Technical Report Writing Steps

Technical Report Writing - Six Steps for Success

• Good technical writing requires discipline and adherence to a system.
• Technical writing involves systematically structuring technical ideas on paper.
• The complexity and structure of technical writing can vary, from simple memos to extensive manuals.

Steps in Summary

• Think and Prepare Before You Write: This includes establishing a writing objective, identifying the target audience, determining the scope of the project, and conducting necessary research.
• Organizing and Developing Your Writing: This step involves choosing the best method of development for the target audience and writing objective.
• The Outline: A map or outline helps guide the writer during the writing process.
• The Rough Draft: Getting your ideas down on paper immediately, without worrying about perfection, is essential.
• Revision: Correcting errors, improving clarity, and ensuring the writing flows well is paramount for a good final draft.
• The Final Draft: The physical presentation of the final product (e.g., binding for a formal report) is essential for a professional appearance.

1. Establish Your Writing Objective

• Technical writing objectives fall into three broad categories: instructive procedures, descriptive information, and general managerial information. These categories are not always mutually exclusive.
• The objective must be specific, not general.

2. Identify Your Readers

• Consider the level of understanding of the target audience regarding the topic.
• It is important to understand their background knowledge.

3. Determine the Scope of the Writing

• Know how deeply to cover the topic before starting the writing (the scope).
• The objective and audience will determine the depth and detail required.

4. Research

• Factual information gathering is crucial for technical reports. This can come from libraries, internet resources, experience, and experimentation.
• Distinguish between primary (original research) and secondary (existing research) resources.

5. Organizing and Developing Your Writing

• Technical writing must be well-organized.
• Choosing a method of development suited to the objective and audience is crucial for effective communication.

6. General to Specific/Specific to General

• General to Specific: Begin with a general statement/concept, and gradually move toward the specific details that support it.
• Specific to General: Begin from specific elements, concepts, or positions and synthesize them into a whole presentation.

7. Chronological Development

• A chronological structure is used when time sequence is critical. Events are presented in the order they occurred.

8. Sequential Development

• A sequential structure focuses on the order in which events must happen, often based on necessity.

9. Cause and Effect

• This explores how one event(s) or element(s) cause others, establishing a causal relationship.

10. Comparison

• This structure highlights similarities and differences between elements or subjects.

11. Spatial Development

• Spatial development focuses on the physical location and arrangement of elements.

12. Active Voice & Passive Voice

• To improve clarity, avoid passive voice and use active voice wherever possible.

13. The Outline

• An outline is a visual guide to the writing; it helps organize ideas and concepts logically.
• It helps determine how to approach the writing process effectively.

14. Outline Formats

• There are three main types of outlining: simple list, academic outline, and engineering outline. They differ in complexity of structure and the level of detail.

15. The Rough Draft

• Start without worrying about perfection.
• Get ideas on paper quickly.
• Do not stop to correct or edit during the rough draft phase.

16. Revision

• Convert the raw draft into a smooth, flowing presentation.
• Focus on clarity and conciseness.

17. Activate the Language

• Centering the written communication around the active use of appropriate verbs is critical.
• Use action verbs to highlight action and life.

18. Activate Suppressed Verbs

• Replace weak, suppressed verbs with strong, active verbs.
• Analyze and understand how the use of phrases and suffixes (e.g., "-ing," "-tion") can affect the tone and clarity of the writing.

19. Clarify the Writing

• Ensure the reader can easily understand and follow the writing.
• Avoid vagueness and use concrete language.

20. Decide on Personal vs. Impersonal Reference

• Technical writing often prefers impersonal reference (e.g., 'the study found').

21. Use Connotation and Denotation

• Avoid relying on potentially misunderstood connotations when clarity is required, and instead use precise language.

22. Determine whether Jargon is Helpful

• Consider whether using specific jargon is necessary based on the target audience.

23. Change Abstract to Concrete Words

• Replace vague, abstract words with precise, concrete words.

24. Eliminate Affected Language

• Get rid of complex language/vocabulary and overly stylized sentences that add little substance to clarity.

25. Correct misplaced modifiers

• Ensure that modifiers accurately describe and modify the part of the sentence they are intended to describe. Incorrect placement can lead to ambiguity.

26. Simplify the Writing

• Keep sentence and word length concise, and eliminate needless words.

27. The Final Presentation

• Ensure a professional appearance using ring binders, folders, or cover sheets for formal vs less formal reports. Avoid dirty or tattered reports.