OBJECTIVE OF THIS GUIDE

To set group parameters that will help the reader to understand the process of producing a report with emphasis on written design report.

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DEFINITIONS
Report is the compilation of related information or events into a presentable form, which can be delivered in different media types such as written, radio, television, etc. It is common to find in reports media aids for better understanding, for instance graphics, charts, voice or even specialized vocabulary. Written reports are the most common type in the industry and they can cover from a sequence of events up to a design process. One of the more important characteristics of a written report is that it is focused to a specific audience, reason why it is the type of report widely used for scientific research and industry. On the other hand, design is the creation of a plan that has as objective construction of a plan or an object. This concept is used for several disciplines among which it is possible to find, but not only restricted to, textile design, interior design, architecture, automotive design, graphic design and engineering. Within T&G Corporation many design processes occur every day, however mainly those which output is a product with a specific goal are documented in a report form, these are engineering design processes. In addition, it is important to highlight that this process involves several number of steps that commonly need to be repeated many times before getting the final product.

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PHILOSOPHY
A written report has as objective to compile information in order to organize it and presented in a way that any reader from the expected audience will easily follow and fully understand its content. In the case of a design report the reader should be able to understand how the final product was produced.

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REPORT STRUCTURE AND GUIDELINES

In basics, there is no a formal criteria when creating a report, however some structures, guidelines and recommendations have become popular along the time. The most two popular structures are: a) IMRAD: Standing for Introduction, Methodology, Results, Analysis and Discussion. This structure is often used in scientific publications as it reflects the process with precision. b) Problem - Solution: This structure, being simpler, suits several cases where usually a formal report is not required.

Other different structures are applicable at any place; it will always depends on the process to be reported. Following, there is a list of guidelines and recommendations to prepare develop and publish a report. a) Previous to start writing a report, it is always recommended to gather as much information relevant to the process as possible; this includes referenced documents, images, models, tables, sketches and notes. Make sure information is organized. b) Establish a format for the report; this includes font type and size, heading, footers and numbering of sections. Please note this may vary during the process. c) Ideas should be logically connected among them and in logical order, for example chronologically. d) Every image as well as every table or figure should be properly tagged and numbered. It is preferred to have a small description or in the best case a paragraph to describe and explain why the figure or table is present and what is important to note. Figure or data included randomly will make the reader confused and motivation or interest will be lost. e) Assumptions should be clearly stated and referenced where possible. f) The report should have a proper identification, including document number, title, writer and date as minimum.

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COMPONENTS OF A DESIGN REPORT

Engineering design report is a special type or report for which there is a standard structure in order to cover the engineering design process. The components of this structure are as follows: a) Cover section: This part consist basically of a cover page, a revision page and a table of contents. The cover page will have, not less than but not limited to, a company logo, Client name, Project name and location, Module name, Document number and date. b) Introduction: It is a brief description of the design, related and relevant general information including the purpose of the product and the context behind, and where possible a image of a model or picture of the product. c) Methodology: This section includes the referenced documents, design assumptions, load selection, load cases and combinations, Material properties, engineering philosophy, calculation method and any other information related with the way the problem is approached. d) Results and discussion: In this section all main figures and data will be shown with a proper description and discussion, additionally, explanation for unexpected result should be given. e) Conclusion: The designer opinion about the product is given in this section and if possible a recommendation for future works. f) Appendix: Sketches, referenced documents, software output, drawings, design information and any other valuable data. It is important to have criteria to select the appendix as a big number and extension of them may confuse the reader and will difficult searching for specific information.

Once the report is finished, an external review is needed to ensure that the information is logically organized and the design concept is easy to understand. Self review are not accepted as the writer mind is already bias and is acknowledged of the report content and order.

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WRITER CHECKING LIST

Y/N

All information gathered previous to commence Report format chosen Cover section Introduction Methodology Results and discussion Conclusion Appendix External revision