1、BRITISH STANDARD CONFIRMED OCTOBER 1986 BS 4811:1972 Incorporating amendments issued February 1973 (AMD 1121) and August 1978 (AMD 2694) Specification for The presentation of research and development reports UDC 001.818:655.53:047.3BS4811:1972 This British Standard, having been approved by the Docum
2、entation Standards Committee, was published underthe authority of the Executive Board on 30 March 1972 BSI 07-1999 The following BSI references relate to the work on this standard: Committee reference OC/20/10/12 Draft for comment 70/35754 ISBN 580 07310 6 Co-operating organizations The Documentatio
3、n Standards Committee, under whose supervision this British Standard was prepared, consists of representatives from the following Government departments and scientific, technical and professional organizations: Aslib* National Lending Library for Science and Biological Council Technology* Bodleian L
4、ibrary National Library of Scotland Booksellers Association of Great Britain and National Library of Wales Ireland National Reference Library of Science and British Council Invention British Museum National Reprographic Centre for British National Bibliography documentation* Cambridge University Lib
5、rary Office for Scientific and Technical Information* Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux Periodical Publishers Association Construction Industry Research and Permanent Committee on Geographical Names Information Association (Royal Geographical Society) Department of Trade and Industry* Publishers Ass
6、ociation* HM Stationery Office* Royal Institute of British Architects Institute of Information Scientists* Royal Society Institute of Journalists* Science Abstracts Institute of Technical Publicity and Science Museum Library* Publications* Society of Indexers Library Association* Standing Conference
7、 of National and Ministry of Defence* University Libraries* National Central Library* The organizations marked with an asterisk in the above list, together with the following, were directly represented on the committee entrusted with the preparation of this British Standard: British Association of I
8、ndustrial Editors Institute of Technical Authors and Illustrators British Cartographic Society London College of Printing BSI Standards Associates Section Post Office Electricity Council, The Central Electricity Society of Industrial Artists and Designers Generating Board and the Area Boards in Soci
9、ety of Technical Publication Contractors England and Wales United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Institute of Linguists Individual expert Amendments issued since publication Amd. No. Date of issue Comments 1121 February 1973 2694 August 1978 Indicated by a sideline in the marginBS4811:1972 BSI 07-1
10、999 i Contents Page Co-operating organizations Inside front cover Foreword ii 1 Scope 1 2 Definition 1 3 Introductory 1 4 Front cover and title page information 2 5 Report numbers 3 6 Text 3 7 End matter 5 8 Pagination and numbering 5 9 Production of original 6 10 Reproduction 6 Figure 1 Layout of f
11、ront cover 8BS4811:1972 ii BSI 07-1999 Foreword This standard makes reference to the following standards publications. BS 1629, Bibliographical references. BS 1991, Letter symbols, signs and abbreviations. BS 2509, Presentation of serial publications, including periodicals. BS 3700, Recommendations
12、for the preparation of indexes to books, periodicals and other publications. BS 4000, Sizes of paper and board. BS 4719, Title leaves of a book. BS 4755, Presentation of translations. BS 4821, Recommendations for the presentation of theses. DD 52, Recommendations for the presentation of tables, grap
13、hs and charts. Since the Second World War, research and development reports have evolved as a distinctive form of literature for the rapid communication of information on specific topics. To fulfil this role effectively, it is essential for the report to present the information in the best possible
14、manner to the potential reader. Clearly, no matter how important the contents, the report will be of little use unless it can be readily assimilated. It is in the interest of good practice in this respect that the present British Standard has been issued. The need for standardization of certain aspe
15、cts of presentation covered by this specification may be open to question. The parts of the standard which deal with such matters are cast in conditional terms. Imperative terms are used for requirements which, in the opinion of the committee which prepared this standard, are essential if the clear
16、presentation of reports is to be achieved. During its preparation various official and non-official standards for the compilation and presentation of research and development reports have been examined. In general, it will be found that the recommendations of this specification are compatible with t
17、he Guidelines issued by the Committee on Scientific and Technical Information of the United States Federal Council for Science and Technology. Throughout this specification the use of the singular implies the plural where it is appropriate. A British Standard does not purport to include all the nece
18、ssary provisions of a contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application. Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity from legal obligations. Summary of pages This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii, pages
19、 1 to 8 and a back cover. This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on theinside front cover.BS4811:1972 BSI 07-1999 1 1 Scope This British Standard specifies requirements for the presentation, format a
20、nd production of research and development reports on any topic. No attempt has been made to provide a manual of literary style. There are other types of record and document, for example bibliographies or computer programs, which do not fall entirely within the definition below but which, if it is ex
21、pedient to do so, may be included in a research and development report series. If so they should as far as possible comply with relevant sections of this standard. However, those types of record and document which are the subject of separate British Standards should comply with them: for example BS2
22、509, BS4719, BS4755 and BS4821. NOTEThe titles of the British Standards referred to in this standard are given on page ii. 2 Definition For the purposes of this British Standard the following definition applies: research and development report a document which formally states the results of, or prog
23、ress made with, a research and/or development investigation, which, where appropriate, draws conclusions and makes recommendations, and which is initially submitted to the person or body for whom the work was done. A report is usually issued as one of a series and commonly carries a report number wh
24、ich identifies both the report and the producing, disseminating or sponsoring organization 3 Introductory 3.1 Planning. As a general guide the following five points provide the basis for successful planning procedure for reports. The author should: 1) define the objective; 2) gather the information;
25、 3) analyse the information; 4) draw conclusions; 5) draft the summary. 3.2 Arrangement. If carried out, the procedure in3.1 also provides the essential material for the preparation of a research and development report, which may include the following, preferably in the order in which they are liste
26、d: Front cover Title page Summary (abstract) Preface Table of contents Introduction Theory Experimental procedure and results Discussion Conclusions Recommendations Acknowledgements List of references Appendices Tables Illustrations Graphs if not included in the main body of text BS4811:1972 2 BSI 0
27、7-1999 This standard recommends the traditional practice of presenting conclusions and recommendations after experimental procedure, results and discussion. There is a body of opinion that it is advantageous, particularly for reports intended especially for management, to place the conclusions and r
28、ecommendations immediately after the introduction. This alternative arrangement may be followed if the sponsoring organization considers it more appropriate. 4 Front cover and title page information 4.1 Front cover: essential information. The information listed below shall be given on the front cove
29、r: 1) report number (see 5); 2) secondary report number, if any, which is given for internal reasons; 3) title and sub-title, which shall be given in full; 4) authors name; 5) corporate source, that is the name of the organization and the division of the organization responsible for the report, and
30、its full postal address; 6) date, that is the month and year in which the completed document is sent for reproduction; 7) price, if any, and the sales point if different from the corporate source; 8) security classification, if any. 4.2 Inside front cover. Any special notices required by the sponsor
31、ing authority shall appear on the inside front cover, e.g. limitations on reproduction, security, legal and supersedure information, safety precautions, disclaimers and disposal instructions. Organizations issuing reports to which restrictions apply shall, if possible, indicate the period for which
32、the restrictions remain in force. This information may be given on the title page or page ii if the report is likely to be published without covers. 4.3 Title page: essential information. The information given on the title page shall include: 1) report number (see 5); 2) secondary report number, if
33、any; 3) title and sub-title; 4) authors name; 5) corporate source; 6) date; 7) approval signature, if necessary, which shall appear on the lower part of the right hand side of the title page; 8) summary, if sufficiently brief (see 6.1). 4.4 Arrangement. Information given on both the front cover and
34、the title page shall appear in broadly similar positions. The name of the author shall appear below the title, with his affiliations where they are different from the issuing body (see Figure 1). 4.5 Title. The title should be concise and should indicate the subject of the report clearly and succinc
35、tly. NOTEMechanized information techniques, which may rely upon title for effective retrieval, emphasize this requirement. Literature survey Bibliography Glossary List of abbreviations, signs and symbols Index Distribution list Document control sheet Abstract card(s) Back coverBS4811:1972 BSI 07-199
36、9 3 4.6 Progress reports. The title of a progress report shall specify the period covered, together with the frequency of issue, i.e. annual, quarterly etc. Where there is no specific subject title, contract and/or sponsored progress reports shall carry, either in the main title or as a sub-title, a
37、 clear indication of the name of the contractor or sponsor and any distinctive codes associated therewith. 4.7 Authors name. The authors name shall be given in the form by which the author wishes to be known. Titles of honour should appear in the form in which they are normally given and academic or
38、 professional qualifications may be given where they would be useful. If there is more than one author, names should be listed alphabetically, unless the report is the work predominantly of one of the authors in which case his name should appear first. 5 Report numbers 5.1 Construction. The report n
39、umber shall be an alphanumeric designation, unique within the organization producing, disseminating or sponsoring the report, which identifies the report and the organization. The following are actual examples of such report numbers: 1) An alphanumeric designation established by the organization pro
40、ducing the report: 2) An alphanumeric designation established by the organization disseminating the report: 3) An alphanumeric designation derived from the contract, grant or agreement number of the sponsoring body: 5.2 Length. To facilitate computer processing, the number of characters in the repor
41、t number, including conventional signs and spaces, should be kept to a minimum and shall not exceed 32. 5.3 Position. The report number shall be printed horizontally in the top right-hand corner of the front cover (see position A, Figure 1) and, if an additional position is required, vertically in t
42、he bottom left-hand corner (see position B, Figure 1). If the report acquires secondary numbers, these shall all appear in the top right-hand position and in the bottom left-hand position, if used, clearly sub-ordinated to the main report number. 5.4 Identification of pages. The report number should
43、 also be printed on every page. 6 Text 6.1 Summary (abstract) 6.1.1 Content. The summary should be an informative prcis of the entire work. A concise description of the methods, results and significance of the work should be included, but the mere expansion of the title should be avoided. The emphas
44、is to be placed on various aspects will depend on the nature of the individual work being reported. As the writing of the summary is one of the most important tasks particular attention should be paid to it. Example Explosives Research and Development Establishment. Technical Report No. 2, appears a
45、s ERDE TR 2. Example A report produced under contract to the Ministry of Technology was designated British Report No. 15451 by the Technology Reports Centre, and appears as TRC BR 15451. Example A report produced under contract to the Atomic Energy Research Establishment was designated as an AERE Ex
46、tra-Mural Research Progress Report under contract No. 1743/1 and appears as AERE/EMR/PR/1743/1.BS4811:1972 4 BSI 07-1999 6.1.2 Position. For reasons of space, the summary should normally appear on page 2 (reverse of the titlepage); alternatively it may be placed on the title page. 6.2 Subject classi
47、fication and keywords. Any subject classification and/or keywords assigned to the report shall be printed adjacent to the summary (abstract). 6.3 Preface 6.3.1 Content. A preface may be regarded as a cover note specifically designed to define, reiterate or emphasize certain aspects of the study. It
48、should rarely be needed. 6.3.2 Position. If a preface is deemed necessary it shall appear on the page immediately succeeding the summary page, and before the table of contents. 6.4 Table of contents. A table of contents is required for all but the very shortest of reports. The principal headings sha
49、ll be listed verbatim and in the order in which they appear in the report, together with the page number on which each of them begins. Lists of illustrations, tables and appendices should be included. 6.4.1 Position. The table of contents shall follow the summary (or the preface if one is included) and shall begin on the succeeding page. 6.4.2 Two or more volumes produced simultaneously. Where two or more parts of a multi-part report are produced simultaneously, the complete table of contents shall appear in the first volume. The second and subsequent volumes
