Writing Technical Report: Detailed Guide
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This document is a detailed guide on writing technical reports, outlining their purpose, structure, and key components such as the abstract, introduction, body, conclusions, acknowledgements, references, and appendices. It emphasizes the importance of clarity, logical organization, and succinctness in each section, as well as the need for proper formatting and adherence to technical writing conventions. Additional tips include the use of figures and tables, the significance of proofreading, and the necessity of citing sources.
Writing Technical Report: Detailed Guide
- 2. WHAT IS A TECHNICAL REPORT? • A technical report is a formal paper that presents the process, progress, and results of technical research in an understandable format. It can contribute solutions to some technical problems, analyze equipment or procedures, develop tools, etc. Professional technical report involves deep experimental details, data, and findings.
- 3. BASIC STRUCTURE OF A TECHNICAL REPORT • Title page • Abstract • Introduction • The body • Conclusions • Acknowledgements • References • Appendices
- 4. TITLE PAGE It usually includes: • technical report title • author name and affiliation • the course name and number, the department, and university • the date of submission. Remember: the paper title should be as short as possible and should stick in people's minds!
- 5. ABSTRACT • No longer than half a page description of the report that involves all the key features, its main purpose, and most significant results. In the abstract, you define the problem, your approach, possible solution and the main paper’s contributions.
- 6. • Don’t start your abstract with weak and boring phrase “This paper ...”. • Do not use technical jargon, abbreviations, or acronyms. • Readers must be able to catch the main point of the whole engineering technical report by reading the abstract.
- 7. • An abstract should be informative and understandable without figures, references or citations. Do not vaguely define what you want to do. It is not an introduction, it is summarizing!
- 8. INTRODUCTION In this part of technical report writing you must present readers the following information: • Define the problem • Motivation (why is it interesting and important?) • Objectives and goals (what are you trying to achieve?) • Background: explain why previous approaches fail and how your solution differs
- 9. • Define the focus of your analysis • Describe the key features of your approach and results • If there are any constraints you’ve face, also include them • Familiarize the reader with your report’s organization. If it’s too complicated, you’re welcome to use technical writing service
- 10. THE BODY OF THE REPORT In that part, you should… • present the information from your research logically under appropriate headings • describe interesting and important phenomena • highlight the originality of your research
- 11. • answer these questions: what problems did you face, what solutions did you offer, and what are the outcomes of these solutions • make clear your experimental procedures • use figures and tables • do not tire the reader with lengthy descriptions of routine technical concerns. If there are any troubles, you always can use professional help from report writing service.
- 12. CONCLUSIONS It should be a strong, effective and brief summing up of the essential features of your research including: • whether you have achieved your main goal • the main findings with specific quantitative information • focus on the most important outcomes of your research and their significance. Wherever it’s needed, ask for report writing help from your tutors or professional service.
- 13. REFERENCES Create an accurate list of references cited in the report. First, you give a credit to the original author. Second, your readers can find useful related works. Third, references identify the background of your investigation. Try to list and number references by alphabetical order of author name.
- 14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS • Do not forget to include everyone who contributed in your work to not hurt anyone’s feelings. Help with report writing must be rewarded.
- 15. FIGURES AND TABLES They present information and data in an easy-to-understand-way. Integrate them into the main body. Proper examples you can find in this Google book.
- 16. APPENDICES • If you have too detailed materials (raw data or comprehensive drawings), include them in appendices. Each appendix has its own number or letter and title as well. It also must be referred to by number at the needed point in the body. Appendices usually include diagrams, extensive calculations, lab sheets, lengthy computer programs, etc. They should look nice: classify and organize them!
- 17. OTHER TIPS • Writing technical report demands not just reporting your data, but explaining and analyzing it • Point out the significance and limitations of your research • Be specific • Technical writers usually use a spelling checker on your final report
- 18. • Don’t generalize • Don’t make statements you cannot prove • Use technical terminology when they are appropriate • Make your technical report writing clear. Do not use too lengthy sentences which are hardly understandable for an average reader
- 19. • Proper grammar and punctuation are not even discussed • Cite relevant sources • Don’t overuse bold, italics and underlining. • Keep graphs and tables simple. Make sure they can back up your statements • Proofread, proofread, proofread! Be a smart technical report writer. More tips you will find in this Google book!
- 20. Still need help with technical report? Visit www.technicalreport.net and be successful!