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This resource is an updated version of Muriel Harris’s handbook Report Formats: a Self-instruction Module on Writing Skills for Engineers, written in 1981. The primary resources for the editing process were Paul Anderson’s Technical Communication: A Reader-Centered Approach (6th ed.) and the existing OWL PowerPoint presentation, HATS: A Design Procedure for Routine Business Documents. The body of your report is a detailed discussion of your work for those readers who want to know in some depth and completeness what was done. The body of the report shows what was done, how it was done, what the results were, and what conclusions and recommendations can be drawn. IntroductionThe introduction states the problem and its significance, states the technical goals of the work, and usually contains background information that the reader needs to know in order to understand the report. Consider, as you begin your introduction, who your readers are and what background knowledge they have. For example, the information needed by someone educated in medicine could be very different from someone working in your own field of engineering. The introduction might include any or all of the following.
While academic reports often include extensive literature reviews, reports written in industry often have the literature review in an appendix. Summary or backgroundThis section gives the theory or previous work on which the experimental work is based if that information has not been included in the introduction. Methods/proceduresThis section describes the major pieces of equipment used and recaps the essential step of what was done. In scholarly articles, a complete account of the procedures is important. However, general readers of technical reports are not interested in a detailed methodology. This is another instance in which it is necessary to think about who will be using your document and tailor it according to their experience, needs, and situation. A common mistake in reporting procedures is to use the present tense. This use of the present tense results in what is sometimes called “the cookbook approach” because the description sounds like a set of instructions. Avoid this and use the past tense in your “methods/procedures” sections. ResultsThis section presents the data or the end product of the study, test, or project and includes tables and/or graphs and a brief interpretation of what the data show. When interpreting your data, be sure to consider your reader, what their situation is and how the data you have collected will pertain to them. Discussion of resultsThis section explains what the results show, analyzes uncertainties, notes significant trends, compares results with theory, evaluates limitations or the chance for faulty interpretation, or discusses assumptions. The discussion section sometimes is a very important section of the report, and sometimes it is not appropriate at all, depending on your reader, situation, and purpose. It is important to remember that when you are discussing the results, you must be specific. Avoid vague statements such as “the results were very promising.” ConclusionsThis section interprets the results and is a product of thinking about the implications of the results. Conclusions are often confused with results. A conclusion is a generalization about the problem that can reasonably be deduced from the results. Be sure to spend some time thinking carefully about your conclusions. Avoid such obvious statements as “X doesn’t work well under difficult conditions.” Be sure to also consider how your conclusions will be received by your readers, and as well as by your shadow readers—those to whom the report is not addressed, but will still read and be influenced by your report. RecommendationsThe recommendations are the direction or actions that you think must be taken or additional work that is need to expand the knowledge obtained in your report. In this part of your report, it is essential to understand your reader. At this point you are asking the reader to think or do something about the information you have presented. In order to achieve your purposes and have your reader do what you want, consider how they will react to your recommendations and phrase your words in a way to best achieve your purposes. Conclusions and recommendations do the following.
What are the differences between Results, Conclusions, and Recommendations?Assume that you were walking down the street, staring at the treetops, and stepped in a deep puddle while wearing expensive new shoes. What results, conclusions, and recommendations might you draw from this situation? Some suggested answers follow.
Which of the following statements is true of an introduction to a report?Which of the following statements is true of an introduction to a report? It establishes the context and identifies the subject.
Which section of a report will introduce why the subject matter is important?The Introduction
You will introduce your overview of the topic, your main points of information, and why this subject is important. You can introduce the current understanding and background information about the topic.
Which of the following is one of the function of the close of a report?The close of a report should summarize your key points. The close of a report should emphasize the benefits to the reader if the document suggests a change or some other course of action. The close of a report should bring all of the action items together in one place.
Which of the following is a supplementary element of a report?69) The most common supplementary parts to include in a formal report are the appendix, the bibliography, and the index.
Which section of a report or proposal is used to help the reader understand the report by tying it to a problem that needs to be solved?The discussion section is one of the final parts of a research paper, in which an author describes, analyzes, and interprets their findings. They explain the significance of those results and tie everything back to the research question(s).
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