REPORT WRITING

Rajnish KumarProfessor IT

National Academy of Indian Railways

Structure of Presentation

Format of a Report

About Plagiarism

How to cite references

Common language

errors

Common spelling errors

Use of Latin terms

Format of Report/Paper

What should a report contain?1. Cover page

2. Inner cover page

3. Acknowledgments

4. Contents

5. List of symbols, figures and tables, if any

6. Preface

7. Introduction

8. Literature review

9. Chapters covering the work

10. Conclusion

11. References

12. Appendices

Preface

The preface should contain information about:

• The purpose of the report• The history of the project• Major contents of the report

in about 500-1000 words

Introduction

The introduction should comprise:• A short historical review• A brief description of the methods• The limitations of the report• Information on accuracy of the given data• Structure of the report.

Mechanics of Reportonly a guide

Paper – A4 size

Margins – 1.5 inch left

1 inch right, top and bottom

Font Times New Roman 12 size

Heading Font Arial 14

Second heading Times New Roman or Arial 12 Bold

Third heading Times New Roman or Arial 12 Italics

Spacing 1.5

Best is to use standard word DEFAULT Style set

General Guidelines

1. All tables and figures must be numbered

2. If abbreviations which are uncommon are used, list of abbreviations should be prepared and placed after list of table/figures

3. Pages should be numbered starting from Introduction, not before that.

4. Consistent spacing must be given throughout the report.

Reformatting Report for publishing in Journals

If the report is to be published in a journal, some reformatting is required. Most of it is common, except that some journals prefer their style.

Example of IIMB Management Review is taken which is published by world’s leading publisher, ELSEVEIR

Example of formatting for IIMB Management Review

Format• Cover page 

The manuscript should be accompanied by a cover page containing the article title, the short title (not more than 5 words and which may be used in all correspondence), the names and affiliations of all the authors (specify order), along with their postal address, phone and fax numbers, and email address.

• Details of the authors' name and affiliation should not appear elsewhere in the manuscript. In the case of multiple authors, the cover page should indicate the designated corresponding author.

Example of formatting for IIMB Management Review

Second page The second page should contain the article title, the short title, the abstract (not more than 100 words), keywords (a maximum of 8 keywords), and an extended summary (not exceeding 300 words).

Body of the article: The recommended length of papers is 8000– 10000 words, inclusive of tables and figures. Material may be formatted in Times New Roman, font size 12 and double spaced.

All tables and figures are to be serially numbered, sequentially following references to them in the text.

All tables and figures are also to be presented in a separate WORD document and file names should clearly specify the paper to which the exhibits belong.

All tables and figures should be in black and white only.

IMR follows British spelling (e.g.: organisation, programme, and colour), except in the case of direct quotations. Wherever possible, explanatory theories/concepts and other background material of a historical or collateral nature, and case illustrations/anecdotal applications should be presented in text boxes to ensure they do not interfere with the flow of the main text.

Example of formatting for IIMB Management Review

References 

Authors must acknowledge all the sources they have drawn upon, including direct quotations, as well as ideas, concepts, data, and exhibits.

Only those references cited in the main text should be listed in the reference list. Sources should be stated briefly in the text, following the author-date convention of by the last name and the date of publication, in parentheses. Citations within the text would read, for e.g. According to Pawlak, (1991) … ’ or … (Pawlak, 1991) ’. � �

These citations should be amplified in a list of references appearing at the end of the paper.

The reference list should be in alphabetical and chronological order, and should include complete bibliographical details, as appropriate— the name(s) of the author(s), year of publication, title of the article/book, name of the journal, details of the publisher, volume and issue number, and individual page numbers, URL of online sources (online journals, magazines, or newspapers) with access date.

Example of formatting

The prescribed style of citation is as follows:

Sample Book References:

Pawlak, Z. (1991). Rough sets: Theoretical aspects of reasoning about data. Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Tatham, R. L. (2006). Multivariate data analysis (6th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Sample Reference to Chapter in Book:

Ravallion, M. (2007). Transfers and safety nets in poor countries: Revisiting the trade-offs and policy options. In V. Abhijit, R. B. Banerjee, & D. Mukherjee (Eds.), Understanding poverty (pp. 203– 230). Oxford University Press.

Sample Journal Reference:Bose, I. (2006). Deciding the financial health of dot-coms using rough sets’. Information & �Management, 43(7), 835– 846.

So……

• If you follow one style, there is no effort in converting a report into a paper ready for being published.

• We’ll cover on how to quote references in the report in the next part,

avoiding plagiarism

Avoiding Plagiarism

15

Plagiarism – Definition

• Taking and using the thoughts, writings, and inventions of another person as one's own

• Using someone’s ideas without citing or quoting; thereby, receiving credit for someone else’s intellectual effort

16

Forms of plagiarism

• Copying from a single source

• Copying from several sources

• Paraphrasing

• Collusion

17

How to avoid plagiarism

• Use quotes for

– Information that comes directly from any source

– Words, spoken or written, that you use directly from another person

• Make sure you document the source

18

How to avoid plagiarism

• Paraphrase

– Write the information in your own words, but do not change its meaning or intention

– Because you are using someone else’s idea, always mention the source even if you use your own words

19

Common knowledge

• Any information, fact, or statement that is widespread and known by a variety of people is considered common knowledge – John Adams was the second president of USA– The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on

December 7, 1941

• There is no need to give credit to information that is of common knowledge

No need to citeCommon knowledge

Examples of Common Knowledge (Source: http://gethelp.library.upenn.edu/PORT/documentation/commonknowledge.html

Not every fact in the report needs to be documented. Facts that are widely known—common knowledge—can stand by themselves.

Examples of statements expressing common knowledge:

George Washington was the first president.

Plato spent most of his life in Athens.

Maine has a lower yearly average temperature than Florida.

Any statement that originates from another source and contains information that is not common knowledge must be cited.

Examples of statements that don't express common knowledge:

Civilizations that were aware of geese usually considered them intermediaries between heaven and earth (Toussaint-Samat 352).

The Chinese fishing industry produces 800,000 tons of fish annually (Toussaint-Samat 328).

The first international coffee syndicate was based in Germany (Toussaint-Samat 590).

These statements aren't surrounded by quotation marks because they aren't the original authors' words but must be cited because they express information that involves facts that are not commonly known.

21

When should I cite?

Is it your idea?

No

No need to citeIs it common knowledge?

No

Yes

CITE

22

Accidental plagiarism

• Using words from another source without indicating where they came from.

• Ways to avoid accidental plagiarism:– Careful note taking– A clear understanding of the rules for quoting,

paraphrasing, and summarizing sources

When in doubt, cite.

Read this https://www.writecheck.com/static/ways_to_avoid_plagiarism.html

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Plagiarism detection software

http://turnitin.com/

Terminology: Fair Use

• Fair Use is a statute under copyright law that allows for the use of limited portions of a work that has copyright without having to have permission from the original author. It was created for the purposes of education and research.

• BIG QUESTION, what qualifies as a "limited portion"?

How to Quote in a Report

Two styles

MLA- Modern Language Association

APA – American Psychological Association

MLA Quotations

• Indirect: Some researchers note that "children are totally insensitive to their parents' shyness" (Zimbardo 62).

• Direct: Zimbardo notes that “children are totally insensitive to their parents’ shyness” (62).

• Paraphrasing: Some researchers have observed that children seem unaware that their parents are considered bashful (Zimbardo 62).

APA or Chicago Quotations

• Indirect: Some researchers note that "children are totally insensitive to their parents' shyness" (Zimbardo, 1977, p.62).

• Direct: Zimbardo (1977) notes that “Children are totally insensitive to their parents’ shyness” (p. 62).

• Paraphrasing: Some researchers have observed that children seem oblivious to their parents’ bashfulness (Zimbardo, 1977).

MLA Citations

Book

Zimbardo, Philip G. Shyness: What It Is, What To Do About It. Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus Books, 1977. Print.

Essay/Chapter in a Book

Swanson, Gunnar. "Graphic Design Education as a Liberal Art: Design and Knowledge in the University and The 'Real World.'" The Education of a Graphic Designer. Ed. Steven Heller. New York: Allworth Press, 1998. 13-24. Print.

** Many of these examples came from the OWL at Purdue **

MLA Citations

Article

Bagchi, Alaknanda. "Conflicting Nationalisms: The Voice of the Subaltern in Mahasweta Devi's Bashai Tudu." Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature 15.1 (1996): 41-50. Print.

Article from a Database

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical Journal 50.1 (2007): 173-96. ProQuest. Web. 27 May 2009.

** Many of these examples came from the OWL at Purdue **

MLA Citations

Entire Website

The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008. Web. 6 September 2012.

Page on a Website

"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow.com. eHow, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2012.

** Many of these examples came from the OWL at Purdue **

APA Citations

Book

Zimbardo, P.G. (1977). Shyness: What it is, what to do about it. Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus Books.

Essay/Chapter in a Book

O'Neil, J. M., & Egan, J. (1992). Men's and women's gender role journeys: Metaphor for healing, transition, and transformation. In B. R. Wainrib (Ed.), Gender issues across the life cycle (pp. 107-123). New York: Springer.

** Many of these examples came from the OWL at Purdue **

APA Citations

Article

Scruton, R. (1996). The eclipse of listening. The New Criterion, 15(30), 5-13.

Article from a Database

APA does not require that a citation for an article in a database document that fact. You can cite an article you find in a database the same way you’d cite a regular print article, as in the example above.

** Many of these examples came from the OWL at Purdue **

APA Citations

Website

Lowe, M. (2012). Megan Lowe @ ULM. January 29, 2012, from http://www.ulm./edu/~lowe.

Item Without Author

Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (10th ed.).(1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.

** Many of these examples came from the OWL at Purdue **

Presentation Resources

The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

Harvard Guide to Using Sources

http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k70847&pageid=icb.page342054

https://www.writecheck.com/static/common_grammar_mistakes.html

http://www.apastyle.org/

http://www.mla.org/

Tips on PunctuationAdapted from The Craft of Editing (Springer-Verlag, 2000) and The Craft of Scientific Writing, 3rd edition (Springer-Verlag, 1996).

!?;:“‘,

._-{}()/

Punctuation rules are designed to have sentences be read one way

Colon: a colon introduces a formal list, long quotation, equation, or definition.

Semi-Colon: a semi-colon either joins two independent clauses (closely linked in thought) or separates complex items in a list.

Dash: a dash acts as a parenthesis to separate items that cannot be separated by commas.

Comma: a comma separates details in a sentence.

A colon introduces a formal list, long quotation, equation, or

definitionWe studied five types of marsupials: opossums, bandicoots, koalas, wombats, and kangaroos.

The laboratory growth of this crystal made possible a new astronomical tool: a gamma-ray detector with high-energy resolution.

In formal writing, what is on the left side of the colon should stand alone as a separate sentence.

Once the list ends, the sentence ends.

Although equations are separated by white space, they should be treated as part of the sentence

To calculate the strain, , we used equation 1:

where is the stress estimated by FEPC and E is the modulus of elasticity of aluminum.

=E

(1),

Em-dashes act as parentheses to separate items that commas cannot

Because two isotopes of hydrogen—deuterium and tritium—are lightweight, can be produced easily, and require little energy, they are prime candidates to begin the fusion process.

After one year, we measured mirror reflectivity at 96 percent—a high percentage, but not as high as originally expected.

Because two isotopes of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium) are lightweight, can be produced easily, and require little energy, they are prime candidates to begin the fusion process.

After one year, we measured mirror reflectivity at 96 percent (a high percentage, but not as high as originally expected).

Commas separate introductory phrases and clauses

After cooling the exhaust gases continue to expand.

After cooling, the exhaust gases continue to expand.

Commas separate parenthetical details

X-ray backscatter systems, which are relatively inexpensive require the operator’s attention.

X-ray backscatter systems, which are relatively inexpensive, require the operator’s attention.

Parenthetical: Set off within or as if within parentheses; qualifying or explanatory

An error of ,

Possession

Misplaced modifiers are also very common grammar mistakes:

Incorrect: The girl smiled at the camera holding the basket

of fruit. (The camera was holding the basket of fruit?)

Correct: Holding the basket of fruit, the girl smiled at the

camera.

Hyphenation 

“We built a high-performance implementation.” “high-performance” is hyphenated because “high” modifies “performance” not “implementation”.

It's not a “high implementation”. Here, “high-performance” is an adjective.

But: “Our implementation has high performance.” Here, “performance” is a noun. No hyphen. Similarly: “throughput-oriented workloads” or “GPU-based implementation”.

For some words, it's not clear if it should be hyphenated or not (e.g. “e-mail” vs. “email”). The general trend in English is to move toward non-hyphenation (e.g. “to-morrow” became “tomorrow”).

http://www.ece.ucdavis.edu/~jowens/commonerrors.html

Semi Colon ;;;;

Use the semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas.

Example:This conference has people who have come from Boise, Idaho; Los Angeles, California; and Nashville, Tennessee.

It is preferable to use a semicolon before introductory words such as namely, however, therefore, that is, i.e., for example, e.g., or for instance when they introduce a complete sentence. It is also preferable to use a comma after the introductory word.

Examples:You will want to bring many backpacking items; for example, sleeping bags, pans, and warm clothing will make the trip better.

As we discussed, you will bring two items; i.e., a sleeping bag and a tent are not optional.

http://www.grammarbook.com/

Apostrophes’’’’’Apostrophe errors are also common. Apostrophes are used to show possession, to show that certain words are plural, and to show that letters are missing.

Apostrophes show possession:Jim's coat (singular possession)The children's clothes (possession for plural noun that does not end in s)The dogs' toys (possession for plural nouns that end in s)Jim and Ted's apartment (possession shown on the last noun)

Apostrophes are also used in contractions to show missing letters and numbers:Can't (cannot)I'm (I am)Who's (Who is)‘70 (1970)

Also, when writing the ‘70s, no apostrophe is present after the number when no possession is being shown.

https://www.writecheck.com/static/common_grammar_mistakes.html

The criteria for assessing the environmental effects of acid rain (are / is) given in the next section.

So far, the daily number of engineers applying (has / have) remained constant.

The goggles protect a (persons / person’s) eyes from any damaging effects that a laser could cause.

In accordance with my (boss’ / boss’s) schedule, the first series of computers was replaced.

are

Two common usage errors are possessives and subject-verb disagreements

has

person’s

boss’s

The verb tenses of sentences that refer to the document depend upon position

Introduction

This report presents a design for connecting light emitting diodes to the HC11 microcontroller.

Results and Discussion

...Figure 1 shows the circuit that connects the light emitting diodes to the HC11 microcontroller.

Conclusions

This report has presented a design for connecting light emitting diodes to the HC11 microcontroller. As was shown in Figure 1, the circuit...

Use numerals when referring to measurements

When to write out numbers

Counting (one or two words) twenty-three gages

Informal measurements two hours

First word of sentence Thirty-three...

When to use numerals

Specific measurements 3 volts, 2 seconds, 1 m/s

Percentages 15 percent

Monetary figures $3000

Large numerals 5 million

We produced a small (amount, number) of autos this year, even (fewer, less) than last year.

A company’s success depends on (its / it's) employees.

The new material is (composed / comprised) of plastic and iodine.

It appears (as if, like) the Department of Energy will choose the third option.

numberfewer

Certain words are commonly misused

its

composed

as if

Reduced weight was the (principal / principle) reason for choosing aluminum.

The talk centered (around / on) the (principal / principle) of virtual work.

(Regrettably / Regretfully), the launch was delayed because of thunderstorms.

You need not proceed any (farther / further) on your test.

The serum had serious side (affects / effects).

principal

Certain words are commonly misused

onprinciple

Regrettably

further

effects

Non-words and nonsensical groupingsof words also cause problems

Whichever design you choose is (alright / all right) with me.

(Irregardless / Regardless) of the shipping delay, the work will stop because of the strike.

Applying that set of constraints is a (most unique / unique / very unique) way to approach the problem.

The serum had (alot / a lot) of side effects.

all right

Regardless

unique

a lot

Spelling mistakes

Spell check is not the solution

affecteffecta fact

they’retheirthere

twoto

too

whetherweather

youryou’re

yore

it’sits

Common Spelling Mistakes ICorrect Wrong Correct Wrong

supersede supercedesuperceed

pronunciation pronounciation

accommodation

accomodation acommodation

separate seperate

receive recieve necessary neccesary necesary

definitely definately difinately

address adressadres

Common Spelling Mistakes II

Correct Wrong Correct Wrong

occurrence occurence useful usefull

independent

independant

beginning begining

questionnaire

questionaire

parallel paralel paralell parrallel

http://www.learnenglish.de/spelling/CommonSpellingMistakes.htm

Possible confusion

• accept/except • affect/effect • assure/ensure/insure • enquire/inquire • Practice (noun) /practise (verb)• recent/resent • Weather/whether • Lose/loose

Latin Terms commonly used in Reports

e.g. – for example

i.e. – that is

ibid - Latin word ibidem, which means “in the same place.”

et al - stands for et alii which translates as “and other people.”

circa- around: e.g. - c. 3000 B.C.

viz - namely

e.g. and i.eUSAGE

Let’s look at some examples of how to use i.e. and e.g. correctly:

YES The rocky planets (e.g., Mercury) are closest to our sun.NO The rocky planets (i.e., Mercury) are closest to our sun.

Mercury is not equivalent to the rocky planets-they’re not the same thing. Mercury is just one example of a rocky planet, therefore e.g. is appropriate.

YES The rocky planets (i.e., Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) are closest to our sun.

YES Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars (i.e., the rocky planets) are closest to our sun.

NO The rocky planets (e.g., Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) are closest to our sun.http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/latin-terms-and-abbreviations/

e.g. and i.eUSAGE

In some instances, i.e. and e.g. may both be acceptable, but using one or the other will drastically change the meaning of the sentence. For example:

1. Farmer Brown sells his produce (e.g., apples, oranges, carrots) at the market.

2. Farmer Brown sells his produce (i.e., apples, oranges, carrots) at the market.

??? Spot the difference

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/latin-terms-and-abbreviations/

Ibid.

The abbreviation ibid. stands for the Latin word ibidem, which means “in the same place.”

It is used in endnotes or footnotes when you cite the same source and page number(s) two or more times.

If you cite the same source but a different page number, you can use ibid. followed by a comma and the page number(s). Also, note that ibid. is capitalized when it begins a note.

For example:

1. Barsby, 99-101.2. Ibid.3. Ibid., 97.

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/latin-terms-and-abbreviations/

et al.

EXAMPLE: Even the recent Gartner report from star analyst Jane Disbrow et al. shows that 61% of their customers have been audited by at least one software vendor. [Forbes]

Et al.is an abbreviation of the Latin loanphrase et alii, meaning and others. It is similar to etc.(short for et cetera, meaning and the rest), but whereas etc. applies to things, et al. applies to people.

 If you cite one author in body text, it should be “AuthorOne”. Two authors: “AuthorOne and AuthorTwo”. Three or more authors: “AuthorOne et al.”

Name of the first author will be given in full and then followed by et al.

As with etc., there is no need to include ‘and’ before et al.

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/latin-terms-and-abbreviations/

Now you can do