USE TEMPLATES!

USE REPORT WRITING STYLE!

You should write your projects using report writing style. This is a style that allows you to keep the amount of writing down and allows a reader to quickly skim-read the report and find what they want. There are no universal rules about what this style is but if you follow the rules below and note any additional comments from your teachers and from the Internet, your project will look fabulous. The key is consistency throughput your work, and the key to consistency is the use of templates.

Always spend the time setting up templates for a project, before you begin work. If you don't know how to set one up or why you should bother, then find out before you begin. It's important!

1. Every section should have a section heading.
   
   
2. Every paragraph or sub-section should have a sub-heading.
   
   
3. Use a formal font and style for the headings and body text e.g. Arial size 12 for headings (bold and underlined), Arial size 10 (bold) for sub-headings and Arial size 10 for normal text. Do not use a mixture of fonts and styles - your report will end up looking a mess.
   
   
4. Do not use colour unless there is a very clear reason for using it e.g. to help clarify a diagram, and then do not use more than 3 colours ever. Avoid colour printouts. It is a waste of ink and will not get you any more marks. This is a formal (boring-looking and professional-looking) report you are doing!
   
   
5. Decide at the beginning of your project what font and style you will use for the headings, sub-headings and body text and then use them always, for every page in the report. Always use templates!
   
   
6. Every sub-section should be separated from the next sub-heading by a line space.
   
   
7. Never indent the first line of a new paragraph or sentence. You do not do this in reports although you do for many other styles of writing. The only things that should be indented are lists.
   
   
8. DO NOT WRITE IN PARAGRAPHS. Get into the habit of writing a sub-section heading, followed by one or two sentences and then an indented list. If your report ends up as 50 pages of lists and just 1 or 2 paragraphs then you have done the right thing!
   
   
9. Every diagram must have a heading underneath it that says "Here is a diagram of ... It shows you ...."
   
   
10. Sentences should not exceed 25 words. If they do, split them into two sentences.
    
    
11. Do not use jargon. If you do, then you should explain the term, possibly by referring the reader to a Glossary.
    
    
12. Separate major sections of your report. Have a page that says e.g. SECTION C - SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING and nothing else.
    
    
13. For this A Level project, don't use an Appendix. Put any information you collect in the main report.
    
    
14. Make sure you can hole-punch neatly. If you can't hole-punch pages so that they all line up, ask your teacher to show you how!!!
    
    
15. Hole punch landscape pages the correct way around. Landscaped pages should be hole-punched so that they face out from the spine of the report, not so that they face into the spine.
    
    
16. Presentation and clear organisation are extremely important at this level. Spell-check everything. Get everything proof-read by a competent adult.

USE TEMPLATES!

USE REPORT WRITING STYLE!