By Brant Wilkerson-New
November 7, 2024
What’s in a technical report? Who reads it? And who needs it? These are some of the most common questions people ask about technical reports. While a technical report may sound tedious and unnecessary, you may be surprised to learn that almost any business needs one.
Sometimes, people feel that a technical report is only for very specialized businesses related to scientific or technical fields. Yet, most businesses will need some type of technical report at some point during their lifetime, using it to communicate complex information, research findings, or project outcomes to a specific audience.
Technical reports should be written by professionals with the know-how to do the research and present the information in a clear and formatted way. Here is a quick overview of how technical reports are written.
Who Will Read the Report?
A technical report always targets an audience. It must be written so that the intended audience will understand it.
Before you begin writing, identify and make decisions based on your target readers. Are you writing for colleagues, supervisors, clients, or a broader audience?
Once you know your audience, you can tailor your content and language appropriately. For example, if you’re writing for experts in your field, you can use more technical terminology. If your audience is made up of non-specialists, you’ll need to explain complex concepts more thoroughly and avoid jargon. The whole point of the technical report is for it to be used, which means your audience must find it useful and readable.
Planning the Report
As with many things in life, planning saves a lot of time down the line.
A technical writer defines the purpose and scope of the report. Why do we need it? Who will read it? What problems does it solve?
The answers to these questions will define the goal of the report. Once you’ve established this, gather all necessary research materials, data, and supporting documents. The art of a good technical writer is to turn all this material into a technical report that’s readable and usable.
To achieve this, the next step is to organize the information logically and create a detailed outline of the report’s structure. Once the structure is there, the skill of a good technical writer is to fill in the structure with the relevant information. The outline serves as a roadmap throughout the writing process.
Structure of a Technical Report
Technical reports include a standard structure, although some variations may occur depending on the field or specific requirements. The main components typically include:
- Title Page: This should include the report title, author name(s), date, and any other relevant information.
- Abstract or Executive Summary: A brief overview of the entire report, including key findings and conclusions. Many people want to have an idea about what the technical report is about, in a nutshell.
- Table of Contents: This is an outline of the report’s structure with page numbers. Users will want to refer to this if they want particular information.
- Introduction: The introduction provides background information, states the purpose of the report, and outlines the scope of your work.
- Methodology: It describes the methods, techniques, or procedures used in the research or project.
- Results and Findings: This part presents the data and sources of information objectively, without interpretation.
- Discussion: This section analyzes and interprets the results and discusses their implications and significance.
- Conclusion and Recommendations: This is where the key findings are summarized. Based on the analysis, recommendations are made.
- List of References: The references part lists all sources cited in the report.
- Appendices: This includes any supplementary material that supports the report but is too detailed for the main body.
Writing the Report
A good technical report is clear and precise. The language is clear and concise, with a formal, objective tone throughout. There is no unnecessary jargon — but this doesn’t mean that you should shy away from technical terms when they’re appropriate for your audience.
The technical report should support the text with visuals such as charts, graphs, and diagrams. These can often translate complex information more efficiently than words alone. Each visual should be clearly labeled and referenced in the text.
Finally, a technical report needs to flow logically between sections so that it makes sense and is as intuitive to the reader as possible. Readers have an innate expectation of what comes next, and the report should respond to that. Each part of the report should naturally lead to the next to create a coherent narrative that guides the reader through the work.
Formatting and Presentation
The presentation of the report is almost as important as its content.
Readers expect appropriate fonts that are easy to read, such as Arial or Times New Roman. They want a consistent layout throughout the document, with headings and subheadings to organize the content and make it easy to navigate.
Technical reports should also come with pages that are numbered and clear sections for easy reference. You should include captions for all figures and tables and verify they’re numbered consecutively throughout the report. Consistency in formatting makes any technical report look professional and it also helps readers find information quickly. After all, that’s the whole point of a technical report.
Editing and Proofreading
After the first draft, the editing process begins. Is the report technically accurate? Are all the facts correct? Do conclusions logically follow from the data? Are there logical leaps that don’t make sense?
Next, it’s time to check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, paying special attention to consistency in terminology and style. As a pro tip, read the reports aloud, as it helps catch awkward phrasing or run-on sentences. It may also be helpful to have a colleague review the report. A fresh pair of eyes can often spot errors or unclear sections that might have been missed.
How to Write a Technical Report
Writing a technical report is a skill that improves with practice. It requires dedication, patience, and the art of describing complex information into more accessible conclusions.
The main goal is to communicate complex information effectively, always with an eye to the audience. A good technical report is logical, well-structured, clear, and concise. It’s well-presented and makes sense from beginning to end.
With time and experience, you’ll find that writing technical reports becomes a natural part of your technical writing career. But if you lack the time to do so and your organization needs help with technical reports, contact us today to share your project’s goals, book a free demo, and find out how we can help you build your technical reports the right way. TimelyText is a trusted professional writing service and instructional design consulting partner for Fortune 500 companies worldwide!
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