How do you document and report mechanical engineering projects?

1 Define the purpose and audience

Before you start writing, you need to identify the purpose and the audience of your document or report. The purpose defines the scope, objectives, and outcomes of your project, while the audience determines the level of detail, technicality, and tone of your writing. For example, if you are writing a design report for a client, you need to explain how your solution meets their requirements, specifications, and expectations, using clear and persuasive language. If you are writing a technical report for your peers, you need to provide more details on the theory, methods, and calculations behind your solution, using accurate and consistent terminology.

2 Follow the structure and format

Depending on the type and length of your document or report, you need to follow a suitable structure and format to organize your information and present it logically. A common structure for most documents and reports consists of four main sections: introduction, methods, results, and discussion. The introduction provides the background, context, and motivation of your project, as well as the main problem statement, objectives, and scope. The methods describe the procedures, tools, and assumptions used to perform your project, as well as the criteria and constraints that influenced your design or analysis. The results present the data, findings, and outcomes of your project, using tables, graphs, charts, and diagrams to illustrate them. The discussion interprets the results, evaluates the performance and limitations of your solution, compares it with other alternatives, and provides recommendations for improvement or further work.

In addition to these four sections, you may also need to include other elements in your document or report, such as an abstract, a table of contents, a list of figures and tables, a glossary, an appendix, and a list of references. You also need to follow the formatting guidelines of your organization or institution, such as the font size, style, and color, the margins, spacing, and alignment, the numbering and labeling of sections, figures, and tables, and the citation and referencing style.

3 Use clear and concise language

When writing a document or report, it is essential to use clear and concise language that conveys your message accurately and avoids ambiguity. To achieve this, you should adhere to some basic principles of technical writing. For instance, opt for active voice instead of passive voice, unless you want to emphasize the action rather than the actor. Additionally, prefer simple and direct sentences over complex and long ones, unless you need to express a nuanced or conditional idea. Furthermore, use specific and precise words in place of vague and general ones, unless you need to cover a broad or abstract concept. Finally, opt for consistent and appropriate terminology instead of inconsistent and inappropriate ones, unless you need to explain a new or unfamiliar term.

4 Review and revise your document or report

The final step of writing a document or report is to review and revise it to ensure its quality, accuracy, and completeness. You should look for any errors, inconsistencies, or gaps in the content, structure, format, and language, and make the necessary corrections or improvements. To help you review and revise your document or report, you can use a spell checker and a grammar checker to detect and correct any spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors. Additionally, you can use a plagiarism checker to make sure that you have properly cited and referenced any sources used. Moreover, you can use a readability checker to measure and enhance the clarity, simplicity, and readability of your document or report. Finally, feedback from peers can provide a different perspective on your document or report as well as identify any strengths, weaknesses, or areas for improvement. By following these tips, you can document and report your mechanical engineering projects in a professional and effective way.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?