Tips to help you prepare an acceptable written report about your internship:
- Remember your audience! I am not an expert in your project. Be certain to explain all the details and the significance of things that may seem obvious to you. This means that you need an introduction in your paper that provides background information and sketches of the "big picture".
- Tell me what you did.
- Tell me why the company/organization wanted the job done.
- What improvements occurred in company/organization operations or research plans, etc. as a result of your efforts?
- What new knowledge/product/etc is now available because of your work? What is the significance of this?
- How did you do your project (i.e., materials and methods)?
- Difficulties you encountered and why (and how you solved them).
- Any goals that were not achieved and why not?
- If you have written a computer program, submit sample screenshots.
- Be certain not to include any proprietary information in your report until it is cleared by your supervisor. If you have done a research project, then a research paper format is a good model to use for your report. A well-written research paper will integrate virtually all of the points mentioned above. If your work is more applications oriented, then you should pay especially close attention to the items listed above when organizing your report. While length is no indicator of quality, do not sacrifice completeness for the sake of brevity. I expect a paper of approximately 3 to 5 pages in length. Communications skills are essential in any professional position.
Your report should reflect high standards of English composition: style, syntax and grammar. Copies of your report may be provided to your Department Head and/or to Siena Public Relations.