• Course Guidelines
• Log Book Guidelines
• ED1 Proposal Guidelines (pdf)
• ED2 Report Guidelines (pdf)
• ED2 Executive Summary Example (pdf)

Log Book Guidelines

The Engineer's Log Book is intended to serve as a record of new ideas and engineering research and developments whether or not they materialize into commercial usage.

The primary purpose and reason for maintaining a complete log book is so that it will serve as evidence to prove inventorship, establish the date of conception and reduction to practice of an invention, and to show that the inventor has used diligence in advancing his invention to completion. In order that the primary purpose be realized, the following should be complied with:

• Ideas, calculations, experiments, tests, etc., which may have bearing on developments should be entered in the Log Book.

• All entries should be in ink and should include the project work order, objects, problems worked on, possible and actual solutions, tradeoffs considered, calculations made and tests made (including procedures used and results). Avoid characterization of tests as "successful" or "unsuccessful", etc., since the facts will speak for themselves.

• Margins should be maintained in order to provide ease of reproduction.

• Each page should be signed and dated on the day of entry, and used in consecutive order.

• All entries should be periodically and routinely witnessed by at least one witness, preferably two. The witnesses should be persons capable of understanding the entries. The witnesses should endorse each sheet, "read and understood".

• Where tests are made or models are constructed or operated, the witness must have observed what was done, and not merely read the Log Book entry. Preferably, the witness should note on the document, "witnessed tests, read and understood this page".

• Do not leave any pages blank. If a page or part of a page must be left blank, draw a line down through the blank portion.

• Do not tear out any pages.

• Photos, graphs, drawings, etc., should be used liberally. They must be dated and signed by the project advisors. It is preferable that they are inserted in the Log Book and attached (e.g., by staples).

• If a change is made, draw a line through the original entry and add the new material so as to clearly indicate what the change is and why it was made; also note the date when made and who made it. Where possible, make a new entry rather than alter an existing entry.

• When the project is completed, return it to the designated Project Coordinator.

NOTE: Each student within the team must maintain his/her own Log Book. The Log Book should be reviewed and signed every 1-2 weeks by the advisors, or coordinators if advisors are not available. Along with the Log Book, students should maintain their individual Log Sheet which is an executive summary of their Log Books. Students must submit their Log Books at the end of the semester along with the Log Sheet.

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