What are engineering notebooks?
Engineering notebooks are structured logs that participants use to document their project’s evolution throughout an event. Each notebook tracks iterations of problem-solving, from the initial idea through implementation decisions. Notebooks help event managers and judges understand:- How a team identified and defined their problem
- What approaches they considered
- Why they made specific technical decisions
- How their solution evolved over the course of the event
Viewing notebooks
The notebooks page lists all engineering notebooks created by event participants. Each entry shows:| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | The notebook title, typically the project or problem name |
| Author | The participant who created the notebook |
| Iterations | Number of iteration entries in the notebook |
| Last updated | When the notebook was most recently updated |
Notebook structure
Each engineering notebook contains a series of entries organized as iterations. Within each iteration, participants add comments categorized by type:| Comment type | Description |
|---|---|
| General | General notes, observations, or context |
| Problem | Defines the problem being solved or a sub-problem encountered |
| Approach | Describes the approach or strategy being considered |
| Implementation | Documents implementation details, code decisions, or technical specifics |
Iteration tracking
Notebooks are organized by iterations, representing distinct phases of the project:- Iteration 1 might cover initial problem research and brainstorming
- Iteration 2 might document the first prototype attempt and challenges encountered
- Iteration 3 might cover pivots, refinements, or final implementation details
Using notebooks for judging
Engineering notebooks provide valuable context for judges:- Problem understanding — did the team clearly define the problem?
- Technical depth — does the approach show thoughtful engineering decisions?
- Iteration quality — did the team adapt and improve throughout the event?
- Documentation — is the thought process well-documented and easy to follow?
Next steps
Projects
View project submissions alongside their notebooks.
Judges
Set up judges to evaluate projects and notebooks.
Judge Scoring
Configure scoring criteria and rubrics.
Leaderboard
View real-time rankings and score breakdowns.