Introduction
- The Goals
- Types of report (Formal Report, Technical Memo, Technical Proposals,
- Equipment or Maintenance Manuals, Journal Articles)
- Category of a reader (skilled, decision-maker, technical, operator, general non-specialists)
Compiling the report
- Establishing a framework
- Terms of reference (subject matter, purpose, reader identification)
Report structure
- Findings
- Observations
- Discussions
- Conclusion
- Recommendations
- Executive summary
- Other sections (title page, table of contents, lists, appendices, references)
Elements of Technical Writing
- Factual versus opinion
- Logical flow of writing
- Results of research
- Case Study: Developing awareness of fact and opinion and substantiating opinions with facts
- Practical Session: Determining terms of reference and writing an introduction
Development process
- Research (interviewing, listening, note-taking, reading)
- Organizing the report
- Development methods (general to specific, specific to general,
chronological, sequential, cause and effect, comparison, spatial)
- Overview of conclusion/ recommendations section
- Practical Session: Applying the four-stage reading process, group discussion on conclusion and recommendations
Report outline
- Mind mapping
- Outline formats (academic and engineering outline styles)
- Rough draft
- Activate the writing (correct grammar, language, expressions, and units of measure)
- Simplify the writing (word/sentence/paragraph lengths, fog index)
Report appearance
- White space
- Headings/sub-headings
- Colour
- Illustrations
- Practical Session: Interpreting graphic material, graphic presentation
Checking the specification
- Functional language correctness
- Prototypes
- Realistic specifications
- Compliance test and evaluation criteria
- Practical Session: Editing the specification
Types of specifications
- Government specifications and standards
- Industry standards
- Specifications for complex goods and services
- Performance specifications
- Design specifications
- Practical Session: Creating a specification template
Writing the specification
- Time and cost framework
- Collaboration with other purchasers
- Using consultants and specialists
- Liaison with industry
- Specific and non-specific requirements
- Tiering of specifications
- Reviewing specifications
- Constructive changes
- Errors in specifications
- Conflicting requirements
- Practical Session: Writing the specification
Oral presentation
- Preparation
- Using the report as a guideline
- Formulating the central message
- Arranging the ideas, facts, and supportive arguments
- Making a positive impact (appearance, gestures, eye contact, body language, style of speaking)
- Effective use of visual aids (types of visual aid equipment, using the equipment correctly)
- Maximizing delivery (fielding questions, managing answers, handling difficult situations, short talk guidelines, impromptu sessions)
- Practical Session: Delivery of a two minutes presentation (each delegate delivers a presentation on a particular aspect of the technical report)
