DEXTER ARIMADO INSTRUCTOR: MRS ANNIE APOLLA PELAEZ PANTI

AE4EA ENGLISH 4

TECHNICAL REPORTS
A technical report (also: scientific report) is a document that describes the process, progress, or results of technical [1][2] or scientific research or the state of a technical or scientific research problem. It might also include recommendations and conclusions of the research. Unlike other scientific literature, such as scientific journals and the proceedings of some academic conferences, technical reports rarely undergo comprehensive independent peer review before publication. They may be considered asgrey literature. Where there is a review process, it is often limited to within the originating organization. Similarly, there are no formal publishing procedures for such reports, except where established locally.

DEFINITION OF REPORTS
: a story in a newspaper or on radio or television that is about something that happened or that gives information about something : a written or spoken description of a situation, event, etc. : an official document that gives information about a particular subject
Full Definition of REPORT

1 a : common talk or an account spread by common talk : RUMOR b : quality of reputation <a witness of good report> 2 a : a usually detailed account or statement <a news report> b : an account or statement of a judicial opinion or decision c : a usually formal record of the proceedings of a meeting or session 3 : an explosive noise
on report

: subject to disciplinary action <was put on report for the violation> See report defined for English-language learners See report defined for kids
Examples of REPORT

1. a special report on health 2. a report from our correspondent in China 3. She wrote a report of the meeting. 4. He gave a detailed report on the project. 5. She filled out a police report at the scene of the accident. 6. the government's report on crime in 2006 7. Unconfirmed reports state that over 100 people were hurt.

8. Police have received reports of gang activity in the neighborhood.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN REPORT WRITING AND OTHER TYPES OF WRITING or the final report, you can write one of (or even a combination) of several different types of reports. These choices are not meant to be restrictive, but to indicate a range of possibilities. If there is some other type of report that you know about and want to write, get with your instructor to discuss it. Chapter briefly defines these different report types; some are covered in full detail earlier in this book; the rest are described here. But to get everything in one place, all the reports are briefly defined here, with cross-references to where they occur: Instructions. The familiar how-to documents that guide you step by step through tasks such as assembling, operating, and repairing things. See the section on instructions for complete discussion. Organizational policies and procedures. These are the operating documents for organizations; they contain rules and regulations on how the organization and its members are expected to perform. Policies and procedures are like instructions, but they go much further. See the special resources for policies and procedures for full discussion and examples. Feasibility, evaluation, recommendation reports. This group of similar reports does things like compare several options against a set of requirements and recommend one; considers an idea (plan, project) in terms of its "feasibility," in terms of some combination of its technical, economical, social practicality or possibility; passes judgement on the worth or value of a thing by comparing it to a set of requirements, or criteria. See the section on recommendation reports for complete discussion. Technical background reports. This type is the hardest one to define but the one that most people write. It focuses on a technical topic, provides a certain background on that topic for a specific set of readers who have specific needs for it. This report does not supply instructions, nor does it supply recommendations in any systematic way, nor does it report new and original data. See the content, organization, and format guidelines for the technical background report in the following. Primary research reports. This type presents findings and interpretation from laboratory or field research. See the content, organization, and format guidelines for the primary research report in the following. Business plans. This type is a proposal to start a new business. See the content, organization, and format guidelines for the business plan in the following. Technical specifications. This type presents descriptive and operational details on a new product. See the content, organization, and format guidelines for technical specifications in the following.

QUALITIES OF REPORT WRITING

A lot of reports are written daily. Some of them are intended to document the progress of some activities, feasibility reports, investigation reports, some of the reports are for monitoring purposes, some are evaluation reports but it is clear that all the reports have some objective and purpose behind it. That objective and purpose can only be achieved if a report has the following qualities and characteristics: 1. It should be factual: Every report should be based on facts, verified information and valid proofs. 2. Clear and Easily understandable: Explained below 3. Free from errors and duplication 4. Should facilitate the decision makers in making the right decision: 5. Result focused and result oriented 6. Well organized and structured 7. Ethical reporting style

STEPS IN WRITING TECHNICAL REPORTS

Planning Strategic Defining Subject, Purpose, Main Point, and Readers Defining the subject, purpose, main point, and readers of your project may not seem like writing, but clarifying these items will help you write better and more efficiently. Subject: The Scope of Your Project The subject defines the scope of your project. Define the boundaries of your effortsthe kinds of issues your project addresses and the kinds of issues it does not. Purpose The purpose explains what project will do. Try writing your purpose in one sentence: The purpose of this project is to... Our goal is to... The primary aim of this project is to... Main Point Your main point states the overall aim of the project. For some projects, it helps to think of this as your strong suitthe aspect of your project that will be particularly appealing to your proposals readers. Its what makes your work interesting, exciting, and important. A main point can be articulated a variety of ways: When this project is completed, ... We believe this project will... Readers A well-developed and articulated understanding of your readers will help you craft your documents more effectively and help you write more efficiently. When considering your readers, keep the following guidelines in mind: Guideline 1: Readers are raiders for information. Guideline 2: Readers want only need to know information. Guideline 3: Readers prefer concise texts. Guideline 4: Readers prefer well-designed documents with graphics.

COLLECTING INFORMATION
Dont send e-mails asking for technical explanations. Either call the SME or go over to his or her cube and ask a few questions. Set up official meetings with SMEs to ask all the questions you have. People may be busy, but they can rarely escape an official meeting if you set it up. If you can sit near an SME, one technique that works well is to wait until you see them entering a "dead" state (e.g., theyre waiting for something to install, or they cant figure something out, or theyre finished with something). Timing

is everything. Ask a question at that time, and then ask another. It might get them going on a bit longer than they had planned. Ask to look over their shoulder and watch what theyre doing. I suspect that many SMEs relish their techie knowledge, and this is one way to ingratiate yourself by inundating their senses with indirect adulation. To get an SME to review a document, set a due date and call a meeting at which the SME is required to deliver his or her review. If you just send the document and ask for a critique/review, it may never come. Although you can always buy an SME lunch, its sometimes hard to keep the focus on work. If you carpool, you can ask the SME questions in the car, where he or she doesn't have access to a computer.

DESIGNING
1. Engineers and their Need for Technical Communication Engineers are problem solvers, but they are not normally the implementors of their solutions. To be an effective problem solver, an engineer's solution must be communicated to those who make decisions about which solution to implement and to those who must implement the solution. Engineers often find themselves within a large organizational structure, such as a design firm with several layers of decision-making management. As one moves up through the layers, the managers have less and less understanding of the technical details and less and less time for reading reports. Thus, it is vitally important for engineers to communicate effectively. Engineers spend on average 2/5 of their time in communication, i.e., they spend 2 days out of 5 communicating to peers, superiors, laymen, the public, etc. "An engineer who can't communicate is in trouble" "If you can't tell them what you are doing, they'll hire someone else who can." The primary means of communication in large organizations are technical reports, which have several vital organizational functions: communication of technical information to others within the organization who need the information to carry out their jobs; communication of the activities of a company to outside observers; communication of the activities of one division to another division within the same company; (Other divisions are often considered relative outsiders); and communication to your superiors and their superiors about what you are doing and why you are doing it.

2. Communication Pitfalls of Graduating Engineers Engineering graduates are usually ill-equipped to cope with the communication requirements described above. Why? In college, students write for an audience of one -- their professor. What are her communication needs? She wants to know how much of the material you've grasped and is interested in all of the details; She knows the assignment and most likely is at least as, or more, familiar with the solution(s) than you are; and She will not act on your report other than to give you a grade.

In industry, professional engineers must write for a large, diverse audience. They have different informational needs and expectations for a report; They are likely to be much less familiar with the technical details; and They may act on, or be affected by, the report.

Several common misconceptions about engineering communication are: The person to whom the report is sent or addressed is the audience of the report; The audience will be a group of specialists as familiar with, and interested in, the technical details as you are; The report has a finite period of use;

The author or audience is always available for reference; The audience is familiar with the assignment; The audience has been involved in daily discussions; The audience awaits the report; and The audience has time to read the entire report. ROUGH DRAFTING

Writing a rough draft, at its simplest, is like copying your notecards onto regular sheets of paper: more specifically, like taking the information from your notes, phrasing it in complete sentences, and filling in the gaps with transitions and with your own understanding of the subject. If you have taken as complete a set of notes as you can, and if you have paraphrased and summarized most of them, your rough drafting may go rapidly. Preparations. Here are some rather mechanical matters to keep in mind as you start the rough draft: Use pencils (instead of pens) to make corrections easier. Write on only one side of the paper so that you can cut and paste, if necessary. Skip every other line in your rough draft to make insertions or revisions easier. Insert headings as you write rather than after (see the section on headings for more information). Write your first draft rapidly; don't worry about getting every word and comma exactly right this time. If you can't get started, find another section of your report to begin with. If you get stuck, start on another section and come back later. If you don't particularly like how a section is sounding, go ahead and keep writing. Consider it a rehearsal. Use a typewriter, if possible, to get a sense of how your report will look in its finished form and to make revision easier. Again, don't worry about grammar or typos; type rapidly.

CLASSIFICATION OF REPORTS Assignment: Your second report is that of classification. Choose three related things / concepts from your field and write a classification report. Your audience is a person who has little knowledge of your topic, specifically of how those items are classified Thus far we have discussed a three forms technical writing forms: memo, summary, and definition. Each of these, as you are aware, has practical purposes depending upon audience and purpose. The next type of report we will write is used for particular purposes too. You will note if you are paying attention that this paragraph has begun classifying technical writing forms into sub-categories. That's what classification is all about, breaking large ideas or concepts into smaller units in order to understand the small issues or parts involved. Organizing the classification report is fairly simple and requires two different elements. First, the categories you create must be mutually exclusive; the elements in one do not bleed over into the next. For example, when we discussed definition, we did not talk about how it could be used in an analysis, nor did we confuse the issue by discussing how summary is often used in classification reports. Instead, we discussed the structure and purpose. Understanding that elements of one form can be used within others will come with practice;however, learning requires clarity. Second, classification reports are usually arranged in order of importance, either ascending or descending. In ascending order, the least important or least complex point is in the first paragraph. In descending order, the reverse is true. For instance when classifying rhetorical strategies, we would discuss narration first, compare/contrast second, and cause/effect third in ascending order, as narration is the easiest strategy to grasp, and cause and effect is much trickier. Use the diagram below to help with understanding how to organize the classification report.

INFORMATION REPORTS An information report is a factual text, which means it provides information about something. An information report is used as a way to gain a better understanding about a living or non-living subject. An information report: uses facts to explain something gives details about a topic does not contain personal views is usually written, but can also be presented orally (spoken).

Examples of information reports

Topics, or subjects, found in information reports can be about one specific thing or a group of things. Some examples of topics might include: cars ocean animals rainforests pollution computers

PERIODIC Q1. What is a Periodic Report? Why do I have to file one?

A1. Reporting entities, such as limited liability companies, corporations, nonprofit corporations, and foreign entities, are required by law to submit a Periodic Report each year to the Secretary of State. For more information, see section 7-90-501, C.R.S. Submitting a Periodic Report allows an entity to update the current name and address of its registered agent and its principal office address, which helps ensure current information is available to the public. Submitting the Periodic Report also maintains the Good Standing of the entity with the Secretary of State PRELIMINARY A problem or needs-analysis reporta very preliminary piece of writingexamines a particular issue that the client faces. A problem or needs analysis is particularly appropriate when the need or problem is complex or ill defined. Perhaps the client is not convinced of the need for change, or personnel in the client organization have different views about the issue (which is often the case). A problem or needs analysis names the problem that you think shouls be addressed and provides analysis that supports your position. Such analyses are especially appropriate to a problem-solving paradigm. FEASIBILITY A feasibility report may respond to a single question or recommend a specific option. It may also apply several criteria to that option and make a judgment as to whether it would be in the client's best interest to implement the option. (Simple thumbs up or thumbs down.) Use a feasibility format when the client has one favored alternative or plan of action and is trying to determine the effects of that one course of action. PROGRESS An assessment that takes place during a project or process, that conveys details such as what sub-goals have been accomplished, what resources have been expended, what problems have been encountered, and whether the project or process is expected to be completed on time and within budget. Progress reports are used by management to determine whether changes are necessary to an ongoing effort. EXAMINATION REPORT

A written report that documents the condition of the facility during the examination, operation and maintenance activities accomplished since the last examination, and recommendations necessary for the continued safe and efficient operation of the facility.

RECOMMENDATION REPORT As their name suggests, recommendation reports advise on what specific action should be taken by an organization. They are composed at the end of a process of inquiry and notify the reader that a certain course of action should be followed. The argument of a recommendation report can be developed in numerous ways.. PROPOSALS Proposals include forms, letters, memos, and more formal reports. In some companies and contexts (such as in the construction industry), a "proposal" refers to a work contract with a customer. In this sense, a proposal (which is often called a "bid") is a promise that specific work will be executed by a certain time for a certain cost (and such a promise is sometimes structured as a memo of understanding). "Proposal" could also refer to a grant proposal, which also needs to meets strict informational criteria (and may involve precise formatting such as answering questions in specific boxes). Grant proposals, however, do allow the writer to convey and explain his or her vision. In other contexts, the term "proposal" is used in the same sense as a recommendation report and thereby "proposes" a course of action . RESEARCH REPORT A document prepared by an analyst or strategist who is a part of the investment research team in a stock brokerage or investment bank. A research report may focus on a specific stock or industry sector, a currency, commodity or fixedincome instrument, or even on a geographic region or country. Research reports generally, but not always, have "actionable" recommendations (i.e. investment ideas that investors can act upon).

Audiences for a Report

The audience of a report can be defined on a general and on a personal level. On a general level, we need to know the background of the audience and why they need the information. On a personal level, we should know the names, occupations, and contact information for some prime audience members. We should also know how the audience will acquire the information. MEMORANDUM REPORTS A memorandum report is a formal or informal report on a specific subject that is distributed within the organisation to convey a message. Normally, memorandums are short but they cover all the relevant topics. LETTER REPORTS A short appraisal report limited to property characteristics, valuation, and recommendation; a report by a title company as to the condition of the title on a specific date. A letter report gives no insurance on that title.