Technical Reports: an overview

Edited by Asheesh Kamal

LIS Cafe Website, 2022

 

The single purpose of a technical report is to convey a set of facts from the author to a reader. A professional writer may ask himself the following questions before attempting to write a report:

(i) Who will read my message? (Readers - informed or uninformed?),

(ii) what my message will accomplish? (purpose),

(iii) what language should I use? (Style),

(iv) what emphasis should I give? (tone), and

(v) what exactly I am supposed to write? (message), Professional writers may be a scientist a technologist, a consultant, a company employee, a government servant or a member of the general public.

 

Readers may be

(i) share-holders who want to analyse the market trends,

(ii) financiers who want to know where to and how much to invest in a venture,

(iii) managers who want to plan and monitor work,

(iv) contractors who want to know global trends and geographical dispersions,

(v) regulatory authorities who want to keep check on illegal or extralegal activities,

(vi) laborers who wish to know management policies, labour laws, etc.,

(vii) R&D institutes who want to highlight their activities,

(viii) plant managers who want to have details of production processes/techniques, and

(ix) entrepreneurs who want to establish industries.

 

 

A good quality technical report is:

• concise and precise
• has clarity of facts
• states facts
• has total objectivity
• is easily readable and understandable by the targeted reader
• is tailor-made for a specific reader
• provides solution to specific and limited problem
• contains new and useful information
• follows a prescribed reporting format 
• is capable of verification
• avoids judgments, opinions and arguments
• is written in simple, formal, impersonal and effective language
• is devoid of tricks, jargons, colloquialisms, etc.

 

 

 

 

Reference:

1. Wikipedia

2. IGNOU Study Materials