What Makes a Report Technical

A technical report is a document that presents technical work — a test, an inspection, a calculation, a study or an investigation — so that other people can understand it, check it and act on it. It is written by engineers, technicians, inspectors, scientists and technical specialists, and it is read by managers, clients, colleagues and sometimes regulators.

A technical report is different from a general business document in three ways. First, it rests on evidence: measurements, observations, data and calculations. Second, it must be traceable: a reader must be able to see where every number came from. Third, it often has a long life. An inspection report written today may be opened again in ten years, when the equipment fails or is modified, by a person who never met the author.

Qualities of a good technical report

• Accurate. Every figure, unit and reference is correct, and it has been checked.
• Complete for its purpose. It answers the question it was asked, and says clearly what it did not cover.
• Clear. A reader can find the answer quickly and follow the reasoning without guessing.
• Objective. It separates what was measured from what the author thinks, and it reports results that are inconvenient as honestly as results that are welcome.
• Traceable. Methods, standards, instruments, data sources and calculations are identified, so another competent person could check or repeat the work.

Example: two reports on the same test

A maintenance technician tests a standby generator. Report A says: “Generator tested, worked fine, no problems.” Report B says: “Generator tested on load bank at 75% of rated load for 60 minutes on 12 March. Voltage and frequency stayed within the limits in the site test procedure. Exhaust temperature readings are in Table 2. One coolant hose showed surface cracking; replacement is recommended before the next test.”

Report A may be true, but nobody can check it, and the hose problem is lost. Report B can be checked, compared with the next test, and acted on. The extra effort was a few minutes. (The figures in this example are invented for teaching.)