English 314 Technical Communication

Iowa State UniversityFall 2015

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Seniors preparing for a career in Software Engineering

September 8th 2015
Submitting a report in Software Engineering

Software Engineering incorporates many forms of communication, from instant messenger, to

PowerPoint presentations, to professional reports. Since most college students know how to use
the first two methods, this memo with explain the proper technique and etiquette for drafting and
submitting a professional report in the field of software engineering.
Keep Your Report Short and Sweet
When writing your report, it is important to find the narrow line between succinctness and
rudeness. The report on Alzheimers analytical software written by Jack Mariotti uses short titles
such as Study Goal: before each new section and doesnt waste space on indents and paragraph
breaks. However, often times, when a software engineer is trying to be succinct, it can strike
colleagues as rather rude. When discussing topics such as failed code, the author is likely to
become defensive, and nothing is quicker to ruin a conversation. An easy way to avoid creating
tension, is using phrases such as I feel that or I think that to eliminate the feeling of
accusation. Hao Huang used the phrase We propose a in his report on Data streams to
politely offer a solution. Just remember, the information must be communicated, even if it means
stepping on a few toes.
Structuring a Report
Always begin your report with an abstract or a statement of your intent. Outline how you intend
to solve a certain problem in the code and explain your solution in later paragraphs. Finally, end
you report with a conclusion stating what you proposed and why you proposed it. Next comes
the discussion of layout. Professional reports often feature a lack of white space, a lot of
information and a lot of code. This can cause the text to run together and potentially become
boring. The keys to avoiding a boring report are:
1. Clearly marked titles and section headers.
2. The use of numbered lists whenever possible.
3. The use of in-text citations to eliminate useless text.
4. Manipulation of graphs and charts.
Language
You must remember to keep your audience in mind when writing the report. The majority of the
time, you will be writing to colleagues or superiors so there is no need to dumb down the
language. Use accurate, efficient terminology and dont go too in depth with common
explanations. Lastly, keep it professional. Although your work may be a laid back environment,
there may be other companies viewing your report and is it important to represent your company
in a positive manner. Follow these steps, and youre on your way to becoming a very successful
and professional software engineer.