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FEBE - Civil Engineering Libguide: Reference sources

Information sources for Civil Engineering.

How to write an Engineering Preliminary Report

How to write an Engineering Preliminary Report

Your report is just to give a short introduction about your work or research paper, as you will be submitting your final paper in due course. The key is to give quick communication of information.

Basic Structure of a Report A report usually has these components:

·         Title page

·         Summary

·         Table of Contents

·         Introduction

·         Middle sections with numbered headings

·         Conclusions

·         References

Title page

The title page gives:

The course name and number, the department and university

The title of the report

The authors' names

The date of submission

The summary

States the topic of the report

Outlines the most important findings of your investigation

States the key conclusions.

The introduction (~1/2-3/4 page) provides the background information needed for the rest of your report to be understood. It includes:

 A clear statement of the purpose of the investigation

 The background of the topic of your report

The body of the report  

Presents the information from your research, both real world and theoretical 

Organises information logically under appropriate headings

Uses figures and tables − can use bulleted or numbered lists

The Conclusion (~1-2 paragraphs) relates directly back to the aims of the investigation.

The Conclusions section provides an effective ending to your report. This section

States whether you have achieved the aims of your investigation

Gives a brief summary of the key information in your report 

Restates the major findings of your investigation.

References

A list of references in the final section.

Citations show that information comes from another source. When you present the theory in the Introduction you must include citations which provide the source of this theory. Citations will also appear in the body of your report to give recognition to the authors of sources consulted.

Talk to your lecturer about the preferred citation or referencing style. IEEE or UJ Harvard.  

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries - Engineering, Science & Technology