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EENG 222: TECHNICAL WRITING AND PRESENTATION SKILLS
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EENG 222: TECHNICAL WRITING AND PRESENTATION SKILLS
Course purpose
This course is an attempt to provide university graduate with the skills needed to effectively
participate in the development of the modern society. Thus, learners would be able to write and
report effectively through their proposals, research reports, and dissemination of research
findings and use of the findings to solve individual and societal problems.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the course, the learner is expected to;
Prepare quality letters and memoranda.
Develop research proposal and reports.
Develop project proposals, progress report and project report.
Course content
The course covers; meaning of the terms of technical reporting; functions of reports; informal
and formal reports; principles of technical writing; sources of information; literature review;
documenting sources; illustrations; research proposals and research reports; project proposals,
progress reports and project reports; Gantt charts, critical path, PERT; periodic reports;
evaluation reports and manuals; techniques of technical writing; publication articles; oral reports;
phases in report writing; legal aspects in writing; editing technical reports and publications.
Teaching/learning methodology and materials
Discussions, Lecture. Assignments; Overhead projector, Power point, Flip charts, Hand-outs,
Charts and Felt Pens.
Course assessment
CATS will account for 30% of the course, Final Examination shall account for 70%, Total marks
100%
References
,April, R., Arviola, R., ( 2006). Technical Communication Today. New York: Pearson/Longman.
Gerson, Sharon, & Steve, G. (2007). Technical Writing: Process and Product. Columbus, OH:
Pearson.
Pfeiffer, William, S., & Jan, (2007). Technical Writing: A Practical Approach. 4th Canadian
Edition. Scarborough: Prentice Hall.
Scott, Blake, Longo, Bernadette, & Katherine, V. W. (2006). Critical Power Tools.
What is a Technical Report?
A technical report is a written document that consists of the three key features of a research i.e
process, progress, and result.
It conveys information in an objective, fact-based manner and thus entertains no space for the
personal opinion of the author.
Some common areas in which technical reports are used are agriculture, engineering, physical,
and biomedical science.
So, such complicated information must be conveyed by a report that is easily readable and
efficient.
Now, how do we decide on the readability level?
The answer is simple – by knowing our target audience.
A technical report is considered as a product that comes with your research, like a guide for it.
You study the target audience of a product before creating it, right?
,Similarly, before writing a technical report, you must keep in mind who your reader is going to
be.
Whether it is professors, industry professionals, or even customers looking to buy your project –
studying the target audience enables you to start structuring your report. It gives you an idea of
the existing knowledge level of the reader and how much information you need to put in the
report.
Importance of Writing a Technical Report
1. Efficient communication
Technical reports are used by industries to convey pertinent information to upper management.
This information is then used to make crucial decisions that would impact the company in the
future.
Examples of such technical reports include proposals, regulations, manuals, procedures, requests,
progress reports, emails, and memos.
2. Evidence for your work
If you’re a student, your technical report acts as the sole evidence of your work. It shows the
steps you took for the research and glorifies your efforts for a better evaluation.
3. Organizes the data
A technical report is a concise, factual piece of information that is aligned and designed in a
standard manner. It is the one place where all the data of a project is written in a compact manner
that is easily understandable by a reader.
4. Tool for evaluation of your work
Supervisors mainly evaluate your research project based on the technical write-up for it.
Best results occur when both of them work together.
So, how can you write a technical report that leaves the readers in a ‘wow’ mode? Let’s find out!
This means every report has a purpose beyond the simple presentation of information.
Some common purposes are:
To convince the reader of something. For example:
, o to convince a government agency of the effect of a particular course of action
o to convince a client that your solution will fulfill their needs
o to convince the public that a proposed project will bring benefits
To persuade the reader to do something. For example:
o to persuade a government or council to adopt a particular course of action
o to persuade a client to choose one design over another
o to persuade an organisation to partner with your company on a project
To inform the reader about something (usually for a further purpose). For example:
o to provide a government department with information they will base policy on
o to instruct other engineers who will work from your plans
How to Write a Technical Report?
Approach
When writing a technical report, there are two approaches you can follow, depending on what
suits you the best.
Top-down approach- In this, you structure the entire report from title to sub-sections
and conclusion and then start putting in the matter in the respective chapters. This allows
your thought process to have a defined flow and thus helps in time management as well.
Evolutionary delivery- This approach is suitable if you’re someone who believes in ‘go
with the flow’. Here the author writes and decides as and when the work progresses. This
gives you a broad thinking horizon. You can even add and edit certain parts when some
new idea or inspiration strikes.
Structure
A technical report must have a defined structure that is easy to navigate and clearly portrays the
objective of the report. Here is a list of pages, set in the order that you should include in your
technical report.
Cover page- It is the face of your project. So, it must contain details like title, name of the
author, name of the institution with its logo. It should be a simple yet eye-catching page.
Title page- In addition to all the information on the cover page, the title page also informs the
reader about the status of the project. For instance, technical report part 1, final report, etc. The
name of the mentor or supervisor is also mentioned on this page.
Abstract- Also referred to as the executive summary, this page gives a concise and clear
overview of the project. It is written in such a manner that a person only reading the abstract can
gain complete information on the project.
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