Technical Report Writing Guidelines

Author(s): Leah M. Akins, Ph.D.


Publication Date: July 18, 2023

Affiliation: Dutchess Community College

About the book

This document specifies the recommended format to be used when submitting a formal technical report in a variety of disciplines and purposes. Also, this manual can be used as a guide to compose less formal reports, such as lab reports, that may consist of a subset of the items presented here. It is a useful general guide from which faculty can specify the particular requirements for reports in their courses.

Now in its eleventh iteration, the text was updated in July 2023 to include guidance on the use of AI in technical writing.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• 1. The Formal Technical Report
• 2. How a Reader in Industry Peruses a Technical Report
• 3. Questions to Ask Yourself Prior to Submitting Any Report
• 4. Conclusion
• APPENDIX A: “How To” Guide on References and Citations
• APPENDIX B: Page Numbering and Table of Contents using MS Word
• APPENDIX C: Writing Tips for Discussing Results

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Available Now, English and Communication, General Studies, Technology | Subjects/Keywords: technical writing