Guidelines for the Preparation and Submission of …scieng.ul.ie/uploads/mabe/FYP_guidelines_ver_11...UNIVERSITY LIMERICKof OLLSCOIL LUIMNIGH Department of Mechanical Aeronautical

UNIVERSITY LIMERICKofOLLSCOIL LUIMNIGH

Department of Mechanical Aeronautical and Biomedical Engineering

Guidelines for the Preparation and Submission of

Final Year Project Reports

Prepared by Dr. Reena Cole, Dr. Trevor Young and Dr. David Newport

Revisions added by Dr. Philip Griffin and Dr. Jeremy Robinson

Department of Mechanical, Aeronautical and Biomedical Engineering

University of Limerick

Version 11 September 2014

Guidelines for FYP reports

MABE Department

Version 11, September 2014 1

Table of Contents

Final Year Project Learning Outcomes ................................................................................................ 2

Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3

The Final Year Project Roadmap and deadlines .................................................................................. 4

Guidelines for Scheduling of Departmental Facilities ......................................................................... 5

Report Format ...................................................................................................................................... 7

1. Number of Copies..................................................................................................................... 7

2. Production Specifications ......................................................................................................... 7

3. Binding and Cover .................................................................................................................... 7

4. Special Forms of Reports ......................................................................................................... 7

5. Pagination and Numbering ....................................................................................................... 7

6. Style of Writing ........................................................................................................................ 8

7. Plagiarism ................................................................................................................................. 8

8. Report Layout ........................................................................................................................... 8

9. Suggested Main Body Section Headings ............................................................................... 10

10. Suggested Main Body Section headings for a Design Project ............................................... 15

11. Suggested Main Body Section headings for a Software Development Project ...................... 16

APPENDIX A Oral Presentation .................................................................................................. A-1

APPENDIX B Referencing .......................................................................................................... B-1


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FINAL YEAR PROJECT LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of this module students will (will be able to):

Learning Outcome Assessment Mode(s) †

1 Demonstrate the ability to develop creative and original solutions to

engineering problems of significant complexity.

Overall project performance

2 Develop and present a project plan making best use of latest

information technology; modularise project into work packages and

identify resources required to complete work packages; prioritise and

modify project plan on a continuous basis.

Interim presentation


3 Work as an individual, with support from a supervisor, formulating

solutions to day-to-day problems by integrating knowledge and

experience gained on the course and outside the course.


4 Demonstrate the ability to produce a formal engineering report,

substantive in nature, with proper and complete structure, layout,

grammar, spelling, cross-referencing of figures, tables and text, and

referencing of previous work.

FYP report

5 Provide a clear motivation and set of objectives for the project, a

critical review of previous work in the field, and a theoretical

foundation and coherent justification for the approach taken in the

project.


FYP report

6 Describe experimental apparatus and/or models, and analysis

procedures in a clear, complete and unambiguous manner making

best use of latest information technology.


FYP report

7 Present results clearly making best use of latest information

technology; critically analyse results, draw objective and reasonable

conclusions, and suggest avenues for future work.


FYP report

8 Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a particular engineering

subject area, though presentation of material in presentations and

reports and response to questions in presentations.


Final presentation


9 Produce a substantial project outcome, which demonstrates a

significant level of difficulty and effort on the part of the student,

consisting of at least one of the following:

a. experimental results

b. theoretical results

c. numerical results

d. detailed design of a prototype

e. physical prototype

f. experimental rig


Final presentation


10* Present clearly (using latest information technology) and critically

evaluate different design concepts, and justify final choice through

engineering analysis and/or prototype development.


FYP report

† The project is assessed in four areas or sections: (see http://www2.ul.ie/pdf/749681452.pdf)

Section 1: Interim Presentation (15%)

Section 2: FYP Report (45%)

Section 3: Overall Project Performance, based on all available evidence during year (25%)

Section 4: Final presentation which is an oral interview/Viva Voce (15%)

The rightmost column in the above table lists the sections which contain specific questions on each LO

* Design projects only

http://www2.ul.ie/pdf/749681452.pdf


MABE Department


INTRODUCTION

This document aims to guide final year undergraduate students of the Mechanical and Aeronautical

Engineering Department though the Final Year Project process. It contains information on the

stages of the project, indicating when reports are due, how to get something made up in the work

shop and most importantly how to write concise and legible documents with good literary style,

presentation and layout. It is important to note that each report must be original. Remember

irrelevant information and trivial statements are of no value. It is important not to underestimate the

amount of time it takes to write the report. A minimum of 4 weeks should be timetabled for this (i.e.

you should be writing by Week 4 in Semester 2, at the latest).

Logbooks

Each student should get an A4 Hardback notebook or science book and get it stamped in the

departmental office before Friday Week 3, Autumn Semester. In this book you will keep a log of

your weekly work. You must get this signed (and dated) by your supervisor every 2 weeks. It will

be handed in with your final report, and should cover the following headings:

Progress (from previous week)

Problems & Queries,

Objectives (for next week)

Difficulties in Progressing Project

Your Supervisor must be the first person to contact if you have any difficulties or concerns about the

way the Project is going. These difficulties or concerns should be raised when you meet your

Supervisor and be recorded in your Logbook under the ‘Problems and Queries’ heading. Normally

these difficulties or concerns will be satisfactorily resolved by joint action by yourself and your

Supervisor. If after following this procedure the difficulties or concerns remain unresolved you

should contact the Head of Department.

Use of Turnitin

When submitting your final report you must also submit a soft copy on CD (attached to at least one

copy of the report). As an Appendix to your report you will include a printout of the report from

Turnitin detailing any unoriginal content. More details on Turnitin will be available before

submission date.

Examining of the Final Year Project

Both your supervisor and the second examiner will grade the Oral Presentation in Autumn Semester.

Your supervisor and the same second examiner will read and mark the final report and the viva voce

in Spring Semester. All graded projects are submitted to the Departmental Office, and these are

arranged by grade to allow the Professors within the department to moderate grades. This is a time

consuming process to ensure that there is consistency throughout the grading. Then approximately

one month after exams end the External Examiners visit and they too check through the Final Year

Project reports. This process ensures that the project is one of the most assessed pieces of work

throughout your academic career to date. Please note you need to be on campus to meet with the

External Examiners if they wish to interview you. (Normally around 1st week of June)


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THE FINAL YEAR PROJECT ROADMAP AND DEADLINES

Year 3

Semester 2

Week 6-9

Year 3

Semester 2

Week 9-12

Year 4

Semester 1

Week 6

Year 4

Semester 1

Week 8 Friday

Year 4

Semester 1

Week 9/10 Wednesday

Year 4

Semester 2

Week 8 Fri 12.00pm

Year 4

Semester 2

Weeks 9-13

Select a number

of possible

titles from a list

Allocations

emailed to

students

Approval of

FYP planning

by supervisor

Submission of written

progress report

Interim oral

presentation

Submission of

FYP report

Viva Voce

Oral Interview

4th

Year Autumn Semester:

Week 6 - Submission of final year project plan to supervisor.

This is a detailed project plan (Gantt chart), produced using a package such as Microsoft Project. It

should be discussed with the project supervisor, and will outline all the steps needed to produce the

Final Year Project (FYP) report.

Week 8 – Interim Report

An interim written report (1 page, 2 copies) must be signed in to the Departmental Office at the end

of the week. This report is not to be confused with the support material used during the oral

presentation interim assessment. This 1 page (single line spacing) report must be discussed with the

supervisor, and will include title, objectives – it should answer the questions – Why? How? What?

Appendices should be attached such as: up-date project plan, Working drawings (where appropriate

and signed by supervisor and Chief Technical Officer (CTO)), Materials/Equipment requirements,

and Sourcing of resources including Technician/Workshop support etc, Analysis of Costs. The

requirements above must be planned in consultation with the CTO in the Department.

Weeks 9 & 10 – Interim Oral Presentation (see also Appendix A)

Oral presentations will be organised by the Departmental Office. These consist of a 10 minute

presentation on work to date, and planned future work. There will be 5 minutes of questions from

your supervisor and a second reader from the faculty. Each student should arrive for the

presentation before, and stay for the presentation after their own. The oral presentation is marked

out of 15%.

4th

Year Spring Semester:

Week 8 – Submission of Report

Two copies of the FYP report must be signed in to the Departmental Office. There is a penalty of

2% per day for late submission. All requests for deadline extension must go through the Head of

Department, following discussion with project supervisor, and pending supervisor’s satisfaction as

to the need for an extension. Requests for deadline extension must come before the deadline.

Week 9-13 – Viva Voce

The Viva Voce is a 20-30 minute oral interview with the supervisor and second reader. You should

bring your copy of your project report with you.


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GUIDELINES FOR SCHEDULING OF DEPARTMENTAL FACILITIES

Each student must consult with the CTO and their supervisor regarding the use of Departmental

facilities. This is done by making an appointment with the Chief Technical Officer (CTO), where

one is entered into a queuing system – so first come first served. There is a Health and Safety

Lecture which it is compulsory to attend, at the start of Autumn semester.

Workshop:

Chief Technical Officer: Dr Joseph Leen

Room No.: AM-047

Email: [email protected]

Phone 061 202333

To enter into the queuing system for manufacture of items in the workshop, one must bring two

copies of engineering drawings (not sketches) and a Bill of Materials to the person in charge of

scheduling in the workshop. These drawings should be dimensioned correctly, including tolerances

and limits, and must be signed by the project supervisor. The CTO will ensure that the drawings are

correct and sign them off, and will assign the work to a technician. When designing each item the

student must take the material lead time (i.e. the time it takes for material to be ordered and

delivered) into account. The design of all parts must be finalised with the CTO in time for the

Interim Report and Presentation. Please note that any item that enters the workshop scheduling after

February will take a minimum of 4 weeks (exact times will be advised by the CTO).

To borrow small hand tools, such as hammers, screwdrivers, contact the workshop staff who will

temporarily loan out the items with a deposit of a valid University of Limerick ID card.

Laboratories and Technical support outside of the workshop:

Chief Technical Officer: Dr Joseph Leen

Room No.: AM-047

Email: [email protected]

Phone +353 61 202333

To schedule the use of equipment or technician support outside of the workshop (for example Wind

tunnels, Video Extensometer), the technician in charge needs to be contacted with details of the

experiments to be run, and the instrumentation required. Training must be undertaken on the

equipment, and must not be used prior to this. For further information refer to the Departmental

Safety document – available from Departmental office L1034, or from the CTO.

Access to laboratories out of hours, i.e. after 5pm, is subject to issue of security cards. These must

be signed by the Chief Technical Officer (CTO), and will be given out on a day to day basis

following a consultation with, and assent of, both him and the project supervisor. No student can

work in a lab on their own; again refer to the Departmental Safety document. Students are required

to wear white coats and safety glasses in Labs (PC labs excluded). Coats and safety glasses

available from the Students Union Shop or from Safety First Ltd, Eastway Business Park, Limerick

There are 18 PCs in the Design Lab, running the same software as those in AM061. These must be

scheduled with fellow users. The workstations in the centre of the room are of slightly higher


MABE Department


specification each with 18GB of RAM and should be vacated for FYP and masters students running

significant FEA or CFD models. Contact the CTO to get added to the swipe system on the door. All

final year students are automatically setup on the swipe system to access AM061 in the evenings.

The opening hours for AM061 for the academic year are notified on the door.

The department is licensed to use engineering software such as PTC Creo, Abaqus FEA, MATLAB

and Star CCM+ CFD on the basis that it is used by staff and students solely for teaching and

learning and in “not-for-profit” research. Any other use constitutes “commercial use” for which we

are not licenced. Use of our licenced engineering software for industry based FYPs could also

constitute commercial work. The vendors of engineering software expect industry users to have their

own commercial licences for these products and not to use academic licences for problem solving in

their organisation. Violation of our licence agreement by engaging in unauthorised commercial work

could result in suspension of our rights to use and teach the software and possible legal action

against the University. Therefore, it is essential that you discuss with your supervisor any intended

use of UL licensed engineering software in industry based projects.


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REPORT FORMAT

1. Number of Copies

1.1 The candidate is required to prepare two copies of the report, which he/she is required to

submit to the Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Departmental Office. The

Departmental Office will forward one copy to the project supervisor, and one copy to the

Second Examiner. (If the project is co-supervised three copies must be submitted).

1.2 The report must be prepared strictly in accordance with the specifications set out below.

2. Production Specifications

2.1 The report should be written in English, and its length is limited to a maximum of 70 pages.

This excludes appendices, contents, dedications, acknowledgements and nomenclature. This

figure is a maximum and it is expected that the majority of reports will be shorter than this

limit. Conciseness together with sufficiency of detail should be foremost in the author’s mind.

2.2 It is recommended that the report be submitted on A4 size white 80g/m2 paper. Where

possible, the report should be printed double-sided to cut down on paper use. A standard

typeface of 12 pitch should be used with one-and-a-half line spacing in the body of the text.

One of the following typefaces is preferred: Times New Roman, Courier, Helvetica, Arial,

New Century School Book. For footnotes and indented quotations single spacing may be

used. Margins at the binding edge should be not less than 40mm, and the other margins not

less that 20mm.

3. Binding and Cover

3.1 Reports must be soft bound.

3.2 The front cover of the report must contain the following information only:

(1) the title of the report in at least 24 pt (8mm) print;

(2) the name of the candidate; consisting of one forename, other forenames initialised,

and the candidate's surname;

(3) the degree award and the year of submission.

(4) only the burgundy version of the UL crest can be used. Use of the heraldic green/gold

crest is reserved solely for the office of the President. Please refer to the following

document (http://www2.ul.ie/pdf/567279072.pdf) for the proper use of UL logos in

documents.

4. Special Forms of Reports

4.1 In the case of a report in which the development of computer software or use of numerical

analysis package is a primary objective, the candidate's Supervisor shall specify if it is

necessary to include models and results on Compact Disc with the report.

5. Pagination and Numbering

5.1 Pages should be numbered consecutively throughout the text, including those pages

incorporating photographs or diagrams which are included as whole pages.

http://www2.ul.ie/pdf/567279072.pdf


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5.2 The main body of the report should be numbered numerically (i.e. 1, 2, 3…), with the section

preceding this (containing abstract, contents, nomenclature etc) numbered using lower case

roman numerals (i.e. i, ii, iii…)

5.3 Appendices should be named alphabetically, and each appendix numbered consecutively but

separately from the main text and from each other. (i.e. A-1, A-2…, B-1, B-2…) Appendices,

like chapters, should have titles, e.g. Appendix A – Derivation of Equations of Motion

5.4 Page numbers should be located centrally at the bottom of the page and approximately 20mm

above the edge of the page.

6. Style of Writing

6.1 The different sections of the report are written using different prose styles; however, there are

a few basic rules to follow.

Use normal formal language, avoiding long sentences and big words. Avoid

colloquial words and phrases (e.g. lab results, stats),

Technical jargon if possible

Asking rhetorical questions or using exclamation marks

Contractions (e.g. didn’t, can’t, it’s etc.)

Be precise, concise and objective.

The report should be written in the third person. Do not use personal pronouns (i.e. I, we,

our, you, us).

6.2 See Young (2005) for further information on writing style

7. Plagiarism

7.1 The Final Year Project report is the work of the individual student. Plagiarism of any kind

will not be tolerated.

7.2 A Turnitin report must be submitted with the FYP report.

8. Report Layout

8.1 Title page

The title page of each volume of the report should contain the following information:

1) The full title of the project, and the sub-title (if any);

2) The full name of the author (as recorded on his/her birth certificate) with, if desired, any

qualifications or distinctions;

3) The award for which the report is submitted to the University;

4) The name of the University;

5) The name(s) of the supervisor(s) of the project;

6) The statement 'Final Year Project report submitted to the University of Limerick, (Month)

(Year); and

7) A statement of originality: “I declare that this is my work and that all contributions from

other persons have been appropriately identified and acknowledged.”


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The title of the report should be meaningful and informative. Taken alone, the title should give

enough information so that the reader has a clear idea what to expect the rest of the report to be

about.

8.2 Abstract

An abstract, or summary, not exceeding 300 words, single spacing, or one page in length, should be

bound as an integral part of the report, and should precede the main text. The style of writing for

this section is technical and concise, with economical use of words. It should be written only when

almost all section of the report have been completed.

Students sometimes find it difficult to accept that a statement should be made in the abstract,

knowing that an identical or similar statement appears in the body of the report. The summary

should be regarded as an independent section which is meaningful when read in isolation from the

remainder of the report.

In writing the abstract, therefore, one should look at each completed section of the report, extract

key statements, and present them as concisely as possible.

It is important to include in the abstract any significant findings of the study or experimentally

determined value, the determination of which is a major feature of the investigation. Comments

should be made, wherever possible, to the significance of the results.

8.3 Dedication

You may wish to dedicate your report. This is not obligatory.

8.4 Acknowledgements

This section is used to acknowledge anybody who has contributed to your project.

8.5 Contents List

Each student should discuss the contents of the report with his/her supervisor before starting to

write.

This section lists the contents of the report (Table of Contents) giving the page number at which

each section starts. Sections preceding the main body of the report are not seen as part of the report

and should be paginated as such (see Section 5, above). It is usual to start the Introduction at page 1.

It is common for the FYP supervisor to require that the student include a Table of Figures and a

Table of Tables.

8.6 Nomenclature

All symbols used in the text should be defined here, including for example sub- and super-scripts,

Greek symbols and acronyms. Where a symbol represents a physical quantity the associated units of

measurement should be listed. (SI units should be used whenever possible). Refer to Engineering

Tables and Data (Howatson et al., 1991) or Young (2005) for Greek Alphabet, symbols and units.


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8.7 Main body (See Section 9)

Note: Do not number more than 2 subsection levels for each chapter, e.g. maximum numbering

2.3.5. For any other subsections use formatting (such as Bold or Italic) to distinguish.

8.8 References (see also Appendix B)

Any work which is not the student’s own must be referenced, to avoid allegations of plagiarism. For

the presentation of references it is required that the UL Harvard style, as published by the Library &

Information Services, be use – this is available at http://www.ul.ie/~library/referencing/harvard.html

for details. Examples, online tutorials, and information on the use of Endnote are also provided.

8.9 Appendices

Appendices are used to give additional information which is not essential to the reading of the report

but may be required in order to continue with the work, or to explain in great detail some aspect of

the work carried out. As a rule items that are readily available (e.g. journal and conference papers)

are not included as an appendix except where it is judged to be unusual and not readily available.

Appendices should be named alphabetically (Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.) and numbered as

outlined in Section 5. Examples of material that may be included in Appendices:

CAD Drawings submitted to Workshop (not the Assembly drawing as this should be in

main body of the report)

Computer programs written

Essential Spreadsheets

Manufacturers Material Data

Detailed calculations

Tables of data

9. Suggested Main Body Section Headings

Below are suggestions for sections of the main body of the report.

These must be agreed with the FYP supervisor.

9.1 Introduction

The introduction should include a full but concise statement of:

a) The background to the investigation, briefly stating the reasons governing the need for the

investigation. This background should reflect the title of the project.

b) The aims or objectives of the investigation. (The Conclusion section should always refer

back to the objectives you set out)

The introduction should have a flowing, natural, style of writing and should read like a story.


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9.2 Literature Review

This section should contain an in-depth review of published work relevant to your investigation.

Where a large number of papers are reviewed it is useful to group them under different aspects of

the investigation, that is, to use a separate sub-section for each aspect. You should compare and

contrast the literature reviewed.

The important part of this section is your reporting and discussion of the literature. It is important to

distinguish what you have learnt from reading the papers from what the authors originally said.

Your conclusions, on reviewing the literature, should reinforce the aims or objectives of the

investigation given earlier.

9.3 Theoretical Analysis

This section will require presentation of relevant formulae, equations, etc., leading to the appropriate

theoretical prediction (s). It is essential that all assumptions be clearly stated. While it is important

to present relevant information do not include unnecessary theory or pages of derivations,

particularly if they are from a book or if they have no bearing on the work in the report. Reference

to other work may be made in this section.

All equations should prepared using a software package, such as Microsoft Equation Editor or Math

Type; and must be numbered consecutively. A two part numbering system may be used, where the

first part designates the chapter. The number should be aligned with the right margin, e.g. The

Reynolds number (Re) is given in Equation 3.1 as:

udRe (3.1)

where = density

u = velocity

d = characteristic length, in this case diameter

= viscosity

This can then be referenced in the text – see Equation 3.1, or see Eq. 3.1. Frequently, available

theory will not always adequately cover the system under investigation and in such cases the

differences between the theoretical model and test system should be stated. The representation of a

particular system by an approximate model should wherever possible be justified.

9.4 Numerical Modelling

This section will include information on the analysis method used, such as Finite Element Analysis

or Computational Fluid Dynamics, stating version of modelling software used. The contents must

be agreed with the FYP supervisor, but will include description of models and boundary conditions.

9.5 Experimental Apparatus

Precise details of items under test, and of the testing system, are required. Sketches, circuit

diagrams, and/or CAD drawings are often required in this section. All equipment should be

specified fully (i.e. using model numbers, and reference numbers if possible) with the exception of


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minor ancillary equipment such as a metre rule, protractor etc. This specification may also include

the accuracy of the equipment used.

Always remember that at some future date the experimental results may be subject to severe scrutiny

and the more accurately the system has been specified the less the doubt concerning the test, and the

better the chance of remedial action.

If this section is short, it may be combined with the Experimental Procedure section.

9.6 Experimental Procedure

Concise details of the operations performed should be presented mentioning factors which are of

special significance. Trivial statements however should be avoided, but, for example, where the

order of performing a number of steps is considered to be important such information should be

concisely presented. The writing style should resemble a recipe in a cookbook.

It is particularly useful to refer to special precautions taken as this can often eliminate possible

doubts in a future enquiry.

The purpose of this section is to define the experimental techniques employed without ambiguity,

and thus in a way which would permit a complete identical “re-test”.

9.7 Results

This section will contain a statement of what has been determined, i.e. both evaluated and observed,

as a consequence of performing the test. Thus it will comprise a concise statement of the calculated

results together with other important facts which have been derived or observed. The results are a

dry unaltered record of the facts. In some cases the discussion of the results can be included with

the results – you must discuss with your supervisor which method he/she prefers.

A statement referring to the magnitude of the difference (not necessarily error) between theoretical

prediction(s) and experimental results should be included.

It is emphasised that one should not consider the experimental results to be in error if they do not

agree with the theoretical predictions presented, for a variety of reasons. For example:

i) Assumed material characteristics, local temperatures, friction or loss terms etc., may well be

unrealistic.

ii) The theoretical model may not be identical to the test system etc.

Experimentally derived results should be respected and not automatically considered to be in error if

they are not in agreement with the theoretical predictions. If at all times the theoretical predictions

were considered to be the correct values and discrepancies attributed to experimental error there

would be no point in performing experimental investigations. The existence of discrepancies is

often the fact which justifies the need for the experimental investigation.

Observed Readings

This section will contain details of relevant records taken during the investigation. If the number of

readings is large it is advisable to present these in an Appendix to which reference is made in the

main body of the report.


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Ensure that units of measurement are associated with all readings or sets of readings. Sets of

readings should be presented in tabular form, with the units appearing in the column heading only.

Each table should be referenced with a number, with the title appearing above the table, for an

example see Table 1 below.

Table 1 Sample values of Coefficient of Thermal Expansion, , and Young’s Modulus, E, for

various metals.

(°C-1

) 10-6

E (GNm-2

or GPa)

Aluminium 23 71

Brass (70 Cu/30Zn) 18 100

Copper 17 130

Iron (pure) 12 206

Nickel 13 207

Zinc 31 110

Steel 15 210

Irrelevant data should not be presented. Graphs should be prepared using a suitable software

package and embedded in the body of the report, and where there is more than one data set they

should be appropriately identified using icons or colour. The axes should carry a definition of the

quantity and associated unit. Experimental results should be clearly marked by a suitable symbol,

and unless the test interval is sufficiently small there should be no line through experimental data

except when specifically curve-fitting.

Ensure that all figures (graphs, sketches, drawings etc.) have a suitable title. In general they should

be centred and not have text to either side. If plotted using ‘landscape’ format they must be

arranged to be read from the right hand side of the report. They should have a reference number

such as Figure 1, which appears below the figure. When referencing in the text they may be referred

to as Figure 1, or Fig. 1. It is convenient to number figures separately for each Chapter, i.e. Figure

1.1, Figure 2.10 etc. It is good practice to change the format of the figure title text and single line

spacing may be used, for example see Figure 1 below.

Each figure should be mentioned in the text and then shown (i.e. do not show a figure without

previously discussing it or referencing it). The figure title should accurately explain what is shown

in the figure.


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Figure 1 Change in Temperature due to increasing air velocity, for Test Case 1

Analysis of Data

Full details, presented as concisely as possible, of calculations based on observed readings should be

given.

The report should therefore not be a record of the actual sequence of calculations performed, but

rather an adequate coverage of the fundamental steps. Intelligent use may be made of an Appendix,

thereby keeping the body of the report to a minimum.

A sample calculation may be included to indicate understanding of the theory. It is very important

that repetitive type calculations should be avoided.

9.8 Discussion

This section involves an assessment of the experimental results and comparison with theoretical

predictions where appropriate. This section allows opportunity for personal expression and writing

style.

An assessment of the significance of the results must be the theme of this section, since having

obtained results it is essential that they be interpreted soundly. It is therefore the duty of the author

to guide the reader towards such a sound interpretation and consequently all significant aspects must

be examined and commented upon. Whilst the reader most certainly desires to know the author’s

opinions, it is nevertheless the responsibility of the author to present his interpretations in a manner

which furnishes the reader with sufficient information to enable him to assess the soundness of the

interpretations, and if necessary formulate others.

A critical analysis of the whole experiment should be made, but without going into excessive detail.

Such statements as “….. the experiment was successful…” are not sufficient. Possible

modifications and/or further work may be suggested. An error analysis (both absolute and statistical)

may be included in this section if not presented earlier.

270

290

310

330

350

370

390

0 1 2 3 4 5

Te

mp

era

ture

(K

)

Air Velocity (ms-1)


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9.9 Conclusions and Future Work

The author should remember that often this is the only section, to which in industry, some readers

refer due to shortage of time. It is therefore extremely important that this section be well written.

The requirement is therefore for a concise statement of the results which were sought and obtained,

and their significance.

The conclusions contain a series of unambiguous statements; each carefully crafted to make a point

and usually presented as a numbered or bulleted list. These statements must correspond closely with

the aims and objectives set out at the beginning of the report. It must therefore contain the answers

to questions which gave rise to the formulation of the aims of the experiment.

Careful reference must therefore be made to the section which specifies the aims of the test.

Recommendations, where appropriable, may be put forward together with the conclusions.

10. Suggested Main Body Section headings for a Design Project

10.1 Introduction

See 8.1

10.2 Literature Review

See 8.2

10.3 Data Collection

This section should contain all primary research undertaken. The methods used to collect data

should be described and justified. The data should be collated and analysed. This maybe facilitated

by the use of graphs or other visual methods of presentation.

10.4 User requirements/Problem analysis/Specification

In this section, the information from the literature review and the data collection should be

summarised into a set of user requirements and a problem analysis. This information will result in a

product specification.

10.5 Concept Development/ Selection

This section should outline the concepts developed and show the evolution of the development of

the design. The selection process whereby the final concept is chosen should be detailed and the use

of this particular method should be justified.

10.6 Evaluation

This section should describe any tests that were undertaken to evaluate the chosen solution. The

methodology of these tests should be described and results given.

10.7 Results

The results of the evaluation should be analysed and the findings should be discussed in relation to

the user requirements, problem analysis and specification.


MABE Department


10.8 Discussion

This section should be an assessment of your results and the methodology used. Comparisons could

be made with existing product/products and the results of this comparison discussed.


See Section 8.9; also add a section of possible future work to improve the design/product.

11. Suggested Main Body Section headings for a Software Development Project

11.1 Introduction

See Section 8.1

11.2 Literature review

Review availability of similar software packages or systems, and identify the requirements for

development or enhancement of new or existing software.

11.3 System Description

This section should contain description of hardware used in the project and how is interacts with

existing software and software under development.

11.4 Software Development

Explain the functioning of the developed software using flowchart or other methods.

The actual code should be included in an Appendix.

11.5 Software Evaluation

This section should describe any tests that were undertaken to evaluate the software. The

methodology of these tests should be described and results given.

11.6 Results

The results of the evaluation should be analysed and the findings should be discussed in relation to

the user requirements, problem analysis and specification.

11.7 Discussion

This section should be a assessment of your results and the methodology used. Comparisons could

be made with existing product(s) and the results of this comparison discussed.


See Section 8.9; also add a section of possible future work to improve the software design.


MABE Department

Version 9, September 2011 A-1

APPENDIX A ORAL PRESENTATION

The oral presentation consists of a 10 minute PowerPoint presentation on work to date, and planned

future work. There will be 5 minutes of questions from your supervisor and a second reader from

the faculty. This second reader will also examine your final year project report. You must bring

your presentation on a memory stick, it should be in the Top Level Folder so that you do not have to

search for the file. Each student should arrive for the presentation before, and stay for the

presentation after, their own.

A few basic tips follow:

Producing slides using Microsoft PowerPoint:

Don’t use small font (18pt or smaller).

Clear font, such as Arial/Helvetica.

Clear layout.

Don’t put the whole story on the slides. Use bullet points and headlines only.

Do not clutter slides.

Ensure consistency of colour and format, or design, throughout the presentation.

If displaying graphs or pictures ensure that the person furthest from the screen will be able to

see them clearly.

If you will be printing black and white transparencies then ensure that all items can still be read,

e.g. lines on graphs, images etc.

If you are showing your Gantt chart, or project plan, you may need to break it up over a number

of slides to ensure that it is legible.

Make sure there are no spelling mistakes or typos!

Presenting:

Rehearse your presentation prior to delivery.

Speak slowly (aim for 100 words per minute).

Use a pointer (such as a pen) on the overhead projector, or a laser pointer on the screen - don’t

stand between the projector and the screen.


MABE Department

Version 9, September 2011 B-1

APPENDIX B REFERENCING

Guidelines for the citation of references in reports and theses

at the University of Limerick

The method of referencing to be used for all Final Year Project reports is the UL Harvard style (also

known as the author-date method). The citation of references and the format of the reference list

must comply with the library guidelines see http://www.ul.ie/referencing/. Cite it Right Second

Edition, see http://www.ul.ie/referencing/Cite_it_Right_Nov_2005.pdf

Comment on the use of page numbers in the citation

Cite it right stipulates that the page number(s) must follow the year in the citation – as shown below.

However, the conventional approach in engineering is to indicate only the year and not the page

number(s) when referring to short documents (e.g. journal and conference papers, newspapers,

engineering reports and so forth). Only when reference is made to a large work (such as a

handbook) is it required that the page number(s) be indicated.

Technical Writing A-Z (Young, 2005)

The citation of references for engineering reports/theses is also described on pages 32–40 and 173–

185 in Technical Writing A–Z (Young, 2005).

Website referencing.

Websites such as Wikipedia (in particular) should not be used as the primary reference source and,

rather than cite Wikipedia, students should go to the original source, if possible. Some material is,

however, only available on the web and thus web references are sometimes unavoidable (e.g.

increasing popularity of web-only journals). If you are unsure as to whether or not a web reference

is valid, discuss with your supervisor. It is important not to use non-archival material that cannot be

retrieved in the identical form that was used by the writer.

Wikipedia: “The site is a wonderful starting point for research. But it’s only a starting point

because there’s always a chance that there’s something wrong …” Jimmy Wales, co-founder of

Wikipedia.

http://www.ul.ie/referencing/

http://www.ul.ie/referencing/Cite_it_Right_Nov_2005.pdf

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Guidelines for the Preparation and Submission of …scieng.ul.ie/uploads/mabe/FYP_guidelines_ver_11...UNIVERSITY LIMERICKof OLLSCOIL LUIMNIGH Department of Mechanical Aeronautical