Technical Writing Objective 6.01 Explain the abilities to communicate effectively in a technological world.
You should be able to…… List the parts of a technical report Describe the purpose of a technical report Describe how to prepare and deliver a presentation Describe the parts of a portfolio.
Technical Report Writing Used to convey technical information to other people The general structure of a technical report contains 6 elements. Each element pertains to information the reader generally wants to know.
6 Elements Introduction Method Results/Discussion Conclusion Recommendations References
Note To Self NOTE: In addition to the six elements listed on the previous slide, it is appropriate to include: Title Page Outline Page in the form of a Table of Contents
Introduction The introduction provides a focus for the report. Describes the reason for the report States the main points of the report Provides background information
Methods This sections describes how the technical process or activity is developed. Describes the research and/or design process Describes the tools and/or procedures used.
Results or Discussion In this section the results of the technical process or procedures are described and discussed. With tables and graphs In sentence form, discuss specific results as evidence to support the interpretation.
Conclusion The importance of the results is established in this section. The meaning of the results are explained in relation to the original research question or problem. Conclusions are expressed using general statements based on the results obtained from the research, process, and procedure.
Conclusion continued Conclusion should focus on answering the original questions or provide a solution to the original problem. In other words, the conclusion should provide the important information the reader is looking for.
Recommendations Recommendations to the reader are stated in this section. If there are no recommendations to be made, this section can be omitted. Recommendations should be based on the conclusions or results or data.
References In this section credit is given to other sources of information used in the report. Work by others should be Acknowledged in the text of the report Listed in this section in proper form.
Formats There is no single format that is appropriate for all situations. Some of the most popular styles include: APA Style (American Psychological Association) MLA Style (Modern Language Association) CBE Style (Council of Biological Editors)
Visual Aids Visual aids can be an important part of a technological report. When used correctly, they can provide more information than written words. Visual aids should be thought of as part of the message instead of supplement to the text.
Types of Visual Aids Some types of visual aids that might be included in a technical report consist of: Drawings Photographs Tables Diagrams Charts Graphs
Rules for Using Visual Aids 1) Use visual aids where they will achieve the communication objectives. 2) Use visual aids appropriate to the objective. 3) Use visual aids that are not complicated and are pleasing to the eye. 4) Make visual aids a part of the text.
Questions to Ask Elements- What does the reader want to know? Introduction- What can be gained from reading the report? Method- Was the process or procedure sound? Results/Discussion- What was the results of the process or procedure, and how are the results interpreted?
Questions to Ask Conclusions- What is important about the results? Recommendations- What can be changed or improved? References- What other sources of information are included in the report?