Report Writing
What is a Report?
A report is a communication or advice, from a person who has collected and studied the facts, to a person who has asked for the report because s/he needs it for a specific purpose. Often the ultimate function of a report is to provide a basis for decision and action. The reports must always be planned and communicated in a way which suits the receiver ( reader/ listener). Reports can be Oral, Written or visual, long or short.
Technical writing is NOT used to:
• Entertain
• Create suspense
• Invite differing interpretations
Importance
• Many engineers spend between 1/3 and 1/2 of their work time engaged in technical writing. Examples include:
• proposals
• regulations
• manuals
• procedures
• technical reports
• progress reports
• emails
• memos
Four Functions
• To present compressed data, to provide specific information.
• To present the findings and conclusions after the analysis of data.
• To help the reader in taking a decision
• To enable the flow of information.
Three Main Objectives
• To give information
• To make decision
• To keep record ( for legal purposes)
Reports can be transmitted in the form of:
• Conversation
• Demonstration
• Letters
• Memos
• Fill-in-Forms
• Many page Documents
They can be Classified according to:
• Length
• Tone (formal/informal/semi-formal)
• Subject matter (Engg./ financial/marketing/accident)
• Timing (Daily/ weekly/ monthly : interim/ progress/final)
• Importance (routine/special/urgent)
• Style (Narrative/ descriptive/expository/pictorial/ statistical)
• Distribution (inter-office/company/public/ private)
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