Kwame Nkrumah University of

Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

GED 457: PROJECT I

Ing. Prof. E. K. Appiah-Adjei

Department of Geological Engineering
Faculty of Civil and Geo-Engineering
College of Engineering
KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
 GED 457: PROJECT I
 Components: Project Work + Report Writing

 Lecture: Report Writing (30%)

08.00 – 09.55 @ BKB 303 (Thursday)

 Practical: Project Work (70%)

12.00 – 16.55 (Friday)

 Credits: 3

 Email: ekappiah-adjei.soe@knust.edu.gh
 Office Room 11 in Bamfo-Kwakye Building
 Assistant:
www.knust.edu.gh

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 GED 457: PROJECT I
 Project Work = Research Work

 Research is a logical and systematic search for

new and useful information on a subject/problem to
answer a certain question or solve a problem

 Course Objectives:
1. Prepare Research Proposal (Project Synopsis)
2. Undertake Research (Project) Work
3. Write Research (Project) Report
4. Present Research (Project) Work
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 COURSE OUTLINE
1. Reports
2. General Report Writing Principles
3. Synopsis/Proposal Preparation
4. Student Project Report Structure
 Chapter/Section Names and Numbering
 Illustrations in Reports
 References and Documentation

5. Report Presentation, Formatting and Aesthetics

www.knust.edu.gh

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 RECOMMENDED LITERATURE
1. Communication Skills - A Guide for Engineering and Applied
Science Students by Davies, J. W. (2001)
2. Effective Communication for Science and Technology by van
Emeden, J. (2001)
3. Technical Writing and Speaking: An Introduction by van Emden,
J. and Easteal, J. (1996)
4. Pocket Guide to Technical Writing by Pfeiffer, W.S. (1998)
5. Effective Technical Communication by Eisenberg, A. (1992)
6. Other relevant materials can be searched on the web?

 NOTES
• Registration, Attendance, Punctuality, etc.
• Assessment (Assignments, Presentations and Project Progress)
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ekappiahadjei.wordpress.com

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Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

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 REPORTS
 Report is a formal way of communicating specific information of an
event or activity to others or superior(s)
- It is a document that presents information in an organized format
for a specific audience and purpose

 Types of Reports
 Memos
 Proposals
 Field/Laboratory Reports
 Project Reports, Thesis Report, etc.

 Student Project Report

 It is a technical report that communicates the findings of a
project work for assessment and grading
 Technical Report is, mostly, a way to convey findings of research
or experiment as an Engineer or Scientist
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GENERAL REPORT WRITING PRINCIPLES (1/4)
1. The reader is the most important person
- Background of the reader(s) is very important
- Why does the reader(s) need the report?

- What will be the reader’s expected response?

- Knowing the needs of the reader helps to define

appropriate objectives

- Collect all available materials for the report

based on the objectives
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 GENERAL REPORT WRITING PRINCIPLES (2/4)

2. The report must be concisely written

- as short as possible but do not condense at
the expense of understanding

- communicate information with fewest

possible words and illustrations

- the reader is more interested in your

conclusions and supporting evidence!
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 GENERAL REPORT WRITING PRINCIPLES (3/4)

3. Organise the report for convenience of reader(s) or users

- must follow logical sequence and be clear to understand
- must follow approved format or outline
- The general format for most technical reports are:
(a) Title page
(b) Abstract (or Summary)
(c) Acknowledgement
(d) Table of Contents
(e) Introduction
(f) Procedure (Methodology)
(g) Results and Discussion (or Findings)
(i) Conclusions
(j) Recommendations
(k) References 11
 GENERAL REPORT WRITING PRINCIPLES (4/4)

4. All references should be correct in details and should follow

consistent formatting style

5. The right illustrations with right labels should be used

- they must be placed rightly for the reader

6. The report should be checked for errors

- technical, typing and inconsistency errors must be avoided

7. Check report objectivity and accuracy (no plagiarism!)

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 Assignment 1
 Re-write the Field Mapping Exercise report
- The report should have four main sections:
1) Introduction,
2) Field and Laboratory Work,
3) Results and Discussion,
4) Conclusions and Recommendations plus all other
components
- The report should not be more than 15 pages
- Group work; Groups will be available
- Indicate each member’s contribution in the Appendix

 Submit it to ekaa.assignment@gmail.com by close of

10th March, 2023
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 Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

GED 457: PROJECT I

UNIT 2 – Project Synopsis

Ing. Prof. E. K. Appiah-Adjei

Department of Geological Engineering
Faculty of Civil and Geo-Engineering
College of Engineering
KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
 PROJECT SYNOPSIS REPORT GUIDE (1/7)

1. Title Page
- KNUST, CoE and Geological Engineering Department
- State Report Type (e.g., Synopsis Report, etc.)

- Topic of the Proposed Project (e.g., Potential heavy

metal pollution of soils in Suame and environs)
- Your Name(s) and Index Number(s)
- Supervisor
- Report Date (usually month and year)

2. Table of Contents
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 PROJECT SYNOPSIS REPORT GUIDE (2/7)
3. Introduction
- Brief background to introduce the project
- Possibly define the topic for clarity on the project

- State the problem that the project seeks to tackle

- Justification for the project:

(a) What is the significance of the project?
(b) What problem(s) would the project solve/address?
(c) General and specific benefits of the project
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 PROJECT SYNOPSIS REPORT GUIDE (3/7)
4. Purpose and Specific Objectives
- State the purpose or goal of the project
- State specific objectives; these should be measurable

Sample:
(a) Purpose:
• To evaluate concentrations of heavy metals in the soils at Suame
and its environs.

(b) Specific Objectives:

1. Determine heavy metal concentrations in the soils at depth.
2. Establish spatial distribution of heavy metals in the soils.
3. Determine some hydraulic properties of the soils in the area.
4. Assess heavy metal pollution of the soils. 17
 PROJECT SYNOPSIS REPORT GUIDE (4/7)

5. Methodology
- How will the work (or project) be executed?

- How do you intend to carry out the project?

- Indicate the steps that would be taken to achieve
each of the specific objectives

- How will data from the project be analysed?

- The methods should make duplication of work for

verification or application in other places possible

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 PROJECT SYNOPSIS REPORT GUIDE (5/7)

6. Resources for the Study

- Available facilities, libraries, equipment, laboratories
and software among other resources for the work

7. Plan of Work or Schedule

- It is a detailed schedule of activities and when each
would be completed
- The plan should follow a logical sequence

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Plan of work or schedule (6/7)
2017 2018
SN. Activity
October November December January February March
1 Literature review
Synopsis
Preparation
2 Mapping/Sampling
3 In-situ tests
3 Laboratory work
Results and
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analyses
7 Draft report
8 Final report

8. Budget?
- Costing of all project activities

9. References
- This should be in a standard format
- There should be consistency in the style used 20
 (7/7)
Assignment 2

Prepare a synopsis report of your proposed project

work for submission by close of 17th February, 2022 to
ekaa.assignment@gmail.com

NB:
• Not more than 5 pages for the main content
• Not more than 3 students in a group for a project!

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