Nanoelectronics

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Appendix I: General Comments on

Project Execution

All projects require denition on the part of the executor so that the prob-

lem statement is clear and crisp. This could be done in an introduction

section. This denition is the rst step toward an oft-stated paradigm:

“say what you are going to do, do it, and nally say what you have done.”

The rst component (say what you are going to do) makes a good introduc-

tion with relevant facts stated and orients the reader to the problem to be

solved. The second component (do it) can be broken down into subtasks

with each subtask given a section, pasting graphics (gures) at appropriate

places, and discussing the results with callouts for gures and equations,

properly numbered and gures captioned. A good discussion involves the

constraints under which output has been acquired, approximations that

have been made, and the outcomes with their clear and conspicuous inter-

pretations. The third component (say what you have done) is tying things

together with outcomes emphasized and perhaps a sentence or two about

how the outcomes can be further extended for applications. A good abstract

(normally 100–200 words) captures the interest of the readers and compels

them to read further. Even though the abstract appears rst in any paper,

it is written last. An iterative process can be designed to capture the mind

in an abstract before writing the paper, complete the paper, and revisits

the abstract for identication that it does capture the reader’s attention.

A descriptive abstract orients the reader to what is contained in the paper

without stating the outcomes. This is appropriate for a paper in social sci-

ences and humanities. However, in engineering, physical, and biological

sciences, it is essential that the abstract is informative, stating not only the

methodology followed, but also the major outcomes obtained and their

possible extension for future exploration.

The best is to look at some of the sample papers to capture the essence of

the organization of a project report. The papers normally do not have a cover

sheet, but project reports normally have a cover sheet and table of contents.

It is hybrid of the book format and a paper format.

The derivations are avoided in a formal report. Where applicable, the refer-

ences are given to published sources. However, the meaning and signicance

of all symbols is always stated. Web of Science or Web of Knowledge do pro-

vide opportunities to an End Note environment existing on your computer

or on the web. End Note and Math Type equation editor are embedded in

MS Word menu bar and are easily called in when needed. The major advan-

tage of End Note is that references are automatically formatted at the end

of the paper. Most academic organizations subscribe to the Web of Science.