CIS 466 Reports

Report procedures

Draft versions of reports 1-4

• are due posted on Blackboard Assignment (by one team member) updating the major milestone the report covers
• Prepare, collate, & review report before uploading
• Reports are cumulative throughout quarter, so many portions will be reused in later reports. Some may expand as you go.
• Due dates listed on weekly schedule
• Word version
• Instructor will review report and suggest corrections, etc. Feedback will be posted to Blackboard Assignment, so team can correct report before giving it to the customer.

Final versions of reports

• Team upload revised reports to Blackboard Final Report assignment
• Only give these corrected reports to customer.

Spelling and Grammar

To ensure customer confidence in your work

• Check the reports carefully BEFORE you submit them for review
• In Word 2003, set the grammar and spelling checker to check for more than the default items.
  • Click Tools>Options> & choose Spelling & Grammar Tab
  • Click Check grammar with spelling checkbox.
  • Click Show readability statistics checkbox to see reading level of your work (also if yours is a website, run any web pages through this checker to verify readability)
  • In Writing style dropdown, choose Grammar & Spelling
  • Click Settings button below Writing style dropdown, to set grammar checking options -- choose these options
  • Click Reset All button for the strongest grammar check.
  • Click OK and then click the Check Document button to run the grammar check on your report
  • Be sure all text is gramatically correct
  • Be sure spelling is correct
• In Word 2007, click the Office button
  • Click Word Options, in the lower right portion of the dropdown menu.
  • Click the Proofing choice on the left menu
  • Choose Grammar & Style in the Writing Styles dropdown list.
  • Select all the choices in the checkboxes
• Correct the report before you give it to the instructor and/or the customer
• Have a second person read the report to see if it makes sense.
• Essential: state the project requirements (problems) and solutions clearly.
• All solutions should be related directly to problems
• They should relate directly to the requirements in the requirements matrix
• Think of the Application Development section of the report as being similar to a contract that states how your team sees the problem, and what you propose as the solution to the problem.

What to include in a report

• Include content that shows what you have accomplished. This content is cumulative (keep adding it), but should be up-to-date!
• Document as you go so that you build the report throughout the quarter.
• Include in the report anything that shows where you are in your analysis, design and solution of the problem.
• Beginning with Report 1, include a Requirements Matrix, listing the requirements as you understand them.
  • The requirements matrix to map to your list of the problems and solutions that you have defined in your report
  • Keep updating the requirements matrix as you work your way through the project.
• These items will vary from project to project but must be up-to-date.
  • latest versions of requirements & design documents
  • GUI interface design
  • report design
  • diagrams for project, screen shots, etc.
  • reports on team's accomplishments
  • comparisons of different products or technology solutions, if part of project.

Report Feedback

• Teams will have an appointment time during a class period for feedback on previous meeting & report
• all team members are required to attend their feedback session
• Team members who miss feedback session lose points from the individual part of their grades
• Final, corrected versions of reports 1-4 are due Monday, noon of following week
  • upload one copy (Word or PDF) to Blackboard assignment
  • print one copy and give to customer at next meeting
• Final report must be printed out & inserted in folder with clear covery
  • give one copy to customer (without timecards)
  • give one copy to instructor (with timecards)

Quarter Report Schedule

• Report 0 is an informal report.
  • Team contract, due after 2nd class period
• Report 1
  • due after JAD 1
  • schedule
• Report 2
  • due after JAD 2
  • schedule
• Report 3
  • due after Prototype 1
  • schedule
• Report 4
  • due after Prototype 2
  • schedule
• The final report
  • due after the final presentation
  • schedule
• Submit the reports to the instructor for feedback.

Specifications:

• Write in clear English, short sentences
• Use bullets to make information easier to scan
• Spell and Grammar Check (In Word>Tools>Options tab for grammar & spelling, select Grammar & Spelling in Writing Style dropdown list).

Application Development Section

• This section of the report acts like a contract specifying what you intend to do on the project.
• Be sure to state the requirements clearly so they indicate what your team understands it has to do for the project.
• The requirements matrix should directly reflect what is in the requirements statement.
• Keep your requirements up-to-date.

Report presentation

• Put your reports in a folder with a clear plastic cover
• Build each report on the prior report.