Formal Technical Report
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TechnicalReportGuidelines.docxTechnical Report Guidelines
Technical Report - General
1) Investigate a problem where you work and direct the report to your supervisor. Consider asking your supervisor specifically what problems he/she would like you to investigate.
2) Write either a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a proposal (bid) on behalf of your company.
3) Solve a social, political, or technical problem and propose your solution to an individual or a group that has the power to act on your recommendations.
The Technical Report is an exercise in examining a problem or need at your place of employment, and you are to create an argument (proposal) that logically supports your view. The report should be at least 11 pages—including collateral material—with at least 7 pages of solid writing. In most cases, you will begin the report with a transmittal or cover letter. Interview at least one subject matter expert, and show costs and benefits, if at all possible. During the term, you will have an opportunity to see many reports that will assist you in writing a successful report.
Grading
The report is worth 30 points total, with 10 points each for: content, format (layout), and writing (includes tone, grammar, and punctuation). Use the Report Template in D2L to help the design your report. Remember that this is a formal report, and you should avoid slang terms and jargon. Also remember to identify your acronyms before you use them.
Elements of Reports
The following list provides you with the organization for your report.
1. Letter of Transmittal or Cover Letter – Write it as an overview or proposal. If your report is not addressing anyone in particular, please address the letter to me to tell me what is in your report and point out anything that might be of interest outside the report or in the appendix. The letter can be very simple, but be sure to have addresses and the date, even if fictitious. Maralee Sautter, English Dept., PO Box 751, Portland, OR 97207. See the example in the textbook.
2. Title Page
3. Table of Contents
4. Glossary (optional) – Use when you have eight or more complicated words or phrases to describe.
5. Body of Report – Select a format type from the textbook or from the examples in D2L, such as Proposal, Recommendation, Analytical, or Empirical Research Report. The body will be broken into sections such as Intro, Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations or whatever sections you choose for your format type. There should be six pages of solid writing with 1.5-paragraph spacing and double-spacing between paragraphs. I prefer left justified, but you can indent the first sentence if you choose. I’d like to see one graphic or table in this section, which can count as the writing as long as only takes half a page. If you have more than one visual aid, you may want to place them in the appendix. Remember to use “in-text” references in the body of your report—https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/)—for clarity.
6. Works Cited or References – Be sure to look at the textbook (Appendix B) to make sure you have indented the second line and each line after the reference.
7. Appendix (optional) – use when you have a lot of material that will interrupt the flow of text in the body of your report. This is meant for supporting material.
