A technical report describes and analyzes the process, progress, or results of scientific or technical research or the state of a technical problem. It may include recommendations and conclusions. Technical reports have several purposes, including recording routine and non-routine events and forming the basis for decision-making or avoiding decisions. The audience of a report needs to be considered, as reports are written for specific readers. Objectives, organization, and structure are important aspects of writing an effective technical report.

1. Technical Report Writing

2. Report Writing
A technical report (Scientific Report) is a document
that describes and analyses the process, progress, or
the results of technical or scientific research or a state
of a technical or scientific problem. It might also
include recommendations and conclusions of the
research.

3. Report Writing
How many parts of the definition can you identify?
After discussing the definition, you might develop an idea
about what are reports for?

4. Report Writing
 A report can be used:
 To record routine events
 To record non-routine events
 As the basis for making decisions
 As a basis for avoiding decisions

5. Report Writing
 Who are reports for:
 Once you have decided what your report is for, you need to decide who it
is for. Who is your audience?
 Audience: the reader(s) of the report; the audience may be larger than
you expect, including both official and unofficial components. However, it
is important to note that audience in different fields of communication are
known by different names- listeners, publics, demographics, viewers,
customers, clients, stakeholders, auditors, users, and participants.)

6. Readers
 Every write up is meant to be written for certain audience.
 Try to focus on who your audience are and what you want to
communicate with them.
 Remember,
 That its not readers’ job to follow you, RATHER, it is your job to guide
them, to make their task as easy as the subject allows.

7. Objectives
The objectives of a report identify exactly what information it covers, for
whom it is written and why it should be produced; these objectives should
be clear to the writer long before the process of writing starts.
NOTE: It is helpful to put down in note form the precise details of the
objectives and to check these details regularly until the last stages of
production.

8. Get started
 If the objectives of the report are clarified, the writer will know the level of
technical language and correct tone for the readership.
 The style will be formal because reports are formal documents. The
report is now taking shape, although little or no formal writing has been
produced.

9. Brainstorming
 Keeping in mind the objectives of report, try to identify the steps covered
before actual write up starts?
 Remember: Writing is a complex mental activity so its important to be
focused at onset than to go astray. Initial efforts taken to systematize the
work will save you time and energy later.

10. Reflection
 The format has been chosen
 The material organized
 The logical progression clarified and
 The sections prepared;
 The report can now begin.

11.  Planning and producing documents

12. A Production Model
Commission
Individual or
team
Plan, scope,
outline tasks,
scheduling
Use primary
data sources
Use secondary
data sources
Redefine scope,
outline tasks,
scheduling
1st draft
2nd draft Edit
Design
graphics
Produce
written
report
Deliver
written
report

13. Characteristics of Effective Technical Communication
The flow of electrical current can induce the migration of impurities or other defects through the bulk of a solid.
This process is called electro migration. In simple electro migration, the force on the defect is thought to have
two components. The first component is the force created by direct interaction between the effective charge
of the defect and the electric field that drives the current. The second component, called the "wind force," is
the force caused by the scattering of electrons at the defect.
--J.A. Stroscio and D.M. Eigler,
"Atomic and Molecular Manipulation with the Scanning Tunneling Microscope," Science

14. Accuracy
 The preceding example is accurate in two ways.
 It is stylistically accurate in its precise use of language.
 It is technically accurate in its use of specialized terms such as
electromigration, charge, electric field and scattering, whose meaning are
based in the context of a technical discipline.
 Both types of accuracy-accuracy of phrasing and accuracy of technical
concept- are of first importance in science and technology writing.

15. Accuracy
“Accuracy is a question of ethics”

16. Clarity
 The example is also clear because it is written in simple, direct sentences.
 Although the technical context is the highly specialized realm of theoretical and
applied nanotechnology, the sentence syntax-word order- is restrained and
structurally very simple.
 Part of this clarity is achieved through by the rhetorical device of defining a term,
electromigration.

17. Concise, Coherent and Appropriate
 The example is concise in its use of minimum of words to express the basic idea
of electromigration. It is not wordy, and it does not digress from the point being
made.
 The example is coherent because it develops its subject matter in an easy to
follow line of thinking. The sentences are further linked by referents such as “this
process”, “the first component”, and “the second component”.
 Finally, the example is appropriate to its purpose of presenting a general
description of the process of electromigration, and to its audience, educated
readers of science, who are not necessarily experts in the field of nanotechnology.

18. Appropriate writing style
 Avoid Personal Pronouns: for most documents, it is unnecessary to use
“I,” “we,” “us,” and especially “you.” Instead of saying,
 “I (or we) took measurements,” it is acceptable to say, “Measurements
were taken.”
 Passive Voice is OK: while active voice is preferred in most cases, it is
completely acceptable to use passive voice in technical writing.
 Passive Control of the flow is provided by a DJ-12 valve. –
 Active A DJ-12 valve controls the flow. –
 Passive An ASM chart is shown in Figure 3.
 Active Figure 3 shows an ASM chart.

19. Comprehensive
 It provides background to readers unfamiliar with the subject matter.
 It provides all details as readers can carry the discussion and tasks required.
 A comprehensive document enables readers to use the information safely,
effectively, and efficiently.

20. Concise
 Economy is the game when it comes to technical writing. Technical
documents should be clear and concise, never wordy and flowery. Always
choose words and phrases that are simple and straightforward.

21. Concise
 Verbiage Efficient
 commence start
 endeavor try
 a large number of many
 in the majority of instances usually
 the reason why is that because
 alternate choices alternatives
 completely eliminate eliminate
 connected together connected
 an analysis of the data will be made data will be analyzed
 made a selection selected

22. Example
 Wordy: At this time I am writing to you to enclose an interview card,
which has been post-paid, for the purpose of arranging a convenient time
when we might get together for a personal interview.
 Concise: Please return the enclosed interview card to set up a
convenient time for an interview.
 Wordy: we hereby wish to let you know that our company is pleased with
the confidence you have reposed in us.
 Precise: ???

23. Correct
 The message should contain no factual errors.
 All words, especially proper words, should be correctly spelt.
 Grammar and punctuation should be perfect.
 Any incorrectness in spelling or document may affect the credibility of the
document as readers might feel that the material researched might also
not be up to the mark.

24. Considerate
 The message should reflect the ‘you’ attitude. (that is concern for the
readers needs and interests, rather than the writer’s).
 The ‘you’ attitude is polite-demonstrating good manners and tact.
 Practical- answering the recipient's question ‘ what’s in it for me?
 (That is it gives the recipient an incentive to respond to, rather than
ignore, the message).

25. Example
 We Attitude: I am delighted to announce that we will be extending our
hours to make shopping more convenient.
 You-Attitude: You will be able to shop evenings with the
 extended hours.

26. Example
 Using “we” can be receiver oriented if “we” includes the recipients of the
message. But messages that use “you” can be insensitive in negative
situations.
 Insensitive: You failed to enclose your cheque in the envelope.
 Considerate: The cheque was not enclosed.

27. Courteous
 The message should reflect respectful and civilized values.
 It should not give the reader cause to take offence or to take legal or retaliatory
action.


28. Conscientious
 The message should meet the highest ethical standards.
 It should contain no material unethically taken from other sources.

29. Structure and the politics of persuasion
 A report can have either a direct structure or an indirect structure.
 Direct Structure: is used to deliver a ‘good news’ message in a straightforward manner at
the beginning of a report.
 Indirect structure: is used to defer the major impact of a ‘bad news’ message until later in a
report.
Which structure you choose will often depend on the reception you expect from your
audience.
 When using the indirect structure, you do not aim to be dishonest, but rather to create a
context that will stimulate considered rather than impulsive and reactive decision making.

30. Direct Structure: Summary section wording Indirect Structure: summary section wording
• This report examines the need for policy
measures to cope with new budget
constraints, particularly in the area of
salaries.
• It is recommended that:
• Band A staff take a pay cut of 12 per cent.
• Band B staff take a pay cut of 6.5 per cent,
with all overtime eliminated.
• No expenses be allowable unless given prior
approval by DDF.
This report examines the need for policy
measurement to cope with new budget
constraints, particularly in the area of
salaries.
Various issues are examined, including
the possibility of:
• Pay cuts
• Reducing or eliminating overtime
• Changing approval mechanics for expenses.