Things to keep in mind

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Things to keep in mind

• Technical writing is an effort to communicate
  complex ideas.
• Communication is a two-way process it takes
  both a speaker and a listener. With written
  reports, you dont know your listener.
• There are no rules - just experience with what
  has worked for most people in the past.
• There is always room and risk for creativity.

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Written Progress Report

• Review proposal (1 page maximum)
• Progress re original milestones
• Problems encountered
• Solved
• Unsolved
• Changes
• New schedule
• New milestones
• Discussion of non-technical issues (at least one)

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Oral Progress Report
Review proposal Discuss key problems Discuss
changes in milestones and schedule Non-technical
issue(s) at least identify
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Scoring Rubric for Senior Design Projects
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3c. Graduates will be able to design a system,
component or process to meet specified project
requirements by

• Identify specific project objectives based on
  general project and client requirements.
• Exemplary All important project objectives are
  identified.
• Proficient Important objectives are identified
  but one or two minor ones are missing.
• Apprentice Most objectives are identified but at
  least one or two important ones are missing.
• Deficient Most or all important objectives are
  not identified.

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3c. Graduates will be able to design a system,
component or process to meet specified project
requirements by
ii. Gather and use relevant information Exemplary
All relevant information is obtained and used
to support design recommendations. Proficient
Sufficient information is obtained and used to
support design recommendations. Apprentice Some
information is obtained but more is needed to
support design recommendations. Deficient No
significant background information is gathered.
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3c. Graduates will be able to design a system,
component or process to meet specified project
requirements by
iii. Generate and analyze alternatives by
synthesizing and applying approriate engineering
knowledge. Exemplary Three or more alternative
are considered and each is correctly analyzed for
technical feasibility. Proficient At least
three alternatives are considered analysis
complete but contains minor procedural
errors. Apprentice At least two alternatives
are considered analysis contains minor
conceptual and/or procedural errors. Deficient
Only one solution is recommended analysis does
not apply all relevant engineering knowledge.
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3c. Graduates will be able to design a system,
component or process to meet specified project
requirements by
iv. Consider all relevant constraints (economic
environmental manufacturability ethical, health
and safety social/political). Exemplary All
relevant issues included and computations are
appropriate. Proficient Important issues
correctly included minor ones may have been
ignored Apprentice One or more important
considerations ignored. Deficient Most if not
all economic considerations ignored and/or
computations flawed.
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Zingers in the IEEE Code of Ethics
1. to accept responsibility in making
engineering decisions consistent with the safety,
health and welfare of the public, and to disclose
promptly factors that might endanger the public
or the environment 2. to avoid real or
perceived conflicts of interest whenever
possible, and to disclose them to affected
parties when they do exist 3. to be honest and
realistic in stating claims or estimates based on
available data 4. to reject bribery in all its
forms 5. to improve the understanding of
technology, appropriate application, and
potential consequences 6. to maintain and
improve our technical competence and to undertake
technological tasks for others only if qualified
by training or experience, or after full
disclosure of pertinent limitations 7. to
seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of
technical work, to acknowledge and correct
errors, and to credit properly the contributions
of others 8. to treat fairly all persons
regardless of such factors as race, religion,
gender, disability, age, or national origin 9.
to avoid injuring others, their property,
reputation, or employment by false or malicious
action 10. to assist colleagues and co-workers
in their professional development and to support
them in following this code of ethics.
Approved by the IEEE Board of Directors,
August 1990
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Examples of Ethical Issues
Shiley artificial heart valve defect
(1980) Effort to avoid recall of flawed design
by suppressing reports of failures. Challenger
shuttle failure (1986) Management pressures
forced launching in cold weather in which
behavior of o-rings was suspect. Ashland Oil
Spill (1988) Reuse of storage tank with a flaw
led to oil spill on the Monogahela
River. Kilbuck Township landslide (2006) Attempt
to enlarge parking lot led to slope being too
steep and falling onto Rt. 65. RFID privacy
concerns (2006) Westinghouse decided not to use
RFID name tags for guests because of concerns
about mis-identification and security of personal
information.
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Stakeholder Analysis
Government
Customers
Employees
Media
Environmental and Consumer Groups
The Firm
Suppliers
Communities
Financial Analysts
Nonprofit Organizations
Financial Institutions
Competitors
Owners
From Engineering Ethics Concepts and Cases, C.E.
Harris, M.S. Pritchard, M.J. Rabins, Wadsworth
Publishing Co., Belmont, NY.
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3c. Graduates will be able to design a system,
component or process to meet specified project
requirements by
v. Choose the best solution based on technical
and economic criteria and considering relevant
constraints Exemplary Best solution is
recommended based on stated criteria and
constraints. Proficient Reasonable solution is
recommended other alternatives should have been
developed and analyzed. Apprentice
Satisfactory solution is recommended better
solutions were available and should have been
considered. Deficient Only one solution
considered better solutions were available most
constraints ignored.
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Ball-park figuring

• Purpose
• Provide order of magnitude estimate
• Identify data needed for estimate
• Make assumptions used explicit
• Some uses
• Estimate market size
• Estimate potential savings or advantages
• Money
• Resources
• Time
• First pass at manufacturing costs
• Estimate environmental impacts

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Number of barbers in the U.S.

• Number of haircuts in the United States
• Population 300,000,000 (150,000,000 men)
• Roughly 1 haircut every 2 months (6/year)
• Total of 900,000,000 haircuts per year
• Number of haircuts per barber
• Haircut takes about 15 minutes
• Barbers work about 6 hours per day or about 25
  haircuts/day
• Each barber cuts 25 x 250 6000 haircuts per
  year
• 900,000,000 / 6000 150,000 barbers

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Number of barbers in the U.S.

• Number of haircuts in the United States
• Population 300,000,000 (150,000,000 men)
• Roughly 1 haircut every 2 months (6/year)
• Total of 900,000,000 haircuts per year
• Number of haircuts per barber
• Haircut takes about 15 minutes
• Barbers work about 6 hours per day or about 25
  haircuts/day
• Each barber cuts 25 x 250 6000 haircuts per
  year
• 900,000,000 / 6000 150,000 barbers

BLS gives barbers, cosmetologists, and other
personal appearance workers held about 790,000
jobs in 2004.
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3.b. an ability to design and conduct
experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret
data
i. Experimentation (if applicable) Exemplary
Experiment well-designed to obtain needed
information conducted and documented in a
professional manner. Proficient Well designed
experiment with minor exceptions conducted and
documented professionally Apprentice Design
adequate, but not outstanding lacked some
control information reliable, but not
definitive. Deficient Poor design information
obtained of little value.
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3.b. an ability to design and conduct
experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret
data
ii. Data analysis Exemplary Appropriate
statistical analysis performed proper
assumptions made results correctly interpreted.
Proficient Appropriate analysis and
interpretation with a few minor exceptions.
Apprentice Analysis and/or interpretation
contain a few serious flaws. Deficient
Analysis and resultant interpretation seriously
flawed or non-existent.