Republic of the Philippines

ILOILO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

La Paz, Iloilo City

English 8A: Technical Report Writing and Oral Communication

Writing Technical Reports

By: Alexandra F. Jales

Writing a Scientific Report

A scientific report is a document that describes the process, progress, and or results of technical or
scientific research or the state of a technical or scientific research problem. It might also include
recommendations and conclusion of the research.

Elements of a Scientific Report

1. Title Page
2. Table of Contents
3. Abstract
4. Introduction
5. Methods
6. Results
7. Discussion
8. Conclusion
9. References

Title Page
The title page will include the following:
 Title of the report:
 Authorship
 Date

Table of Contents
A Table of Contents is only required for length reports (usually 6 pages or more)

Abstract
The Abstract is a self-contained synopsis of the report - an informative summary of what you did and
what you found out.
The Abstract should include the following:
 Objectives and scope of the investigation.
 A brief reference to the Materials and Methods.
 A summary of the results and conclusions - a brief but thorough statement of the outcome/s of
the experiment.

Introduction
 Begins with the most general topic (“big picture”) and progressively becomes narrower in
scope.
 Provides appropriate background information that justifies why the study is worth doing.
o Connect the big picture to your research question
o Justify the logic and importance of the research question
o Set your research within the context of other research
 Includes only relevant information related to the crucial concepts of the study.
 Ends by introducing the study’s purpose and clearly stating any hypotheses and predictions.
Common Pitfalls
1. Lack of focus
2. Lack of organization
3. Failure to justify the study

Methods Section
Your methods section should demonstrate that the research approach was appropriately designed
and implemented, so that your audience trusts the results and so you establish your credibility. It will
cover the details of your study, such as the following:
 Thoroughly describes the procedure used to address the research question/hypothesis.
 Includes all relevant details (e.g., quantities, equipment, organisms, data collection method,
etc.).
 Describes all calculations used (including formulae and definitions of the variables).
 Avoids being repetitive (i.e., describing the same procedure multiple times).
 Avoids unnecessary details.

Common Pitfalls
1. Lack of organization
2. Lack of detail
3. Unnecessary details

Results Section
The results section organizes and simplifies the findings of the study for readers and presents objective
explanations.
 Describe important trends and provide relevant numerical values.
 Refer to all tables and figures within the text.
 Avoid interpretation of results.
 Avoid unnecessary details.

Common Pitfalls
1. Lack of organization
2. Lack of important details
3. Too many details

Discussion Section
The discussion section interprets and explains the study’s results.
 Starts with a statement of the overall conclusions with respect to the study’s goals/hypotheses
 Briefly describes the results that led to the above conclusions
 Provides explanations of the results using primarily disciplinary concepts
 Explains how the results compare to other groups in class or to published studies (if applicable)
 Provides logical explanations for unexpected results or results that differ from published studies
 Explains how the study could be improved (if applicable) and how that might affect the
results.
 Provides well-reasoned ideas for future research that would further understanding of the topic.
 Concludes by discussing the implications of the results with respect to the “big picture.

Common Pitfalls
1. Shallow data analysis
2. Weak ideas for improvements or future research

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should help the reader visualize and understand your results.
 Columns and rows are clearly and concisely labeled and include units where appropriate (see
example below)
 Data is neatly organized and easy to understand
  Table titles clearly and completely describe the data being presented (see example below)

Common Pitfalls
1. Confusing or disorganized tables/figures
2. Improper formatting

Table 1. Physical characteristics of three bird species sampled in Oxford, Ohio. Values
represent the average (± 1 standard deviation).

Figure Formatting Checklist

 X- and y-axes are clearly and concisely labeled and include units (e.g., mm) (see A below)
 When multiple lines are graphed in the same figure, the lines are easy to distinguish and the
key clearly shows what each line represents (see B below)
 Figure titles clearly and completely describe the data being presented (see example below)

Figure 1. Change in the average height of corn seedlings treated with different
concentrations of soil nitrogen. Error bars indicate the standard deviation.

Conclusion
This is the summing up of your argument or experiment/research, and should relate back to the
Introduction.
The Conclusion should only consist of a few sentences, and should reiterate the findings of your
experiment/research.

References
Cite any references that you have used, ensuring that each item in the reference list has an in-text
citation, and every in-text citation has a full reference in the reference list at the end of your paper.
Ensure that the references are formatted according to the style required by the journal (or your
lecturer/supervisor), and be careful with spelling (the author whose name you misspell may be asked
to review the paper!)

References:
https://www.miamioh.edu/hcwe/handouts/scientific-reports/index.html
https://www.waikato.ac.nz/library/guidance/guides/write-scientific-reports