How to Write a Good Technical Report

A good technical report is concise and well organized

All kinds of businesses require technical reports. Many companies evaluate the effectiveness of everything from new business models to computer code using technical reports. Reports can also document the feasibility of a project or recommend one product over another. The difference between an average report and a good report is often simply organization: present the information in a clear and engaging format and your information will be easier to find and use.

Instructions

Organize your report

1. Create an outline, complete with headings. Your report should have an introduction, body of evidence, and conclusion. By identifying your headings early on, you can ensure that your information flows logically.

2. Write your introduction. You should let your reader know right away what to expect from the report. Highlight the research methods and resources you used and state your findings. Describe the report's organization, so the reader can skip straight to a specific section if needed.

3. Develop your evidence. The body of your report will give the reader all of the information he needs to decide, evaluate, or assess a business problem. Keep your language clear and concise. The next section discusses techniques for communicating the content of your report.

4. Use the conclusion to remind your reader what the problem was and how your evidence addresses it. Your report may identify a solution or propose next steps. Cite any resources you used.

Present your evidence

1. Use first hand information wherever possible. If you are evaluating two products, use information from the manufacturers themselves or reviews from users within your own organization. If your report is a progress report, talk directly to the people performing the work. This will minimize misinformation and give your report credibility.

2. Use charts and visuals when possible and appropriate. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and nowhere is this adage more useful than in a technical report. Complex information and relationships between items or events are often more easily understood when they are presented visually.

3. Use appendices for related information. This will streamline your report. Each appendix should contain a single piece of information, for example, a string of computer code, a single product's specifications or individual test results.

4. Edit out extraneous text. Your report should not contain anecdotes or personal observations unless they relate directly to the report contents.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your audience in mind, and write with an appropriate tone. A progress report to executives will likely contain less "technical terminology" than a product report to engineers.

• Limit your ideas to one per paragraph, and try to keep paragraphs under five typed lines of text. This will help your ideas stand out and keep the reader engaged.

• Separate each section with a descriptive header. This makes it easier for the reader to find and refer to specific sections during later reviews and discussions.

• If your report will have a large number of acronyms or unusual terms, consider a glossary.

• Don't forget to attribute your resources; if using test results, describe your test steps.

References

• "Business Writing": Writing habits to break in 2010
• "Online Technical Writing": Technical reports

Resources

• College Writing: Guide to using graphics
• Online Technical Writing: Common grammar, usage, and spelling problems