Writing Guidelines

 

Evaluating Sources

            Evaluating the credibility and reliability of source material cannot be overemphasized.  Since the source quality undergirds the credibility of the argument and the writing in which those sources are used, the sources should be unbiased, reliable, and current.  This is especially important when examining Internet sources.  Print sources are validated by editors and peer juries so their reliability is questioned and checked before it comes into print.  Internet sources are not scrutinized in the same way.  Examining the address of the Internet source can indicate if the site is commercial (com), nonprofit (org), or educational (edu).  An organization holding a particular point of view is likely to carry biased information to support its view.  For instance, The Flat Earth Society web page has a built-in bias.  On the other hand, an address including mit.edu is likely to be quite reliable, current and well researched.

            Look for a balance of personal expertise of the writer and external sources upon which that research builds.

            Note the author's credentials and the experts in the field.

 

Avoiding Plagiarism

            Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional use of another’s words or ideas as one’s own.  To avoid plagiarism, document and cite all sources whether using direct quotes or summarizing the broad outlines of ideas.

            Keeping track of sources as they are read will prevent the frustration of trying to find a key quote or idea in a source.  This is especially important for on-line sources, which may be frequently updated.  Since an access date is required for citing Internet sources, keeping a source log or printing the homepage will ensure an accurate list of references.

 

Summarizing Sources

            In general, it is better to summarize information from sources than to quote from the sources, unless the quote is especially memorable or captivating.  Summarizing the information will help synthesize it with your writing.  However, when summarizing, make sure you are changing the original wording, without changing the author’s meaning.  Here are some guidelines for effective summarizing: 

                        1.  Identify the main points.

                        2.  Put the main points into your own words.

                        3.  Condense the original, keeping the summary short.  Outlining may a good

                                    tool to use as the original is condensed.

                        4.  Use a table or a list if it seems appropriate.

                        5.  Be objective rather than critical or interpretive of source ideas.

                        6.  Again, be sure to cite the source even when summarized.

 

Using and Acknowledging Sources

You must document your report with references.  The references must be single-spaced at the end of your paper with double-spacing between references (as shown below).  The references should be cited in the text as a superscript number, indexed to the list of references at the end of your report.  (Do not use footnotes.) Your first reference cited should be numbered 1, the second reference cited should be numbered 2, etc. The following format must be used for journal articles1, Internet2, or a book3 : 

 

 

 

 

 

References  (examples)

 

1. Wilson, E.K., "Galileo and its Atmospheric Probe Rendezvous with Jupiter", Chemical & Engineering News, vol. 73, No. 49, pp. 33-38, 1995. 

 

2. American Chemical Society, "Galileo Mission", World Wide Web, http://www.pubs.acs.org, accessed Jan. 17, 1996.

 

3. Brown, L.R., Kane, H., Roodman, D.M., Vital Signs - 1994, W.W. Norton, New York, 1994, 160pp.

 

 

Style Guidelines

            The paper should read like a report and thus be somewhat formal in tone.  For this reason do not use first or second person (i.e. I, me, we, us, you, etc.) and be sure to use precise vocabulary.  The writing needs to reflect the vocabulary of engineering.  For example, choosing verbs such as “collected, reported, observed, calculated,” and “determined” indicates that you have learned the language appropriate to engineering.

 

            For these phrases:                                Substitute:

 

            “results were found”                                “results were observed, measured, obtained, determined

                                                                                                or calculated”

 

            “a study or experiment was done”            “a study or experiment was conducted or

performed”.

 

            "test"                                                    "study", "experiment", or "investigation"

 

            “weight taken”                                        “weight measured or weighed”

           

            "obvious"                                               "apparent", "apparently" or "appear"

 

            "idea"                                                    "concept"

 

            "show"                                                  "demonstrate", "indicate" "suggest" or "exhibit"

 

            "possible"                                              "feasible"

 

Other guidelines include:

             “It’s” is always a contraction for “it is.”  Do not use an apostrophe with “it’s” unless “it is” can be substituted.

           

 

Resources

The Internet has numbers of on-line English handbooks that answer questions about grammar and documentation.  In addition, print journals can serve as style models, though be sure you are looking at a References list, not a Bibliography. Other technical journals in the library may also be used as models for citing the sources in the body of the text.

 

http://www.ama-assn.org/public/peer/wame/uniform.htm provides examples of on-line source citation.

 

            jasperweb.com/online/cite8.html is a reference for CBE style (Council of Biology Editors).

 

 

 

ABSTRACT WORKSHEET

 

Often the abstract is the most difficult to write. It usually works best to do this part of the paper last and use your paper as a guideline to what to include in the abstract. You generally use one or two concise sentences to summarize the most important aspects for each section listed below. A few sentences for Results and Discussion are acceptable.

 

PROJECT TITLE: Keep it concise but descriptive

INTRODUCTION: What is this project about? Why is this project of importance

TEST: Briefly explain which tests were done

RESULTS: What did you find when you performed your tests.

DISCUSSION: Are your results consistent with the theory? If not, why not?

CONCLUSION: What do the results mean?

 

Check over your abstract:

Does it state clearly, in the first 2-3 sentences, the purpose of the project?

Does it briefly and clearly describe the methodology used?

Can you easily understand what the results are and how they compare with theory?

 

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