Nothing Special   »   [go: up one dir, main page]

1-Technical Report Writing PDF

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 26

Scientific writing

Lecturer: Dr. Pham Huynh Tram


Dr. Dao Vu Truong Son
Room O2-602
ISE Department
Course learning outcomes
On completing the course, you should be able to:
• Organize a technical report
• write different parts of technical report
• Use appropriate language conventions
• Know ways of obtaining information from different sources,
summarise texts and integrate them into reports
• Practice the unique qualities of professional writing style,
including sentence conciseness, readability, clarity, accuracy,
honesty, avoiding wordiness or ambiguity, previewing, using
direct order organization, objectivity, unbiased analyzing,
summarizing, coherence and transitional devices.
• Write a short report, adapted to a less specialized
reader, on a topic from your area of specialization
• Use computer and software to generate the report
with proper format, figures, tables and charts
• Respond effectively to editorial feedback from
peers, instructors, and/or supervisors through
successive drafts and revision
• Make poster presentation, oral presentation and
other types of communication
Course content
• Introducing of technical reports
• Style and grammar
• Writing “Introduction”
• Reviewing previous work
• Describing method
• Creating visual aid
• Presenting results
• Writing conclusion and abstract
• Revising
• Poster presenting & other types of communication
• Computer skill
Textbook & References
• Science Research Writing_ A Guide for Non-
Native Speakers of English, Glassman,
Imperial College Press, 2010
• Engineering your report: from start to finish,
Laksmy Anantha Krishnan, Rowena Jong,
Sujata S. Kathpalia, Tam Moh Kim, 2nd Ed,
2006, Prentice Hall
• Handbook of Technical writing, Gerald J Alfred,
11th Ed,
Assessment
• Mid-term exam: 30%
• Individual assignments: 10%
• Group project: 25%
(Abstract, Paper, Presentation)
• Final Exam: 35%
Lesson 1: Introduction of
technical reports
Lesson objectives
• To show the link between scientific research
and technical reports
• To show how reports are classified
• To show different parts of formal reports
What is a technical report
• A structured presentation of data and
information gathered from research,
experiment and/or investigation
• Prepared for a selected group of audience, at
the request of a superviosry authority
• Can be divided into 3 main parts: problem,
method, results
Scientific method of investigation & technical
report schema
Scientific method
of investigation Technical report schema

Recognition of a problem; Introduction


formulation of hypothesis
and objectives of study

Collection of data; Method


process of experimentation

Data analysis Results

Drawing of conclusion Conclusion


→ How research was initiated, implemeted, tested, and evaluated
Classification of technical reports
• Function/ purpose of writing
• Audience analysis
• Formal/informal
Classification of technical reports

• Function/ purpose of writing


- Record activities (eg. Progress report)
- Provide information for decision making
- Persuading (eg. Proposal)
- Purpose of research: investigative & analytical,
descriptive of a design and construction process,
software or product development, etc.

--> generic organizational structure of technical reports


Classification of technical reports

• Audience analysis
- Who are the audience of a technical report?
- Single readership or multiple readership?
-->

- Select appropriate information


- Extent of technical definition & jargon
- Determine level of formality of the report
Formal report
• Conventional format (arrangement of
sections), Style (use of heads, illustration..),
Documentation of sources
• Multiple audiences --> comprehensive and
relevant information
• Supplemented with prefatory and
supplementary elements
Informal report
• To disseminate information for ongoing
activities, provide information for decision
making
• Single/ restricted reader
• Different structure, tone and style
Components of a formal technical
report
• Prefatory part
• Main part
• Supplementary part
Prefatory part
• Letter of transmittal (optional)
• Title (cover) page
• Abstract
• Acknowledgement (optional)
• Table of contents
• List of figures
• List of tables
• List of abbreviations and symbols
Example of letter of Transmittal

Dear Editor…,

Submitted for your review is our manuscript on ……

In our manuscript, you will find the …..

I hope the manuscript will prove significant to….

Yours sincerely,
Title of the report

• Phrasing the title


- select precise and approriate words
- Key words for indexing
- NOT a full sentence, skip article “a” or “the”
Example of title
(1) Design of Prosthesis
(2) Design and Construction of a
Microprocessor-operated Prosthesis Capable
of Two-degree of Freedom and Lifting a
Weight of 500 grams
(3) Design of Prosthetic Forearm with Two-
degree of Freedom
Table of contents
• Heading and subheadings (first-, second-, third- level
heading)
• Numbering system
• Phrasing headings & subheadings (no article, parallel
construction)
• Page numbering
- Arabic numerals: 1,2,3
- Roman numerals: i, ii, iii
- Appendices: A1, A1, B1, B2
List of Figures/ Tables
• Assigned arabic numerals and given suitable
titles
• List of Figures/Tables should include figure/
Table numbers, titles and page numbers
• Note of using of Figure X/ Fig. X, Equation X/
Equn. (X), Table X in main text
Main part
• Introduction
• Literature review (optional)
• Method
• Results
• Conclusion
Main parts
• Method and results sections may vary according to the
type, complexity and extensiveness of the research →
devise approriate headings and subheadings
• Design report: conceptual design, design constraints,
method of calculation, selection of equipment
• Developing and applying theoretical model
(investigationa and analysis): development of model,
how it is applied
• Testing and validation of a proposed design: design of
research, procedures of experiement, how it is tested
and validated
Supplementary part
• References
• Bibliography
• Appendices
Eg. Illustrations, desciption of equipment,
sample forms, data sheets, questionaires,
equations…
Presenting information using report
format
• Report selectively
• Present information effectively
- Headings and subheadings
- Numbering and bullets
- References in parentheses
- Empatic devices
- Introductory and connecting paragraphs, overall framework
of the section in the first paragrpah, topic sentences
- Logicall flow contiuity among sections
- Review main points
• Report objectively: exact, objective, reliable

You might also like