Technical Reports 4 [Compatibility Mode]

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Technical Report Writing

ByDr.Eng/ Hagar Alm El Din


Summary

Technical writing can be characterized asfollows:

• Technical writing deals with technicalinformation.

• Technical writing relies heavily onvisuals

• Technical writing uses numerical data toprecisely describe quantity anddirection.

• Technical writing is accurate and welldocumented.

• Technical writing is grammatically andstylistically correct.


Characteristics of Effective Technical Writing

The four C’s:

• Clarity -- it is easily understood by your intended audience

• Comprehensiveness -- all of the necessary information is present

• Conciseness -- it is clear without excess verbiage

• Correctness -- it is grammatical and follows conventions


Technical Report Layout

Front Matter

Text

Back Matter

Ba

ck C

ove

r

Lis

t o

f S

ymb

ols

, Ab

bre

via

tion

s,

an

d A

cro

nym

s

Ap

pe

nd

ixe

s

Re

fere

nce

s

Co

ncl

usi

on

Re

sults

an

d D

iscu

ssio

n

Me

tho

ds,

Ass

um

ptio

ns,

an

d

Pro

ced

ure

s

Intr

od

uct

ion

Su

mm

ary

Lis

t o

f Ta

ble

s a

nd

Fig

ure

s

Tab

le o

f C

on

ten

ts

Ab

stra

ct

Titl

e P

ag

e

Fro

nt C

ove

r


1. Cover*

2. Label*

3. Title Page

4. Abstract

5. Table of Contents

6. Lists of Figures and Tables

Front Matter


• Appendixes*

• Bibliography*

• List of Symbols, Abbreviations, and Acronyms

• Glossary*

• Index*

• Distribution List*

Back Matter


•Create an outline of your report before you write it.

•Write the body of the report first. Then write the front and back matter.

•Have someone proofread your report.

Tips for Writing


Feedback: evaluating someone else's report

• Checks if the title/abstract makes sense are effective/eye-catching.

• Are all the relevant questions answered in the introduction?

• Is the overall structure of the rest of the sections meaningful?

• Is the difference from related/past work crisp and meaningful?

• Are the technical sections understandable?

• Are the figures/tables explained properly?

• Are the symbols used defined appropriately?

• Are the results explained properly?

• Are the conclusions drawn from the graphs/tables sound?

• Do the results show how the work presented is better/worse that the other cases of comparison?


Different Types of Technical Reports

Typ

es o

f Tech

nic

al

Rep

ort

s

Proposals

Laboratory and Project Reports

Research Report

Feasibility and Recommendation

Reports

Progress Report


(1) Proposals

Proposals are among the most important documentsone can write. Persons and organizations that writeeffective proposals win grants, contracts, and jobs;persons and organizations that do not writeeffective proposals often just wind up "goingaway"— sometimes "far away."

Proposals are specialized, technical businessdocuments that offer persuasive {able topersuade/convincing) solutions to problems

A proposal also needs to sell the reader on some idea— usuallythat he or she (or his or her organization) needs specific goods orservices that you (or your organization) can provide.


To be successful, you normally need to do at least three things in any proposal you write:

1- Describe, identify, or refer to a problem that needs to be solved.

2- Offer a viable solution to the problem

3- Show that you can effectively implement this solution


Difference between Formal and Informal Proposals

• Informal proposals aregenerally short documentsof limited scope writtenby an individual.

• Informal proposals alsomay be either solicited{make requests) orunsolicited.

• With solicited proposal,the problem has alreadybeen identified, and thedecision to solve theproblem has already beenmade.

• Unsolicited proposalsoften come from within anorganization

• Formal proposals arenormally large,comprehensive documentsproduced by a team ofexperts on behalf of anorganization.

• Formal proposals cantake many forms, but atypical one might includethe following:

• An executive summary , Atechnical volume , Amanagement volume Acost volumeA resourcesvolume


Proposal Checklist

• Have I defined the problem in great enoughdetail to ensure that my readers willunderstand the context for this proposal?

• Have I described the background for thisproblem in great enough detail to clearlyidentify the variables driving my proposedsolution?

• Have I defined in the scope section how I amlimiting my proposal?

• Have I laid out my proposed solution inadequate detail?

• Do I have enough details to ensure that mysolution is credible?

• Is my time estimate consistent with the tasksin my statement of work?


(2) Progress Report

Progress reports describe the various tasks that make upthe project and analyze the progress that has been madetoward completing each task.

Generally speaking, in a progress report you needto tell the reader three things: the problem youare solving, the solution you are implementing,and how well you are doing

Writing a progress report typically requires thatyou do three things: review, describe, andevaluate.


Progress Reports Outline


Progress Report Checklist

• Have I specified the purpose,background, and scope of this report?

• Have I referenced the acceptedproposal by name, number, and/ordate?

• Have I reviewed the problem contained in that proposal?

• Have I reviewed the proposed solutionto that problem?

• Have I specified the tasks that will be included in this report?

• Have I properly discussed the taskscompleted and tasks remaining?


ICE BRAKE

• Tell the person next to you what you did last weekend


(3) Feasibility and Recommendation Reports

Feasibility reports and recommendation reportsare objective documents that identify andevaluate solutions to problems. These reportsaddress subjects that have well-definedparameters, including a problem, or multipleproblems, that can be precisely described; and asolution, or multiple solutions, that can beobjectively and empirically tested.


How Do Feasibility andRecommendation ReportsDiffer?


Feasibility reports consider a single solutionto a problem and determine whether or not,or to what extent, the proposed solution isfeasible

Recommendation reports, on the other hand, look at several approaches for solving a problem and recommend the most feasible approach.

The feasibility outline provides a typical approach for organizing a feasibility report, and the recommendation outline does the same tiling for a recommendation report.


Writing Feasibility and Recommendation Reports

• Define a problem that needs to be solved.• Identify one or more candidate solutions.• Develop a set of criteria by which to

objectively evaluate the candidatesolution(s).

• Collect and interpret data for eachcriterion as it relates to each candidatesolution.

• Draw conclusions and makerecommendations regarding the feasibilityof the candidate solutions based on yourinterpretations


Feasibility and Recommendation Report Checklist

• Have I explained all criteria, including why they wereselected and how much weight each is being given?

• For all criteria, have I collected information (data) thatis objective and meaningful?

• Have I provided useful interpretations of this (thesedata)?

• Have I included a conclusion based on theseinterpretations?

• Have I made a recommendation based on thisconclusion?

• Have I included a contact who can provide moreinformation about this report?

• Have I documented the sources I used for myinformation?

• Have I included any necessary supporting information inan appendix?


(4) Laboratory and Project Reports

These documents present information thatrelates to the controlled testing of ahypothesis, theory, or device using testequipment (the apparatus) and a specifiedseries of steps employed to perform the test(the procedure).

laboratory reports are research orienteddocuments, meaning that they start with ahypothesis or theory that needs to beapplied and tested under highly controlledconditions.


Laboratory reports can also take theform of project reports, which arecommonly used in teaching laboratories

The laboratory outline provides a model for aresearch-oriented laboratory report. Theproject outline provides a slightly differentmodel for the kind of project report frequentlyrequired as part of a teaching laboratory.

In our first example, (laboratory outline) willbe used to develop a research laboratoryreport. Following that, project outline will beused to produce a project report


Laboratory and Project Report Checklist

• Have I clearly defined the purpose of this report?

• Have I clearly described the problem that requires this report?

• Have I clearly explained the limitations of this report?

• Have I discussed any theory necessary for the reader to understand the report?

• Have I reviewed relevant prior research?• Have I described the apparatus I used to

collect the data?• Have I described the procedure I used to

collect the data?


(5) Research Reports

Research reports are similar to researchpapers that every student has done at onetime or another. In technical writing,however, research reports are focused,objective inquiries into technical subjects.


Research reports describe thediscovery, analysis, anddocumentation of knowledgeobtained through some type ofinvestigation

Research reports are specificallygeared to the purpose at hand, thereaders who will use them, the clientswho will read them, and whateverlimitations have been placed on thescope of the project


Research Report Checklist

• Have I clearly stated the purpose of this report?

• Have I introduced the topic with a brief overview of the problem or background?

• Have I discussed how I limited the report and my rationale for doing so?

• Have I provided adequate background for my reader to understand the report?

• Have I provided substantive, well-documented information in the report?

• Have I included necessary visuals and data?• Have I summarized my research in the

conclusion?


Questions????

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