The Essentials of Technical Communication: Chapter 8

In this Chapter

This chapter discusses technical reports.  It begins by examining the various types of reports. The chapter then begins to examine informal reports in detail. Each part of the report is described.  This is followed by a brief section about developing reports. Several examples are provided. The chapter then goes into detail about formal reports. The purpose and design of prefatory elements are discussed and the structure of the report is explained in detail. The chapter concludes with a section about collaborative writing. 

Types of Reports

                Reports can serve a variety of functions, but in general, they are used to provide the reader with detailed information and analysis. It is important to remember than few people will actually read the whole report. Readers will only look at the sections relevant to their own position and responsibilities. There are several types of reports:

•          Recommendation Reports
•          Evaluation Reports
•          Feasibility Reports
•          Status Reports
•          Trip Reports
•          Personnel Reports
•          Economic Justification Report

Furthermore, reports can be either formal or informal. Informal reports are used for routine internal communication, while formal reports are used for external communication, or very important internal communication. 

Informal Reports

                Internal reports use a memorandum heading to make information about the report accessible to the reader. The report then begins with a concise introduction which tells the reader what the report’s purpose is and any required background information.  It should also list the topics to be covered.  The next section is the discussion, which contains the main information of the report. There will then be a conclusion which summarizes the main points followed by recommendations based on the report’s findings. You should attach any supporting documents at the end of the report. Any type fo report should be well organized with lots of headings so that readers can easily locate information relevant to them.

Formal Reports

                Formal reports require prefatory elements. These include letters of transmittal, title pages, submission pages, tables of contents, lists of illustrations, abstracts, summaries, and glossaries. These documents all support the main report by proving the readers with background information, and giving them a map to find specific information that they need within the report.  Abstracts and Summaries are the most important of these elements because they may be the only part of the report a recipient reads.  While both summarize the content of the report, abstracts are briefer while summaries contain more detail. An abstract should contain the following parts:

•          Purpose statement
•          Methods used
•          Results of research
•          Conclusions
•          Recommendations

The discussion, or body of the report, contains most of the information and is the largest part of the report. This section is an organized, detailed collect of information that the writer wishes to convey with the report. Because this section contains a lot of information, proper organization is essential. Information should be grouped into specific categories under descriptive headings. Many reports have standard templates that should be used. Reports can be organized topically or chronologically depending on the topic. 

Collaboration

                Reports are often prepared collaboratively. It is important that a team leader is chosen and that the responsibilities of each team member are clear. There should also be one team member responsible for editing the document so that the style is consistent throughout. The success of a collaborative report is highly dependent on effective leadership and clarity of expectations.