GUIDE TO

EFFECTIVE
TECHNICAL
WRITING
ACCURACY

A report writer must be tactful in the recording of

data, statement or calculating mathematical figures.
He must check every statement in its final form. An
error committed and an illogical statement written
can create confusion as well as doubts over the
whole text. A writer should always aim to be
understood.
BREVITY
Being brief is a courtesy to the reader. The
reader should find it easy to group the main
idea of the report. In the same manner,
accuracy of the statements can easily be
maintained. The reader can get the essence of
your thinking in a compressed form.
CONFIDENCE
A good report writer must have the quality
of self-confidence. He cannot only
communicate but he has to be also decisive
or sure of what he is writing about. After
finishing the last page of his report, he is
an authority.
DIGNITY
Dignity is courtesy to your readers as professionals.
This is an ethical standard. The writer must be
certain that all grammatical constructions are
correct. In report writing, you need to be formal with
words and how these words are used. You should be
sure that the ideas or information are well organized,
simplified, summarized and expressed in
straightforward manner.
FACILITY
 This refers to the devices used by the writer, to make his
report easy to read and understand. In most cases, report
writing depends more on pacing, sequence, arrangement
and continuity of ideas as well as information. A
grammatical correction is important. He should make his
writing straightforward, logical and clear. The thought
from one part to another should be clearly established,
illustrated or stated.
EMPHASIS
The writer has to feel what is important to the reader
and should never expect how the reader finds it out
for himself. He has to lead him from point to point,
clearly marking every step, directs the reader to the
right way and gives him the reason for stopping at a
particular portion.
HONESTY
Honesty is expected in a report. When a writer
has borrowed some statements, ideas or
quotations, he has to acknowledge them either
in footnotes, endnotes or cite the source or
author of the borrowed ideas or statements
within the running text.
ILLUSTRATION
Illustration materials such as charts,
graphs, diagram and photos are always
helpful. The writer should use them to
clarify and support the text. They can be
used to show situations or trend or
movement.
JUDGMENT
 The writer should qualify the date and information gathered by
judicious weighing. This can be done by the following these
criteria:
 Most ample
 Most pertinent or relevant
 The simplest in explaining the facts with the least additional evidence
 Most harmonious with the rest of the data and information.

 In every case, the evidence used as a basis of judgement (as in

conclusions and recommendations) should be included in the
report.
KNOWLEDGE
The communication of knowledge is the
primary objective of the report, but knowledge
is not only a collection of data or information.
It involves interpretation and information of
conclusions. With out sound interpretation, the
data will become useless.
LOGIC
 Logic is chiefly a process or classification. It is putting things in their
proper places. It shows the relations among groups of things and
classes of groups. By thinking logically, one can avoid the following
trouble areas:
 Statements must not contradict each other.
 Words must be used in consistent sense
 Statements must move in one direction whether space, time or relation.
 Statements must make sense.
 Judgments must not be based on few data.
 Cause and effect should be clearly distinguished from simple sequence.
 Conclusions should not be inferred if they have no connections with the data.
 An authority should not be accepted if he is biased or he is not an expert in the
particular field.
MECHANICAL NEATNESS
This is the general appearance of the report. It must
be neatly encoded or typed, properly margined, free
from typographical errors, erasures crossing-outs
and smudges.
Headings and subheadings and indentions are
mechanical devices, which help make the
organization of the content clear.
NORMAL PROCEDURE
The report is easier to understand if it
conforms to the standards practices. The writer
must follow the acceptable arrangement of the
different parts of a report. If the writer deviates
from the normal procedure, he should inform
his readers by explaining his reasons for doing
it.
OBJECTIVITY
In technical writing, the writer should consider
himself as another person, uninterested observer or
an innocent bystander. In this instance, the third
person point of view is preferred. The writer should
treat his subject matter the way he sees or observes
it.  Technical reports avoid the use of the first person
(I, me, my).
 PLANNING
This is primary in all activities. This gives the
purpose and directions to what the technical
writer has to write. This involves thinking
ahead of what one has to do, when to do it and
who is to do it. This will be reflected in a well-
organized report.
QUALIFICATION
The technical writer should select only
those statements that have direct
relationship with the topic being discussed.
The writer should evaluate the ideas or
statements he will include in the writing of
the report.
REVISION
This consists of more than merely correcting the
spelling, punctuations, spacing and margin errors.
The writer must also check every statement for
sense and relevance and be sure that he has said all
that must be said. An effective report is all that is
require to perfection. The secret of good writing is
rewriting.
STRAIGHT SENTENCES
 Sentences carry the full weight of the meaning in a report.
The sentence to be employed must be limited to only one
idea or to closely related ideas. To avoid monotony, vary
your sentence structure and employ appropriate
transitional devices. By employing such devices, there will
be a smooth transition from sentence to sentence. They
will show the readers the writer’s thoughts leading him to
what the writer wants to communicate.
THOROUGHNESS
The writer should treat well his subject matter.
The writer should check the thoroughness of
his report from initial thinking to final
submission. The writer is obliged to go over
the subject, analyze and investigate it, organize
and interpret the results and draw conclusions
whether it is positive or negative.
UNITY
A report is unified when everything is clearly
relevant to the main point under discussion.
Nothing should be left hanging. No question
should be left unanswered. After all, the main
objective of a unified report is to let the readers
feel that they have read everything essential to
the subject undertaken.
VIEWPOINT
A report is written from a certain viewpoint: 
that of a reporter, proponent, researcher or an
author. The viewpoint is established in the first
sentence and should be maintained consistently
throughout the report. Voice unity should also
be observed.
WORD CHOICE
The writer should choose the
words that are fit to the reader’s
understanding. Avoid words which
are difficult to understand.
ZEST
Write only about things that are worth writing and
which are invigorating. Write as though you were
performing a service that only you can perform.

Writing should not be regarded as something
difficult but something that is enjoyable and
pleasurable.