A guide to

technical
report writing
 A guide to technical report writing – Contents

Contents
1. What makes a good technical report? 3

2.
Objectives 4

2.1 Who are you producing the report for? 4

3.
Format 5

3.1 Appendices 5
3.2 Sections and subsections 5
3.3
References 6

4.
Writing 7

4.1
Spelling 7
4.2
Punctuation 7
4.3
Sentences 7
4.4
Paragraphs 8
4.5
Formality 8
4.6
Example 8

5.
Diagrams 9

5.1
Positioning 9
5.2
Tables 9
5.3
Graphs 9
5.4
Diagram references 9

6.
Finishing the report 10

6.1 Summaries 10
6.2 Abstracts 10
6.3 Table of contents 10
6.4
Title page 10
6.5
Appearance 10
6.6
Checking 10

7.
Resources 11

02
 A guide to technical report writing – What makes a good technical report?

A Guide to Technical Report Writing was originally written by Joan van

Emden and the late Jennifer Eastel and has been revised by the IET,
with input from Alex Kerr who delivers this course on behalf of the IET.

1. What makes a good

technical report?
A good report is easy to recognise. Its title is precise Keep these rules in mind and you will be more likely
and informative and its format logical to the reader, to attract readers, direct them towards relevant,
with headings to indicate the content of each section. clear information and steer them towards the desired
Diagrams are well-presented and clearly labelled. response.

There are no absolute rules on report production Notice that the first law is repeated because it’s a law
because every report must be adapted to the needs of which shouldn’t be broken. Taking shortcuts to save
its reader. This guide, however, suggests that there are time and money are counterproductive if your reader is
laws of good report writing which should be generally left confused by the report or decides it’s too difficult to
applied (but broken if necessary). work out what you are trying to say.

10 laws of good report writing

1. produce the report for your

reader(s)
2. keep the report as short as possible
3. organise information for the
convenience of the reader
4. include accurate references
5. ensure your writing is accurate,
concise and straightforward
6. include diagrams with the right
labels in the right place for your
reader
7. make sure your summary gives the
whole picture in brief
8. check the report for technical
errors, typing errors and
inconsistency
9. consider design as well as content
10. produce the report for your
reader(s)

03
 A guide to technical report writing – Objectives

2. Objectives
Set the objectives for your report before you start 2.1 Who are you producing the report for?
writing. Note them down and check that you are
keeping to them, even during the last stages of If you want your report to make an impact, you need
production. to consider your reader. Knowing your reader should
determine your approach, the technical content and
Your objectives should identify: style of your writing.

– who you’re producing the report for Ask yourself:

– why you’re producing the report – What does the reader already know about the
subject?
– what information you’re covering
– What do you need to tell the reader?

– Why does a particular reader need this particular

What happens without clear report?
objectives
– What is the desired response from the reader?
If you don’t take time to clarify your
– How can you bridge the gap between what the
objectives, writing the report will be reader knows already and what they need to
more difficult, understanding it even know, in order to produce the desired response?
more so and you may not achieve the
desired response. – What level of formality is appropriate? (e.g. a
short emailed report to a colleague will be less
A report which was meant to cover formal than a report for a managing director of
another company)
the UK, but instead just dealt with
England and Wales resulted in lost Reports are often written for multiple readers, for
opportunities for development and example, technical and financial managers. Writing
sales in Scotland and Northern Ireland. two separate reports would be time-consuming and
risk offending people who are not party to all of the
A report which tried to be both a information. One solution to this problem is strategic
use of appendices (see page 5).
specification of a machine and a report
on the results of using a machine
left readers in confusion, as it didn’t
provide a precise specification or a
satisfactory conclusion.

04
 A guide to technical report writing – Format

3. Format
Once the objectives have been established, start 3.2 Sections and subsections
organising the information available. As you find
material, put it into one of three categories: Divide information and place it under headings that are
as specific as possible. From a visual point of view, this
1. important information that is relevant to the space on the page makes your report easier to read.
objectives Also, readers can identify and refer to sections which
are relevant to their interests.
2. borderline information which might be useful
to some readers or support more important Section headings
material
If you don’t have a template for a report provided by
3. information which may be interesting to you, your company or university, then there are some widely
but is not relevant to the objectives accepted section headings you can use:

Set aside category 3 material to check it later. Material – Title page

in categories 1 and 2 must be kept available and
thought of as probable main text (category 1) and – Acknowledgements
appendix material (category 2).
– Summary
When you’ve identified probable main text, you can
start looking through it to decide on how it could be – Table of Contents
ordered logically.
– Introduction/Terms of Reference/Scope

3.1 Appendices – Procedure

Although appendices are at the end of a report, think – Findings

about them first as they can be one your most useful
tools. Appendices should be used to remove from the – Conclusions
main text all information which is not needed by the
majority of readers. – Recommendations

– References/Bibliography

If the main text is clear of detailed – Appendices

statistics, maps, explanations of
These sections can be adapted or merged together,
technical terms or experimental
depending on what you think would be appropriate for
data, it will be kept as short and as your reader. They form a framework for a report, but you
readable as possible. don’t need to start writing at the beginning. Writers
often find it easier to start with the factual material in
By using appendices, you can also cater the Findings section.
to different types of readers, their
Notation
needs and priorities. Experts may feel
patronised by too much explanation The logical linking of headings is shown by notation,
in the main text and non-experts left usually decimal notation. The system is easy to produce
confused by lack of information – but and follow, and the fact that it is widespread means
appendices can satisfy both parties. that readers are likely to be familiar with it.

An engineer may be frustrated by

technical information interwoven with
details of costing, but both technical
and financial readers will be happy to
find costings in the appendix.

05
 A guide to technical report writing – Format

Headings should match the numbering in importance, 3.3 References

so a main heading should have a major notation (as
shown below): Accurate references improve the credibility of your
document, making your report more convincing. Make a
1. MAIN HEADING note of references as you go along, so you don’t forget
1.1 Lesser Heading where your information came from, as that’s where
1.1.1 Small heading errors can creep in.

8. MAIN HEADING There are various referencing systems and you should
8.4 Lesser Heading use the system preferred by your company or university.
8.4.6 Small Heading If you don’t have guidance on referencing, a couple of
options are shown below.
The heading numbered 1.1.1 should be equal in
importance to heading 8.4.6. Ideally notations should In-text citing
have no more than four numbers, as more subdivisions
are difficult to follow. In the text, references are shown by a number in square
brackets [1] and the full references are listed in order at
Appendices should be distinguished from the main text the end of the report:
by a letter, and if necessary, a decimal notation after the
letter: 1. Van Emden, J. (2005). Writing for Engineers.
3rd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Appendix B2.4
This is the fourth subsection of the second major 2. Hawley, R. (1996). Leadership challenges in an
section of the second Appendix. engineering environment. Engineering
Management Journal, 6 (5), pp. 217-231

Harvard referencing

In the text, the author’s surname and the date (Hawley,

1996) are included, and at the end of the document, the
details are given in full:

Van Edmen, J and Becker, L. (2017). Writing for

Engineers (Macmillan Study Skills). 4th ed.
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Hawley, R. (1996). Leadership challenges in an

engineering environment. Engineering Management
Journal, 6 (5), pp. 217-231.

For online materials, cite them in the same style as

other bibliographical sources, but indicate it is online
and provide the URL and the date accessed.

The IET, (2019). The Institution of Engineering and

Technology’s official website. [online] Available at
http://www.theiet.org [Accessed 13 Mar. 2019].

06
 A guide to technical report writing – Writing

4. Writing

A well-written report is easier to read, 4.2 Punctuation

makes your meaning clear and builds the
Commas
reader’s confidence in what you are saying.
Check your use of punctuation, such as commas, as it
can transform the meaning of sentences. For example:
4.1 Spelling
The engines, which were in perfect running order,
When you’ve completed a section of the report, check had been tested previously. (all engines were in
it for spelling errors. If you’re relying on a spellchecker perfect running order and had been tested)
programme, watch out for the following errors which
may not be picked up: The engines which were in perfect running order had
been tested previously. (only the engines in perfect
– Using the wrong word running order had been tested)
If you use a word which was not intended, a
spellchecker will often accept it. ‘Not’ and ‘now’, Hyphens
for instance, are easily confused.
Do use hyphens if not using them will lead to ambiguous
– Technical words meaning, e.g. ‘a cross-section of staff’ vs ‘a cross
These words need to be checked carefully as a section of staff’. They should also be used to form short
spellchecker programme often has no advice compound adjectives. e.g. three-year plan, two-tonne
on them. vessel.
– New technical words
New technical words or semi-technical words often
start out as two words, then become hyphenated,
4.3 Sentences
before finally becoming accepted as one word. For
Good style involves varying sentence length. A long
example, cyber-security/cybersecurity, e-mail/email.
technical explanation, which mentions somewhere in the
Look to the technical press, such as IET journals, for
middle that maintenance costs can be reduced, risks the
guidance on these words. Where both variants are
important point being lost.
still used, go for one word, as hyphens tend to
clutter up the text.
Short sentences provide a clear, easy-to-read style for
factual information. Where information needs to be
compared with other information, longer sentences can
work better.

07
 A guide to technical report writing – Writing

4.4 Paragraphs 4.6 Example

Paragraphs should unify content, but also be used to Below is an example of writing by a qualified and
make the document more readable. Several paragraphs experienced engineer, followed by our suggestion for
on a page with resulting spaces encourage reading, improvement.
while a long block of text is off-putting.
At present on the XYZ sub-station we have no
facility to supply 12000 amps required for the new
4.5 Formality plant from the existing spare O.C.B.’s, this will
require the removal of some of the old existing oil
Reports are formal documents, but that doesn’t mean circuit breakers and replacing with new vacuum
you have to use overly complex words or grammar. Use circuit breakers (VCBs) since we cannot uprate the
simple words that you’d use in everyday conversation existing VWX equipment which is of course 1937
to get your meaning across, e.g. ‘send’ rather than vintage, the proposal for this would be as follows.
‘dispatch’ and ‘finish’ rather than ‘draw to a conclusion’.
If you choose more complex language, readers could be Revised example:
unnecessarily distracted by it.
On the XYZ sub-station board, we are unable at
Writing in an impersonal style can also make sentences present to meet the demand (1200 amperes per
difficult to read, e.g. ‘It was immediately apparent to the phase) required to operate the new plant using the
writers...’ If your company or university policy permits, existing oil circuit breakers (OCBs). Spares are not
use the more straightforward active voice: ‘I recommend’ available and the old equipment cannot be uprated.
or ‘We recommend’.
We therefore suggest replacing some of the existing
For more information on spelling, grammar and style, see switchgear with new vacuum circuit breakers (VCBs).
our resources on page 11. The proposal is costed below.

1. move ‘at present’ so emphasis is on the sub-

station board

2. replace unnecessarily complex language ‘we have

no facility’ with ‘we are unable to’

3. amps is not a recognised abbreviation for

amperes

4. spell out acronym before using it (OCB)

5. break up text into shorter sentences and

paragraphs for ease of reading

08
 A guide to technical report writing – Diagrams

5. Diagrams
Diagrams — which include tables, graphs, Tips for creating space in your tables
photographs and line drawings — are an
– Put units and powers of ten in column headings
essential part of many technical reports.
They can summarise a lot of information or – Group together similar items, e.g. in annual
clarify a situation or complex details in a way financial breakdown, you could group together
that continuous text can’t. months in quarters (January-March)

– Think about how much detail your reader needs.

Do they need the exact figures or can they be
5.1 Positioning
rounded? Do they need all the data or can some
be omitted/put in an appendix?
Most readers do not like to have their reading
interrupted to search for a related diagram. They are
unlikely to stop reading, turn the page or pages to
look at a diagram and then return to their place in the 5.3 Graphs
text. Instead, they will mentally register the reference,
continue reading and will study the diagram, if at all, Graphs are used to show trends or give accurate
only when the information in the diagram becomes technical information. If graphs are to be compared, use
essential. the same scale for each.

If you want readers to pay attention to your diagrams,

you need to position them in the right place — 5.4 Diagram references
where they are needed. That means positioning a
diagram close to the text that refers to it, or if it is Diagrams of all types must be clearly referenced in the
supplementary information only, in an appendix. text. Use the first number of the section in which the
diagram appears, and then after the decimal point,
the sequential number, e.g. Figure 3.7 is the seventh
5.2 Tables diagram in section three of the report.

Tables can bring together a great deal of information for

the reader when presented effectively. The use of space,
in particular, can make the table easier to read. Checklist for diagrams

– Does it give the reader the

required information?
– Is it easy to use?
– Does it look attractive?

09
 A guide to technical report writing – Finishing the report

6. Finishing the report

6.1 Summaries 6.4 Title page
A summary gives a general picture of the report for As the title page is the first page that the reader will
those who want to be reminded of what they have read see, make sure it includes the relevant details:
or for those who will never read the whole report.
– Title
It makes the report’s ‘answer’, its conclusions and
recommendations immediately available. For this reason, – Author’s name
it’s the section that is read by the majority and the most
senior readers (often the decision makers) who might – Report reference number
not have the time or interest to look into the detail.
– Date
Tips on writing your summary
– Classification (confidential, etc) if appropriate
– Keep it under 250 words for a report of up to 50
pages. You may need to start with too many
words and edit down. 6.5 Appearance
– Give enough background information for your Overcrowded pages, small typeface, headings which
summary to make sense to a reader who hasn’t merge with the text — all these put readers off and may
read the whole report. even prevent them from becoming readers. Think about
good layout, print and plenty of space – readers are
– Comment on major findings and highlight encouraged to tackle even the dullest subject if pages
conclusions of importance. appear clear and easily digestible.

– Use continuous prose — diagrams in summaries

are rare.
6.6 Checking
Give your report a final check, as an error-free document
6.2 Abstracts will strengthen its credibility. Where possible, ask two
people to check your report — a technical expert who
Abstracts are used to bring together the report and can assess the amount of explanation given, the validity
potential readers, attracting readers who might not of data and the logical flow of information, and a non-
necessarily consider the report relevant to them. expert who can check for spelling/grammar errors.

The abstract selects areas of interest covered by the If you’re checking your own work, do it with fresh eyes.
report and may include a list of key words, so that your Leave the report for at least 48 hours after writing it,
report is more discoverable. before you give it that final check. Then it’s ready to go!

6.3 Table of contents

List each chapter or section with its constituent
headings, section and sub-section numbers, as well
as page numbers. This helps the reader to select a
particular sub-section of interest and find it easily, at
the same time as seeing its connection to what comes
before and after it.

10
 A guide to technical report writing – Resources

Resources

Cutts, M. (2013). Oxford Guide to Plain English (Oxford Paperback Reference).

4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Van Edmen, J and Becker, L. (2017). Writing for Engineers (Macmillan Study Skills).
4th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

The Guardian and Observer style guide:

www.theguardian.com/info/series/guardian-and-observer-style-guide

11
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