This document outlines the technical writing process for business reports. It discusses determining the audience and purpose, analyzing the audience's technical background and interests to tailor the appropriate level of detail. It also covers collecting and organizing data from various sources, writing and editing the report for the audience, and packaging the final report with standard formatting and references. The key steps are analyzing the audience, defining the problem based on the purpose, and writing from the audience's perspective so they can act on the findings.

1. Technical Writing Process
Prepared by Willow F. Pangket
Saint Louis University
Department of English
Summer 2014-2015

2. Audience and Purpose
• Audience
–Technical
–Non-technical
–Mixed

3. Audience Analysis
• What is their technical background?
• What is their function in the
organization?
• What are their interests?
• What level of detail do they need
from your report for it to be useful to
them?

4. • The primary audiences
• Secondary audiences

5. Guide Questions for Analysis
• What information do they have?
• What will they do with your report?
• What are their prejudices?
• What are their functions and concerns?
• How will your report affect them?

6. Report Purpose
• Technical Problem Statements
• Rhetorical Problem Statements
– Why write these business reports?
• To persuade or cause change
• To inform or report results
• To support a decision to be reached
• To obtain funding or support for future work or
research

7. Complete the sentences below by filling in the
correct word from among the three options enclosed
in parentheses.
• Once the _____(subject, purpose, audience) of a
technical business report is determined, the
writer may proceed to establish the _____(subject,
purpose, audience) by which the business
problem to be solved is defined. From there,
the writer identifies the _____(subject, purpose,
audience) and writes from their vantage point
so that they are enabled to act favorably
on the findings and recommendations of
the report.

8. Collecting Data and Organizing
Elements
• Data Collection
A. Previous Reports/ Literature Searches
B. Sources of Data
• Original Data
• Borrowed data
• Data provided by the client
– Watch words are:
» Completeness
» Accuracy
» Reliability, i.e., reproducibility
» Reasonableness (reality check)

9. C. Inconsistent and Incomplete Data
D. Levels of Details
E. Organizing the Elements

10. • C. Organizing the Elements
• Textual Elements
– Main elements:
• Descriptive
• Analytical
• Comparative
• Conclusive
• Persuasive
• Summaries

11. Editing and Packaging Report
• Writing and Editing a Report
– Audience Analysis Review
– Sentence Length
– Word Choice
– Active and Action words
– Technical Terms and Jargons

12. Packaging a Report
• A matter of taste
• Simpler is usually better
• Format standardization
• Covers, bindings, color, and logos
• Tabs and dividers
• Editing for structure
• Editing for content
• Checking references

13. References:
Casinto, CD C.(2009). Interactive in Writing
Business Correspondence and Technical
Reports: A Communication Process
Approach. C&E Publishing, Inc.
Portillo, R. et. al. (2003). Research and
Technical Writing. Trinitas Publishing, Inc.