Assessment Criteria for Feasibility Final Report
Presentation and Submission of a Visual PowerPoint Presentation introducing your selected subject heading for the Feasibility Project Report directly to the staff in class (Unit 3A, T5.03), 9.00am 13th October 2015, electronic copy only
Feasibility Project Report (45%) and PowerPoint/Viva (10%) Deadline 26th November 2015
The final written report is the culmination of your research, investigations and recommendations, it should conclude with a suitable Design/Engineering Product Project Brief and PDS which will be carried out in the next stage of the Project unit. It will be read by at least one lecturer that is unfamiliar with your work so it must communicate all-important aspects of the entire project. The report can include photos, diagrams, and flow charts, quotes to support your investigations and conclusions but remember it all needs to be clearly and correctly referenced.
The report should not be written in the first person, that is, it should not state ‘I found that….’,
rather ‘The research showed that…..’
• There is a strict length limit of 50 PAGES (including Appendices but not including the Preliminary Report/)
• Print at font size 12pt, using a typical font type and 1.5x line spacing
•One permanently bound hard copies must be submitted and an electronic version.
• Make regular and multiple back-ups as you write – disc crashes, lost memory sticks etc are not valid mitigating circumstances.
• The technical information within your report counts towards the project mark.
• Presentation of the report counts towards the project mark.
The layout and organization of each individual report will differ slightly, but most reports are likely to follow this basic format:
1. TITLE PAGE
2. SUMMARY (Not exceeding 200 words)
3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
4. TABLE OF CONTENTS
5. NOMENCLATURE (list/explanation of specialist terms and words used with the report)
6. INTRODUCTION (draws upon the Subject Introduction Presentation & Literature Survey and states the aims and objectives of the project and, if necessary, how they have evolved)
7. BACKGROUND (including updated Literature Survey)
8. MAIN BODY OF THE REPORT
8.1
You need to put forward the subject area that the report and major project will explore. Clear research, investigation and analysis needs to be undertaken to establish project routes and justification.
The following headings need to be addressed in relation to your selected subject area;
i) Social and cultural
ii) Fitness for purpose
iii) Ergonomics
iv) The market
The emphasis of the above areas will vary depending upon your chosen subject area but each need to be extensively researched to enable you to understand and therefore justify your selected subject area. A series of case studies could be used to help illustrate and support your understanding of the key issues within this stage.
9. DISCUSSION (a critical analysis of the obtained findings and conclusions)
9.1
From your research and investigations within 8.1 a series of directions and proposals need to be identified and justified; these should act as a focus to the project report. You should discuss how these points have developed e.g. the introduction of new technologies, social changes or user requirements.
9.2
Once the problem / product, conclusions and focus have been identified through your research, the parameters need to be established and detailed.
10. CONCLUSIONS (including assessment of the research, findings and recommendations against the original aims and objectives)
10.1
A clearly established Design/Engineering Project brief and focused direction, with supporting justification should have developed through the feasibility report. This stage will discuss the Design/Engineering Project brief and PDS and which act as a starting point to the product development stage,
10.2
You are to clearly indicate your project and product assessment criteria (points and areas to be addressed).
11.0 A plan of activities for the entire duration of the Design and Development stage of your concept stage (27th November-19th February 2016 stage only) with target dates for completion of the various phases. It is recommended that a Gantt chart is used.
11.1 SUGGESTED FURTHER WORK which will form your design and development stage therefore a plan of activities for the entire duration of the stage with target dates for completion of the various phases. It is recommended that a Gantt chart be used.
12.BIBILOGRAHY/REFERENCES (Numbered and referenced in the main body of the report and presented fully; i.e. Author(s), Date, Title, Journal, Volume, Issue No., Publisher Page numbers)
13.APPENDICES (must include Preliminary Report & Literature Survey and Weekly Record Sheet)
It is important that you Remember the Feasibility Report should be a factual document with clear aims and objectives and through the report they should have been addressed resulting in a clear direction and conclusion/recommendations which will be progressed through the next stage of your final year by means of a design and make project.
The Report should enable you to get over your findings and recommendations which you would have established through your extensive research and newly acquired knowledge resulting in you becoming a pocket specialist of your selected subject area. and therefore enable any reader of the report a comprehensive insight to your subject area and recommendations for project headings.
There are many textbooks that may also be useful (e.g. a handbook of writing for engineers, Joan van Emden, Macmillan, 1998). However, one or two points are repeated here as a reminder.
Make an outline of your final report in the form of a list of chapter headings and main subsections before doing any detailed writing. Discuss this outline with your supervisor (but note that supervisors do not proof read the report – this is your job). Do not clutter the main body of your report with detailed calculations or lists of readings, etc. Keep the main report flowing and relegate material of this nature to an appendix. Try to include some in-depth analysis of your research/findings – it should not be just a written account of what you have done. Number your pages consecutively.
Always check grammar and spelling and do not use slang or texting-style abbreviations. Number your diagrams in a logical order and refer to figure numbers in the text.
Use proper referencing for all work that is not your own.
Assessment Criteria for Final Report
1) Information & Research (15%)
2) Technical principles (15%)
3) Analysis of chosen Subject (20%)
4) Reflection and Application (35%)
5) Project Management of Report/Report Presentation/Planning of next stage (15%)
- Identification and communication of a suitable subject area for further investigation via the Feasibility Report (25%)
- Structure, organization and visual presentation (20%)
- Clear and well defined Aims and Objectives (25%)
- Planning for next stage (Feasibility Report only) (15%)
- Research and referencing (15%)
Presentation and Submission of a Visual PowerPoint Presentation introducing your selected subject heading for the Feasibility Project Report directly to the staff in class (Unit 3A, T5.03), 9.00am 13th October 2015, electronic copy only
Feasibility Project Report (45%) and PowerPoint/Viva (10%) Deadline 26th November 2015
The final written report is the culmination of your research, investigations and recommendations, it should conclude with a suitable Design/Engineering Product Project Brief and PDS which will be carried out in the next stage of the Project unit. It will be read by at least one lecturer that is unfamiliar with your work so it must communicate all-important aspects of the entire project. The report can include photos, diagrams, and flow charts, quotes to support your investigations and conclusions but remember it all needs to be clearly and correctly referenced.
The report should not be written in the first person, that is, it should not state ‘I found that….’,
rather ‘The research showed that…..’
• There is a strict length limit of 50 PAGES (including Appendices but not including the Preliminary Report/)
• Print at font size 12pt, using a typical font type and 1.5x line spacing
•One permanently bound hard copies must be submitted and an electronic version.
• Make regular and multiple back-ups as you write – disc crashes, lost memory sticks etc are not valid mitigating circumstances.
• The technical information within your report counts towards the project mark.
• Presentation of the report counts towards the project mark.
The layout and organization of each individual report will differ slightly, but most reports are likely to follow this basic format:
1. TITLE PAGE
2. SUMMARY (Not exceeding 200 words)
3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
4. TABLE OF CONTENTS
5. NOMENCLATURE (list/explanation of specialist terms and words used with the report)
6. INTRODUCTION (draws upon the Subject Introduction Presentation & Literature Survey and states the aims and objectives of the project and, if necessary, how they have evolved)
7. BACKGROUND (including updated Literature Survey)
8. MAIN BODY OF THE REPORT
8.1
You need to put forward the subject area that the report and major project will explore. Clear research, investigation and analysis needs to be undertaken to establish project routes and justification.
The following headings need to be addressed in relation to your selected subject area;
i) Social and cultural
ii) Fitness for purpose
iii) Ergonomics
iv) The market
The emphasis of the above areas will vary depending upon your chosen subject area but each need to be extensively researched to enable you to understand and therefore justify your selected subject area. A series of case studies could be used to help illustrate and support your understanding of the key issues within this stage.
9. DISCUSSION (a critical analysis of the obtained findings and conclusions)
9.1
From your research and investigations within 8.1 a series of directions and proposals need to be identified and justified; these should act as a focus to the project report. You should discuss how these points have developed e.g. the introduction of new technologies, social changes or user requirements.
9.2
Once the problem / product, conclusions and focus have been identified through your research, the parameters need to be established and detailed.
10. CONCLUSIONS (including assessment of the research, findings and recommendations against the original aims and objectives)
10.1
A clearly established Design/Engineering Project brief and focused direction, with supporting justification should have developed through the feasibility report. This stage will discuss the Design/Engineering Project brief and PDS and which act as a starting point to the product development stage,
10.2
You are to clearly indicate your project and product assessment criteria (points and areas to be addressed).
11.0 A plan of activities for the entire duration of the Design and Development stage of your concept stage (27th November-19th February 2016 stage only) with target dates for completion of the various phases. It is recommended that a Gantt chart is used.
11.1 SUGGESTED FURTHER WORK which will form your design and development stage therefore a plan of activities for the entire duration of the stage with target dates for completion of the various phases. It is recommended that a Gantt chart be used.
12.BIBILOGRAHY/REFERENCES (Numbered and referenced in the main body of the report and presented fully; i.e. Author(s), Date, Title, Journal, Volume, Issue No., Publisher Page numbers)
13.APPENDICES (must include Preliminary Report & Literature Survey and Weekly Record Sheet)
It is important that you Remember the Feasibility Report should be a factual document with clear aims and objectives and through the report they should have been addressed resulting in a clear direction and conclusion/recommendations which will be progressed through the next stage of your final year by means of a design and make project.
The Report should enable you to get over your findings and recommendations which you would have established through your extensive research and newly acquired knowledge resulting in you becoming a pocket specialist of your selected subject area. and therefore enable any reader of the report a comprehensive insight to your subject area and recommendations for project headings.
There are many textbooks that may also be useful (e.g. a handbook of writing for engineers, Joan van Emden, Macmillan, 1998). However, one or two points are repeated here as a reminder.
Make an outline of your final report in the form of a list of chapter headings and main subsections before doing any detailed writing. Discuss this outline with your supervisor (but note that supervisors do not proof read the report – this is your job). Do not clutter the main body of your report with detailed calculations or lists of readings, etc. Keep the main report flowing and relegate material of this nature to an appendix. Try to include some in-depth analysis of your research/findings – it should not be just a written account of what you have done. Number your pages consecutively.
Always check grammar and spelling and do not use slang or texting-style abbreviations. Number your diagrams in a logical order and refer to figure numbers in the text.
Use proper referencing for all work that is not your own.
Assessment Criteria for Final Report
1) Information & Research (15%)
2) Technical principles (15%)
3) Analysis of chosen Subject (20%)
4) Reflection and Application (35%)
5) Project Management of Report/Report Presentation/Planning of next stage (15%)