Technical Reports
Technical reports are not written to inform the reader of your findings. Their purpose is to persuade the reader of the validity and viability of the presented solution. These documents provide the opportunity to communicate a solution to a problem, aid decision making and recommend action. They are designed to facilitate quick and easy communication of information.
A lot goes into writing a technical report. This article explains what a technical report is, why it is written and how to write it.
What is a technical report?
Researchers detail the progress, process and results of a technical research on documents known as technical reports. A technical report conveys technical information in a clear format that is easy to understand. Technical reports are used in several disciplines, including engineering, physical sciences, biomedical sciences, education, agriculture, etc. They can be written for internal or broader distribution since they are a great source of technical information.
Technical reports rarely undergo thorough independent peer review before publication and may therefore be considered as grey literature. They can be used as a primary form of a research paper before they are published in academic journals.
Technical Report Format
A technical report should be well structured. Since it presents scientific information, the format of the report is very important. It helps the reader locate information on the report with ease. The structure of technical reports is generally the same across disciplines. Check your subject requirements to find out if there are any variations from the structure illustrated below. Your technical report should have the following elements:
- Title page
Also referred to as the cover page, then the title page is the first element of a technical report. It features the title of the report, the institution details, the name of the supervisor and the date. The title page is almost a separate entity from the rest of the report since its content does not add up to the word count of the document.
- Introduction
Do not duplicate the introduction in the lab hand out. Create your introduction that highlights the main agenda in your report. Give a brief overview of how you will handle the topic of the report. Your introduction should give the reader a clear idea of what to expect in your report.
- Summary
The summary is usually about 10% of the report. It summarizes the key points discussed in your report. It also includes an overview of the results and conclusions from your report. Some technical reports can have an abstract in place of an executive summary. Check the instructions from your instructor to determine which one to include.
- Experimental details
This section details all the information of the experiment from the equipment used to the procedure. It also includes the results of the experiments and an explanation. If no experiment is involved, this section can be omitted from the technical report.
- Body paragraphs
The body carries the main content of your report. It features text, graphics and lists. You should present your ideas in paragraphs introduced with subheadings to make your report appear presentable. Use bulleted lists to present your points in a way that the reader can understand with ease.
- Conclusion
Wrap up your report with a short and precise conclusion. The conclusion should mirror the introduction. It should comprise a summary of the main points in your report. Refer to your aims for the research, summarize your key findings and explain your major outcomes while highlighting their significance.
- Include recommendations for action in your technical report as a bulleted list. If there are limitations to your findings, be sure to include them. Offer suggestions for solutions to the challenges in your research.
List all the sources you cited in your essay in the reference section.
Writing a technical report
Writing a technical report does not differ much from writing other types of technical documents. Before you can start writing your report, you should assemble all the sources you need to create it. You can research all the content you need to write your report from your notes, the library, or educational blogs.
Use the tips provided below to guide you in writing an effective technical report
Writing tips for a good technical report.
1. Establish the goals of your technical report and target a specific audience
2. Use a technical report template to guide you on the required arrangement.
3. Before writing your first draft, create a rough outline to guide you in writing your technical report.
4. Use different fonts, underlining and bolding to emphasize a point that you do not want the reader to miss. Avoid overusing these features as they may make your paper appear fussy.
5. Categorize your points into headings and sub-headings to help the reader understand them better.
6. Use proper in-text citation to acknowledge borrowed content in your technical report. List all cited sources in your reference list.
7. Source information for your report from credible sources. Credible sources include articles, journals and approved books.
8. Proofread your report after completion to identify and correct errors in grammar and spelling. Proofreading will also help you identify areas in your report that require adjustments.
Final Thoughts
The purpose of technical reports extends beyond the presentation of information. They are supposed to be convincing and persuasive to further a purpose. There are many technical report topics across several disciplines. While they vary in purpose, these reports have a standard structure and follow similar presentation conventions.
Going through different technical report essay topic examples written by skilled authors is recommended because it helps build your skill on presentation of points. Since people have different presentation styles, reading multiple samples exposes you to a range of formats to use when writing your report.
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