Report requirements

Project reports must satisfy all of the requirements listed in the following categories:

These requirements may evolve during the semester.

AIAA Format

Label Requirement
A1 It was unclear which template you used (word or latex). Please choose one and follow it exactly.
A2 There should be no additional lines between paragraphs.
A3 All paragraphs should be indented the same amount, exactly the amount specified in the template.
A4 Symbols in the nomenclature must be listed with units.
A5 You must choose either the word or latex template from AIAA and follow it exactly.
A8 All equations must have one blank line above and below them.
A10 Sources listed in the “References” section must be referenced within the text at least once to avoid redundancy.
A11 All external works referenced or utilized must be properly cited and listed in the “References” section in accordance with AIAA guidelines. (https://tinyurl.com/52tdx7wz)
A12 Do not use a screenshot of code.
A13 Figures must follow proper AIAA style.
A14 Move the code to the appendix or use pseudocode format if it is the best way to describe the algorithm.
A15 Visual errors must not be present. Please use either the word or latex template and follow it exactly.
A17 Code cannot be pasted as text and must be displayed in a code block.
A18 Equations or code in the “Appendix” section must be given proper and descriptive titles.
A19 Do not use images or screenshots of equations.
A20 Equations must be centered.
A21 Equations must be referenced as “Eq.” within a sentence, or as “Equation” at the beginning of a sentence.
A23 All text in the body of your report must be fully justified.
A24 The section order must follow the proper AIAA section order: Abstract, Nomenclature, Introduction, and so on.
A25 Each section title should be preceded by a Roman numeral corresponding to its order in the document.
A26 Each page must be numbered.
A27 The abstract should have neither a number nor a title.

Mathematics

Label Requirement
M1 All equations should be numbered in parentheses flush right.
M2 The number of significant figures (or digits after the decimal place) should be both consistent and reasonable.
M3 Inline equations must not be taller than the standard line height. If they are, make them block equations.
M4 Use symbols for greek letters rather than spelling them out.
M5 Write variables side-by-side to denote multiplication.
M6 Variables should be italic.
M7 Put indices, names, etc., of variables in subscripts or superscripts.
M8 Words in subscripts or superscripts should be non-italic.
M9 Function names (e.g., “sin” and “cos”) should be non-italic.
M10 Dots should be centered over variables, not also over subscripts or superscripts.
M11 Variables should be denoted by symbols and not by names that are used in python code.
M12 Names of units (whether or not they are abbreviated) should be non-italic.
M13 Names of matrices or vectors should not appear in brackets (only the elements of matrices or vectors should appear that way).
M14 Equation misses an equal sign.
M15 Put a space between the number and the unit.
M16 Units are incorrect.
M17 Matrix brackets are missing.
M18 Units are missing.
M19 Linearization is incorrect.
M20 Equations are presented in an unconventional way.
M21 Use “r x c” instead of “r * c” when describing the size of a matrix.
M22 Use an overdot notation instead of a prime (apostrophe) for derivatives.
M23 Do not use nested (double) brackets. Consolidate the brackets into a single set or otherwise clarify more your vector structure.
M24 Transposed matrices need a T superscript.
M25 Remove unnecessary space between the equal sign and the variables/constants to maintain proper alignment and formatting.
M26 The “q dot” term is missing.
M27 Undefined variable(s) or constant(s).
M28 The term is used incorrectly.
M29 The term should be “q dot.”
M30 Use consistent notation.
M31 Multiplication of units must include either a dot or space between variables.
M32 The plus-minus symbol (±) is used incorrectly.

Style

Label Requirement
S1 Spell out “and” rather than using an ampersand (i.e., the symbol “&”).
S2 Put the apostrophe before the “s” for singular nouns.
S3 Do not use run-on sentences.
S4 Do not use sentence fragments.
S5 Parenthetical remarks should be separated by a space from the preceding word.
S6 Only indent the first line of each paragraph.
S7 Block equations are part of the text and are subject to the same rules for grammar and punctuation as everything else.
S8 There should be space between items (i.e., after each comma) in a comma-delimited list.
S9 Incorrect capitalization.
S10 Incorrect spelling.
S11 What comes before a colon or a semicolon must be a complete sentence.
S12 Missing comma.
S13 The sentence should not have verb tense inconsistency.
S14 Do not put the word in quotations.
S15 Incorrect use of a colon.
S16 Avoid using a Roman name in place of a predefined Greek letter.
S17 Do not specify the exact package or function in the main text. Instead, briefly mention that you used it and add a reference (or footnote) for the package or function.
S19 The word “this” or “they” should be followed by a noun (e.g., “this robot” or “this result”).
S20 Do not denote items in a list with a “/.”
S21 Capitalization should be consistent.
S22 In Nomenclature, units should be listed at the end of the line.
S23 Hyphens should only connect words when required for clarity or standard usage.
S24 This is the incorrect use of a comma.
S25 This is missing a hyphen.
S26 Use parentheses or a colon for lists.
S27 Place punctuation inside quotation marks.
S28 This sentence has improper structure.
S29 This is the incorrect use of a word.
S30 There should not be a space before a colon or a semicolon and the preceding word.
S31 This is an incorrect use of an apostrophe.
S32 There is a missing article.
S33 Quotation marks should not be mismatched.
S34 Sentences should end with a period.
S35 There is a missing preposition.
S36 Use parentheses only when the enclosed term matches the preceding term.
S38 Standard text should not be in bold.
S39 This is an improper use of parentheses around a word or a phrase.
S40 The semicolon is used incorrectly.

Figures and Tables

Label Requirement
F1 …
F2 …

Content

Label Requirement
C1 When describing performance, either use words that are widely understood to have a precise technical meaning or provide a definition yourself (i.e., say what you mean).
C2 Use an italic upper-case “K” to denote the gain matrix for linear state feedback (unless you clearly explain some alternative notation).
C3 Incorrect description of the system to be controlled.
C4 Specify both the “of what” and “with respect to what” when talking about derivatives (including Jacobians).
C5 The abstract should provide a summary of key results (usually quantitative) that were obtained. Placeholders can be used in drafts when final results aren’t available yet.
C6 Do not provide unnecessary information about the computer, programming language, application, etc., that you used for implementation.
C7 Theory should be in the Theory section, not also in the Introduction.
C8 Provide enough information about the system to be controlled (including a clear description, a schematic, and a citation, for example) so that readers will understand even if they have not previously seen or worked with that system.
C9 Linear state feedback should be negative (i.e., “-Kx” and not “Kx”) unless you clearly explain why you are taking a non-standard approach.
C10 Either follow the four-step process to put a system in state space form that is described on the reference pages of the course website (in exactly the order that is suggested) or clearly explain and justify whatever alternative approach you are taking.
C11 Our method of deriving a state space model requires linearizing about an equilibrium point that is both constant and known in advance. Any other method should be clearly explained and justified.
C12 Justify your choice of equilibrium point (making clear if other equilibrium points exist or if yours was the only possible choice).
C13 Be specific enough about your methods so that another engineer could reproduce them.
C14 Only the real or imaginary part of an eigenvalue can be positive or negative, not the eigenvalue itself.
C15 The choice of the gain matrix K and/or the rationale behind it are missing.
C16 The abstract should be self-contained and provide a clear yet concise description of the purpose of the work, the methods applied, and the results (preferably quantitative), along with the conclusion presented objectively.
C17 Do not provide unnecessary information for the introduction.
C18 Incorrect conclusion that the system won’t be asymptotically stable.
C19 Specify what the new term refers to or consider adding a reference to support the example.
C20 The provided feedback controller doesn’t have outputs.
C21 A nonlinear function cannot be identical to its linearized function.
C22 Do not use F as a linearized function since it’s already used for F(q).
C23 Introduce a new variable before using it unless it is defined in the nomenclature.
C24 Use specific criteria instead of subjective terms (i.e., good or bad).
C25 Do not provide too much details about the following sections in the introduction.
C26 In general, do not restate what has been said before unless summarizing main points in the conclusion.
C27 Explicitly write out all matrices (i.e. their entries as numerical values).
C28 Describe what A and B refer to by using widely accepted academic terms like “system matrix” and “input matrix”, or explain their physical meaning, rather than just calling them “matrices”.
C29 Introduction should prepare the reader to understand the rest of your report and how it fits within a broader context.
C30 Explicitly state values being plugged in.
C31 Do not explain specific system details in the abstract without context, as it may confuse readers unfamiliar with the system.
C32 Write out the full equations of motion.
C33 x and u are the state space vector and input vector, not m and n.
C34 The abstract does not align with the main body. (e.g., Some results mentioned in the abstract are not presented in the experimental results section.)
C35 This content would go in the Theory section rather than Experimental Results.
C36 Provide more details about the method you introduce, including the underlying theory.
C37 Nomenclature should include all relevant variables and their respective physical definitions.
C38 Use a widely accepted notation or define any new symbols clearly.
C39 q is not position. It could be generalized position.
C40 Definition of a variable is duplicated in the nomenclature.
C41 Justify why the new term needs to be introduced (consider adding a reference to support, for instance).
C42 Incomplete sentence or contents.
C43 Incorrect or incomplete derivation of the ordinary differential equations describing the system.
C44 Do not include any unfinished text in the report.
C45 Explain why the eigenvalues must be real and should not have an imaginary part.
C46 The gain matrix must have as many rows as there are inputs and as many columns as there are states.