Technical Report Writing

Prof. Dr. Magdi El-Saadawi

www.saadawi1.netsaadawi1@gmail.com

2014-2015

For First Grade EE Students

Methodology

for Writing a Report

Chapter 4

4.1. Planning your report

4.2. Using illustrations in your report

4.3. Organizing and numbering your report

4.4. Reference lists and referencing in your report

4.5. Using appendices in your report

4.6. Editing your report

4.1. Planning your report pp. 45

Step 1: Define the problem and the purpose of the report

Step 2: Define the audience

Step 3: Determine the ideas to include

Step 4: Collect the information

Step 5: Sort and evaluate the information

Step 6: Organize the information

Step 7: Prepare the outline

4.2. Using figures in your report pp. 49

• Figures are a very useful way to show and

emphasize information in your report.

• Figures essential to the report should be smoothly

and correctly integrated and should be explained

and referred to in the main body of the report.

• Figures that are supportive rather than essential

can be placed in the appendix so that the

continuity of your writing is not broken up

Figure 7. Title of figure…………

Some formats allow you extra sentences to explain unusual details.

..., as shown in Figure 7.

For clarity, you should introduce and explain illustrations in the text

4.2. Using figures in your report pp. 49

• It is important that you do discuss the information

represented in the figures (text or appendix figs)

• If the text is clear without the insertion of a figure

there is no point including it, despite how good it

may look.

• The figure is not meant to make your point but to

illustrate, emphasize and supplement it.

4.2.1. Labeling توصيف figures in your report

• Each figure should have a title and a

number.

4.2.1. Labeling توصيف figures in your report

Notes:

• The number of the figure is also presented as a numeral

when the figure is referred to in the text of the report.

• The numbering of figures should proceed chronologically

(1, 2, 3, etc. ) or may relate to chapter or section

numbers (i.e. 1.1, 1.2, etc., 2.1, 2.2, etc., 3.1, 3.2, etc.).

• If your report includes a large number of figures and

tables it is advisable to create a new list/s after the table

of contents called the 'table of figures' or 'list of figures'

4.2.2. Using tables in your report pp. 53

• Use tables to show quantitative features of data

and close analysis more visually.

• Examples of tables page 54

• Page 55-56: A Comparison between :

»A poor example of a table in a report

»A better example of a table in a report

4.2.3. Using graphs in your report pp. 53

• Use graphs to show qualitative features and gross

differences in data.

• Graphs can show a change in one function in

relation to a change in another and are usually

simpler, quicker and easier to digest.

• Some Types of Graphs :

Bar graphs, line graphs, Pie graphs , ……..

Drawing a Graph in Microsoft office

Notes:

• The label of the graph is always under the graph

• The label of the table is always above the graph