did the group spend on the project? Was it easy or hard to divide responsibilities for the project?

7. Appendices: Include a listing of any experimental data as well as complete computer code listings. Also show sample calculations of any numerical results that may have been presented in the results section.

Other considerations:

1. The report should be prepared in a professional manner. Hand written reports are not acceptable, although hand sketched figures are acceptable.
2. Check spelling, grammer, puncuation, etc. (This is one of the more obvious criterions one can use to objectively determine whether a report is prepared professional manner that I can think of;)
3. Figures and tables should be numbered and titled, and referred to in the text as Figure 1 or Table 3. All figure axes must be labeled.
4. If you are using material from another source or referring to a piece of work, use references. Number and cite references appropriately. A list of references should be placed before the appendices.
5. Avoid using first person when writing the report.

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