What is the best way to report testing and measurement findings in electronic engineering?

1 Know your audience

Before you start writing your report, you need to identify who your audience is, and what they need and want from your findings. Different audiences may have different levels of technical knowledge, interest, and authority, and may use your report for different purposes. For example, your report may be intended for your supervisor, your client, your team, or a regulatory body. Depending on your audience, you may need to adjust the tone, style, structure, and content of your report, as well as the level of detail, explanation, and interpretation that you provide.

2 Define your objectives

Another important step before writing your report is to define your objectives, or what you want to achieve with your report. Your objectives should be aligned with your audience's needs and expectations, and should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, your objectives may be to demonstrate the compliance of your product with certain standards, to compare the performance of different design options, to identify the root cause of a problem, or to recommend a solution or improvement. Having clear objectives will help you focus your report on the most relevant and important findings.

3 Follow a standard structure

A good report should follow a standard structure that makes it easy for your audience to follow your logic, understand your findings, and evaluate your conclusions. When writing a testing and measurement report in electronic engineering, the structure should typically include a title page, an abstract, a table of contents, an introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, references, and appendices. The title page should include the title of the report, the author's name and affiliation, the date of submission, and the contact details of the audience. The abstract should provide a concise summary of the objectives, methods, results, and conclusions; it should be written last and not exceed 250 words. The table of contents should list the main sections and sub-sections of the report with their page numbers. The introduction should introduce the background and context of the report, state its objectives and scope, and outline its structure. The methods section should describe the testing and measurement procedures used in detail so that your audience can replicate them; avoid unnecessary or irrelevant information. The results section should present data obtained using tables, graphs, charts or other visual aids; highlight main trends but avoid interpreting them. The discussion section should interpret and discuss results in relation to objectives and existing literature. The conclusion should summarize findings, conclusions, and recommendations related to objectives; avoid introducing new information or repeating details. The references section should list all sources cited in the report using a consistent citation style; finally appendices should include any additional or supplementary information that supports but isn't essential for understanding the report.

4 Use clear and accurate language

The language that you use in your report should be clear, accurate, and consistent, and should reflect the standards and conventions of electronic engineering. You should use precise and unambiguous terms, avoid jargon and slang, and define any acronyms or technical terms that you use. You should also use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and check your report for errors and inconsistencies before submitting it. Additionally, you should use an appropriate tone and style for your audience and purpose, and avoid personal opinions, biases, or emotions.

5 Follow ethical and professional principles

Finally, you should follow ethical and professional principles when reporting your testing and measurement findings in electronic engineering. You should respect the intellectual property and confidentiality of others, and acknowledge any sources that you use or refer to in your report. You should also be honest and transparent about your methods, data, results, and conclusions, and avoid any fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or misrepresentation. Moreover, you should be respectful and courteous to your audience, and avoid any offensive or discriminatory language or content.

6 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?