Unit – 2
Technical report writing
The success of a business or industrial organization lies in doing its job for this purpose, gathering information and passing it on to those who need it is important. In the broader collection and transfer of information is happening all the time in every area of formal life. So scientists, working brokers, testers, journalists, and various professionals, government and private organizations are asked to write and report to their management on important topics at the institution or the person involved.
Reports can be as short as a few sentences and as long as a few large pages. Although reports can be verbal and informal, here we are concerned with written and formal reports.
While writing the following principles can be kept in mind:
- Consider your Audience:
When organizing and preparing your reports you need to know who your audience is and whether or not your content meets their interests and needs.
- Enable Your Report:
Legitimacy has to do with how easy or readable it is. As most reports in normal cases type, all meetings with good typing should be followed. If there are handwritten reports, special attention should be given to writing clearly and clearly. Any departure from the above requirement will prove displeasing to your audience.
- Make your Report readable:
Clarity, durability and systematic presentation of readable content. The concept is summarized better than the following:
The author does a lot by giving his reader a lot of information and taking away from him a little time.
In this regard the following five goals are met:
a) Use short sentences.
b) You prefer convenience to the building.
c) Choose a common name.
d) Use the economy and avoid unnecessary words.
e) Act actions as far as possible
- Avoid unnecessary Names and Texts:
Just like unwanted fat in the body, padding, prolixity and repetition violates the respect of good writing, not to mention the respect they wrote for you. So 'agree' and 'prefer' will be more acceptable than pompous 'agree with' and 'prefer'. As such, why use 'at that point in time' and at a time when we have the best and most economical holdings at that time 'and' when '. Viewed from the point of view of the report, or requested for the report, a good report will contain four important details, an analysis of the information, conclusions and recommendations. It should always be remembered that effective reporting requires special attention to the needs and expectations of the reader. It means that the author of the report has to 'snap a picture', he must think and understand himself.
A technical report is comprised of the following sections:
- Title Page
The title page includes the main title of the report, it must be short and concise. You can also include the word counts of your summary and main body.
B. Table of Contents
Help your reader quickly and easily find what they are looking for by using informative headings and careful numbering of your sections and sub-sections.
For example:
C. Introduction
The introductory part of the report comprises of statement of the objectives of the report and how the report should be treated by the readers. It should indicate towards the problem that is going to be addressed in the main body. It should be catchy and interesting to grasp the attention of the reader from the very start.
D. The Body
The main body consists of the central theme or the main idea of the report. It can be divided into a number of sections and subsections to separate your research and subsequent findings in a logical order.
E. Figures, Graphs, Formulae and Tables
This section consists of the statistical representation of the data you have collected. Ideas should be conveyed in the form which is most suitable to the reader and easily understandable by the reader. Excessive use of these tools should be avoided.
F. Conclusion
The conclusion is a kind of summing up of all the points you have stated in the main text. It should be a definite solution to the problem introduced during the introductory part of the report. The conclusion must be short and to the point.
G. Summary
Summarize all the key points stated in the report including your research, your findings and your conclusion. The summary should feel like a brief overview of your investigations and outcomes. The summary should be constructed in such a way that it can be called a stand-alone document on its own.
H. References
References must include detailed information of all your citations and the sources of material quoted in your texts. It can also include bibliography for further reading.
I. Appendices
This is the last element of a report. It refers to any material which can be useful in the detailed understanding of your subject. It is not meant for the casual reader but for readers who are highly interested in the subject.
Memo Report
A memo report or memorandum is an internal and informal form of communication which is written to inform and to call to action. It is normally used for communicating policies, procedures or other information within the organisation.
Unlike Interpersonal communication a memo report is presented to a large number of people. A memo has to be concise and concrete in terms of providing information.
One of the instances where you could be asked to write a memo report is in a lab. Here the audience for your memo report is your professor who has asked you to conduct an experiment and supply him with appropriate results.
All memo reports consist of two parts: the heading and the body
The Heading
The heading part follows the format given below:
TO: (The name of the receiver and their designation)
FROM: (Your name and designation or title)
DATE: (Current Date)
SUBJECT: (The purpose of writing the report)
The Body
The body of a memo report, like any technical report, should be concise and to the point. It needs to be properly structured and organised. It should consist of the following elements:
Opening:
This section should consist of 2 to 3 sentences and should state the main purpose of the memo. It should include the main problem with which the memo is concerned with and how it is going to be addressed. A good way to start the opening statement would be “The purpose of this memo is to inform you regarding the recent changes….”
Findings:
While writing a technical report it is crucial to include a summarized version of your findings regarding the concerned topic. It should include key points so that the reader can understand the purpose of the memo immediately. This section can also be labelled as “summary” or “recommendations”
Discussion:
This is the longest section in the memo which deals with all the information and evidences you have collected to support your arguments. This section can be subdivided into four subsections namely, Methods (any experiments or calculations involved), Analysis (the analysis of collected data), Results (summary of results obtained from methods and analysis) and Commentary (your objective views on your findings)
Conclusion:
After discussing your research, you should summarize the main elements of your finding in 2 or 3 sentences that should reiterate all the implications in the memo.
References:
All citations and bibliography are to be mentioned in the references section.
Progress Report
A progress report is a type of report which is written in order to inform a supervisor, associate, or customer about progress you’ve made on a project over a certain period of time.
A progress report must answer the following questions:
- What percentage of the work is complete?
- Which part of the work is currently being performed?
- Which sections of the work are yet to be completed?
- What unexpected problems have arisen in the project?
- What is the overall status of the project?
- How much more time will be required to complete the work?
A progress report can be structured in three different ways:
a) Memo – An informal memo report to be sent to someone within the organization.
b) Letter – An informal or formal letter to be sent to someone outside of the organization.
c) Formal Report – A formal report to be sent to someone outside the organization
You should choose the type of progress report depending upon your requirements.
A progress report has no specific structure but should always include the following elements:
- The title and the words “Progress Report” on top of the document
- Section headings to simplify the reading process.
- The name of the writer along with their designation and the receiver’s name and designation.
- The opening should be titled “scope and purpose” where the introduction defines the purpose of the report.
- Two sections titled “Progress….” And “Remaining work” should always be included. The former defining how much work has been successfully completed and the latter describing what part of it is yet to be done.
- A section projecting results and the tentative timeline of completion should also be included.
- The paragraphs should be short and concise and the tone respectful.
Status Report
A status report is an informative piece of writing which keeps the clients, project managers, supervisors and team members up to date regarding a certain project.
It comprises of the efforts, progress and risk associated with a project. A project status report can be a weekly, monthly or quarterly formulated report.
A project status report may be used to:
- Streamline communication efforts across the organization and stakeholders
- Make it easier to gather and disseminate information about key elements of the project
- Ensure stakeholders have all necessary information for decision-making
- Amplify key messages and goals around the project
- Act as a logbook for past key events and actions
What is included in a status report:
- Summary of Work Completed
- A Plan for What Comes Next
- Updates on Budget and Timeline
- Any Action Items/To-Dos
- Report on Risks, Issues, and Mitigation
Below is the format of a status report:
1. Project Name / Client Name
This section should contain the title of the project along with the name of the client. Make sure you record WHO the report is for and WHAT the report entails (ie. What project).
2. Project Vision
Here the main objectives of the project are to be listed in a clear and to the point manner. This is the only static unchanging section of a status report.
Examples:
Drive qualified customers to “purchase” mobile devices based on an improved UI.
With this project, we hope to increase online sales through the implementation of a drip email marketing campaign.
Launch a website by June 2018 that allows customers to purchase the highest quality & best-tasting product in its category.
3. Project Health
Here the health status of the project can be highlighted. The use of colours could be very helpful for notifying the health status for example, green for successful, yellow for a few complications and red for issues requiring immediate and critical attention. A note to support is always helpful.
Examples:
Green: We’ve obtained approval on drip email designs. No budget concerns at this time.
Yellow: The drip email designs need significant revisions, therefore the final delivery date has been delayed by 1 week.
Red: The drip email campaign has drastically shifted direction since starting. We need to set-up a meeting to establish a wants/wishes for the project.
4. What We Completed This TIMEFRAME
These should be listed in bullet format. Keep these short & simple. Don’t explain the “how” just what.
Example:
Obtained approval for 3 drip email designs
5. What We Plan to Complete Next TIMEFRAME
This section should include what is planned in clear and precise bullet points.
Example:
Develop the three emails
Perform internal QA & testing
Pass off to client QA & testing
6. Issues/Roadblocks
This is where you can raise any red flags or obstacles keeping you from moving forward.
Example:
If we do not obtain client feedback by 06/02, we will be in jeopardy of not being able to send the email to consumers the same day as the product will be available in stores.
7. Upcoming Tasks & Milestones
This should include a set of goals to be achieved in the near future. Is there anything that the viewer should review? and what’s coming up next?
Examples:
Dd/mm: Client QA & Testing
Dd/mm: Email Deployment
Survey Report
A survey report is a document which elaborates the findings of a survey in an objective manner. Survey reports usually consist of detailed statistical analysis of the surveyed data divided into various sections. A survey report has no specific format and is curated as per the requirements of the surveyor.
Surveys can be conducted by means of questionnaires, door to door information gathering or by using internet surveying facilities. A survey report may be presented in factual form (numbers, percentages and proportions) along with its implications.
Like other reports, a survey report can also be broken up into several headings namely,
- To
- From
- Survey
- Date
- Purpose
- Introduction
- The Body
- Conclusion
Below is a basic survey report sample:
To: Mrs Joanna Brown
From: Liam Black Subject:
Survey "Ban on using and selling fireworks".
Date: 1st January 2008
Purpose
The aim of this report is to present results of the survey carried out to find out what is people's opinion on public displays and selling fireworks. That will help to decide if using and selling fireworks should be banned. The survey was carried out among people aged 25-50.
Ban on public displays of fireworks
Seventy-two per cent of people asked if there should be a ban on public display of fireworks were of the opinion that public displays should not be banned five per cent were for banning public displays of fireworks while three percent were not sure of their opinion. The facts stated above suggest that people do not mind public displays of fireworks and they would not want any limits on them.
An overall ban on sale of fireworks
The majority of people asked if there should be an overall, ban on sale of fireworks replied 'yes'. One fifth of interviewed said 'no'. One out of ten reported that they would rather ban sale of fireworks while a small portion of people (5 per cent) answered that they would rather not ban the sale of fireworks. Seven per cent did not have any opinion on the subject. It shows that over half of viewers are for banning sale of fireworks.
Children buying and using fireworks
A significant percentage of people (eighty-three) asked if they would allow their children to buy and use fireworks responded "no". The rest of interviewed said "yes". That shows that there should be absolute ban on selling fireworks to children as it may be very harmful and dangerous for them.
Conclusion On the basis of the findings above, it would seem that majority of people find fireworks dangerous and they would claim a definite ban on selling them, especially to children. People also do not trust displays of fireworks which should be banned. They also suggest that government should take some actions to restrict laws associated fireworks and sale of fireworks.
Trip Report
A trip report is an informative document provided to one’s supervisor after their business travel. It includes the collection of events during the trip, the expenditure accrued during the trip and information regarding the purpose of the trip.
A trip report should be curated with the following elements in mind:
1. Purpose: The purpose of a trip report is to justify the purpose of the trip and the money that was spent by the travelling individual. Because trip reports provide proof of expenses, it is imperative that they are accurate and provide a clear explanation of the trip.
2. Audience: Trip reports are targeted towards one's immediate supervisor; however, the report may become a portion of a larger report, or it may be forwarded to other managers, accountants, and even CEOs. Trip reports eventually provide company accountants with information for yearly reports, projected annual budgets, and crucial information for tax filing.
3. Mode: While trip reports can be written as a letter, memo, or e-mail, you should remember that trip reports are official documents that should always be written in a formal tone. Whichever mode of communication that you choose or that you are instructed to use as a means for providing your information, you should plan, organize, and write your report following the convention of business genre and following correct writing conventions (grammar, punctuation, and usage).
It is essential to organise and structure the trip report into different headings and subheadings so as to make it easily readable.
4. Formatting and Elements of the Report:
A. Subject line: On the subject line, you should include the destination, purpose, and date of the trip.
B. Statement of purpose: The first line of the text of your report should be your statement of purpose or the purpose of the trip—be specific. Depending upon your position in the company, it may be necessary to include the name of the person who approved the travel.
C. Introductory summary: The summary can be divided into sections, depending upon the reason for the trip. In each section, you should elaborate so that your company will have information for a follow-up trip.
I. Contains the reason for the trip.
II. Who you met. You should always provide full names, titles, and conversations
That related to your trip.
III. What you accomplished. A work trip is planned for achieving a specific task which should be mentioned in detail.
D. Summary of actions: A description of the events that took place on the trip.
E. Depending on the report, you may be asked to provide recommendations based on your findings from the trip.
F. Outcomes: Describe any results of the trip.
G. Spreadsheet: Provide a detailed list of expenditures, and photo copied receipts. (Do not highlight the receipts. Highlighting can impair the quality of the copy.)
Complaint Report
Many companies encourage the use of complaint reports as the proper method of formally stating a complaint. These reports are usually used to address unsatisfactory transactions or conditions concerning a company. Writing a complaint report properly is key to getting your concern heard and the problem remedied.
A complaint report consists of the following elements:
The Heading
The heading part follows the format given below:
TO: (The individual or company to whom the complaint is addressed)
FROM: (The individual registering the complaint)
DATE: (Current Date)
SUBJECT: (The main purpose summed up in one sentence)
The Body
The body must contain an introduction where you should write the purpose of your report and what is the primary concern of the report. It should then include the main subject, in this case the complaint. The issue at hand should be properly discussed and you should try to provide reasonable solutions to the problem. The tone should not be aggressive at it would make it more difficult to find a suitable resolution to your grievances. The concluding sentence should sum up the report in 2-3 sentences, try to reiterate the key points you have mentioned earlier and try to suggest a few measures that would help in solving your issue.
Joining Report
A joining report is a report written to the immediate supervisor or manager in the event of returning to work after a leave or vacation. These reports are the shortest kinds of report only intimating the supervisor of one’s return to the job. A joining letter on the other hand refers to a letter written by an individual to confirm his position where he is newly appointed to work at an organisation.
There is no set format for a joining report but it can follow the template given below:
JOINING REPORT
I hereby report myself for duty after returning from leave from this day on ……………….. (forenoon/
Afternoon).
I have availed the following kinds of leave.
Earned leave for ……………………….. Days (from ……………… to ………… )
Half Pay leave for ……………………… days (from ……………… to ………… )
Commuted leave (MC) for ……………... Days (from ……………… to ………… )
EOL (with/without MC for …………days (from ……………… to ………… )
With permission to prefix/suffix holidays on ……………………..)
Signature: ……………
Name in block letter:
Designation: ………….
Laboratory Report
A laboratory report is a formal, analytical and concise record of an experiment. The discussion of the experiment, the various procedures and the subsequent results obtained should be clear and specific enough that a reader could easily replicate the experiment. One of the main purposes of writing a laboratory report is to communicate the work done in the laboratory to the management on a regular basis. Another reason for writing a laboratory report is to record an experiment for the future and archive it.
Format
Although most laboratory reports will include the following sections, some experiments will require a
Different format. All reports should be tailored so as to meet the requirements laid down by the experiment.
Abstract: The abstract should contain a brief informational synopsis of your experiment. It is advisable to keep the abstract under 200 words. While writing the abstract, assertive or declarative sentences should be used rather than writing a long descriptive prose.
Introduction: Here the background of the experiment which is to be undertaken is explained in a few lines. The introduction should explain the objectives you hope to achieve from the experiment. When appropriate, the background should indicate theoretical predictions.
Procedures (or Methods): This section includes a detailed set of instructions of how the experiment is ought to be conducted. Each instruction should be so precise that the reader should be able to replicate it if he so desired. There should be no ambiguity and error when it comes to numbers and quantities. All statistical information should be well organised.
Results and Discussion (sometimes presented as separate sections): This section must convey results relevant to the goals of the experiment. Here the analysis of the results obtained from the experiment must be carried out along with its implications. All possible sources of error should be acknowledged with potential solutions if any. Results can also be presented in the form of graphs and tables if the experiment needs it.
Conclusions: Here you should place the specific results acquired into the context of the experiment as a whole. The discussion section should serve as sufficient conclusion if the experiment and report is short. Remember to evaluate the results you obtained in light of the objectives stated in the introduction.
Appendices: This section must include the information which is too extensive or tangential to warrant inclusion in the main body of the report, but necessary as procedural or analytical evidence.
