Writing a technical report

Language and Business Studies

Course: Communication Skills in English C1.1
Diogo Castro 2047013
Rafael Sousa 2019413
Vtor Costa 2051613
Professor: Dr. Alcina Sousa

Table of Contents

Origin of the words

What is a technical report?
Purpose
Structure
Characteristics
Conclusion
Bibliography

Origin of the words

Technical
Greek: tekhnikos (of art; systematic)
tekhne (art, skill, craft)

Origin of the word report Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary, Web. 19:16
9 Jan. 2014.

Origin of the words

Report
Old French: report (an a account brought by one
person to another)

Origin of the word report Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary, Web.
19:16 9 Jan. 2014.

What is a technical report ?

Formal, fact-based and non-fictional document
Records the procedure adopted and the results
obtained from a scientifical or technical activity or
investigation
Conveys technical information, clearly and easily
through an accessible format.

Purpose
To describe the procedures adopted and the results
To inform by providing relevant data
To analyse the data obtained during the investigation

Structure

Executive Summary
Abstract
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
Recommendations
Bibliography
Appendices

Structure
Executive Summary
Outline the major findings of the report
Made for high level executives
Not always needed

Abstract
Talk about major research/methodological contributions

Structure
Introduction
Should take the reader from a level of zero-knowledge to a level in which the reader
is able to understand the main body of the document.
Includes:
Motivation (Why?)
Background (information about the issue)
Scope (focus of your analysis)
Objectives
Content (What is in the report?)

Structure
Body
Methodological framework (theoretical side of the methods
used during the investigation)
Analysis of the results obtained
Figures and tables (facilitate the understanding of the
document by providing relevant information)

Structure
Coclusion
Summary of major findings

Recommendations
Insight into the next steps you recommend to be taken, based
on the analysis and conclusions made.

Structure
Bibliography
Appendices
Present data and analysis
Intended for interested readers only

Characteristics

Clear (avoids unnecessary details)

Simple (uses direct language)
Impartial (does not make assumptions)
Logically Structured
Accurate (avoids ambiguity)
Objective (unneceasry information is not mentioned)

Characteristics
Use of verb tenses:
Past tenses: describe the experients and to present the
observations that took place prior to the time of
writing
Present tenses: to make conclusions
Future tenses: talk about issues for the future

Characteristics
Use of technical terms (when appropriate: bear in
mind the audience to avoid exclusion or confusion)
Use of passive voice

Conclusion
A technical report has a specific sets of guidelines
and features that should be met in order to succesfully
convey the message.
The purpose of this types of text is the inform, to
describe and to analyze the data collected during the
investigation.
Relevant data should be presented in a clear and
logically ordered way to facilitate the understanding
of the document.

Bibliography
Report Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary,
Web. 19:16 9 Jan. 2015
Technical Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary,
Web. 19:30 Jan. 2015
How to Write a Technical Report Jos Holgun-Veras. Web.
12 Jan. 2015
The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2010. Web. 17:40
18 Dec. 2014
S.E. Robertson , K. Sparck Jones,Technical Report Simple,
Proven Approaches to the Text Retrieval. Web. 20:37 13 Dec.
2014