Consult these resources for tips on how to write a research paper or technical report.
| Title |
Format |
| Effective writing strategies for engineers and scientists |
Online |
| Engineers' guide to technical writing |
Online |
| Guide to report writing (University of Cambridge) |
Online |
| Making sense : a student’s guide to research and writing : engineering and the technical sciences |
Print |
| Pocket book of technical writing for engineers and scientists |
Print |
| So, you have to write a literature review : a guided workbook for engineers |
Online |
| Style and ethics of communication in science and engineering |
Online |
| Technical writing : a practical guide for engineers, scientists, and nontechnical professionals |
Online |
| Writing for science and engineering: papers, presentations and reports |
Online |
| Writing technical articles (Columbia University) |
Online |
For more writing resources, click here.
Also, try the McGill Writing Centre.
Citation styles
Best bets
- IEEE citation style, commonly used in engineering:
- APA citation style:
Other popular options
- AIAA citation style:
- ASME citation style:
- Chicago citation style:
- Science citation style:
Citation management software
EndNote
- McGill students and staff can download EndNote citation management software for free. With this software you can get references directly from many databases, such as Web of Science.
- A Guide to Using EndNote (PDF handout)
- EndNote can automate the formatting of your references in many different citation styles. If you are using IEEE, APA, Chicago or Science, the output styles are already installed in EndNote. For AIAA and ASME, you will need to download the output styles from the following links: AIAA output style and ASME output style. For Windows: Open and save the .ens file in C:\Program files\EndNote\Styles. For Macs: Open and save the .ens file in Applications:EndNote:Styles.
- EndNote Web is also available at McGill University. To access EndNote Web you need to create a personal account. You can sign up for an account with your McGill email address at www.myendnoteweb.com.
- There are library workshops given on how to use this software effectively.
JabRef
- If you are using LaTeX to create your document, your may want to make use of JabRef open source software to manage your references.
