How to write report

How to write a report, essay, or thesis at the
Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies

HOW TO WRITE A REPORT, ESSAY, OR THESIS AT THE INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORT
AND LOGISTICS STUDIES
Requirements and guidelines for structure, layout, attachments, binding, referencing, and the issue of plagiarism

JOHN ROSE
Professor
The Institute Of Transport and Logistics Studies
The University of Sydney
AND
PETER STOPHER,
Professor
The Institute Of Transport and Logistics Studies
The University of Sydney
3 February 2012

i

How to write a report, essay, or thesis at the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This document provides a set of requirements, guidelines, and suggestions to help staff and students in the
Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies to prepare papers, reports, essays, and theses. It covers content and structure, layout requirements, headings, titles, lists, capitalisation, the referencing system, and binding. It also provides some rules and hints on improving writing. The document also contains a fairly complete treatment of exactly how to apply Harvard Referencing, according to current standards.

John Rose and Peter Stopher

3 February 2012

Page ii

How to write a report, essay, or thesis at the
Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies

Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... ii
1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 3
2 FORMAL REQUIREMENTS and content .................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Document Sections and structure ....................................................................................................... 3
2.1.1 Cover page

Citations: …The theory was first propounded in 2009 (Van Rijnsoever and Castaldi 2009)… OR …The theory was first propounded by Van Rijnsoever and Castaldi (2009)... 1979; Dubin and McFadden 1984). ALTERNATIVELY Empirical estimates were first obtained by Hausman (1979) and later by Dubin and McFadden (1984). (Dubin and McFadden 1984) OR (van Rijnsoever, Farla, and Dijst 2009) If there are more than three authors, the in-text citation only shows the name of the first, followed by et al. (Caussade et al. 2005) OR Caussade et al. (2005) have found that … 4.4 (Hensher 2001; 2004) OR Hensher (2001; 2004) has shown that … If the same author has published two or more works in the same year, then they are distinguished by Anon or Anonymous. However, you should italicise the title: This survey technique is considered superior (Guide to good survey practice 1999) … How to write a report, essay, or thesis at the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies In the Guide to good survey practice (1999), it is stated that … The Department of Transport (2004) found that... Hensher (cited in Caussade et al. 2005) reported … OR (Hensher, cited in Caussade et al. 2005) However, in such cases, only the reference to Hensher would be included in the reference list