Types of Technical Reports

Banquil, Romel
Batoctoy, Merrichelle
Bornea Reggie
Aligway, John Kevin
Sumpok, Saturnino
Cabugnason, Jecille
Coquilla, Leonar Mae
 What is a technical report?
Technical Report – is a document that describes
the process, progress, or results
of technical or scientific
research or the state of a
technical or scientific research
problem
- are often prepared for
sponsors of research projects

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 Types of Technical Report
A. Informal Report Layout
-Memorandum Report
-Letter Report
-Bulletins
-Abstract
B. Formal Report Layout
-Proposal
-Research Report
-Feasibility Report
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 Informal Report Layout
Informal Reports
- The term informal report denotes short reports.
- Typical informal report doesn’t have the following:
Cover page
Letter of transmittal
Title page
Table of contents
List of illustrations
- Common format:
The title
Author’s name
Abstract, if any
Text
- Informal reports: reports designed for circulation only
within an organization.
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 a. Memorandum Report
Features:
i. To, From, Subject, Dateline

ii. Sometimes letter head is

omitted
iii. sometimes indicate the
identification line/label of the
department responsible for the
report
iv. complimentary close or
signature, not required (but
memoranda are
signed/initialled either at the
end or beside the name on the
“From” line
v. headings are typed at the top of
the page.

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 b. Letter Report
- physical properties are the
same as typical business
letter
- formality can vary according
to: purpose, type of reader,
subject discussed
- written to convey information
between organizations
whose members know each
other well (opposite: formal
letter report)
- mostly, simple, dignified
business letters that convey
business/technical
information from one
company to another.

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 c. Bulletins
- used for both internal and
external communications
- present information of more
permanent value than
memoranda
- distributed to a significant
number of readers to
warrant their reproduction
in quantity; thus, they are
not addressed to any
particular form
- commonly used to inform
readers about personnel
changes and policies.

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 d. Abstract
- purpose: to give the reader
enough information for him
to decide whether or not to
read the whole report.

- includes: title, summary of

the report (statement of the
purpose of project, general
methods/procedures used,
principal findings and
conclusions)

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 Descriptive abstract – tells what things are taken
up in the report itself but not
mentioning what the reports
say about these things; contains
little information; short
Informal Abstract – gives the essence of the
report; more information than
the descriptive abstract, longer;
better type of abstract
In industrial reports, an abstract rarely exceeds
one page.
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 Formal Report Layout
A formal report is an official report that contains detailed
information, research, and data necessary to make
business decisions. This report is generally written for
the purpose of solving a problem.
Some examples of formal reports include:
Inspection Report
Safety Report
Compliance Report
Audit
Incident Report
Annual Report
Situational Report
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 Two categories of formal reports

Informational report - gathers data and facts

used to draw conclusions.
Analytical report - contains the same information as
the informational report, but it also
offers recommendations to solve a
problem.

Formal report are divided into three sections:

*front section
*main section
*back section.
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 Front Section of a Formal Report
The front section contains: The title page should contain:
-title page -Company name
-transmittal letter -Name and title of the party
for whom the report was
-table of contents prepared
-Name and title of the
preparer
-Date
Transmittal letter - is a letter informing the recipient that a report has been
included in the packet. It may also state the purpose of
the report. The letter also identifies any other
documents that may be included.
The last part of the front section is the table of contents so that the reader
can locate information by page number.

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 Main Section of a Formal Report
The main section contains
- executive summary
- introduction to the problem
- analysis of findings
- conclusions and/or recommendations
Executive summary - is a summary of the formal report. It should contain the basic
facts without being too wordy. Think of it as a condensed version
of the entire report.
Introduction statement - states the purpose of the report, identifies the problem, its
scope, and the method the writer plans to employ to solve
the problem.
Analysis of findings - is probably the longest section. This section will reveal what facts
you discovered and the details of the investigation
Conclusions - are findings based on your research data, such as emerging trends or
patterns.
Recommendations - are directives or advice based on the research and conclusions

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 Back Section of a Formal Report
We end the formal report with the back section. Here you will
place references and the appendixes.
References – are any document that you believe
strengthens the finding,
conclusions, or recommendation.

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 a. Proposal
- a written offer to solve a technical problem in a
particular way under a specified plan of
management for a certain sum of money.
- a report which aims to convince a “customer” that
the company or person presenting it is better
qualified to give the product or service needed than
all the other companies or persons submitting the
proposals
- defines problems and the means to solve it (the
solution of the problem is the “meat” of the
proposal)

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 Characteristics of a proposal
(a) It is a written offer to solve a technical problem. It describes in
minute detail the design or plan proposed together with some
alternative designs or plans. This is called the technical
proposal.
(b) It is a specified plan of management. It explains (to the
prospective client) how the entire project will be managed,
tells who will manage it, and suggests a time schedule for the
completion of the different phases of the project. This is called
the management proposal.
One important purpose: to assure the customer that his
problem will be worked on by competent personnel during
every stage from phototype design through manufacturing and
that the lines of responsibility for quality and reliability will be
firm and clear.
(c) It suggests a certain sum of money. This is the cost proposal. It
gives the cost of labor, materials, etc.

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 Types of Proposal
1. Solicited proposal
- Written in response to a direct invitation to bid
- Sometimes called a: “big request”; “purchase request”;
or a request for proposal.
- Published in business journals, official government
publications or in the newspaper classified ads.

2. Unsolicited proposal
- Sent to a prospective customer in the hope that the
excellence of the idea or plan proposed will result in a
contract.
- Sometimes made by a company in the hope that idea or
plan is excellent enough to attract a potential client to
buy the service or product being offered.
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 Guidelines in Preparing a Proposal
1. Making a preliminary study
2. The management proposal explains to the client
how crucial activities will be carried out, who will
manage the project and suggest a time-table for its
completion.
3. The cost proposal gives the detailed breakdown of
costs in terms of labor and materials
4. The proposal must contain the essential elements of
a good study although unlike the research proposal,
the sequences of the parts are not fixed.

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 b. Feasibility Report
- a technical proposal although much more detailed
than the ordinary proposal
- offers recommendations
- the present study may be compared with previous
studies, clearly defining the points of similarities as
well as differences. The reporter can stress that the
present project is much better than the previous ones.
- to be able to produce the target feasibility study, the
technical writer must possess not only the technical
expertise on the project involved but also the correct,
analytical, interpretative and writing skills. He must
also be familiar with the different rules and
regulations that govern the project he is to work on
such as banking rules and government regulations.

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 Parts of a Feasibility Report
• objectives of the project
• analysis of the progress
if similar studies
conducted elsewhere
• comparisons of the
project with previous
ones.
• plans – initial, actual,
future
• schedule of activities

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 Rules in preparing a good project
study:
a. Know the nature of the proposed project thoroughly.
Obtain technical assistance from qualified experts.
b. Research properly.
c. Be equipped with statistics, data, documents and all information
needed for the study. Exhaust all available sources.
c. Be analytical.
Know how to analyze, evaluate, interpret, use and discard
unnecessary data.
d. Be accurate.
Make estimates and projections as close to realities as possible.
Avoid statistical improbabilities.
e. Organize your study properly.
f. Write the report observing the principles of unity, coherence and
emphasis.
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 c. Research report
- Presents the findings of an investigation of a
problem which developed from an unresolved
conflict or situation.
- Makes use of one or two of the research
methods like the descriptive, historical,
experimental with observation and interview.
- The body of the report contains six main parts:
Introduction
Research Method and Procedures
Results and Findings
Summary
Conclusions and Recommendations.
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 Introduction
1. Background of the study
2. Statement of the problem
3. Significance of the study
4. Scope and delimitation of the
study
5. Hypothesis
Research Methodology
1. Research population
2. Instruments used
3. Data-gathering procedure
a. Survey
i. Questionnaire form
ii. Mail questionnaire
iii. Panel
4. Statistical treatment
Other statistical like the weighted mean and the chi-square may be used
for a more complicated study.

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 Findings of the Study
- Presents the summary of the collated data from the survey
conducted and the statistical treatment applied to them.
The data collected should be the answer to the questions
in the statement of the problem and should be the answer
to the questions in the statement of the problem and
should indicate whether the null hypothesis is accepted or
rejected. The analysis of data should be objective and logical.
- The discussion of the findings, should include the following:
 Statement of inferences drawn from the findings, in other words
implications of the result should be considered.
 Applications and meaning of the findings
 Suggestions for the improvement of research
 Reasons for the differences with other researches
- There should be a synthesis at the end of the findings.

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Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

- Gives the summary of the findings or results

of the survey or investigation and from the
findings, the conclusion can be drawn. The
recommendations may be expressed in the
form of suggestions for possible changes in
policy or existing conditions to strengthen the
solution of the problem under study.

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