Engineering Notebook

Introduction

© 2011 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Engineering Notebook
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What Is an Engineering Notebook?
Why Keep an Engineering Notebook?
Who Keeps an Engineering Notebook?
Contents
Engineering Notebook Sections
Standard Page Layout
Best Practices
Historical Examples

What Is an Engineering Notebook?
An engineering notebook is a book in which an engineer will formally document, in chronological order, all of his/her work that is associated with a specific design project.
• Clear and detailed description of your design process • Someone unfamiliar with work could take over project without additional information ®istockphoto.com

Why Keep an Engineering Notebook?
An engineering notebook is recognized as a legal document that is used in patent activities to…
• Prove the origin of an idea that led to a solution
• Prove when events or ideas occurred • Prove diligence in turning the idea into a solution
• Prove when an idea became a working solution (“reduced to practice”)

®istockphoto.com

Who Keeps an Engineering Notebook?
Engineers that work on R & D
• Legal documentation of work
• Continuity in projects

Engineering students
• High school and college
• Develop time management skills • Improve research, documentation, and communication skills
• Basis for professional presentation of work

®istockphoto.co m Contents
• Discovering the problem
• Research
• Sketches with labels and descriptions • Brainstorming
• Calculations
• Your daily thoughts and ideas • Pictures

• Expert input (names, positions, contact info, details of conversations)
• Work session and meeting summaries
• Test procedures, results, and conclusions
• Digital technical drawings
• Design modifications

Everything you do/think related to a specific design project

Engineering Notebook Sections
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• General Chronological
Entries
• References
• Business/Expert
Contacts

Standard Page Layout
• Quad ruled paper
• All pages are
– Numbered
– Dated
– Signed by the designer
– Signed by a witness
– Include a statement of the proprietary nature of notebook

Best Practices
• All work is in pen.
• Markers that bleed through the paper are not used.
• Pages are sequentially numbered in ink on the top outside edge.
• Notebooks are bound.
– Cannot add pages
– Cannot remove pages

Best Practices
• Entries begin at the top of the page, working left-to-right and top-to-bottom
• Do not leave blank space. If there is extra space, draw an
X or a line across it and sign.

Best Practices
• If you make a mistake, draw a line through it, enter the correct information, and initial the change.
• Never erase or remove anything.

Best Practices
• Date each entry

Best Practices
• Inserted items are permanently attached
– Glue is preferred
– No loose leaf items

• Sign your name so that it extends across both the notebook page and the inserted document. Best Practices
• Sign and date each page before the next page is started.
• A colleague or mentor should corroborate the events and facts on each page and sign as a witness.

• Store the notebook in a safe location.

Best Practices
• Sketches
– Label all parts of the sketch – Describe each sketch

Best Practices
• Calculations and figures are clearly labeled. Best Practices
• Progress Entries
– Reflect on tasks accomplished, successes,