ME4053 Guidelines on Written Reports Over the half-semester dealing with mechanical systems, each student will be involved

in writing one (1) team-report on the acoustics laboratory, and one (1) report on either the vibrations or controls laboratory. The written reports are called abstracts or extended abstracts, but they are more like a short technical paper. There is no precise format for the ME4053 abstracts, but there are a few rules and guidelines: 1. The text of the written report is limited to two pages of single-space, 12-point font with 1-inch margins. (1.5 or double-spacing is allowed, but limits your content due to the 2page maximum.) 2. You may use a cover-page, which is not counted in the two-page limit. The cover page must contain the following information: Title Your name (in the case of a team report, list all team members) Section Area Number (this is the lab table # at which you did the experiment) Date 3. The body of the report should be written in sentence/paragraph form (standard technical prose.) Refrain from using bullet or numbered lists within the body of the report. You are strongly encouraged to organize your report using sections and headings. Although there are a variety of organization schemes, a common and effective sequence of sections is Introduction Apparatus and Procedure Results and Discussion Conclusions 4. Do not put long equations in the text. Number all equations and put them after the two pages of text. You are allowed to use a limited amount of words in the equation section, just enough to define the variables. 5. Do not use first person. Instead of We measured the RMS voltage use The RMS voltage was measured Be consistent in verb tense. Use consistent and conventional notation, terminology, and abbreviations. 6. You can have as many figures and plots as you want after the two pages of text. Use Figure/Table captions and numbers on all exhibits. Figures should be numbered in the order in which they are cited (likewise for Tables and equations). 7. It is strongly recommended that you include raw data in your tables. Also, it is a good idea to include Matlab code/scripts. 8. Speak to your figures! Every equation, figure, or table in your appendix should be referenced in the body of your report.

9. Reference or citation lists are sometimes useful, if material is being used other than what can be found in the ME4053 lectures and lab manual. References should be cited by number; the reference list is not included in the two-page maximum. 10. In addition to content, each ME4053 abstract will be graded for grammar, style, and organization. Proofread your reports- you will be penalized for typographical errors.