Technical Writing

Lec 5
Types of reports

Dr. Arwa Hussein

 Types of reports
• Reports are written for different purposes. They therefore
contain different information and structures, including
headings and subheadings, and these form the outline of the
report.

• The next slides show the sections commonly found in these

types of reports.
 Types of reports
Technical-background report.
•  The background report is the hardest to define but the
most commonly written. This type of technical report
provides background on a topic.

• However, the information on the topic is not just for

anybody who might be interested in the topic, but for
some individual or group that has specific needs for it
and is even willing to pay for that information.
 Types of reports
• Feasibility, recommendation, and
evaluation reports

Another useful type of report is one that studies a problem or

opportunity and then makes a recommendation.
A feasibility report tells whether a project is "feasible"--that is,
whether it is practical and technologically possible.
A recommendation report compares two or more alternatives and
recommends one (or, if necessary, none).
An evaluation or assessment report studies something in terms of its
worth or value
 Feasibility, recommendation, and
evaluation reports
• For example, a college might investigate the feasibility of
giving every student an e-mail address and putting many
of the college functions online.

• The same college might also seek recommendations on

the best hardware and software to use (after the
feasibility report had determined it was a good idea).

• In practice, however, it's hard to keep these two kinds of

reports distinct. Elements of the feasibility and
recommendation report intermingle in specific reports.
 Types of reports
Primary research report

• Primary research refers to the actual work someone does in a laboratory

or in the field--in other words, experiments and surveys.

• A "lab report”, as they are commonly called, is one of the technical report .

• In this type of report, you not only present your data and draw conclusions
about it, but also explain your methodology, describe the equipment and
facilities you used, and give some background on the problem.

• You can modify this type by summarizing other primary research reports.
For example, you could report on the research that has been done on
saccharine. 
 Types of reports
Report-length proposal

proposals are written documents used when making a request, when

making an offer, or when urging someone to take action.

For example, a proposal could be used to request permission from a

person in a position of authority.

Similarly, a proposal could be used to offer a service to a potential

client. Whatever the case, knowing how to construct a good

proposal is an important skill set, especially in the world of business

 Common report structures
• Short report Science report
• Title page • Title page
• Introduction • Introduction
• Discussion • Method & materials
• Recommendations • Results
• References • Discussion
• Conclusion
• Appendices
• References
 Common report structures
• Engineering report
• Business report
• Title page
• Title page
• Executive summary
• Executive summary (optional)
• Table of contents • Introduction
• Introduction • Objectives
• Discussion • Analysis
• Conclusion • Discussion
• Recommendations • Recommendations &
• Appendices action plan
• References • Conclusion
• Appendices
• References
 Common report structures
• Research report
• Title page
• Title page
• Executive summary
• Introduction
• Method / methodology
• Results / findings
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• Recommendations
• Appendices
• Bibliography
Some Examples

Research Report
 1-Executive summary (Abstract)

An executive summary provides a quick overview or synopsis of

a report, summarizing the essential parts. It outlines the
following information:

• the purpose of the report

• the methods used to conduct the research
• the results of the research
• the conclusions drawn from the research
• recommendations for future actions.

• The executive summary / abstract is generally written last. This allows you to
summaries all the major areas of the report.

• It usually has a word-limit.(300 words)

 Key points about the abstract:
  • It should be on a separate page that is numbered
consecutively with the rest of the paper and immediately
follows the title page (therefore, it is page 2).
 
• The title of ‘Abstract’ is centered at the top of the page but is
not bolded. The abstract paragraph begins on the next
double-spaced line below and is not indented.
 
• The abstract is 150-250 words in length.

• No abbreviations should be used in the abstract (they should

be spelled out), even if they are used in the paper.
 Key points about the abstract:
 
• The abstract will be the last thing you write, once the paper is
complete. Only then can you truly summarize everything in
the paper. Because it is a summary, it should be written in
present when discussing results or conclusions and in past
tense to describe methods or measurements taken, but not in
future tense.
 
• The abstract does not evaluate what you’ve written or try to
justify it or further support it. There should be no ideas or
information in the abstract that are not already in the paper.
The abstract is simply reporting what the paper contains.  
Abstract
 2- Introduction
• In the introduction, you are attempting to inform
the reader :
• the rationale behind the work,
• justifying why your work is an essential component of
research in the field.

• A introduction good gives the reader all the

information required to understand the
importance and relevance of the report.
 Introduction
• The introduction does not have a strict word limit, unlike
the abstract, but it should be as concise as possible.

• It can be a tricky part of the paper to write, so many

scientists and researchers prefer to write it last, ensuring
that they miss no major points.

• A good introduction explains how you mean to solve

the research problem, and creates ‘leads’ to make the
reader want to explore further into your work.
 Introduction
• It should clearly state:

• the context of the report

• relevant background information
• the purpose of the report
• limits on the scope of the research
• definitions & key terms.
 Key points about the introduction:
• It introduces the problem and motivation for the study.
• Tell the reader what the topic of the report is.
• Explain why this topic is important or relevant.

•  It provides a brief summary of previous work on the

topic
• In the introduction, just present a brief overview, sufficient to
establish the need for your research.
• If you are writing a thesis, you need a n literature review with
very specific details of all of the work done on the topic to
date. 
Key points about the introduction:
• It outlines the purpose and objectives of the project.
• The objectives are listed in point form. Sometimes a
numbered list is used.

• It provides a ‘road map’ for the rest of the report.

• This is so that the reader knows what’s coming and sees the
logic of your organization.
• Describe (in approximately one sentence each) the contents
of each of the report/thesis chapters.

• Never put any results or decisions in the Introduction.

Example
 3-Body of the report

• This is main part of the report, where you present your work.
The introduction and conclusions act as a frame for the body
only: therefore all the details of your work must be included
here in the appropriate section.

• You will need to put some thought into the ordering of the
sections; the presentation of information should flow logically
so that the reader can follow the development of your project.

• It is also essential that you choose concise but informative

headings and subheadings so that the reader knows exactly
what type of information to expect in each section.
 3-Body of the report
The body of the report:

• presents the information from your research, both real

world and theoretical, or your design

• organizes information logically under appropriate

headings

• conveys information in the most effective way for

communication:
• uses figures and tables
• can use bulleted or numbered lists
• can use formatting to break up large slabs of text
 4- Method
The method section of a report explains how the research
was conducted, the research methods used and the
reasons for choosing those methods.

It is important that this section gives clear and concise

details of the research methods. It is really a step-by-
step explanation of the process.

It should be factual and is mainly written in the past tense

Method section should outline:

• who the participants were

• the number of participants

• the research methods used, eg surveys / questionnaire,

interviews etc

• how the research was carried out, ie the process including

distribution

• how the data was collected, ie getting the information back.

 5- Results

The results section of a report details the results or findings of the research. It
answers the following questions:
– What happened?
– What was found?

There is no interpretation of the results, it only states the facts.

Presenting the data

How the findings are presented is important. Using visual data, eg tables and
graphs, can help to summarize the results and make them easy to understand.
However, if visual data is used, they must be referred to in text. Dot points /
bullet lists are also useful ways to present information.
 6- Discussion
• The discussion section of a report interprets the results of the
research. It is here that the findings are woven together and the
major issues / themes are identified and discussed.

The discussion section aims to:

• state / identify the main research findings / themes
• interpret and weave the results together to support the findings
• link the results to other research.

Identifying the major themes in the results will help structure the
discussion, especially in long reports. These can often be used as
headings.
Some Examples

Lab Reports
 Lab Reports
• Laboratory reports are written for several reasons. One reason is to
communicate the laboratory work to management. In such situations,
management often bases company decisions on the results of the
report.

• Another reason to write laboratory reports is to archive the work so

that the work will not have to be done in the future. This web page
presents a commonly used organization for laboratory reports:
 Lab Reports
The lab work consists of a number of tasks:

– the preliminary work to be completed before the beginning of the lab

– the questions asked by the lab supervisor at the beginning of the

experiment to check that you have understood the theory behind the
calculations and the experiment
– the experiment itself

– a written lab report to be handed in at a later date.

 Lab Reports
Some Lab Reports may be as simple as jotting down your
results onto a piece of paper.

Other reports are actual forms, requiring you to fill in blanks

with the requested information.

• Title
• Abstract
• Equipment
• Procedures
• Results
• Conclusions
Some Examples

Training Report
 Training Report
• This report are usually submitted to you
supervisor. It shows the benefits of having
such training.
– The Next Slides Show The Content of The Training
Report
End of lecture