Professional Development: Final Project Report Writing - Structure and Content

CC2018 Professional Development
Final Project Report Writing Structure and Content
What is a report?
Formal documentation of project work or research Written in a concise style, giving specific details Many report types, but usually a similar structure:
Divided into separate sections with numbered headings and sub-headings
Normally involves tables, charts, graphs, diagrams and appendices Often includes recommendation(s) for action
Tailoring to an Audience
The style and content of a report should be appropriate to readers for whom it is written

Who will read the report? What is their level of expertise? How much do they already know about the topic? What do they need to know?
e.g. if written for a client, the report should be tailored to the clients requirements, not generic
Final Project Report Structure
The exact structure will depend on the particular nature of your project The following is a generic framework:
Title page Acknowledgements Abstract Table of Contents List of figures & tables Glossary & Abbreviations
Main body
Introduction Literature review Methodology Analysis Design Implementation and testing Critical evaluation & conclusion Further work (for the future) References
Appendices
Title Page
The title of the project
Should be short and descriptive indicating what your work is about Please avoid cute titles and private acronyms
The The The The The
full name and student id of the author degree title e.g. B.Sc. (Hons) in Computer Science name of the University name of the Faculty month and year in which the project was submitted
Examples of past project titles:

Dynamic Requirements Engineering and Management Software (DREAMS) Secure Multifunctional Smart Cards An Online Purchasing System for BISUK LTD Implementing a Hardware Virtualisation Environment within the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, a Centre of health Protection Agency Academic Staffs Appointment System Zimbabwe Family Society Data Management System
Examples of past project titles:

Desk Browser Unified Communications: Web Collaboration Tool
Cygnet Call Reporting System

Online Booking System Software for Spectrum View Designed and Implementation of a Website with Backbone Database for a Local Football Team Fone4sale.net
Acknowledgements
Optional
You may wish to thank particular people who supported and helped you You may wish to indicate how they helped e.g. proofreading, giving feedback/comments
Abstract
It should:

Consist of an outline of the project, aimed at someone unfamiliar with your work Summarise:
the problem tackled the methods used high level summary of outcomes your main conclusions
Normally written in the past tense as it describes what has been achieved Not exceed one page Although the first item to be read, it is often the last one to be written
Table of Contents
List the various parts of the report, including

Numbered chapters Numbered sections and sub-sections List of numbered figures and numbered tables List of appendices References
Specify first page number of each chapter, section and sub-section, not a range
Introduction

Provides the context of the work (including information on your client, if appropriate) Purpose, scope, main aims and objectives of your project Description of the problem Justification for undertaking this project Project organisation Summary of the content of the remaining sections of your report
Literature Review
Overview of the most important writing on the subject, discussing other researchers main findings Specify where you have used references Identifying the position of your project in the subject area Comparing related work to what you intend to develop
Research Ethics
London Metropolitan University Code of Good Research Practice
(http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/library/z51254_3.pdf)
London Metropolitan University has to ensure that the research that is carried out conforms with the law and best current practice. The guidelines in the code cover issues on proper conduct of research and on the standards expected.
Research Ethics Code

Professional Standards
The University expects those engaged in research to act with the highest standards of integrity whether they are employees of the University, research students or researchers, and irrespective of the source from which their posts or research is funded. Researchers should be honest in respect of their own actions in research and in their responses to the actions of other researchers. This applies to the whole range of research work, including experimental design, generating and analysing data, applying for funding, publishing results, and acknowledging the direct and indirect contribution of colleagues, collaborators and others. Plagiarism, deception or the fabrication or falsification of results will be regarded as a serious disciplinary offence.
Honesty
.........
Methodology
Short descriptions of:

Approaches Method(s) Tools and techniques
These must be relevant to your project and not addressed in general terms Identify reasons for your choice
Requirements Analysis
An account of functional and non-functional requirements for your system based on
Analysis of information obtained through various methods

Literature Survey Interviews Questionnaires Guidelines
These requirements will be integrated into your design document
Design

Describe the design process you undertook Should include:

Main design goals based on your analysis Design techniques used to model your application e.g. ERD, Sequence diagrams UML, DFD, etc.
Implementation and Testing
An account of the software implementation process Should include:

Main issues in development
Specific screen shots of interest

Source code snippets of interest
User manual and full source code should normally be presented in an appendix
Testing

An account of error testing and debugging An account of usability testing performed A description of any changes implemented as a consequence of test results Description and justification of particular testing techniques employed Summary of your main results
Critical Evaluation & Conclusion

Critical appraisal of your work is very important You might consider such questions as:

How much of the initial plan has been fulfilled? To what extent have the original aims and objectives been met? If you were to start this task again what would you do differently, and why? What do you see as possible future developments? Was the outcome as expected? What has been learned from your project?
Offer a conclusion

Personal Reflection
As part of the Personal Development Plan (PDP), there should be a self-evaluation chapter/section You might consider such questions as:
What did you gain personally by doing the project?
e.g. understanding of specific concepts e.g. technical skills, analysis/design skills
What skills were learned or enhanced?
How could you use these skills in the future?
e.g. for career development, future research
References
Covered separately
Special session from library representative
Appendices

May include any supporting material which is not essential for the main body of the report These could be:

Questionnaire designed for use Completed questionnaires received Details of interviews with end-users User evaluation of the system you developed Software listings User manual/guide Test plans and results Project plans Tables of raw data Glossaries
Report Guidelines
Plan your report structure Employ a professional writing style Draft report chapters Review drafts and act on feedback from supervisor Apply report formatting Use plain English: do not overuse jargon or acronyms Give a table of abbreviations if many are used Avoid use of humour or slang not appropriate Label every figure and table (number and title) Use a consistent system of referencing
(Harvard style is recommended)
Submit detailed information in an appendix

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CC2018 Professional Development

Final Project Report Writing Structure and Content

Divided into separate sections with numbered headings and sub-headings

Final Project Report Structure

The title of the project

The The The The The

Examples of past project titles:

Examples of past project titles:

Cygnet Call Reporting System

List the various parts of the report, including

Research Ethics Code

Short descriptions of:

Approaches Method(s) Tools and techniques

An account of functional and non-functional requirements for your system based on

Analysis of information obtained through various methods

Literature Survey Interviews Questionnaires Guidelines

These requirements will be integrated into your design document

Describe the design process you undertook Should include:

Implementation and Testing

An account of the software implementation process Should include:

Main issues in development

Specific screen shots of interest

Critical Evaluation & Conclusion

What did you gain personally by doing the project?

e.g. understanding of specific concepts e.g. technical skills, analysis/design skills

What skills were learned or enhanced?

How could you use these skills in the future?

e.g. for career development, future research

Special session from library representative

(Harvard style is recommended)

Submit detailed information in an appendix

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