Technical Communication Fundamentals Report Guidelines

General Guidelines for Reports

• Separate fact from opinion: findings, conclusions, and recommendations
• Make text visually appealing: use bulleted points, numbered points, headings, and subheadings
• Use illustrations for clarification and persuasion: tables, figures, and other visual aids

Informal Reports

• Put important details in the body: use headings, lead-in passages, and move from general to specific in paragraphs
• Focus attention in your conclusion: restate your conclusion or recommendation and provide more detail if necessary
• Use attachments for less important details

Formal Reports

• Covers complex projects and is directed to readers at different technical levels
• Usually contains at least 6 to 10 pages of text, not including appendices
• Directed to either inside or outside your organization

Strategy for Organizing Formal Reports

• Write different parts for different readers
• Place important information first
• Repeat key points when necessary

The ABC Format for Formal Report

• Abstract
• Cover/title page
• Letter or memo of transmittal
• Table of contents
• List of illustrations
• Executive summary
• Introduction

Guidelines for the Nine Parts of Formal Reports

• Letter/Memo of Transmittal: place immediately after title page, include a major point from the report, acknowledge those who helped, and follow letter and memo conventions
• Table of Contents: make it readable, use it to reveal report emphases, consider leaving out low-level headings, list appendices, use parallel form in all entries, and proofread carefully

Specific Guidelines for Four Common Reports

• Equipment Evaluations: provides objective data about how equipment has or has not functioned
• Progress/Periodic Reports: summarizes work over a specific period of time or on a specific project
• Problem Analyses: presents readers with a detailed description of problems
• Recommendation Reports: presents readers with specific suggestions that affect personnel, equipment, procedures, products, services, etc.

Learn about the essential guidelines for reports in technical communication, including separating fact from opinion and structuring your report with findings, conclusions, and recommendations.