writing ENG report

Report Format :

12-pt font (14-pt for headings and sub-headings); Times New Roman; single space; 1-inch side margins, 1.5-inch top and bottom margins; ~ 10 pages long, not including title page, table of contents, or appendices; Appendices/Exhibits should include such things as maps, sketches, other relevant graphics or data that help present your report.

Title Page – along with a descriptive title, this should include all of your information, your company name, date, anything else critical

Table of Contents – yes, include this. Not just section page numbers, but Appendix Information.

Letter of Transmission – for your purposes, this is an interoffice memo to your boss; please DO look up appropriate Memo format.

Appendices – all maps, sketches, data tables, photos, etc., go into the Appendices.

Your employer, Forensic Engineering Services, has been asked by a client, Odem Marine Insurance Co., to evaluate providing liability and loss insurance to Global Marine Services, a provider of oil field drilling equipment and services. The insurance company has concerns regarding Global Marine’s liability in the sinking of its drillship the GloMar JavaSea in 1983. The two main sources of information (are there others?) for this evaluation will be the two reports put out after the accident, one by the U.S. Coast Guard, and the other by the National Transportation Safety Board. These two reports differ in their conclusions and recommendations. It is your job to thoroughly review these reports, assess their separate conclusions and recommendations, and make a recommendation as to whether Global Marine Services is a good bet for insuring, based on their liability in the JavaSea accident.

Grading Rubric

Format/Grammar/Spelling – 25

You will lose significant points here if you do not follow format. This is basic, expected of professionals, and is grounds for rejection of proposals, reports, and other deliverables. Spelling and grammar should not be an issue because the software provides this service. If you need more help than that, please consult with available writing and learning assistance centers on campus. If you wait until next week to begin, you may not have time to take advantage of those services.

Content - 25

Analysis – 25

For Content and Analysis, we have been going over the Java Sea story for the last three weeks. The only reason that you would have for not doing well on these two sections is if you have not been staying up with the reading. This would is indicated by low grades on the quizzes. We will be looking especially critically at reports from those with low quiz grades. You will lose significant points if you do not adequately address Content and Analysis.

Appendices – 10

This is where all of your exhibits go, maps, pictures, sketches, anything that helps tell the story. Be smart and let the exhibits help drive your narrative. Or don’t.

Citations – 5

At a minimum, this includes the Coast Guard and NTSB reports. Cite these using IEEE format. We will go over this format in class.

Professionalism – 10

Does the report look professional? Have you followed all the guidelines? Will your boss have to spend significant time to correct your work? Do you care what it looks like and whether it is accepted as is?