Z39-18-1995

ANSI/NISO Z39.18-1995 ISSN: 1041-5653 (Revision of ANSI Z39.18-1987)

Scientific and TechnicalReports Elements,

Organization, and Design

Abstract: To facilitate information retrieval, the elements, organization, anddesign of scientific and technical reports are outlined. Guidance in organizingthe required and optional elements of the three major sections (front matter,text, and back matter) is provided. The standard establishes guidelines for theuniform presentation of visual and tabular matter, formatting, and pagina-tion. Additional suggestions for presenting numbers, formulas, equations,symbols, abbreviations, and acronyms are included.

An American National StandardDeveloped by the

National Information Standards OrganizationApproved March 21, 1995 by the

American National Standards Institute

Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A.

Published byNISO PressP.O. Box 1056Bethesda, Maryland 20827

Copyright 1995 by National Information Standards OrganizationAll rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book maybe reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy,recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from thepublisher. All inquiries should be addressed to NISO Press, P.O. Box 1056, Bethesda, Maryland 20827.

Printed in the United States of America

ISSN: 1041-5653 National Information Standards seriesISBN: 1-880124-24-6

This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataNational Information Standards Organization (U.S.) Scientific and technical reports : elements, organization, and design

p. cm. -- (National information standards series, ISSN 1041-5653 ;ANSI/NISO Z39.18-1995) Developed by the National Information Standards Organization, approved March 21,1995 by the American National Standards Institute Includes index. ISBN 1-880124-24-6 1. Technical writing--Standards--United States. I. American National Standards Institute.II. Title. III. Series.T11.N354 1995 95-22240808'.0665--dc20 CIP

Contents

Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................ v

1. General Information .................................................................................................................................. 11.1 Purpose and Scope of Standard ..................................................................................................... 11.2 Definition of Scientific and Technical Reports ............................................................................. 1

2. Referenced Publications ............................................................................................................................ 12.1 American National Standards ........................................................................................................ 12.2 Other Standards ................................................................................................................................ 12.3 Other Publications ............................................................................................................................ 2

3. Elements of Reports ................................................................................................................................... 24. Organization of Reports ............................................................................................................................ 2

4.1 Front Matter ....................................................................................................................................... 24.1.1 Cover ......................................................................................................................................... 24.1.2 Title Page .................................................................................................................................. 2

4.1.2.1 Report Number ....................................................................................................... 44.1.2.2 Title and Subtitle .................................................................................................... 44.1.2.3 Authorship ..............................................................................................................44.1.2.4 Performing and Sponsoring Organizations ....................................................... 4

4.1.3 Notices ...................................................................................................................................... 44.1.4 Report Documentation Page ................................................................................................. 94.1.5 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... 94.1.6 Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... 94.1.7 List(s) of Figures and Tables ................................................................................................ 134.1.8 Foreword ................................................................................................................................ 134.1.9 Preface ..................................................................................................................................... 134.1.10Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................... 13

4.2 Text (Body) Matter .......................................................................................................................... 134.2.1 Summary ................................................................................................................................ 134.2.2 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 144.2.3 Methods, Assumptions, and Procedures .......................................................................... 144.2.4 Results and Discussion ........................................................................................................ 144.2.5 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 144.2.6 Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 144.2.7 References............................................................................................................................... 14

4.3 Back Matter ...................................................................................................................................... 154.3.1 Appendixes ............................................................................................................................ 154.3.2 Bibliography .......................................................................................................................... 154.3.3 List(s) of Symbols, Abbreviations, and Acronyms .......................................................... 164.3.4 Glossary .................................................................................................................................. 164.3.5 Index........................................................................................................................................ 164.3.6 Distribution List .................................................................................................................... 16

5. Design of Reports ..................................................................................................................................... 165.1 Subordination .................................................................................................................................. 165.2 Visual and Tabular Matter ............................................................................................................. 17

5.2.1 Figures .................................................................................................................................... 175.2.2 Tables ....................................................................................................................................... 18

5.3 Page Format ..................................................................................................................................... 185.3.1 Image Area ............................................................................................................................. 185.3.2 Margins ................................................................................................................................... 195.3.3 Line Length ............................................................................................................................ 195.3.4 Typography ............................................................................................................................ 19

ANSI/NISO Z39.18-1995

(continued)


Page iv

5.3.5 Paper and Ink ........................................................................................................................ 195.3.6 Printing Equipment .............................................................................................................. 19

5.4 Pagination ........................................................................................................................................ 195.5 Units and Numbers ........................................................................................................................ 205.6 Formulas and Equations ................................................................................................................ 205.7 Footnotes or Endnotes ................................................................................................................... 215.8 References and Bibliographic Entries .......................................................................................... 215.9 Symbols, Abbreviations, and Acronyms..................................................................................... 215.10 Glossary Entries .............................................................................................................................. 225.11 Index Entries .................................................................................................................................... 225.12 Errata ................................................................................................................................................ 22

APPENDIXESAppendix A. Selected Annotated Bibliography .................................................................................. 23

A1. General .................................................................................................................................... 23A2. Writing, Usage, Style, Grammar, and English Language Dictionaries ........................ 23A3. Style Manuals and Guides ................................................................................................... 24A4. Specialized Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Handbooks ............................................ 26A5. Technical Writing Material .................................................................................................. 27A6. Standards and Symbols ........................................................................................................ 28

A6.1 Standards ...................................................................................................................... 28A6.2 Graphic Symbols ......................................................................................................... 28A6.3 Letter Symbols .............................................................................................................29

A7. Library Reference Material .................................................................................................. 29A8. Graphic Arts ........................................................................................................................... 30

Appendix B Report Documentation Page, Standard Form (SF) 298 andInstructions for Completion. .......................................................................................... 32

INDEX ............................................................................................................................................................... 34

FIGURES AND TABLESFigure 1a: Sample cover, performing and sponsoring organizations are the same ....................... 5Figure 1b: Sample title page, performing and sponsoring organizations are the same ................ 6Figure 2a: Sample cover, performing and sponsoring organizations are different ....................... 7Figure 2b: Sample title page, performing and sponsoring organizations are different ................ 8Figure 3: Sample cover with a notice of restricted distribution .................................................... 10Figure 4: Sample of completed report documentation page ......................................................... 11Figure 5: Sample table of contents page ........................................................................................... 12Figure 6: Use of graphic devices as color substitutes ..................................................................... 18Figure 7: Nomenclature for the parts of a table ............................................................................... 18

Table 1. Report elements ........................................................................................................................ 3

(Contents continued)


Page v

Foreword(This Foreword is not a part of the American National Standard for Scientific and Technical Reports

Elements, Organization, and Design, ANSI/NISO Z39.18-1995. It is included for information only.)

This standard presents guidelines about the ele-ments, organization, and design of scientific andtechnical reports. Its purpose is to foster uniformityin such reports for ease of information retrievalwhile permitting diversity of purpose, scope, andsubject matter. The standard does not provide guid-ance on other typical technical information prod-ucts such as journal articles, proposals, technicalspecifications, or technical and consumer manuals.This publication is a standard rather than a reportand, therefore, does not follow in every particularthe report format prescribed. Moreover, the lan-guage of the standard is couched in the indicativerather than the subjunctive mood (is, not shallor must) which is typically used in standards.

In the development of this standard, CommitteeAH examined existing practices and conventionsfrom a wide variety of organizations, institutions,and associations, as reflected in the annotated bibli-ography (Appendix A). These sources were chosenbecause they represent a variety of report producersand are available to the report-producing public.Where practices varied, committee members re-solved the differences based on their collective expe-riences. Where appropriate, they have recommendedoptions to accommodate the widely varied needs ofreport producers. Because of this variety, not all theelements described are mandatory for a report al-though the placement and sequence of report ele-ments should be consistent. For example, federalagencies use a report documentation page, but manyacademic and industrial report producers do not.The use and placement of report documentationpages are considered optional by the standard toaccommodate local practices, therefore instructionsfor preparing them are given in Appendix B.

The standard provides explicit guidance aboutthe bibliographic data elements that appear on thecovers and title pages (and, if they are used, reportdocumentation pages) of reports if the reports areprinted or presented in image form. Compliancewith these guidelines ensures thorough, consistent,and uniform bibliographic description, and controlof data essential to libraries, abstracting services,and other technical information organizations thatacquire, store, and provide access to informationresources.

The standard also describes the scope of eachsection of a report and offers principles for the

effective communication of textual, visual, and tabu-lar material. The establishment of technical writingstandards is beyond the scope of this standard;however, the standard does provide an extensiveannotated bibliography of books about technicalwriting and language usage and style (AppendixA).

The standard includes basic requirements forpublication formats; the use of figures and tables;and the presentation of numbers and units, formu-las and equations, and symbols, abbreviations, andacronyms. It does not, however, offer specific adviceabout electronic publishing systems that enable us-ers to design and produce reports using a computer,appropriate software, and a laser or laser-qualityprinter. Because report production and reproduc-tion techniques use rapidly changing software prod-ucts that are beyond the scope of this standard, theyare not specified. Most software packages for pageand report production do provide instruction manu-als for users, however. The author(s) or other indi-viduals charged with preparing a report shouldplan to deliver both a paper copy and an electronicversion available on diskette, CD-ROM, or networkservices.

The standard supports the electronic publicationof hard (paper) copy while acknowledging thatreports are also produced, stored, and retrieved inelectronic formats. Paper and electronic documentshave different design constraints, however, that arenot easily reconciled in a single standard. Insofar asit is possible to do so, this standard establishes a defacto document-type definition (DTD), a set of rulesfor establishing the structure of reports, that may beelectronically processed through systems that in-clude document imaging, optical character recogni-tion, compression/decompression, and optical me-dia storage of full text.

Suggestions for improving this standard are wel-come. They should be sent to the National Infor-mation Standards Organization, P.O. Box 1056,Bethesda, MD 20827, telephone (301) 654-2512.

This standard was processed and approved forsubmittal to ANSI by the National Information Stan-dards Organization. NISO approval of this standarddoes not necessarily imply that all Voting Membersvoted for its approval. As the time it approved thisstandard, NISO had the following members:

(continued)


Page vi

NISO Voting Members

American Association of Law LibrariesAndrew Laurence

American Chemical SocietyRobert S. Tannehill, Jr.Leon R. Blauvelt (Alt)

American Library AssociationMyron B. ChaceGlenn Patton (Alt)

American Society for Information ScienceMark H. Needleman

American Society of IndexersPatricia S. KuhrMarie Kascus (Alt)

American Theological Library AssociationMyron B. Chace

Apple Computer, Inc.Janet VratnyRita Brennan (Alt)

Art Libraries Society of North AmericaJulie MellbyPenney DePas (Alt)

Association for Information and Dissemination CentersBruce H. Kiesel

Association for Information and Image ManagementJudy Kilpatrick

Association of Jewish LibrariesBella Hass WeinbergPearl Berger (Alt)

Association of Recorded Sound CollectionsGarrett Bowles

Association of Research LibrariesDuane E. Webster

AT&T Bell LabsM.E. Brennan

Book Manufacturers InstituteStephen P. Snyder

CARL CorporationWard Shaw

Data Research Associates, Inc.Michael J. MellingerJames Michael (Alt)

Dialog Information ServicesRichard BoulderstoneDavid Loy (Alt)

The Faxon CompanyFritz Schwartz

Gaylord Information SystemsRobert RileyBradley McLean (Alt)

Geac Computers, Inc.Simon KendallB.J. Mitchell (Alt)

Indiana Cooperative Library Services AuthorityBarbara Evans MarkusonJanice Cox (Alt)

Joint Medical Library, Department of DefenseDiane ZehnpfennigBeth Knapke (Alt)

Lexis/NexisPeter Ryall

Library Binding InstituteSally Grauer

Library of CongressSally H. McCallumWinston Tabb (Alt)

Medical Library AssociationKatherine HughesCarla J. Funk (Alt)

MINITEXAnita Anker BraninWilliam DeJohn (Alt)

Music Library AssociationLenore CoralGeraldine Ostrove (Alt)

National Agricultural LibraryPamela Q. J. AndreGary K. McCone (Alt)

National Archives and Records AdministrationAlan Calmes

National Federation of Abstracting and InformationServices

John SchneppNational Library of Medicine

Lois Ann Colaianni

NOTIS Systems, Inc.John Kolman

OCLC, Inc.Don Muccino

OHIONETMichael P. ButlerGreg Pronevitz (Alt)

FOREWORD


Page vii

U.S. Department of the Army, HeadquartersLouise Nyce

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standardsand Technology, Office of Information Services

Jeff HarrisonMarietta Nelson (Alt)

U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Technical InformationCenter

Gretchen A. SchlagClaire Tozier (Alt)

U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Scientific and TechnicalInformation

Mary HallNancy Hardin (Alt)

U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information SciencePeter R. Young

VTLS, Inc.Vinod Chachra

West PublishingAndy DesmondForrest Rhoads (Alt)

The H.W. Wilson CompanyGeorge I. LewickyAnn Case (Alt)

PALINETJames E. Rush

P.S.S. Tapestry, Inc.Mary Sue IddingsJanet Pingitore (Alt)

Readmore Academic ServicesSandra J. GurshmanDan Tonkery (Alt)

The Research Libraries Group, Inc.Wayne DavisonKathy Bales (Alt)

R. R. Bowker - U.S. ISBN Maintenance AgencyEmery Koltay

Society of American ArchivistsLynn Lady Bellardo

Society for Technical CommunicationJeff HibbardKevin Burns (Alt)

Special Libraries AssociationMarjorie Hlava

SUNY/OCLC NetworkGlyn T. EvansDavid Forsythe (Alt)

NISO Board of DirectorsAt the time NISO approved this standard, the following individuals served on its Board of Directors:

Michael J. Mellinger, ChairpersonData Research Associates, Inc.

Michael J. McGill, Vice-Chair/Chair-ElectUniversity of Michigan

James E. Rush, Immediate Past ChairpersonPALINET

Joel Baron, TreasurerThe Faxon Company

Patricia R. Harris, Executive DirectorNISO

Directors Representing Libraries

Nolan F. PopeUniversity of Wisconsin - Madison

Clifford LynchUniversity of California

Lennie StovelResearch Libraries Group, Inc.

Directors Representing Information Services

Rebecca LenziniCARL Corporation

John KolmanAmeritech Library Systems

Vinod ChachraVTLS, Inc.

Directors Representing Publishing

Marjorie HlavaAccess Innovations, Inc

Robert C. BadgerSpringer-Verlag, NY

Elizabeth Bole EddisonInmagic, Inc.

FOREWORD


Page viii

FOREWORD

Standards Committee AH

Standards Committee AH on Scientific and Technical Reports Elements, Organization, and Designhad the following members at the time this standard was approved:

Walter RiceNaval Surface Warfare Center

Roland RidgewayNational Aeronautics and Space Administration

Annette D. ReillyMartin Marietta Corporation

Gretchen SchlagDefense Technical Information Center

Thomas L. WarrenOklahoma State University

Thomas E. Pinelli, Chair

NASA Langley Research Center

Rebecca O. BarclayRensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Mary C. HallU.S. Department of Energy

Dorothy McGarryUniversity of California, Los Angeles

Gopalakrishnan NairDefense Technical Information Center

Walter E. OliuU.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Acknowledgements

Standards Committee AH gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the following individuals:Leanna D. Bullock and Elizabeth G. Fedors of the NASA Langley Research Center, Philip C. Murray ofElectronic Information Age, Inc., Joy Italiano, Eloise Johnson, and Lillian Werth.


Page 1

Scientific and Technical Reports Elements,Organization, and Design

1. General Information

1.1 Purpose and Scope of StandardThis standard establishes guidelines for the ele-ments, organization, and design of scientific andtechnical reports. The standard fosters uniformityin such reports, while allowing for diversity ofsubject matter, purpose, and audience. Becausethis publication is a standard rather than a report,it follows the ANSI-approved format for pub-lished standards rather than the prescribed reportformat.

1.2 Definition of Scientific and TechnicalReports

Scientific and technical reports (hereafter re-ferred to as reports) convey the results ofbasic or applied research and support decisionsbased on those results. A report includes theancillary information necessary for interpret-ing, applying, and replicating the results ortechniques of an investigation. The primarypurposes of such a report are to disseminate theresults of scientific and technical research andto recommend action.

A report has a unique, issuer-supplied reportnumber and may have a contract or grant numberand an accession or acquisition number. A reportalso exhibits some or all of the following charac-teristics:

1. Its readership may be limited, its distributionmay be limited or restricted, and its contentsmay include classified, proprietary, or copy-righted information.

2. It may be written for an individual or organiza-tion as a contractual requirement to recount atotal research story, including full discussionsof unsuccessful approaches.

3. It is not usually published or made availablethrough commercial publishing; it is often avail-able through a non-profit governmental entity(for example, the National Technical Informa-tion Service or the Government Printing Of-fice).

2. Referenced Standards

2.1 American National StandardsThis standard is intended for use in conjunctionwith the following American National Standards.When these standards are superseded by a revi-sion approved by the American National Stan-dards Institute, consult the revision.ANSI Z39.4-1984, Basic Criteria for IndexesANSI Z39.14-1979 (R1986), Writing AbstractsANSI/NISO Z39.23-1990, Standard Technical

Report Number (STRN) Format and CreationANSI Z39.29-1977, Bibliographic ReferencesANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992, Permanence of Paper for

Printed Publications and Documents in Librariesand Archives

ANSI/NISO Z39.72-199X, Format for Submissionof Data for Multimedia CD-ROM Mastering(draft standard)

ANSI/IEEE 268-1982 (R1992), Metric PracticeNISO/ANSI/ISO 9660, Volume and File Struc-

ture of CD-ROM for Information ExchangeNISO/ANSI/ISO 12083, Electronic Manuscript

Preparation and Markup

2.2 Other StandardsIn addition to ANSI standards, the following stan-dards provide useful information for preparingreports:ASTM E 380-1991, Standard Practice for Use of the

International System of Units (SI) (The Modern-ized Metric System)

Federal Information Processing Standards Publica-tion 152, 1988, Standard Generalized MarkupLanguage

Federal Information Processing Standards Publi-cation 29-2, Interpretation Procedures forFederal Information Processing Standards forSoftware

ISO 8879:1986, Information ProcessingText andOffice SystemsStandard Generalized MarkupLanguage

ISO 9069:1987, Information ProcessingSGMLSupport FacilitiesSGML Document Inter-change Format (SDIF)


Page 2

ISO 9070:1987, SGML Support FacilitiesRegistration Procedure for Public Text

ISO/IEC 10744:1992, International Standard forHypermedia/Time-Based Structuring Language(HyTime)

ISO/IEC 11172:1993, (MP) International Standardfor Information Technology, Coding of MovingPictures and Associated Audio for DigitalStorage Media

2.3 Other PublicationsThe following publications provide additionaluseful information for preparing reports.The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th ed., Chicago, IL:

University of Chicago Press, 1993.Swanson, Ellen. Mathematics into Type: Copyediting

and Proofreading of Mathematics for Editorial As-sistants and Authors. Rev. ed. Providence, RI:American Mathematical Society, 1979.

U.S. Government Printing Office. Style Manual.Rev. ed. GPO S/N 2100-0068. Washington, DC:U.S. Government Printing Office, 1984.

Weast, Robert C. et al. (eds.). CRC Handbook ofChemistry and Physics: A Ready-Reference Book ofChemical and Physical Data, 71st ed. Boca Raton,FL: CRC Press, 1994.

3. Elements of ReportsA report contains three major sections: front mat-ter, text (also called body), and back matter. Eachsection contains individual elements that varyaccording to the subject matter and length of thereport. Each major division is part of a whole andis consistent with the other major divisions instyle and appearance.

Table 1 presents the appropriate sequence ofthe front matter, text, and back matter. Othertopical headings and subheadings, particularly inthe text (body) of a report, depend on the subjectand scope of the report.

4. Organization of ReportsThis section provides guidance on organizing therequired and optional elements of a report.

4.1 Front MatterFront matter consists of all materials precedingthe text and serves several purposes: to give thereader a general idea of the purpose and scope ofthe report; to provide background about or acontext for the report; and to list where in thereport the reader can find specific chapters, head-ings, figures, and tables. It also provides informa-tion that is needed for cataloging the report for

bibliographic databases. A discussion of the pur-pose and scope of each element of front matterfollows.

4.1.1 CoverAlthough considered an optional element of frontmatter, a cover provides physical protection forthe printed version of a report. A cover identifiesthe report number, the title, the author(s), andany distribution limitations of a report. If classi-fied or proprietary information appears in a re-port, a notice on the cover indicates that suchmaterial is included. The required data elementsof a report cover are:1. Report number2. Report title and subtitle, if one is used3. Title and numbering of series, if the report is

issued in a series4. Author, principal investigator, editor, and/or

compiler5. Publisher (the sponsoring organization that

assumes responsibility for publication of a re-port)

6. Date of publication7. Distribution limitations.

Legal or policy concerns of the sponsoringorganization may require the use of additionaldata elements.

4.1.2 Title PageThe required title page provides informationneeded for the description and bibliographic con-trol of and access to a report. These data are criticalto libraries, abstracting services, and other orga-nizations that acquire, store, and provide accessto information resources. If the performing andsponsoring organizations are different entities,the title page clearly identifies the different re-sponsibilities (that is, performance and sponsor-ship). The information on the cover and title pageis consistent; if an optional report documentationpage is used, the bibliographic data there are alsoconsistent with the information on the cover andtitle page. The required data elements of a titlepage are:1. Report number2. Report title and subtitle, if one is used3. Title and numbering of series, if the report is

issued in a series4. Author, principal investigator, editor, and/or

compiler5. Performing organization (author affiliation)6. Publication data, including place of publication,

publisher (sponsoring organization), and date

REFERENCED PUBLICATIONS


Page 3

Table 1. Report elements

Major Section Required Elements Optional Elements Explanatory Comment

FRONT MATTER Cover protects printed reportTitle Page provides information for descrip-

tion and bibliographic controlNotices used on cover and title page to

call attention to restrictions orlimitations on distribution

Report Documentation used by federal agencies forPage database building

Abstract briefly informs of purpose, scope,and findings

Table of Contents outlines organization and scope ofa report

List(s) of Figures required for 5 or more figures orand Tables tables or any combination thereof;

optional for fewer than 5Foreword provides background or context

for a reportPreface announces purpose and scope;

acknowledges contributions ofnon-authors

Acknowledgments used if acknowledgments are toolengthy to present in preface

TEXT (BODY) Summary summarizes problem, results,conclusions, recommendations

Introduction states subject, purpose, scope andplan for developing report

Methods, Assumptions, describes research methodologyand ProceduresResults and Discussion presents findings and discusses

their significanceConclusions presents substantiated findings,

discusses their implications, andpresents authors opinion

Recommendations suggests a course of actionReferences cites sources of information used

by author(s) of reportBACK MATTER Appendixes contain supplemental information

not essential to the textBibliography lists additional sources of infor-

mation not cited in the text of areport

List(s) of Symbols, used to explain the meaning ofAbbreviations, symbols, abbreviations, andand Acronyms acronyms; needed if there are

more than 5 not readily recog-nized as standard

Glossary defines and explains unfamiliarterms

Index lists major topics alphabetically;not required in reports of fewerthan 50 pages

Distribution List gives permanent record of initialdistribution of a report

ORGANIZATION OF REPORTS


Page 4

7. Type of report and period covered, where ap-plicable

8. Contract or grant number, where applicable9. Sponsoring or issuing organization (if differ-

ent from the performing organization)Figures 1a and 1b show a sample cover and title

page of a report for which the performing andsponsoring organizations are the same. Figures 2aand 2b show a sample cover and title page for whichthe performing and sponsoring organizations aredifferent. Legal or policy concerns of the organiza-tion for which a report is prepared may require theuse of additional data elements on these pages.

4.1.2.1 Report NumberEach report requires a unique report number thatappears in an upper corner on both the cover andtitle page (and on the spine of a bound report ifspace permits so that the user will not have toremove the report from a shelf to read the num-ber). A report number is composed of an alphanu-meric report code (2-16 characters) and a numericsequential group (1-14 digits indicating the yearand sequence of report issuance). Different spon-soring and performing organizations usually as-sign separate report numbers; hence, a documentmay have multiple report numbers. These num-bers are stacked in an upper corner of both thecover and title page and at the top of the spine, ifpractical. ANSI/NISO Z39.23-1990 provides guid-ance on establishing and using standard scientificand technical report numbers.

4.1.2.2 Title and SubtitleThe title is especially important in abstracting, cata-loging, indexing, and referencing a report and forinforming potential readers of the content. The wordsof the title define and limit the topic of the report andappear on the cover, title page, and optional reportdocumentation page in exactly the same language.In creating the title of a report, an author1. Selects words that distinguish the report from

any other on the same general topic rather thanwriting Report on . . .

2. Uses a distinctive subtitle for clarity if the re-port is one in a series or a supplement to previ-ously published work. Information about theperiod covered by the report (for example,month, quarter, or year) is included in thesubtitle of reports in series.

3. Spells out abbreviations and acronyms. When areport consists of more than one volume (orbinding), the title is repeated on a separate titlepage, and each separate volume is identified by

an arabic number and a volume title or subtitle(for example, Interstellar and Interplanetary Dust:Volume 2, Supernova Isotopic Enrichments).

4.1.2.3 AuthorshipThe authorship of a report is reserved for theperson or persons who originated the scientific ortechnical information or the text of the report, andwho can effectively defend the content of thereport to a peer group. The primary author isalways identified first. Identifying an editor isjustified when the editor has applied subject mat-ter expertise in preparing the report.

An authors name appears on the cover and titlepage and, if one is used, the report documentationpage, in identical form. The preferred order is firstname, middle name or initial, followed by surname.Academic degrees are not given. However, authorsor contributors can identify themselves by their jobtitles in the organization (Jane R. Doe, Cost Analyst;Jack T. Doe, Head, Research and Development Divi-sion) or by their functions as contributors to thereport (Jane R. Doe, Principal Investigator; Jack T.Doe, Compiler). In cases of multiple authorship, thenames of the authors and editors appear under theirorganizational affiliation.

4.1.2.4 Performing and SponsoringOrganizations

The performing organization conducts research; thesponsoring organization funds research and usu-ally controls report publication and distribution.The performing organization and the sponsoringorganization may be one and the same. Reports thatpresent the results of research done under contractsor grants identify both a performing and a sponsor-ing organization. In such cases, the name of thesponsoring organization, the performing organiza-tion, or other responsible unit, and the completeaddress(es) appear on the title page. If there aremultiple sponsoring organizations, each is listed,and the functions of each are identified.

4.1.3 NoticesWhen it is necessary to call attention to certainaspects of a report, such as its security classifica-tion, restricted distribution, or proprietary infor-mation, appropriate notices appear on the coverand title page. For example, a notice may alert thereader that a particular report is:1. A presentation of preliminary findings, subject

to revisions2. A formal draft or a working paper intended to

elicit comments and ideas



Page 5

Figure 1a: Sample cover, performing and sponsoring organizations are the same

Carderock DivisionNaval Surface Warfare CenterBethesda, MD 20084-5000

CARDIVNSWCTR93/013 December 1993Machinery Research and Development DirectorateTechnical Report

DD 21AA Capable, Affordable, Modular21st Century DestroyerbyWilliam J. Levedahl, Samual R. Shank, and William P. O'Reagan

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.CAR

DIVN

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byWilliam J. Levedahl, Samuel R. Shank, and William P. OReagan


Page 6


Figure 1b: Sample title page, performing and sponsoring organizations are the same

Carderock DivisionNaval Surface Warfare Center

Bethesda, MD 20084-5000

CARDIVNSWCTR93/013 December 1993Machinery Research and Development Directorate

Technical Report

DD 21AA Capable, Affordable, Modular21st Century Destroyer

byWilliam J. Levedahl, Samual R. Shank, and William P. O'Reagan

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

byWilliam J. Levedahl, Samuel R. Shank, and William P. OReagan


Page 7


Figure 2a: Sample cover, performing and sponsoring organizations are different

NASP

Tech

nolog

yNA

SA

DARPA

SDIO

USN

USAF

September 1992

NASP Contractor Report 1137

NAS

P CR

-113

7

REF

WBS

2.5

.02

NoticeThis document is for quick release to or-ganizations participating in the NationalAero-Space Plane Program (NASP). Cus-tomary editing and review have beenwaived in order to provide rapid dissem-ination of data and preliminary results.Distribution is authorized to U.S. Govern-ment Agencies and U.S. GovernmentAgency Contractors Only to protect criticaltechnology, 30 Nov 90. Other requests forthis document shall be referred to the NASPJoint Program Office, Wright-PattersonAFB, OH.

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Youfan Gu and Klaus D. Timmerhaus

Grant NAG3-1018

Damping of ThermalAcoustic Oscillationsin Hydrogen Systems

University of ColoradoDEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERINGENGINEERING CENTER, ECOT 2-6

CAMPUS BOX 424BOULDER, CO 80309


Page 8


Figure 2b: Sample title page, performing and sponsoring organizations are different

Damping of ThermalAcoustic Oscillationsin Hydrogen Systems

Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of ColoradoBoulder, Colorado

Prepared forNASA Lewis Research Centerunder Grant NAG3-1018

Printed byNASA Langley Research Center

September 1992

NASP Contractor Report 1137REF WBS 2.5.02

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Youfan Gu and Klaus D. Timmerhaus

University of ColoradoDEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERINGENGINEERING CENTER, ECOT 2-6

CAMPUS BOX 424BOULDER, CO 80309


Page 9

3. A preprint of a report to be presented at aprofessional meeting.Figure 3 shows a sample cover with a notice of

restricted distribution.If disclaimers or similar notices are needed,

they appear on the inside front cover of a printedreport. Notices may also alert the reader to certainlegal conditions, for example, the use of brand ortrade names. Generic terms are preferable to brandor trade names if scientific or technical accuracycan be maintained using such terms. A disclaimermay or may not be appropriate for government-generated reports. It is the responsibility of eachorganization to determine the appropriate noticefor the publications that it produces, and to coor-dinate any such decisions with the appropriatelegal counsel.1

Copyrights on reports are not always formallyregistered, and material prepared for the U.S.Government is usually available for public dis-semination without copyright. For those reportsthat are copyrighted, U.S. Copyright Law speci-fies that the copyright notice appear on the titlepage or the page immediately following andconsist of the word copyright or the copyrightsymbol accompanied by the year of copyrightand the name of the copyright proprietor. Theorder of appearance is not important so long as allthree elements appear. The recommended loca-tion is the verso (back) of the title page.

4.1.4 Report Documentation PageAgencies within the federal government use areport documentation page (for example, a Na-tional Technical Information Service bibliographicdata sheet or Standard Form 298) in addition to atitle page. A report documentation page is an

optional element, however, for academic and in-dustrial reports.

Figure 4 shows a sample completed reportdocumentation page containing all pertinent bib-liographic data about the report (including keywords or identifiers) necessary for librarians, in-formation specialists, and others concerned withinformation processing and handling. An abstractof 200 words or fewer is an integral part of thispage. Some federal agencies require that reportsprepared for them under contract or grant containa report documentation page and specify its loca-tion in the report. Academic and industrial reportproducers that use a report documentation pagefrequently place it as the final element of backmatter. A report documentation page is not listedin the table of contents unless it appears as backmatter; however, it is paginated whether it ap-pears as front or back matter. Instructions forcompleting a report documentation page appearin Appendix A of this standard.

4.1.5 AbstractAn abstract, a required element of front matter,presents a concise, informative statement (ap-proximately 200 words) of the purpose, scope,methods, and major findings of the report, includ-ing results, conclusions, and recommendations.The informative abstract retains the tone and scopeof the report but omits the details. The abstracttypically appears on a separate page between thetitle page and the table of contents although re-ports that use a report documentation page in thefront matter include the abstract as bibliographicdata entered on the form. Because abstracts arealso published by abstracting services to assistpotential readers in determining whether theymay be interested in the report, an abstract isunderstandable independent of the rest of thereport. An abstract contains no undefined sym-bols, abbreviations, or acronyms and makes noreference by number to references or illustrativematerial. ANSI Z39.14-1979 (R1986), the standardguide for preparing informative abstracts, pro-vides examples of abstracts as well as guidance onthe presentation and style of abstracts.

4.1.6 Table of ContentsThe required table of contents identifies theheading and beginning page number of eachmajor section of the front matter (excluding thetitle page and the table of contents), the text,and the back matter. A table of contents pagehelps readers understand the organization and


1 For example, the following disclaimer appears on the insidefront cover of each contractor report prepared under U.S.Government sponsorship:

This report was prepared as an account of work spon-sored by an agency of the United States Government. Neitherthe United States Government, nor any agency thereof, norany of their employees, makes any warranty, express orimplied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for theaccuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information,apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents thatits use would not infringe privately owned rights. Referenceherein to any specific commercial product, process, or serviceby trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise doesnot necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recom-mendation, or favoring by the United States Government orany agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors ex-pressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of theUnited States Government or any agency thereof.


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NASA Technical Memorandum 4490

Highlights of NASA Swept Supercritical WingExperiments With Laminar-Flow ControlW. Don Harvey

February 1994

NOTICE

FOR EARLY DOMESTIC DISSEMINATION

Because of its significant early commercial potential, thisinformation, which has been developed under a U.S.Government program, is being disseminated within theUnited States in advance of general publication. Thisinformation may be duplicated and used by the recipientwith the express limitation that it not be published.Release of this information to other domestic parties bythe recipient shall be made subject to these limitations.Foreign release may be made only with prior NASAapproval and appropriate export licenses. This legendshall be marked on any reproduction of this informationin whole or in part.

Date for general release February 28, 1996

Figure 3: Sample cover with a notice of restricted distribution


Page 11


Figure 4: Sample of a completed report documentation page

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of thiscollection of information, indluding suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 JeffersonDavis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188), Washington, DC 20503.

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188

1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank)

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED

5. FUNDING NUMBERS

6. AUTHOR(S)

7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBERS

9. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER

11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE

13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words)

14. SUBJECT TERMS 15. NUMBER OF PAGES

17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE

19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT

16. PRICE CODE

20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT

NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 289 (Rev. 2-89)Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39-18298-102

May 1993 Scientific Report No. 5

Upgraded Line-of-Sight Geometry Package and Band modelParameters for MODTRAN CPE

PRTAWU

F19628-89-C-012862101F305402AJP. K. Acharya, D. C. Robertson, and A. Berk

Spectral Sciences, Inc.99 South Bedford Street, #7Burlington, MA 01803-5169

Phillips Laboratory29 Randolph RoadHanscom AFB, MA 01731-3010

Contract Manager: Dean Kimball/GPOS

PL-TR-93-2127

Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited.

The MODTRAN atmospheric transmittance and radiance code was upgraded with newband model parameters calculated using the HITRAN-92 line atlas. The (1/d) bandmodel parameters for O3 were adjusted to give better agreement with thecorresponding line-by-line FASCOD3 calculations for long paths in the 20-50 kmaltitude region. More accurate line-of-sight (LOS) geometry routines wereincorporated for greater consistency between the geometry parameters. Furthermore,MODTRAN can now handle very short slant paths down to 0.001 km.

Band Model ParametersOzone TransmittanceRefracted

LOWTRANMODTRANFASCOD3

22

UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED SAR

Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89)Prescribed by ANSI/NISO Std. Z39.18298-102

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gatheringand maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection ofinformation, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway,Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188), Washington, DC 20503.


Page 12

scope of a report. Headings in the table of con-tents are numbered, worded, spelled, and punc-tuated exactly as they are in the report. Becausea table of contents outlines and provides

location of information, each level of heading(s)has at least two entries to follow accepted out-line format. Figure 5 shows a sample table ofcontents page.

Figure 5: Sample table of contents page

Contents

Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... iii

List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... vi

List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... vii

Foreword ................................................................................................................................ viii

Preface ........................................................................................................................................ ix

Summary .................................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 5

Methods, Assumptions, and Procedures .............................................................................. 6

Electrofishing .............................................................................................................. 7

Sample Preparation .................................................................................................... 8

Water Analysis ............................................................................................................ 9

Statistics ...................................................................................................................... 10

Site Description ....................................................................................................................... 11

RM 38 .......................................................................................................................... 11

RM 24 .......................................................................................................................... 12

RM 19 .......................................................................................................................... 12

Results and Discussion .......................................................................................................... 13

Physical and Chemical Parameters ....................................................................... 13

Fish Parameters ......................................................................................................... 17

Species Richness .............................................................................................. 17

Species Diversity Indices ............................................................................... 19

Weight/Length Distributions ....................................................................... 21

Sampling Adequacy ....................................................................................... 23

Conclusions .............................................................................................................................. 25

Recommendations .................................................................................................................. 27

References ................................................................................................................................ 29

Appendix: Weekly Fish Collection Data ............................................................................. 31

Symbols, Abbreviations, and Acronyms............................................................................. 43

Glossary .................................................................................................................................... 45

v



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In the table of contents it is useful to include alist of subheadings at the beginning of each majorreport section that is more than 20 pages in length.Subheadings are also helpful for the understand-ing of complex material; however, not all levels ofheadings need be listed. For example, first- andsecond-level headings might suffice. If any head-ing of a given level is listed, however, all headingsof that level are included in the section table ofcontents. (See also 5.4, Pagination for an explana-tion of page numbering.)

4.1.7 List(s) of Figures and TablesIf a report contains more than five figures or fivetables or some combination totaling more thanfive, a list of figures or tables is required. If a reportcontains fewer than five figures or tables, a list isoptional. The lists of figures and tables, titledFigures and Tables respectively, follow thecontents page. If the table of contents fills only halfa page, the lists of figures and tables may followthe table of contents on the same page. If lists offigures and tables are included in a report, allfigures and tables are listed with their correspond-ing page numbers. A list of figures precedes a listof tables. If a report has many figures and fewtables or few figures and many tables, they can becombined into a single list (Figures and Tables)with the figures preceding the tables.

4.1.8 ForewordThe foreword is an optional introductory state-ment that presents background material or thatplaces in context a report that is part of a series. Itis written by an authority in the field other thanthe author of the report. The name and affiliationof the author of the foreword follow the lastparagraph. A foreword and a preface are notinterchangeable, and the information in them isnot redundant. A foreword precedes a preface, ifboth are included.

4.1.9 PrefaceA preface is an optional introductory statementthat announces the purpose and scope of thereport and acknowledges the contributions ofindividuals not identified as authors or editors.Sometimes a preface specifies the audience forwhom a report is intended; it may also highlightthe relationship of the report to a specific projector program. Material that is necessary for under-standing the report belongs in the introduction,not in the preface.2

A preface is usually written by the author, the

editor, or other party responsible for the report.The authors name and affiliation do not appear atthe end of the preface unless there might be doubtabout its authorship. The preface follows the re-quired contents page, lists of figures and tables,and optional foreword and begins on a separatepage titled Preface.

4.1.10 AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments of technical assistance thatcontributed to the content of the report are madeat an appropriate place in the preface or in the text;however, lengthy acknowledgments are oftenmade in a special optional section titled Ac-knowledgments. This optional section followsthe preface, in which case the preface does notcontain acknowledgments. If there is no preface,Acknowledgments follows the contents page(or lists of figures and tables and foreword).

4.2 Text (Body) MatterThe text is the part of the report in which theauthor describes methods, assumptions, and pro-cedures; presents and discusses the results; anddraws conclusions and recommends actions basedon those results.

The organization of a report depends on itssubject matter and audience as well as on itspurpose. Thus, the organization of the text mayvary widely from report to report. Information onthe content of text elements follows.

4.2.1 SummaryA summary is a required element of the text ofa report. It clearly states the key points of thereport, including the problem under investiga-tion, the principal results, and conclusions, andrecommends a course of action for decisionmakers. The summary differs from an abstractin purpose, audience, and length. Because thesummary restates key points, material not in-cluded in the text does not appear in the sum-mary. Introductory material (purpose, scope,limitations), descriptive material (nature andmethod of investigation), and the most impor-tant results and conclusions are summarizedwith emphasis on the findings of the research


2 Administrative information is used in lieu of a preface incertain U.S. Department of Defense technical reports. Admin-istrative information indicates the authorization (sponsor)for the work and all funding levels through the work unitlevel. The program element, task area, and work unit num-bers are usually required; other relevant information or pro-gram information is also provided here.


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and recommendations. The length of the sum-mary typically does not exceed 2 percent of thebody of the report.

Although a summary depends on the text inthat it introduces no new information, it is inde-pendent of the text from the readers point ofview; therefore, all symbols, abbreviations, andacronyms are defined and unusual terms are ex-plained. A summary does not contain references.

If a report exceeds 50 pages in length, a sepa-rate executive summary is often prepared for amanagement-level audience. An executive sum-mary is a nontechnical presentation that providesan adequate level of detail for decision makerswho need a basic understanding of a researchproblem and the major findings but who do notplan to read the report in its entirety.

4.2.2 IntroductionThe required introduction provides readers withgeneral information that they need to understandmore detailed information in the rest of the report.It introduces the subject, the purpose, the scope,and the way the author plans to develop the topic.The introduction also indicates the audience forthe report: who is expected to read it and act on itsrecommendations or review its findings. The in-troduction does not, however, include findings,conclusions, or recommendations.

The statement of the subject defines the topicand associated terminology and may include thetheory behind the subject, its historical back-ground, and its significance. The statement of thepurpose indicates the reason for the investigation;the statement of the scope indicates the extent andlimits of the investigation. The authors plan fordeveloping the report usually presents a narra-tive outline of the text.

4.2.3 Methods, Assumptions, andProcedures

The methods, assumptions, and procedures used inan investigation are succinctly described so thatreaders can evaluate the results without referringextensively to the references. The description iscomplete enough that a knowledgeable reader couldduplicate the procedures of the investigation. Thesystem of measurement (for example, metric orEnglish) is identified. If the research included appa-ratus, instruments, or reagents, a description of theapparatus, the design and precision of the instru-ments, and the nature of the reagents are explainedin this required section of text. (See also 5.5, Unitsand Numbers.)

4.2.4 Results and DiscussionA required element of the report text, results andtheir discussion are presented in the same or inseparate sections. The discussion section indi-cates the degree of accuracy and the significanceof the results of the research described in a report.Specific values used to substantiate conclusionsappear in the text. Supporting details not essentialto an understanding of the results appear in anappendix. Sometimes a section, Presentation ofResults, includes figures and tables and theircaptions (titles). Such figures and tables appear asclose as possible following their discussion in thetext. (See also 5.2, Visual and Tabular Matter.)

4.2.5 ConclusionsThe required conclusions section interprets find-ings that have been substantiated in the discus-sion of results and discusses their implications.The section introduces no new material other thanremarks based on these findings. It includes theauthors opinions. The conclusions section is writ-ten so that it can be read independently of the text.One of the following examples may be an appro-priate title for this section:1. Conclusions if deductions independent of

specific conditions of the investigation are made2. Restatement of Results if factual findings

specific to the particular investigation are given3. Concluding Remarks if opinions are included

in addition to findings and conclusions.

4.2.6 RecommendationsThe optional recommendations section presents acourse of action based on the results of the study.Types of studies for which recommendations areoften made include tests and experiments, fieldtrials, specific design problems, feasibility stud-ies, and market appraisals. Recommendationsmight include additional areas for study, alter-nate design approaches, or production decisions.Specific recommendations are presented in a num-bered or bulleted list that is introduced by aninformative, lead-in sentence.

4.2.7 ReferencesThe references section appears as the last section ofthe text and begins on a new page.3 This section mayalso be called Sources or Works Cited, depend-ing on the nature of the referenced materials.


3 The References section is normally a required element oftext. If an author does not refer to the work(s) of others, aReferences section becomes unnecessary.


Page 15

To help readers use and assess referenced ma-terials, all references include the following ele-ments: name of author(s), title of referenced work,and publication data. If a government documentis referenced, the National Technical InformationService (NTIS) number is included in the refer-ence to facilitate user access to the governmentdocument.

References are prepared according to the ac-cepted practice of the discipline in which theprimary author of a report works. Two basicreference forms, each having its own advantage,are commonly used for reports. The number-identification system of citing material allowsreaders to locate references easily in a printeddocument. For this form, references are num-bered consecutively with arabic numbers (in or-der of their first appearance in the text), keyed toappropriate places in the text, and fully identifiedin the successively numbered list of references.

In the second form of referencing, the author-date format, authors names and dates of publica-tion are cited in the text in parentheses and keyedto an alphabetically arranged list of references.The author-date style helps readers to associatefacts and ideas with their originators and date oforigin.4

If figures and tables are obtained from refer-enced material, the sources are identified in sourceor credit lines that are part of the figure(s) ortable(s). A source or credit line contains adequatebibliographic data to enable readers to verify thelocation of the original figure(s) or table(s). Suchsources are not further identified in the list ofreferences unless an additional reference to themappears in the text of the report. (See also 5.2,Visual and Tabular Matter.)

4.3 Back MatterThe back matter supplements and clarifies the bodyof the report (for example, appendixes), makes thetext easier to use (for example, glossary; lists ofsymbols, abbreviations, and acronyms; and index),and shows where additional information can befound (for example, bibliography).

4.3.1 AppendixesAppendixes contain information that supple-ments, clarifies, or supports the text. These op-tional elements of back matter also contain mate-rial that might otherwise interfere with an orderly

presentation of ideas in the text because placingdetailed explanations, supporting data, or longmathematical analyses in appendixes shortensthe text and makes it easier to read. However,information essential to the purpose of the textappears in the text. For example, in a report abouta new mathematical analysis, the detailed deriva-tion of the equations belongs in the text, whereasother subjects, such as those that follow, appear inappendixes:1. Detailed explanations and descriptions of test

techniques and apparatus2. Texts of other documents (for example, stan-

dard test procedures, laws, and managementinstructions)

3. Extensive data in the form of figures or tables4. Computer listings of programs, input, and out-

put5. Mathematical analyses.

Other elements of back matter (for example,bibliographies) do not appear in appendixes.

Appendixes usually follow the references orlast section of the text. Each appendix begins on anew, right-hand page and has a title that appearsbelow the appendix designation, as in this ex-ample:

Appendix BComplementary Energy Principle

Each appendix is referred to in the text. If thereport contains more than one appendix, each isidentified with a capital letter (Appendix A, Ap-pendix B, and the like) in the order in which it ismentioned in the report. (A single appendix islabeled Appendix.) Similar items may be com-bined to avoid creating unnecessary appendixes.For example, several sample forms can be com-bined rather than each being identified as a sepa-rate appendix.

Although figures and tables are best integratedinto the text following their initial mention, fig-ures, tables, or other graphics of secondary im-portance that provide back-up data are combinedinto an appendix. In appendixes, figures precedetables, with both groups arranged in numericalsequence. For ease of reading, figures and tablesin appendixes are oriented vertically (portraitformat). (See also 5.2, Visual and Tabular Matter.)

4.3.2 BibliographyAn optional bibliography lists additional sourcesof information that are not referenced in the text.If a bibliography is included in a report in addi-tion to the list of references (part of the text), the

4 The Chicago Manual of Style is a useful guide in matters ofstyle and format for referenced materials.



Page 16

bibliography follows the appendix(es). A bibliog-raphy is unnecessary if the references that areused constitute a complete list of sources of infor-mation. Bibliographic entries are usually arrangedalphabetically by author, but any logical ordermay be used if it is explained and is consistent. Abibliography section begins on a new page and isentitled Bibliography.5

4.3.3 List(s) of Symbols, Abbreviations,and Acronyms

If the symbols, abbreviations, and acronyms in areport are numerous (more than five that are notreadily recognized as standard in the field), or ifthere is a chance that readers will not understandthem, a report requires a list of all symbols, abbre-viations, and acronyms with an explanation ofwhat each stands for. The optional list of symbols,abbreviations, and acronyms begins on a newpage. (See also 5.9, Symbols, Abbreviations, andAcronyms.)

4.3.4 GlossaryA glossary is a list of terms defined and explainedto facilitate a readers comprehension of the re-port where numerous terms requiring definitionare used. The optional glossary is part of the backmatter. (Glossary terms are also defined at theirfirst mention in the text.) Glossary terms are ar-ranged in alphabetical order, each on a separateline followed by its definition. The glossary sec-tion, titled Glossary, begins on a new page.

4.3.5 IndexAn index is an alphabetical listing of all majortopics discussed in a report. An index is optionalin short reports (fewer than 50 pages), but reportsof 50 pages or more usually contain an index tohelp readers locate information. An index entrycites the page or section where the topic can befound, thus affording readers quick reference ona particular topic. An index may identify andlocate information, indicate its nature and scope,identify related entries, and clarify relationshipsbetween entries. The arrangement of an index andits level of detail are determined by the structureof the report, its target audience, and its antici-pated uses.

The most common type of index for a report isthe subject index in which subjects are presentedalphabetically. Other types of indexes (for

example, name index, number and code index)may also be used. They are placed before thesubject index in the back matter.

In preparing an index, the number and kind ofaccess points (entry locations) and the informa-tion level of indexable matter (for example, ab-stract or concrete) are determined. Each indexentry has a heading (first element) and a locator(page or section number) where information aboutthe entry will be found. Terms used as reportheadings are included in the index. The indexcontains all headings likely to be sought by theintended audience for a report. ANSI/NISO Z39.4-1995 establishes extensive guidelines for the prepa-ration of indexes.

4.3.6 Distribution ListIf included, the distribution list follows the in-dex (or glossary, if no index appears in the backmatter). The list indicates the complete mailingaddress of the individuals and organizationsreceiving copies of the report and the number ofcopies received. The Privacy Act of 1974 forbidsfederal agencies from listing the names andhome addresses of individuals, so a distribu-tion list contains business addresses only. Dis-tribution lists provide a permanent record ofinitial distribution. In the case of classified re-ports, restricted-distribution reports, and re-ports containing proprietary data, such lists areextremely valuable because they can later beused for communicating instructions regardinghandling and classification downgrading. Adistribution list is also useful if errata are dis-covered and change pages are issued to correcta report. (See also 5.12, Errata.)

5. Design of ReportsThis section establishes guidelines for ensuringconsistency in presentation; designing visual andtabular matter; formatting and paginating a re-port; presenting units, numbers, formulas, andequations; incorporating footnotes, endnotes, ref-erences, and bibliographic entries; preparing listsof symbols, abbreviations, and acronyms, glossa-ries, and indexes; and correcting errata after print-ing.

5.1 SubordinationThe subordination of ideas is indicated by the useof headings and subheadings that divide the re-port into manageable sections, call attention tomain topics, and signal changes in topics. Pri-mary headings identify major sections of the


5 The Chicago Manual of Style is a useful guide in matters ofstyle and format for bibliographic entries.


Page 17

report, and each major section equivalent beginson a new page in print. Reports that are shorterthan 50 pages in length usually require no morethan five levels of headings.

Consistency of presentation is important inshowing subordinate relationships. Many re-ports use a decimal numbering system to showsubordinate relationships and to simplify ex-tensive cross-referencing. An alternate formatfor subordination uses typographic progres-sion. (ANSI publications use a combination ofthe two formats for ease of cross-referencing.)Headings and subheadings are indicated byboldface type with initial capital letters for prin-cipal words. Primary headings are often indi-cated by a larger typeface than non-primaryheadings. Primary and secondary headings arealigned flush with the left column of text, andother headings are run in with indented text.

5.2 Visual and Tabular MatterMuch of the data in reports is presented infigures and tables. Figures provide visual rep-resentations in the form of graphs, line draw-ings, diagrams, photographs, and the like. Tablesarrange large amounts of quantitative data inan ordered space. Following these guidelineswill help ensure that figures and tables areeffectively integrated with the text of a report:

1. Each figure or table is located near but neverbefore its first mention in the text.

2. If a figure or table is central to the compre-hension of the text, it is included in the text.If figures or tables provide only supplemen-tary information, they appear in an appen-dix. Any material in an appendix is men-tioned in the text; otherwise the informationin the appendix lacks context.

3. The amount of text discussion required foreach figure or table varies with its impor-tance to the report, the level of complexity ofthe information illustrated or tabulated, andthe level of knowledge of the anticipatedreaders.

4. Figures are numbered with consecutive ara-bic numbers (for example, Figure 1, Figure 2,. . .); those pertaining only to appendixes arenumbered consecutively for each appendix(for example, Figure A1, Figure A2, . . . ,Figure B1). Tables are also numbered con-secutively (and independently of figures)with arabic numbers (for example, Table 1,Table 2, . . ., Table 8). If an appendix contains

its own tables in addition to text tables, theappendix tables are identified and numberedconsecutively after the text tables (for ex-ample, Table 22, Appendix Table A1, . . .). Ifthere is more than one appendix, table num-bers begin again in each (for example, TableA1, Table A2, . . . Table B1, Table B2).

Portrait (vertical) rather than landscape (hori-zontal) orientation is the preferred format forfigures and tables so that they can be viewedwithout turning a printed page sideways. Over-sized figures or tables that fold in should beredesigned to fit a standard 8-1/2 x 11-inchpage with portrait orientation, if possible. If thefigure or table cannot be reduced to fit a stan-dard page, redesigning it to fit two facing pagesin a printed report is recommended.

5.2.1 FiguresFigures (for example, graphs and charts, dia-grams, photographs, and schematic drawings)play a significant role in presenting and clarify-ing technical ideas. A figure emphasizes onemain idea and shows no more than is necessary.Figures have informative titles (captions) and,as needed, callouts that identify each part of thefigure clearly and concisely. The figure numberand title appear below the figure. The place-ment and alignment of callouts is consistent.Callouts are placed horizontally and unboxed,and straight lines (leaders) connect callouts tothe part(s) identified in a figure. Symbols, ab-breviations, or acronyms that appear in figures(and tables) but not in the text are explained ina key or defined in a caption.

The type of figure used depends on the typeof information to be presented. Graphs showrelationships among data. Diagrams portrayrelationships among components. Photographsrealistically depict general appearance. Draw-ings emphasize essential elements and omit un-necessary details.

The purpose of a figure, its reproducibility,and convenience of location for report readersare factors in figure preparation. Line art, origi-nal photographs, and digital image files arepreferable for reproduction. Often, color is nec-essary for comprehension. If not, its use shouldbe carefully considered because of limited re-producibility. Figure 6 shows an example ofcolor substitutes; screens, crosshatching, pat-terned lines, or similar techniques are effectivesubstitutes for color.

DESIGN OF REPORTS


Page 18

Figure 6: Use of graphic devicesas color substitutes

Gauge graphic techniques to reproduction ca-pabilities. The legibility of all symbols, letters, andlines becomes a key concern when paper copies ofa report are reproduced. Letters and numbers ongraphs and charts are positioned so that they canbe read easily from the bottom and right-handside of the graphical representation. When graphsrepresent trend curves, tick marks placed alongthe axes generally suffice for the required degreeof approximation. If highly accurate readings areneeded, grid lines may be used. Photographs arecropped and sized to show only significant de-tails. To ensure legibility, the minimum accept-able line weight for drawings is 8 points. Graphicdevices such as borders, frames, title blocks, andbackground tones are not used unless their usesignificantly improves the clarity of a figure.

5.2.2 TablesTables present detailed facts or statistics conciselyin row-and-column format. A formal table has atable number and a title that are placed above thedata. The title describes the content without giv-ing background information, results, or commentsabout the table. The row head and column headsidentify the tabulated data that appear in the bodyor cells of the table.

Footnotes to tables are identified independentlyof the text footnotes, using superscript lowercaseletters, beginning with a in each table. If the use oflowercase letters leads to ambiguity, such as withchemical or mathematical formulas, a sequence ofsymbols (*, , , , ||, #, **, . . .) is used. Footnoteletters are assigned in left-to-right, top-to-bottomorder, and the footnotes are placed below the bot-tom line of the table. If a table or data in a table wereobtained from a reference source, the table also hasa source line that identifies the reference. (See also4.2.7, References.) Figure 7 shows the parts of a table.

Figure 7: Nomenclature for the parts of a table

Table 3. Table Number and Title.

Stub Head Column Heada Column Headb

Row Head Data Data Data

Source Line:

a Footnote to table appears here.b Footnote to table appears here.

If necessary, tabular columns may be contin-ued on successive pages. When a table is contin-ued, the table number and title, row head, andcolumn head are repeated and the continuationnoted. If a table is carried over, at least two rowsor columns are carried.

Units of measurement are given in the title, inthe column heads, or in a note. If presented in thecolumn heads, units and symbols appear in pa-rentheses; they are not repeated in the columns. Ifdata are unavailable for a particular cell, a dash isused to fill the vacancy.

Horizontal rules separate a table from the titleand row heading, and column heads from thebody of the table. Vertical rules may be used toseparate columns if the use of vertical rules im-proves the ease of reading tabular material.6

5.3 Page FormatThe physical appearance of a report, both text andgraphics, constitutes format. The goal of any for-mat is to enhance readability and comprehensionby providing visual uniformity and a consistentsubordination of ideas. Decisions about reportformats are based on principles of graphic design,but format choices may be limited by contractspecifications, in-house requirements, or theequipment used for publication.

5.3.1 Image AreaThe space allotted on a page for printed material(text, visual, or tabular matter) is the image area.Observing a standard image area ensures that the

DESIGN OF REPORTS

6 The U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual and TheChicago Manual of Style provide detailed guidelines for creat-ing tables.

WordFrameMakerTeX

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information on a page will not be lost duringprinting and binding. The normal image area on8-1/2 x 11-inch paper is 7-1/8 x 9-3/16 inches, orin printing terminology, 43 x 55 picas. The imagearea includes headers and footers, if they areused, and page numbers. For lead pages(standalone material, such as the foreword ortable of contents), 1 inch is subtracted from the topof the image area.

5.3.2 MarginsMargins set off the area occupied by type. Thisarea includes headers and footers. Although theyare proportional, margins are not equal on allsides. By printing convention, the top margin isthe narrowest, usually 1 inch. The outer margin iswider. The bottom margin is wider than both topand outer margins. To accommodate binding, theinner or gutter margin is the widest of the four.The default margins for most word processingsoftware observe these printing conventions.

5.3.3 Line LengthRagged right margins are preferred for ease ofreading, but excessively ragged right margins canbe avoided by using a standard and a minimumline length. The minimum line length is 2-3 picasshorter than the standard line length. A line endswith the word falling nearest the standard lengthof a line but does not exceed the standard lengthby more than two characters. For example, a singlecolumn of text intended for continuous reading(as opposed to reference material) may be set instandard lines 40-43 picas wide. To minimizeragged right margins, a recommended minimumline length is 38 picas. If a report is set in double-column format, the image area includes the spacenecessary to separate the columns, 1-2 picas. Arecommended minimum line length for doublecolumns is 20 picas per column with 2 additionalpicas between each column (a total of 42 picas).

5.3.4 TypographyLegibility, the speed with which each character isrecognized, is a concern of type design. Readabil-ity refers to the arrangement of type for ease ofreading. A type face (size and style) should beboth legible and readable.

For report text, including mathematical no-tations, 10- or 12-point serif type is the mostcomfortable type face for readers. Smaller sizescan be used for non-text matter (for example,footnotes and indexes); however, 8 points is thesmallest acceptable size for non-text matter.

The availability and appearance of specializedcharacters for symbols, formulas, and equationsis an important consideration in selecting a typeface.

5.3.5 Paper and InkPaper copies of scientific and technical reports useacid-free paper of (U.S.) standard size (8-1/2 x 11inches). Color, smoothness, and weight are fac-tors in selecting paper for printing a report. Typeis most easily read against an off-white, uncoatedstock; however, halftone illustrations (photo-graphs) printed on coated paper are superior tothose printed on uncoated stock. To ensure leg-ibility and reproducibility, black ink is used forprinting reports.

5.3.6 Printing EquipmentA laser or laser-quality printer with a minimum300 dpi (dots per inch) resolution produces ac-ceptable camera-ready copy for text and linework. If photographs or high resolution graph-ics are included electronically in a report, aprinter with 600 dpi (or higher) resolution ispreferred.

5.4 PaginationPage numbers appear in the same place on eachpage (for example, bottom right) or in a consistentplace on mirror-image pages (for example, upper,outer corners). Hyphens, parentheses, or otherpunctuation marks are not placed around pagenumbers.

Front matter is numbered with consecutivelowercase roman numerals. Page numbers are notshown on the cover and title page, although thetitle page is considered page i. A table of contentsbegins on a new odd-numbered right-hand page.

Consecutive arabic numbers are used for pagesof the text (body), appendixes, and other backmatter, beginning with the first right-hand pageof the summary. Appendix information repro-duced from another source retains the paginationof the original source in addition to being pagi-nated for inclusion in the appendix.

If a report is divided into sections or chaptersbecause of its length or scope, the text and backmatter (exclusive of front matter) are numberedsequentially from one part to the next. The text ofeach volume of a multivolume report begins on anew page 1.

The optional use of headers and footers in thetext is governed by the structure and nature of a

DESIGN OF REPORTS


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report. Headers and footers do not appear on leadpages, on the first page of the table of contents, orin the preface. Running headers are convenientfor helping users locate information in long, com-plex reports.

When running headers appear on right-handpages, the last text heading on the page is used asthe running header. When running headers ap-pear on left-hand pages, the first text heading toappear is u

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