Writing Technical Reports Prof. Dr. Attaullah Shah

1. Writing Technical ReportsProf. Dr. Attaullah Shah

2. How Engineers Spend Their Time: Early Career ______%Engineering: Designing, measuring, calculating, problem-solving ______%Communicating: Writing reports, letters, memos, proposals; giving presentations, talking to colleagues and bosses and customers and clients 25-50 50-75 Performance evaluation and job advancement usually depend more on communication skills than on technical skills.

3. How Engineers Spend Their Time: Later Career ______%Engineering: Problem Solving ______%Communicating: Writing reports, letters, memos, proposals; giving presentations, talking to colleagues and bosses and customers and clients 5-10 90-95 As you advance in your career, even more of your time is spent communicating rather than calculating.

4. Types of Technical Reports/Communication Examples are: • Annual Report • Books • Computer Hardware Guides • Magazines • Newsletters • Organizational Manuals • Scholarly Articles/Journals • Software Guides • Technical Reports

5. 7 C’s of Effective communication For transmitting effective written or oral messages, Certain principles must be followed. These are sometimes called 7C,s. 1.Completeness 2.Conciseness 3.Clarity4.Correctness 5.Consideration 6.Courtesy 7.Concreteness

6. 1.Completeness • Every communication must be complete and adequate. • Incomplete messages keep the receiver guessing, create misunderstanding and delay actions. • Every person should, therefore, be provided with all the required facts and figures. • For example, when factory supervisor instructs workers to produce, he must specify the exact size, shape, quality and cost of the product. Any assumptions behind the messages should also be clarified. While answering a letter, all the questions raised in the letter must be replied. • Tips • Provide all necessary information • Answer all questions asked • Give something extra when desirable

7. 2.Conciseness • Be brief and be able to say whatever you have to say in fewest possible words without sacrificing the other C qualities. • Conciseness is desired because of the following benefits: • A concise message saves time and expense for both sender and receiver. • Conciseness contributes to emphasis; by eliminating unnecessary words, you let important ideas stand out. • When combined with a “you-view”, concise messages are inherently more interesting to recipients as they avoid unnecessary information. • Tips: • Eliminate wordy expressions • Include only relevant material • Avoid unnecessary repetition

8. 3. Clarity • Clarity means getting your message across so the receiver will understand what you are trying to convey. • You want that person to interpret your words with the same meaning you have in mind. • Accomplishing that goal is difficult because, as you know, individual experiences are never identical, and words have different meanings to different persons. • Tips: • Choose short, familiar, conversational words • Construct effective sentences and paragraphs. • Achieve appropriate readability (and listenability). • Include examples, illustrations, and other visual aids, when desirable.

9. 4. Correctness • 1Right level of language and accuracy of facts, figures and words. • If the information is not correctly conveyed, the sender will lose credibility. • Transmission of incorrect information to outsiders will spoil the public image of the firm. • To convey correct messages, grammatical errors should also be avoided. • You should not transmit any message unless you are absolutely sure of its correctness • Tips • Use the right level of language • Check accuracy of figures facts and words • Maintain acceptable writing mechanics

10. 5.Consideration • Consideration means that you prepare every message with the recipient in mind and try to put yourself in his or her place. • Try to visualize your readers (or listeners)—with their desires, problems, circumstances, emotions, and probable reactions to your request. • Then handle the matter from their point of view • This thoughtful consideration is also called "you-attitude," empathy, the human touch, and understanding of human nature. • Tips: • Focus on You instead of I and We • Show audience benefits • Emphasize positive pleasant facts

11. 6. Courtesy Courtesy stems from sincere you-attitude. To be courteous, considerate communicators shouldfollow these suggestions regarding tone of thecommunications.• Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful, and appreciative. • Omit expressions that irritate, hurt, or belittle. • Grant and apologize good-naturedly.

12. 7. Concreteness • Communicating concretely means being specific, definite, and vivid rather than vague and general. • The following guidelines should help you compose concrete, convincing messages • Tips • Use specific facts and figures. • Put action in your verbs. • Choose vivid, image-building words.

13. Theory of Design Good design is: • Visually simple and uncluttered. • Highlights structure, hierarchy, and order. • Helps readers find information they need.

14. Writing • Write positive language. Don’t use: Access to student information is not authorized for any parties except Enrollment Services. Employees who have access to student information are not allowed to share that information with non- affiliated third parties if you have not authorized it. Do use: Access to student information is authorized only for Enrollment Services purposes. Employees who have access to student information are required to protect and keep it confidential. • Don’t write in upper case for more than A WORD OR TWO.

15. Writing (cont.) • Use lists whenever possible. • Use the title to define the task. • Use headings and subheadings. • Label segments in away that reflects how readers are likely to think about the operation or procedure. • Don’t use: Components • Do use: How to Check the Components

16. Writing (cont.) • Provide only one way to do something within a step. • Be precise with your instructions. • Use warnings. • Write a conclusion. Example: Congratulations! You’ve just created your first document! • Don’t annoy the reader.

17. Definition of Report • Report is the term used for a group of documents that inform, analyze or recommend. • We will categorize formal reports into: • Informational reports • Analytical reports • Recommendation reports

18. Informational Reports • Informational reports present results so readers can understand a particular problem or situation. • Example: Manager of a city’s website might prepare an informational report for the city council; the report would provide statistics on the number of people who pay their city water and sewage bills online etc. • Informational reports might: • Present information on the status of current research or of a project. • Present an update of the operation in your division. • Explain how your organization or division does something. • Present the results of a questionnaire or research.

19. Analytical Reports • This type goes a step beyond presenting results. Analytical reports present results, analyze those results, and draw conclusions based on those results. • These reports attempt to describe why or how something happened and then to explain what it means. • Like informational reports, analytical reports can be formal or informal. • Explain what cause a problem or situation – Present the results of a traffic study showing accidents at an intersection – the report explains what it means. • Explain the potential results of a particular course of action. • Suggest which option, action, or procedure is best.

20. Recommendation Reports • This type advocate a particular course of action. This usually present the results and conclusions that support the recommendations. • This type is identical to analytical report. • For example, your analytical report suggests using treatment X to be more efficient than treatments Y and Z. However, that does not mean that you will use treatment X as cost and other considerations might recommend treatment Y. • What should we do about a problem? • Should we or can we do something? • Should we change the method or technology we use to do something?

21. Principle 1: Identify the Readers and Purpose of Your Reports • Before you begin writing your report, you need to identify the readers and purpose of your report. • If possible, begin by talking with the readers or with the person who asked you to write the report. • What do you want readers to know, do or learn from the report? • Do you only want to present results, not to draw conclusions or make recommendations? • Do you want to draw conclusions? • Do you want to make recommendations based on conclusions? • Is the report routine?

22. Analyzing Readers • What do readers know about the field or topic? • Why are they reading your report? – to gather information, complete a task, take a decision etc? • How much detail will readers need or expect? • Do your readers expect an informal or formal report? • Are the readers external or internal? • What positions do your readers hold in the organization? • Will more than one group read the report? • What do your readers know about you or your organization?

23. The Plan for Preparing a Formal Report • Identify the readers • Determine your purpose • Formulate specific questions • Conduct research to answer the questions • Draw valid conclusions (for analytical or recommendation reports) • Decide on recommendations (for recommendations) • Write the report

24. Formulate Questions and Research When Needed? Vague: Do electric and magnetic fields cause health problems? Specific: What are the health risks of exposure to low-strength, low frequency electric and magnetic fields produced by power lines and electric appliances?

25. Make Valid Conclusions and Recommendations Based on Sound Research • When examining the results of your research, look for any cause-and-effect relationships. • Look for any results that seem to point to the same conclusion. • Watch for areas where you have used illogical or unsupported arguments.

26. Introduction in a Formal Report • State clearly the subject of your report. • State the purpose of your report. • Identify how the report affects or relates to the readers (optional). • Present the background information that the readers need to understand your report. • Present an overview of the report.

27. Methods, Results, Conclusions & Recommendations Methods: • Tell the readers how you did the research or conducted the study? • Use clear, specific language Results: • What did you find out and how are you reporting it? Conclusions: • What do the results mean? Recommendations: • Given the results and the conclusions, what should occur? • Eliminate explanations of the recommendations.

28. Writing Feasibility Reports • This is a type of recommendation report. • Feasibility reports evaluate options based on appropriate criteria and recommend the most feasible or preferable option. Major Issues: • Establish criteria for evaluating the options. • Identify all available options, research carefully, avoid using lesser options for simplifying the study. • Evaluate the options based on the criteria and draw conclusions about each option.

29. Where to find materials to write the report? Examples are: • Documents related to the project / work currently being done • Google, Bing, Yahoo • Google hacks/scripts (filetype, intitle, inurl, site) • Journals (ex: Emeraldinsight.com, DOAJ.org, HighWire.stanford.edu) • Scitopia.org • Scirus.com • Wolframalpha.com • RSS readers – (Pageflakes.com) • Newsgroup (Google Groups, Yahoogroups) • Filesharing – Bittorent.com, Furk.net, Mininova.org • Social site – Facebook, Myspace, Friendster • Youtube.com, Metacafe.com etc. • Reference, bibliography – Bibme.com • Free Ebooks – Hongkiat.com - 20-best-websites-to-download-free-e-books. OPPapers.com – Research Papers and Essays

30. Basic Technical Overview • Professionalism and ethics in reporting • Knowing your audience • Outline writing • Report writing (rigid structure)

31. Professionalism & ethics in reporting • Different individuals have different personalities, and different modes for communicating. • If you apply a cannedformula to your technical communications, the result may be awkward. • Within the general structure of formal technical communication, there is room for your personality to show through.

32. Common Report Formats There are a number of accepted formats for any type of document that you write, but… The commonly accepted standard for engineering reports is IMRaD - Introduction - Methods - Results - and Discussion. Note: Your reports do not necessarily need to follow this format strictly, but should use this as a guideline, and contain all of the information discussed in the following paragraphs.

33. Format Example Please refer to uploaded documents at http://www.zaipul.com/download/tdp 1. How to Write a Technical Report from Alan Smithee - A format using single column.pdf 2. Template from IEEE for writing a Proceeding Manuscript - 2 columns.doc 3. Guide to a Journal Writing Format from MUST - 2 columns.doc 4. A sample of how to use MS Word to submit a Technical Report to a lecturer.doc 5. A Detail Articles on how to write a Technical Report.doc

34. Tips on Technical Report Writing • Don’t waste words. Don’t say obvious things. (“Pollution is a serious problem.”) Don’t say things your audience doesn’t need to know (long irrelevant explanations, detailed math). • Use spell-check and grammar-check! • It’s (contraction of it is) versus its (possessive pronoun). It’s a nice day. Put the CD back in its case. • Affect (verb) versus effect (noun). Stress affects everyone differently. The effect of stress can be negative. • Include proper citations of others’ work.

35. Tips on Technical Report Writing • Use the full term, then put the acronym in parentheses • Eliminate fluff (e.g. “Back in the year of 1973…”, “A man by the name of John Smith…”, “Basically…” (this is the written equivalent of “like”) • Avoid vague generalizations. (e.g. “very expensive”, “very difficult”, “very high temperature”)

36. Tips on Technical Report Writing • Proofread carefully. Look for missing words, extra words, and wrong (but correctly spelled) words like: • due/do • form/from • their/there • an/and • where/were

37. Some Common Reports used in Engineering • Laboratory Reports: • To summarize the purpose and results of an experiment. • When a Pre-Laboratory Report is requested, prepare a written document prior to conducting the laboratory experiment, which has the following parts: • Cover page with lab title and objectives and measurement variables clearly indicated • Supplies and equipment required for the experiment • Start-up procedure • Operating procedure • Shutdown/clean-up procedure • Emergency shut-down procedure • General safety hazards and required precautions • Theoretical analysis and sample calculations: document the theory governing the experiment; and relevant equations used in the calculations, their limitations, and their sources • Blank data sheets to record experimental results

38. FRONT MATTER • Title Page: Include on the title page the lab title, course name, completion date, and author names. Counted as “I” • Executive Summary: is written after the work is complete in past tense. The executive summary is counted as page “ii” but is not numbered. Covers key elements: • Background • Why and how the experiment or test was performed • The materials and methods used to accomplish the tasks • Important results, including the extent of agreement between experimental results and theoretical predictions, and experimental errors and their estimated effects on the results • What was discovered, achieved, or concluded • Relevant recommendations • Nomenclature: List and define all symbols used in the report in alphabetical order, uppercase then lowercase, followed by Arabic, and then Greek.

39. Acronyms and Initialisms: List and define acronyms and initialisms used in the report. • Measurement Abbreviations: Summarize measurement abbreviations used in the document, including the appendix, by listing the term, followed by a comma, and then the abbreviation. Examples include: • degree Celsius, °C • minute(s), min • inch, in.

40. REPORT TEXT • Background: Provide known information to orient the reader. • Experimental Equipment and Procedures: If not established, include details of the techniques used. • Theoretical Analysis: supports each experiment by providing mathematical equations used to predict system behavior. Provide and number relevant equations • Results: Clearly present the experimental results in a condensed, logical manner, using tables or graphs. Provide raw data and sample calculations in an appendix. • Use short statements to present the results without discussion. Provide an explanation when needed to prevent incorrect interpretations of the results. • Discussion: Follow a logical progression. Begin with a very brief summary statement of the results and then proceed with a discussion of these results. • Conclusions and Recommendations: The conclusions must follow logically and directly from the Results and Discussion sections and must not include any new information

41. Report Text-Cont’d • References • Include all references, including established technical specifications (standards) and protocols. • APPENDICES • Include material such as raw data; sample, intermediate, or lengthy calculations; long derivatives or • detailed information not pertinent to the understanding of the lab report in the appendices.

42. ENGINEERING DESIGN REPORTS • Engineering design reports begin with identifying the core problem and project objectives. This requires completion of the following tasks. • Interview the client to identify needs and project constraints. • Conduct a literature review to determine if the proposed work is feasible and needed. • Investigate industry standards and acceptable quality assurance/quality control practices that may impact or be used during the design process. • Refine the problem statement and objectives. Include measurable criteria that will illustrate when each objective is met. • Develop a schematic of the current system (if applicable). • Identify additional research needs for project design. • Prepare a detailed project management plan (Microsoft Project) to organize and prioritize tasks, which will be used in the preparation of an outline for the technical report.

43. FRONT MATTER • Title Page: Develop a brief and clear title, using no more than seven to eight words that provide specificity to the report. The title often identifies the purpose of the work and the intended audience. • Executive Summary: The executive summary conveys the key elements in concise language. • Background, including the purpose of the work • Problem statement and objectives • What has been accomplished • Key results • Implications of cost • Conclusions • Recommendations • Acknowledgements: Provide a statement of gratitude to the project sponsor and academic or technical advisors that contributed to the project success. • Table of Contents • List of Figures - List of Tables – Nomenclature – Abbreviations

44. REPORT TEXT • Background: Summarize known information specifically relevant to the project in a logically organized manner • Problem Statement and Objectives: Prepare a concise problem statement based on the literature review findings and the client’s identified needs. Then develop specific objectives from the problem statement. • Alternative Selection: Present a clear description of feasible alternatives that meet the objectives. • Project Design: Describe the methodical approach required to fill the data gaps identified in the Alternative Selection section. • Results: Report the project design results in a condensed, logical manner, including tabulated or graphical form. • The results must match the project design and be in support of the objectives.

45. Economic Analysis of Alternatives: • Present a streamlined life-cycle economical analysis of equally effective preliminary alternatives. Further refine the selection using the results from the analysis. • Conclusions and Recommendations: • Present the alternative selected (if able to select), the final cost, and the primary reasons. Discuss data gaps and uncertainties. • Include as a recommendation additional experimentation needed to gain more certainty and the advantages and disadvantages of conducting these experiments. Include other observations relevant to the objectives. • References: • Documentation of important reference material is essential • APPENDICES: • Include material that is in support of the work but not pertinent to the understanding of the report in the appendix. This includes figures or tables referred to in the results section; material .h