TECHNICAL REPORT

WRITING AND RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY FOR
ENGINEERS
 Chapter 1: REPORT OVERVIEW
• A technical report in science and technology may
be defined as a written document which
presents the results or findings of an experiment
or field observation in a logical manner.
• Technical reports include various types of
"technical" information.
• Technical reports could be read by several people
with different levels of knowledge of the subject,
and different pressures on their time.
• Technical report is a practical task of writing that
people do as part of their job.
• Users: What ever their position people in work
place from executer to middle manager, from
specialized scientist to secretarial people generate
documents as a part of their responsibility in their
organization.
• The technical report is a kind of writing you will
engage in throughout your academic and
professional career.
• A good report is easy to recognize. Its title is precise
and informative, its layout and format are well
organized, and the binding is easy to handle and
opens flat to reveal both text and diagrams.
 1.1FEATURES
1 The reader is the most important person.
2. Keep the report as short as possible.
3. Organize for the convenience of the report user.
4. All references should be correct in all details.
5. The writing should be accurate, concise and
unobtrusive.
6. The right diagram with the right labels should be in the
right place for the reader.
7. Reports should be checked for technical errors, typing
errors and inconsistency.
8. The report should look as good as it is.
9. The reader is the most important person.
1.1.1Clarity:
The most important criteria for effective technical
writing is clarity.
1.1.2. Conciseness:
a. Conciseness achieved through short words
b. Conciseness achieved through short sentences

• Here is an unsuccessful example of technical

writing:
“In order to successfully accomplish their job
functions, the team has been needing more work
space for some time now.”
• An improved sentence would read,
“The team needs more work space to do its jobs.”
1.1.3.Avoiding redundancy:
Why say, “The used car will cost the sum of $1,000.00”? It is more
concise to say, “The used car will cost $1,000.00.”
The following examples replace redundancy with concise revisions:
 1.1.5 Audience Recognition

• What does the audience know, need to know,

and want to know?
• When your audience fails to understand the
text, you have failed to communicate!
• Successful technical writers know that they
can only achieve clarity by recognizing their
audiences.
• High Tech Peers know as much about a subject
matter as you. They have the same job title, same
education, same years of experience, and the same
level of expertise.
• Low Tech Peers who work in your company know
something about the subject matter. They may not
have the same job title, education, years of
experience, or level of expertise.
• Lay Readers are your customers. They are
completely out of the loop.
 Formats of Report
1-Manuscript
(Abstract, Summary, Appendix, Glossary etc.)
2-Letter (to outsiders)
(Headings, Illustrations, Footnotes)
3-Memo (to insiders)
(Analysis, Conclusion, Recommendations)
4-Preprinted form
(Printed form to be filled up)
5-Web pages and PowerPoint presentations
 1.2FUNCTIONS
- To present a record of accomplished work
- To record an experiment
- To record findings and technical specifications
- To record schedule and time tables for a long term
plan
- To document current status
- To record and clarify complex information for
future reference
- To present information to a large number of people
(organized info. & recommendations)
 1.3Classification of Report
• Reports may be classified according to:
Degree of formality: formal and informal
reports
Length: long and short reports
Regularity: routine, periodic, or occasional
reports, annual, biannual, or quarterly reports
• Reports that are classified by content :
Occurrence report: which describes an event,
such as flood disaster.
Field trip report: such as is written by an
engineer, agricultural specialist, or
technologist just back from a field assignment
Feasibility report: which develops and analyses
an idea or concept or project to assess
whether it is economically or technically
feasible
Investigation report : any form of report in
which you describe how to perform tests,
examine data, evidence in order to arrive at
your conclusions
Technical proposal: which is normally prepared
by a company to convince another company
or institution of its technical capability to offer
a specific service or perform a specific task. It
is usually expensive.

Technical brief: in which a new idea is presented

in sufficient depth to enable the recipient (the
contractor or consultant) to assess its
practicability and cost.