Technical Report Writing 1

Introduction to Technical Writing

Intended Learning Outcomes:

- Discuss the significance of technical writing

- Define technical writing
- Identify the basic principles of good technical writing
- Know the two important aspect of technical writing
- Describe the qualities of a good technical report
- Identify the characteristics of a good technical communicator
- Explain the concept of technical communication and technical documentation

Significance of technical writing

The significance of technical writing relates to the concept that a writer’s skills greatly affect the kind
of technical output he produces; therefore, it is important that he should possess good writing skills
to procedure good written texts.

Technical Writing

“Technical” comes from the Greek word “techne” which means “skills”

Skill- the ability to use one’s knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance.

Technical Writing

A communication in any field where the primary aim of which is to convey a particular piece of
information, for a particular purpose, to a particular group or group of readers.

In the field of criminology, technical writing involves writing of police reports and other technical
output which are result of careful investigation.

Elements of technical writing In the field of Criminology:

- Subject matter
- Study or the investigation: Done through observation, analysis, experimentation, and
instrumentation in order to support the present factual information regarding assigned
cases.
- Organization and presentation of the information gathered
Basic Principles of good Technical writing

1. The writer of a report must have specific reader or group of readers Mind.

2. He must decide what the specific purpose of his report is and make sure that every part of his
report contributes to the purpose.

3. He must use specific, single, concrete word familiar language that will not be misinterpreted.

4. He must make his report very presentable in format. The layout must conform with the standards
forms of writing.

Technical Writing

 A form of communication in a specific field (Criminology).

 It conveys a particular piece of information: (Criminological research, police reports, blotter
entries, memorandum, circulars legal documents.)
 It conveys a particular purpose: (to research on a problem, to investigate a crime, to record
an occurrence, to disseminate. Information, to serve as a legal basis.)
 It has a particular group of specific readers: (Criminology instructor, Director General, Chief
of police, Prosecutor)

Subject Matter:

Refers to the objective information that the writer wants to convey.

o This is the objective information of a written material.

o This tells readers what to do, and how to do a particular reading task.
o This gives information about recorded data in criminology, military, business, education and
the like.

Purpose:

Refers to the goals that the writer wants to achieve for himself and his readers after presenting his
written output.

- These are the concepts and information that point to the completion of a specific task and
decision on the part of the writer and the reader.
- This is the analysis on the events and its implications in relation to the written text.
- It convinces, persuades, and influences the readers.

Plato and Greeks was Plato the first technical writer?

 Writing steals memory and understanding; the written word is a mere copy of reality, unable
to ask or answer question.
 Human beings gain wisdom through contemplation and oral communication with others.
 Plato was concerned that writing undermines ethics.
POLICE REPORT WRITING

- A police report is a very important part in the job of a police officer because that would help
him or her with the investigation or as pieces of evidence in court.
- It is must be Clear, Factual, and Concise.

Police report Writing

One part of the police report is the narrative. This is the section I which an officer described
everything that he or she has observed at the crime scene.

PREPARATION IN REPORT WRITING

- Report writer will be required to first review and organize their notes.
- An outline can be draw quickly from the known facts of any case, particularly if it follows a
criminological sequence.
- After an outline is identified, the police report writer should inspect it for completeness prior
to engaging the actual writing of the report.
- The outline of the police report should answer the following: Who? What? When? Where?
Why? How?

VALUES OF REPORT WRITING:

VALUES TO THE ORGANIZATION

 The progressive police executive utilizes police reports to the fullest extent in making
decisions necessary to the management of the police unit and/or station.
 The efficient police executive utilize police reports to determine the character, extent,
location, and time of occurrence of the crime and other incidents requiring police action.
 Police report aid in fixing responsibilities so that the rank and files maybe held accountable
for performance.

VALUES OUTSIDE OF THE ORGANIZATION

- Prosecutor and the court use them in preparing complaints and determining the specific
violations of that will be charge.
- Police reports are the principal source of information in the organization’s effort to assist
government agencies.
- Police reports are useful in pertinent condition to the attention of other government
agencies.
VALUES TO THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICER

- Reports permit an interchange of information among police officer and which can be
accomplished in no other way. Reports are one of the principal sources of information in
conducting investigation.
- Reports are especially helpful in passing of case from one police officer to another, providing
the necessary continuity in an investigation when an incoming police officer must take over
on another police officers day off.
- Police reports prepared by the individual officer should be of the greatest concern to them
because it is being colored by their personal qualities.

PRINCIPLES OF REPORT WRITING

Quality is the result of accomplishment and basic principles; and in this regard, all police report from
a simple, brief memo to a complex, formal, investigation report require the application of certain
standard. Any police report should be clear, pertinent, brief, complete, current, accurate, fare,
properly classified, informative, and objective.

PRINCIPLES OF REPORT WRITING

Reports should be submitted on time and in proper form because reports are written to satisfy the
readers.

When a police report is to go beyond the police organization, special care must be exercised to
include adequate background information and to be sure that the report is complete. The readers
depending upon the report to make his own decisions.

PURPOSE OF REPORT WRITING

1. To account upward and outward the activities of the police and for justification of its
program, and to report upward for purposes of administrative and operational control
2. To report upward and outward information concerning progress, future needs, plants. And
decisions being made, or which may be made.
3. To inform downward in the organization concerning policies, program organization’s
resources, procedures, and all other matters concerning work in the police organization.

IMPORTANT USES OF REPORT WRITING

1) Report serve as records for police administrator in planning, directing, and organizing
the unit’s duties.
2) Report can be used as legal documents in the prosecution of criminals.
3) Reports can be used by any related agencies in the police service, like the other
pillars of criminal justice system and other agencies of the government.
4) Report can be useful to local media which usually have access on public documents
having accurate crime statistics and informative crime map.
 5) The author of a report should also consider that his written work is reflective of his
personality.

THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE AND MECHANICS

STYLE

- Is the way a writer puts together sentences to come up with a more coherent, unified, and
correct paragraphs.

MECHANICS

- Are all the details of the written language.

CONVENTION OF LANGUAGE

 Punctuation
 Capitalization
 Abbreviations
 Number
 Spellings

PUNCTUATION

Function:

✓ To separate group of words for meaning and emphasis

✓ To convey an idea of the variations in pitch, volume, pauses, and intonations

✓ To help avoid ambiguity

APOSTROPHE’

Is used to form most possessives, contraction, as well as the plurals and inflections of words.

Example:

The field operative’s report is accurate. She wasn’t in the hearing yesterday.

COLON:

Is used to mark an introduction, indicating that what follows it generally is a clause, a phrase, or a
list.
Example:

- The judge has trial experience on three judicial levels: county, state, and federal. Comes
down to this: will death penalty be legalized or not?
- The issue We are required to pass the following: initial, progress, and final reports of the
case.

HYPEN –

- Used to join the element of compound nouns and modifiers.

Example:

The officer-in-charge of the case is on leave.

PARENTHESIS ()

Is used to enclose material that is inserted into a main statement, but is not intended to be an
essential part of it.

Example:

The six patrol cars (all outdated models) will be replaced soon.

PERIOD.

Serves to mark the end of a sentence or an abbreviation.

Example: There is a vehicular accident in the Marcelo Fernan Bridge. Atty. Baltazar teaches law
subjects in the College of Criminal Justice.

QUOTATION MARK “”

Are used to enclosed quoted statement in a regular text.

Example: “Not guilty, Your Honor” said the rapist.

CAPITALIZATION

The first word of sentences are capitalized.

Ex: There are criminals.

Abbreviation forms of proper nouns and adjectives are capitalized.

Ex: Gen. (General), NBI, SOCO,PDEA,PNP

Names of academic degrees are capitalized when they follow a person’s name.

Ex: Francis M. Martinez, RCrim

CAPITALIZATION

- Full names of legislative, deliberative, executive and administrative bodies are capitalized.

Ex: House of Representative, Philippines Congress, Philippine National Police.

The names of some historical and cultural periods and movement are capitalized.

Ex: Fifth Republic, The Renaissance

CAPITALIZATION

- Capitalized months, holidays, and days of the weeks.

Ex: The bombing happened during Independence Day.

All major words of titles and subtitles of books and articles should be capitalized.

Ex: Copies of the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology are now available in our library.

ABBREVIATION

- Is a shortened form of a word or phrase; the abbreviated word is pronounced exactly the
same as the full word.