Transcript How to write up a project - University of Portsmouth

How to write up a project
Part 2
http://www.pums.cam.port.ac.uk/projects/index.htm
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This week
– Writing your report
• First draft to final draft
• Writing style
– Logistics
• Referencing
• Binding and submitting your report
“[The art of] writing is the art of applying the seat
of one’s trousers to the seat of one’s chair”
Kingsley Amis
Practical advice on writing
• Set deadlines (time is shorter than you think) – use
report structure to identify writing “tasks”
• Write regularly – find best time of day and place for
writing
• Create a work rhythm – keep going if you are inspired
• Write up sections when they are ready – when they
are fresh in your mind
• Stop at a point from which it is easy to restart
(Dawson, 2005)
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Writing strategies I – getting started
• Use your report structure
• Draw on experience of e.g. courseworks, writing up
scientific experiments
• Start with sections about which you are enthused, or
which you have just completed
• Start with the chapters about which you have
something concrete to write, e.g. design,
implementation, then work outwards to the more
abstract chapters, e.g. literature review, conclusions
and recommendations
Defeating writer’s block
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From your report structure…
Write about a small aspect of your project
Write in note form
Then short sentences
Don’t go for perfection
first time
Writing strategies II – Maintaining the overview
• Narrative and voice
• Connective tissue – introduction and summary elements
to each chapter
• NB - Don’t worry about writing too much at this stage – it
can be edited once you have the content
Documenting software in your report
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What does your program do?
Technical solution adopted – was it the best of the alternatives
Design (analysis, human factors, story boards)
Software engineering information (structure, definition
languages)
• Problems encountered (bugs, errors, uncompleted sections)
• Limitations – e.g. handling files of a certain size, accuracy of
calculation
• How well does the program do what it was intended to do?
(Dawson, 2005)
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Writing strategies III – first draft to final draft
• Your writing, especially when you are in the grip of
inspiration, may take you in directions you hadn’t
intended
• Remember what this section should be about
• Highlight the ideas and arguments in your writing
for a subsequent draft
• Introduce the “connective tissue”
• Check the balance between sections
Write with style
• Think of your audience
• Check spelling and
grammar; read your
work
• Be concise and clear
– break down complicated
bits
• Use diagrams, pictures,
graphs (but don’t over-use)
• Use numbers/bullet pts
• Think up clear chapter
and section headings –
get them to sign-post
the story
• Link sections together
• Be accurate, concise,
interesting, relevant,
incisive, discriminating
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Features of analytical writing
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Show a clear line of reasoning
Present enough relevant evidence to support reasoning
The “why”s as well as the “how”s
Check your assumptions
Be clear about your conclusions
Avoid: rushing to a conclusion, over-simplification, value
judgements
• Read your own writing critically
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Descriptive vs Analytical writing
Descriptive
Analytical
States what happened
Identifies the significance
Explains what a theory says/ method Shows why something is relevant or
used
suitable
States options
Gives reasons for selecting each option
States links between items
Shows relevance of links
Lists details
Evaluates relative significance of details
Gives the story so far
Weighs one piece of information against
another
Gives information
Draws conclusions
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Editing and proofreading
• Make time to check
• “Read aloud” test
• Checking for:
– Content and relevance
– Clarity and coherence
– Grammatical correctness
– Spelling and punctuation
– Presentation
Content check list
• The text answers the central
question
• Main line of argument is
clear
• Sufficient weight given to
most important points
• There is enough evidence to
illustrate points
• Information included is
relevant
• Ideas are presented in the
right order
• The story “adds up”
• Technical vocabulary is used
correctly
• The text is not repetitive
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“Grammar, perfectly understood, enables us, not only
to express our meaning fully and clearly,
but so to express it as to enable us to defy the
ingenuity of man to give to our words any other
meaning than that which we ourselves intend them to
express.”
William Cobbett, a Grammar of
the English Language (1818).
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References – Harvard APA
• Citations in text, e.g. “Reference correctly from the start (Dawson,
2005)” or “Dawson (2005, p97) recommends that material found
during the literature search is referenced correctly from the start.”
• List of references contains full bibliographic details of what you
have referred to, e.g.
(Dawson, 2005)
Dawson, C.W. (2005) Projects in Computing and
Information Systems, a Student’s guide, Harlow, Addison Wesley
• See “How to cite references and avoid plagiarism”
(http://www.pums.cam.port.ac.uk/projects/docs/projcite.htm)
• Referencing guide on Library website (http://referencing.port.ac.uk)
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When to cite a reference
• All direct quotes must be cited (and placed either inside quotation
marks or indented paras)
• Preferable to paraphrase (translate author's words into your own)
but must still give credit
• If something is “common knowledge” (referred to in many sources),
no need to cite
• Everything else is assumed to be your idea
• Use reference-checking software to help you – TurnItIn
• Use EndNote to record references
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Logistics
– Choosing a report title
– Abstract
– Appendices
– Binding and submitting your report
Choosing a title for your report
• Limited space
• Avoid noise phrases (e.g. “A report into”)
• What differentiates your project from all
others?
• Most important words first
• The question you attempted to answer or the
problem you attempted to solve
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Examples of titles
• A session-based approach for inter-portlet
communications
• An investigation into the use of ePortfolios in
education and recruitment
• An investigation into, and prototyping of, a
multimedia solution to the representation of the
subject area of information systems
• How friendly is the IT helpdesk?
Abstract
• Abstract is a summary (précis) of the entire report
• Puts your work in context, how it was carried out and
what its major successes/conclusions were
– Not a contents list
– Don’t use acronyms unless well-understood
• Must be able to stand entirely on its own
• Our regulations require it to be 150-300 words and on
first page
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Appendices
• Supporting information or SDLC documentation
• Examples:
– requirements / design specifications
– test case results
– data dictionary
• Remember to use them: excerpts in the main report,
reference
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• Appendix A – Project initiation document
• Appendix B – Ethical examination check list
• If you don’t have either of these documents,
consult your supervisor!
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Regulations for reports
– see Project Submission checklist on PUMS
• 10,000-12,000 words
(excluding appendices)
• Recommend for text:
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12pt typescript
Times-roman or Arial font
Single-spaced [change]
At least 9pt for diagrams,
etc.
• 3rd person passive
• Use Table of Content
tool in word processor
• Margins >= 20mm
• Number chapters and
sections to <= 3 levels
Page numbers at bottom
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Project submission
• “How to bind and
submit a project” has
the details and template
for front cover.
• Collect red front covers
from CAM office –
available 2-3 weeks
before deadline
• Print front covers
• Beware printer
congestion
• Binding – not available
at CAM office – may be a
machine in the Tutor
Centre
• Make electronic copy
• Everything handed in by
3pm, Fri 2nd May
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Handing in – NB report won’t be accepted
without electronic copy
Two paper
copies of
report with
artefact CD
attached
One electronic
copy of report
Penultimate words
• The only final-year project you’ll ever do!
• Make sure your write-up reflects the hard work
you did during development
• Think about the problem and how you solved it
(practically)
• Present your work in the best possible light
compatible with reality
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Last words
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Think about your audience
Be honest and fair in your judgements
Reflect on your learning experience
Be proud of your accomplishment
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