The impact of a written report on a reader depends not only on its content but also on its format, style, and level of errors. The most brilliant ideas can be obscured by poor writing because it projects to the reader an image of the writer that is less than flattering. While there are many accepted variations in the style and format of technical reports, there are some general guidelines that should be followed. This paper summarizes some important points and emphasizes policies that will be followed in grading laboratory reports for Electronics Design Lab.
Outright mistakes are to be avoided at all costs.
A reader can become skeptical about the scientific validity of a paper whose author evidently does not understand high school English or does not take the time to proofread the paper. All spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors are to be avoided. All spelling, grammar, punctuation, and usage errors will be corrected. Excessive numbers of such errors will result in deduction of points. However, technical reports usually describe work done by an individual or a small group, and are directed to a small audience.