Topic outline

  • The reports should preferably be written in English, but Finnish and Swedish are also accepted.

    The reports should:

    • Show that the student is familiar with the subject
    • Explain and evaluate the results; and
    • Improve the students’ skills in writing scientific reports.

    The instructor will give specific requirements that depend on the type of the work and on the expectations. A proper length for a special assignment is between 10 and 20 pages without appendixes.

    The text should be objective and linguistically correct. The report should be clear, consistent in structure, and congruent and correct with the use of terminology. The report should also have a clear layout as it deals with figures, tables, equations and references. If necessary, consult a proper writing guide, e.g.:

    • Kerttu Tirronen, Teknisen kirjoituksen laatiminen – 4th ed. Suomen teknillinen seura; Teknillisten tieteiden akatemia, Helsinki, 1987.
    • Ilkka Kauranen, Mikko Mustakallio, Virpi Palmgren, Tutkimusraportin kirjoittamisen opas opinnäytetyön tekijöille – 2. ed. 2007 Teknillinen korkeakoulu, Espoo, 2006.
    • Att skriva rapport: råd och anvisningar för utformning av forskningsrapporter, Statens tekniska forskningsråd, Stockholm, 1965.
    • Robert A. Day, Barbara Gastel, How to write and publish a scientific paper – 6th ed. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, 2006.
    • Rowena Murray, How to write a thesis – 2nd ed Open University Press, Maidenhead, 2006 (Available through TKK-Ebrary)

    Formal Issues

    The cover page of the special assignment should look like the models.

    The report should have an abstract page, written in the same language as the report, according to the models.

    Additional abstracts in other languages may be included.

    It is recommended to include a preface, where the practical background and process of the work is briefly described (how did you obtain the assignment, where was the work done, what were the main facilities used, who is the target audience of the report, how did other persons/companies/institutions assist in the work, and acknowledgements to them). End the preface with your name, place name, and time of writing. Preface is required if the report is planned to be published, e.g. in Aaltodoc archive.

    Templates for the cover page and abstract page are available as Word documents in English, Finnish, and Swedish in -- Forms and documents.