Referencing and Technical Report Writing 

Contents:

Technical Report Writing

Plagiarism

Selecting a Reference Style

Links

Technical Report Writing

The ability to communicate technical information, both verbally and in writing, to a wide variety of people is one of the most important skills that engineering students need both for their university study and for their careers as effective professionals in the future.

Here are some useful guidelines for engineering and science students on technical report writing.

• Guide to technical report writing - University of Sussex website
• Guide to laboratory report writing - University of Sussex website
• Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Whitesides' Group: Writing a Paper by George M. Whitesides

Books on Writing for Science and Engineering:

• Writing for science : a practical handbook for science, engineering and technology students / Heather Silyn-Roberts
• Writing for science and engineering : papers, presentations and reports / Heather Silyn-Roberts

Plagiarism

What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is the act of copying or borrowing the work or ideas of another person without acknowledgement. To avoid plagiarism, it is important that you correctly acknowledge all sources used to obtain information by indicating the original author(s) as well as the specific location of the facts, arguments and quotations as you prepare your essay.   A bibliography or list of references is an alphabetical listing of all sources (printed and electronic) from which information has been taken either directly (by literal quotation) or indirectly (by paraphrase).  You can get web definitions of Plagiarism  from the link here.

The University takes a serious view of plagiarism. You can click on the link here to get  more information about Academic Honesty and Plagiarism  in the University. Even when you are not intending to copy, it is clear that submitting someone else's work or ideas is not evidence of your own grasp of the material and cannot earn you marks.  The penalties for plagiarism can extend to imposing an overall coursework grade of zero.

Turnitin: Turnitin.com is an electronic plagiarism detection service that is used by many universities world-wide.

Selecting a Reference Style

What is a reference or referencing? Referencing is acknowledging the source of information or ideas you have employed in your writing. What requires referencing? Click on the link here to get information from the website of University of Auckland Student Learning Centre .

Click on the referencing style you want to find out about.  Remember these are intended only as a guide and you should always use the referencing style your lecturer recommends. Once you have selected a referencing style you must follow the same style consistently.

• UoA Engineering Numbered Style   
• Harvard  
• Chicago
• AIP Style - Monash University Library website
• IEEE Style - Monash University Library website
• Reference styles used at the University of Auckland

Visit the Student Learning Centre's comprehensive site to find out more about referencing! ReferenŠite .

Links