Report Writing - Lecture notes 4 PDF

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how to write a technical report...

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Report Writing:  After you have collected adequate information, you will need to effectively synthesize it, organize it, and create your report by writing the sections.  It is important to note that formal reports are not written linearly. It is impossible to start from page one and write the report in order because most of the front and back matter can only be developed after the content of both the problem and solution structure is complete.  For example, the summary can’t be written until after all the technical material is written and the table of contents shouldn’t be written until the headings are done and the page breaks are finalized. You should begin with the middle of the report, and then gradually add on elements by working outwards: 1. Write the problem & solution sections Group the information into sub-sections Include graphics or images Include APA citations throughout (track the material and wording) Create clear headings and number the body sections using a decimal hierarch 2. Develop an introduction and conclusion 3. Create front and back matter

Headings  Your report will primarily be broken down into 4 main sections:  1. Introduction  2. Problem  3. Solution  4. Conclusions

 However, most, if not all, of these sections will feature sub-sections.

 In a technical formal report, all the headings are numbered with decimals to indicate how each section relates to the whole report.  This means, that your Introduction (for example) will be labelled as 1, and any subheading within the Introduction will be labelled 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.

You should begin by writing the Problem and Solution sections. These also represent the fundamental structure of your report – problem/solution These two sections will present the bulk of the content by examining the technical issue and its resolution.

Problem  In general, the problem section must explain your specific technical issue or technology that has technical shortcomings:  Clarify the problem (below are some potential sub-headings)  What are the issues?  What are the causes of the issues?  What are the parts?  How does it work?  Explain the consequences  What happened and who or what was affected? What may happen over the long term if a solution isn’t found?

Solution

 The solution section must fix the specific problem or problems you discussed in the previous section:  Explain the solution  o What is the solution?  o What does it do?  Explain the results  o How exactly does it fix the problem?  o What are the benefits of implementing it?  The exact structure and headings of your report will be unique to your assignment.  Other students have chosen other topics and even students with similar topics will locate different sources and collect different information.  They will organize their reports differently and create different headings: there is no rigid template that must be followed.

Parts Analysis Review  An effective Parts Analysis goes beyond merely listing components because it should also clarify the relationship between the parts.  Consider a bulleted list or chart when describing the components. This can visually distinguish each part and help the reader follow the list more efficiently.  Graphics can dramatically increase reader understanding of parts analysis by showing the elements of a machine or system. A blueprint, exploded diagram, or cut-away diagram can visually display how the parts relate to each other.

Conclusion

 The conclusion section re-emphasizes some key information and can look to the future.  It should clarify again what the problem is and what the potential consequences are.  It should also present the solution and benefits of the solution.  While it can also indicate some potential challenges to future adoption of the solution, the tone should remain neutral or positive. These are the basic focuses for the conclusion section: Indicate the problem and what the consequences are if it isn’t resolved Present the solution and indicate how it fixes the problem Indicate whether the solution will be widely adopted and look to the future...