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Table of contents1 Introduction 2 Structure 3 Presentation 4 Planning the report 5 Writing the first draft 6 Revising the first draft 7 Diagrams, graphs, tables and mathematics 8 The report layout 9 Headings 10 References to diagrams, graphs, tables and equations 11 Originality and plagiarism 12 Finalising the report and proofreading 13 The Summary 14 Proofreading 15 Word processing / desktop publishing 16 Recommended reading 1 IntroductionA technical report is a formal report designed to convey technical information in a clear and easily accessible format. It is divided into sections which allow different readers to access different levels of information. This guide explains the commonly accepted format for a technical report; explains the purposes of the individual sections; and gives hints on how to go about drafting and refining a report in order to produce an accurate,
professional document. 2 StructureA technical report should contain the following sections;
3 PresentationFor technical reports required as part of an assessment, the following presentation guidelines are recommended;
4 Planning the reportThere are some excellent textbooks contain advice about the writing process and how to begin (see Section 16). Here is a checklist of the main stages;
N.B. the listing of recommended textbooks in Section 16 contains all this information in the correct format. 5 Writing the first draftWho is going to read the report? For coursework assignments, the readers might be fellow students and/or faculty markers. In professional contexts, the readers might be managers, clients, project team members. The answer will affect the content and technical level, and is a major consideration in the level of detail required in the introduction. Begin writing with the main text, not the introduction. Follow your outline in terms of headings and subheadings. Let the ideas flow; do not worry at this stage about style, spelling or word processing. If you get stuck, go back to your outline plan and make more detailed preparatory notes to get the writing flowing again. Make rough sketches of diagrams or graphs. Keep a numbered list of references as they are included in your writing and put any quoted material inside quotation marks (see Section 11). Write the Conclusion next, followed by the Introduction. Do not write the Summary
at this stage. 6 Revising the first draftThis is the stage at which your report will start to take shape as a professional, technical document. In revising what you have drafted you must bear in mind the following, important principle;
During year 1, term 1 you will be learning how to write formal English for technical communication. This includes examples of the most common pitfalls in the use of English and how to avoid them. Use what you learn and the recommended books to guide you. Most importantly, when you read through what you have written, you must ask yourself these questions;
7 Diagrams, graphs, tables and mathematicsIt is often the case that technical information is most concisely and clearly conveyed by means other than words. Imagine how you would describe an electrical circuit layout using words rather than a circuit diagram. Here are some simple guidelines;
8 The report layoutThe appearance of a report is no less important than its content. An attractive, clearly organised report stands a better chance of being read. Use a standard, 12pt, font, such as Times New Roman, for the main text. Use different font sizes, bold, italic and underline where appropriate but not to excess. Too many changes of type style can look very fussy. 9 HeadingsUse heading and sub-headings to break up the text and to guide the reader. They should be based on the logical sequence which you identified at the planning stage but with enough sub-headings to break up the material into manageable chunks. The use of numbering and type size and style can clarify the structure as follows; 3 Methods of harnessing wave energy3.1 Shore-based systems3.2 Deep-water systems3.2.1 "Duck" devices3.2.2 Rafts 10 References to diagrams, graphs, tables and equations
11 Originality and plagiarismWhenever you make use of other people's facts or ideas, you must indicate this in the text with a number which refers to an item in the list of references. Any phrases, sentences or paragraphs which are copied unaltered must be enclosed in quotation marks and referenced by a number. Material which is not reproduced unaltered should not be in quotation marks but must still be referenced. It is not sufficient to list the sources of information at the end of the report; you must indicate the sources of information individually within the report using the reference numbering system. Information that is not referenced is assumed to be either common knowledge or your own work or ideas; if it is not, then it is assumed to be plagiarised i.e. you have knowingly copied someone else's words, facts or ideas without reference, passing them off as your own. This is a serious offence. If the person copied from is a fellow student, then this offence is known as collusion and is equally serious. Examination boards can, and do, impose penalties for these offences ranging from loss of marks to disqualification from the award of a degree This warning applies equally to information obtained from the Internet. It is very easy for markers to identify words and images that have been copied directly from web sites. If you do this without acknowledging the source of your information and putting the words in quotation marks then your report will be sent to the Investigating Officer and you may be called before a disciplinary
panel. 12 Finalising the report and proofreadingYour report should now be nearly complete with an introduction, main text in sections, conclusions, properly formatted references and bibliography and any appendices. Now you must add the page numbers, contents and title pages and write the summary. 13 The SummaryThe summary, with the title, should indicate the scope of the report and give the main results and conclusions. It must be intelligible without the rest of the report. Many people may read, and refer to, a report summary but only a few may read the full report, as often happens in a professional organisation.
14 ProofreadingThis refers to the checking of every aspect of a piece of written work from the content to the layout and is an absolutely necessary part of the writing process. You should acquire the habit of never sending or submitting any piece of written work, from email to course work, without at least one and preferably several processes of proofreading. In addition, it is not possible for you, as the author of a long piece of writing, to proofread accurately yourself; you are too familiar with what you have written and will not spot all the mistakes. When you have finished your report, and before you staple it, you must check it very carefully yourself. You should then give it to someone else, e.g. one of your fellow students, to read carefully and check for any errors in content, style, structure and layout. You should record the name of this person in your acknowledgements. 15 Word processing / desktop publishing
Two useful tips;
16 Recommended reading
Dr Helen Prance Updated 04.2010 In which section of a research article would a reader find a summary of the entire project?Abstract. One-paragraph summary of the entire study – typically no more than 250 words in length (and in many cases it is well shorter than that), the Abstract provides an overview of the study.
Which aspect of the research methodology section of the research report should include an explanation of whether the research was exploratory descriptive or causal?This is the most technical section of the research report. It includes the following sections: Research Design: This includes a statement of the type of research conducted: Exploratory, Descriptive, or Causal.
Which section of a research article includes a description of exactly how the study was designed and conducted?Abstract. The methods section of a research paper provides the information by which a study's validity is judged. Therefore, it requires a clear and precise description of how an experiment was done, and the rationale for why specific experimental procedures were chosen.
Which is the first step in the data preparation process?Data preparation steps. Gather data. The data preparation process begins with finding the right data. ... . Discover and assess data. After collecting the data, it is important to discover each dataset. ... . Cleanse and validate data. ... . Transform and enrich data. ... . Store data.. |