Keeping a Project Notebook

Project Notebook

As you are working on your semester-long design project, it is critical that you maintain a record of your work and progress. In order to help create your milestone and final presentations, as well as maintain your project schedule, the notebook should be updated regularly.

In order to pass a project Benchmark assessment, or to complete your final submission, your notebook must be fully updated and deemed satisfactory by a TA. The notebook must additionally be submitted in .pdf format prior to each Benchmark deadline on the eg.poly.edu website under the submission tab.

Why Is Keeping a Notebook Important?

• As engineers, a record of your work must be shown clearly to your employers and supervisors. As a student working on a long-term engineering project, you are expected to do the same. A notebook will be a valuable source of reference when developing a presentation for recitation, understanding any changes a groupmate may have made while working by themselves, or to return to a previous point should a new development end up not working out.

What Should You Include In Your Notebook?

• There is no format directly required of you. You are free to format it however you deem most appropriate. However, keep in mind that many TAs, professors, and writing consultants may reference your notebook at any time to view the status of your group.

• Your notebook should be ordered chronologically, with at least a minimum of one update per week, including but not limited to the following information:

1. Topics discussed at a meeting together
   1. Major developments on how the group wants to proceed
   2. Division of labor
   3. Individual accomplishments
2. Developments in code
   1. Screenshots
   2. Plans for the future
3. Developments for a physical model(not applicable to virtual sessions)
   1. Pictures of the model
4. Plans for recitation presentations
5. Updates to cost or project schedule