General

Writing
Tips for
Letter
Reports

 Thi
s is
writ
ten
as if
you
are
an
eng
ine
er
wit
ha
com
pan
y
that
has
com
plet
ed
con
trac
t
wor
k
for
a
clie
nt.
 The
rea
der
is a
Sub
ject
Mat
ter
Exp
ert
(SM
E)
 The
ten
se
is 1
o P
r
e
s
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 Date:

Client Name
Organization / company / institution
Street Address
Address Continued (e.g., PO Box, Building Name, Office Number)
City, State, Zip

Reference: Laboratory testing of

Dear Client Name:

The first paragraph introduces the content. See the writing tips in the text box that
follows this paragraph.

Writing Tips for the First Paragraph

 Indicate that the client asked you to perform the tests

 Explain what is in the letter
o What materials you tested
o What tests you ran
o What kind of standards you followed, e.g., ASTM
o What you did with the results. You present the results. If relevant, you
compare your results to standard specification / expected values and tell the
client if the material meets the specifications / expected values.
 Do not go into the details of the sampling and testing. They are addressed in
subsequent paragraphs.
 Do not present results. They are addressed in subsequent paragraphs.

The second paragraph summarizes your testing program. See the writing tips in the
text box that follows this paragraph.

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 Writing Tips for the Second Paragraph

 This paragraph identifies the standards you used.

 Start with a sentence that lists the practices / tests in simple terms
 List the standards used for each practice or test. Items to address are
o The selected equipment if there are multiple choices
o The selected procedure if there are multiple choices
o Settings if relevant
 Indicate deviations from the published standards, if relevant.
 End the paragraph with a conclusion that indicates where the reader can find
o The results of your pre-lab work
o The results of your tests

The third paragraph addresses sampling and sample preparation. See the writing
tips in the text box that follows this paragraph.

Writing Tips for the Third Paragraph

 Start with an introduction that

o Indicates what was done
o Refers back to the second paragraph
 These are typically practices. ASTM uses the term Practice for standards that
have equipment and procedures but do not produce measurable results. For
example, collecting a sample from a body.
 Indicate
o What the client provided
o What you did and what others at your organization did
o What a third party did
 You may need to provide additional details on options you selected or deviations
from the published standard.

The fourth paragraph addresses the test results. See the writing tips in the text box
that follows this paragraph.

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 Writing Tips for the Fourth Paragraph

 Start with an introduction that

o Indicates what was done
o Refers back to the second and third paragraphs
 These are test methods. ASTM uses the term Test Method for standards that have
equipment and procedures and produce measurable results. For example,
running a compression test.
 Present the results
o The results are presented in the body of the report
 If you want to compare the results, use a table
 If the reader needs identify a trend, us a graph
o Tables & graphs with data or intermediate results go in the Attachments
 Interpret the results
o Discuss variability and uncertainty
o Discuss sources of error (human error and incorrect calculations are not valid
sources of error)
o Compare the results to a specification or typical value, if relevant
 If you test more than one material or conduct more than one test, present it as
o Results and Interpretation for Test / Material 1
o Results and Interpretation for Test / Material 2
o And so on
 If the testing program is large, you may need to break the results and
interpretation into multiple paragraphs.

The last paragraph is the closing. See the writing tips in the text box that follows
this paragraph.

Writing Tips for the Last Paragraph

 This paragraph wraps up your work.

 Thank them for the opportunity to work with them
 Let them know that they can contact you if they have questions
 Let them know that you would like to work with them in the future

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Attachments
A-1