BMET1960 – 2019 Semester 1

Assignment 2 – Game Changing Technical Reports

This is an individual assignment worth 15% of your total mark. The due date is Friday 24th May, 5 pm.

Aim
The aim of Assignment 2 is to identify a key unsolved research problem in biomedical engineering and to write a
short technical report, based on fictitious data, which addresses this problem and thus has ‘game-changing’
implications for that particular field.

Description
Students will prepare a 2-page technical report detailing a fictitious biomedical study which has the potential to
revolutionise some aspect of the field. Students should:
• Choose one of the major biomedical themes of the course (this can be one already covered or one still to
come)
• Spend time reading the literature in this area to identify an important unsolved problem
• Work out what kind of experiment and associated data set would represent a breakthrough for this
particular problem you have identified
• Devise the fictitious dataset – e.g. a plot or table for example
• Write a 2-page technical report detailing your study

Report format
The report MUST include all of the following sections:
• Executive summary
• Background
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• References
NB. You may add sub-sections to these main sections if you wish, but this is not a requirement.

Use the WORD template provided for your report – do not alter the formatting (margins, columns, font size) in
the template. You may use LaTeX but be sure to match the exact formatting of the WORD template. You may also
choose a different font to Times New Roman, however the font size must match 10-point Times New Roman.
Please read through the supplied template for specific instructions on each section of the report.

Other important instructions

• Background: The Background section MUST NOT be fictitious – in other words, you must address a real-
world unsolved biomedical problem.

• Methods and Results: Only the Methods and Results sections can be fictitious. However, the more realistic
and plausible they are, the more marks will be awarded. Thus, give careful thought to the experiment from
which your data supposedly derives to ensure it is realistic and plausible.

• Report length: The complete report cannot exceed 2 pages in length. Use the 2-column template
document provided. A typical report will be approximately 1500 words total (excluding references). There
is no minimum word limit, but obviously being too brief will limit how well you can score in the marking
criteria detailed below. There is a maximum word limit of 2000 words (excluding references) – any words
beyond this limit will not be marked. Note that figures, figure captions and tables do NOT count towards
the word limit. There is also a maximum page limit of 2 pages – any part of your report extending beyond 2
pages will not be marked.
 • Figures and tables: It is fine to include figures and/or tables from the literature as part of the Background /
Methods / Discussion sections, provided they are properly referenced. However, the figures and/or tables
you include in your Results must be completely your own work. Note also that you may include multiple
figures in your Results, but be careful not to limit the space for your descriptions. All figures must be
labelled and accompanied by a caption. All tables must be numbered and accompanied by a title. Every
figure and table shown in the report must be referred to somewhere in the main text of the report. And
remember to make all plots, figures and tables clearly legible and of high quality. Label all axes and include
all units.

Marking criteria
Marks will be awarded according to:

General (40%)
• Overall mastery of subject: 10%
• Overall “game-changing” creativity: 15%
• Overall clarity: 10%
• Overall presentation: 10% (legibility, spelling, grammar, layout, figure quality)

Executive summary (5%)

• Does the executive summary concisely capture the problem and the key methods, results and significance
of the study?

Background (10%)
• Does the student demonstrate an understanding of the problem and its context?
• Is the problem and its context real and supported by references?
• Is the significance of the problem clearly communicated?
• Is previous work to address the problem described and referenced?

Methods (10%)
• Are the experimental methods clearly described?
• Are the experimental methods appropriate for the problem?
• Are the experimental methods scientifically rigorous?
• Are the experimental methods believable?

Results (10%)
• Are figures/tables/data provided?
• Are the results plausible?
• Are the results clearly stated in the main text of the report?
• Are all units stated and consistent?

Discussion (10%)
• Are the results interpreted?
• Do the results clearly support and justify the stated implications for the field?
• Is the significance of the results explained?
• Are the limitations of the study acknowledged?

References (10%)
• Presence of in-text citations and a reference list. Everything cited in the main report must have a reference
at the end; and every reference at the end must be cited somewhere in the main report. Choose either
IEEE style or Harvard style for your in-text citations and reference list.
• Are the references real, appropriate in supporting the study, and following a consistent referencing
format?

Note: For those of you choosing to use LaTeX for your report, the margins are all 1.8 cm (top, bottom, left, right)
and the column width is 8.45 cm with spacing 0.5 cm.