BMM1711 Introduction to

Engineering
Presentations & Technical
Writing
Ts. Dr. Mohd Razali Hanipah, CEng MIMechE (UK)
mohdrazali@ump.edu.my

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 TOPICS

Course Content Outline CO*

1. Everyday Engineering CO1, CO2, CO3
2. Ethics CO1, CO2, CO3
3. Design & Teamwork CO1, CO2, CO3
4. Presentations & Technical Writing CO1, CO2, CO3
5. Estimation CO1, CO2, CO3
6. Solving Problems CO1, CO2, CO3

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 Presentations

Tips and Techniques

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 Presentation Planning: 5W &
1H
Engineering Communication
• Who is my audience?

• What is my purpose?

• Where is all the equipment I need?

• When am I on the program agenda? Thinking Like an Engineer 2e

• Why am I giving this talk?

• How long should I talk? 4

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 Visual Aids: 4-S formula
• Short Engineering Communication

– Use short sentences

– Avoid too many details
– Do not talk too long

• Simple
– Avoid wordy, lengthy phrases.
Thinking Like an Engineer 2e
• Strength
– Use active voice and action verbs

• Sincere
– Convey empathy, understanding, and respect for the audience 5

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 Presentation Structure

• Introduction Engineering Communication

– What are you going to talk about?

– Why should the audience care?
• Body
– Divide into 2 – 3 main points
Thinking Like an Engineer 2e

• Conclusion
– Summarize main points 6

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Size of Text: Larger is Better!

Size 44 Engineering Communication

Size 40
Size 36
Size 32
Size 28 Thinking Like an Engineer 2e

Size 24
Size 20
Size 18
Size 12
Size 10 7

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 Don’t write in whole
sentences!
– Determine as the balls fall if the distance between them increases, decreases or stays the same.

– Determine as the balls fall if the distance between them increases, decreases or stays the same.

– Determine as the balls fall if the distance between

them increases, decreases or stays the same.

– Determine as the balls fall if the distance

between them increases, decreases or stays the
same.

–Distance increase, decrease, stay

same 8

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 Don’t use annoying colors
Blue on Black
• Yellow on White Engineering Communication

Green on Black
• Light colors on White

Don’t use annoying …or like

backgrounds like this… Thinking Like an Engineer 2e

this
Or distracting animation….like this 9

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 Other thoughts
• Eyes on audience
• Practice!
• No hands in pockets
• Keep feet still • RELAX
• Don’t play with notes
• Don’t read notes

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Technical Writing

Tips and Tricks

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 Writing Hints

• Provide all information requested and answer all

questions

• Stay within the required page limit!

– Reread and cut out any “fluff”

• Use a consistent format in all parts of the paper

– Same type of title, header, spacing, font type and size
• If we ask for certain spacing or font size, use it!!
– Put header information on all pages
– Include headings in bold for easy identification
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 Writing Hints, continued

• Be clear; use precise language. Keep wording

efficient without losing meaning. Avoid using
exaggerated terms.

• Maintain a professional tone. Do not be

emotional or use jokes.

• The finished copy should “flow” smoothly and

carry the reader toward a conclusion. Avoid
extremely long sentences as they may confuse
the reader. 13

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 Writing Hints, continued

• Use mostly past tense verbs. Keep verb

tenses in agreement within a paragraph.

• Define any terms that might be unfamiliar

to the reader, including acronyms and
symbols within equations.

• Present facts or inferences rather than

personal feelings. 14

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Writing Hints, continued
• If a table and/or figure are required Table 1. List of instruments that will be used to test water
quality, and the estimated forces that each will apply
elements, include them! when mounted on a cantilever beam.
Instrument Estimated Force [lbf]
– Forces you to summarize Turbidity Meter 2
Portable Sampler 8
Velocity Flow Meter 7
Nutrient Meter 2
pH Electrode 0.5
• Label all figures and tables.
– Tables are captioned at the top;
figures are captioned at the 2.0.E+07

bottom. Domestic
International

– For figures imbedded in a

Total
1.5.E+07
Trendline

Number of Passengers
document, remove the title. This
will become the basis for your
1.0.E+07

caption. 5.0.E+06

– Refer to them in the text by name

(“…as seen in Figure 1…”)
0.0.E+00
1970 1975 1980 1985
Year
1990 1995 2000 2005
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Figure 1. Analysis of commercial flights (domestic and
international) between 1972 and 2002.

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 Writing Hints, continued
• Watch significant figures
– Keep within orders of magnitude
– Reasonable, and consistent

• Keep the leading zero with a decimal point number, otherwise it looks like a
period in the middle of the sentence.
 The bridge cost .23 dollars per gram.
 The bridge cost 0.23 dollars per gram.

• Use the dollar symbol

 The bridge was four thousand dollars.
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 The bridge was $4,000.

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 Writing Hints, continued

• For numbers, do not spell out in words. Use commas where appropriate.
 The mean was one thousand, fifty-five grams.
 The mean was 1,055 grams.

• Never start a sentence with a number in digit form. If a number is used to start
a sentence, write it out.
 23 points were outliers to the data set.
 Twenty three points were outliers to the data set.

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 Parts to the One-Page
Memo • DISCUSSION:
• INTRODUCTION:
– What and why
– Do not present results or
technical information here
– 3 – 4 sentences maximum
• RESULTS:
– What did you find
– Include up to two items
• 2 tables
• 2 figures,
• 1 table + 1 figure
• Should present unique
information
– Watch formatting when
imbedding!
• If it doesn’t look right, redo
it!
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– What does it mean
– THINK about your results
– Do not use technical jargon
that YOU do not understand
– Must make reference to
tables and figures in Results
section by name
– Be sure to answer all
questions we ask
• SUMMARY:
– Main points
– No new information here!
– Quick overview of
conclusion
– 4 – 5 sentences 18
Parts to the Short Report
• INTRODUCTION: • DISCUSSION:
– What and why
– Do not present results or
technical information here
– 4 – 5 sentences maximum
• PROCEDURE:
– What did you do during testing
and analysis
– ¾ page, bulleted list
• RESULTS:
– What did you find
• SUMMARY:
– Include tables and figures
• Should present unique
information
– Watch formatting when
imbedding!
• If it doesn’t look right, redo it!
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– What does it mean
– One page maximum
– THINK about your results
– Do not use technical jargon
that YOU do not understand
– Must make reference to tables
and figures in Results section
by name
– Be sure to answer all questions
we ask
– Main points
– No new information here!
– Quick overview of conclusion
– 4 – 5 sentences
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 Parts to the Poster
• BACKGROUND: • DISCUSSION:
– Historical work – What does it mean
– Significance of experiment – THINK about your results
– Basic, underlying theory – Do not use technical jargon
– Do not present specific project that YOU do not understand
here – Must make reference to tables
and figures in Results section
by name
• PURPOSE: – Be sure to answer all questions
– What and why we ask
– Address specific project here
– May be bulleted list
• SUMMARY:
– Main points
• RESULTS: – No new information here!
– What did you find – Quick overview of conclusion
– Include tables and figures – 4 – 5 sentences
• Should present unique
information
– Watch formatting when
imbedding! 20
• If it doesn’t look right, redo it!

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 When editing …

• Read it out loud!

– Read what it ACTUALLY says, not what you think it
should say
– Use commas as small pauses, periods and semicolons as
long pauses
– Have someone read it out loud to you

• Read it twice!
– Once for flow
– Once for technical stuff

• Take time to edit!! Don’t turn in sloppy work. 21

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