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unless these are vital to your conclusions. Instead, take a fresh look at the results and organize the flow of your
document to present the work in an effective way. In most technical documents, figures and tables provide the
substance for the purpose, results, and conclusion of the study and so these should comprise a good bit of your
discussion. The following guidelines for preparing each section of a technical document provide some basics
necessary for sound reporting procedures. Just a note: these sections are not absolutes, just a guide. The
important thing is to communicate effectively.
The Abstract—A Summary of the Entire Report
An Abstract is a complete, concise distillation of the full report. It provides a brief (one sentence) introduction to the
subject, a statement of the problem and question studied, highlights of the results (quantitative, if possible), and the
conclusion. It must stand alone without citing figures, tables, or references. A concise, clear approach is essential. It is
usually written after the main body of the report is complete. Most abstracts are rarely exceed 150 words.
Similar in organization but using more like 500 words as a common length, an Executive Summary does
not need an abstract. It may include a critical figure, table, or chart, and references.
The Introduction—Why Did You Do What You Did?
An Introduction provides the necessary background information, including appropriate literature review,
develops for the reader a clear rationale for the work, and clearly states the objective of the report. This is where
you develop and then state the hypothesis or question tested. The Introduction does not contain results, and
generally would not contain equations. It could contain a figure or table as needed to develop the rationale.
Approach – What was done and how?
The Approach section contains the methodology used in the study. This might include separate sections
describing descriptive analytical, experimental and/or numerical models, as appropriate.
Analysis—Is There A Model? An Analysis section develops a descriptive model used in the study.
Sufficient detail (mathematical or otherwise) should be provided for the reader to clearly understand the
physical assumptions associated with a theory or model. This will help explain what information was needed
from any supporting experimental or numerical tests.
Experimental Program—What Did You Measure and How? The Experimental Program section is
intended to describe how the experimental model was developed to support the analysis and so test the
hypothesis, and to detail how the results were obtained. Provide an overview of the approach, test facilities,
verification studies, and range of measurements in just sufficient detail that the reader understands what was
done and how. Do not give instructions, this is not a recipe. If a list of equipment is included in the report, it
should be a table in the body of the report, or cited and placed in an appendix. In cases where both an analysis
and experiment are described, these two sections of the report should complement and support each other. The
relationship of the analysis to the experiment should be clearly stated. Often, the experiment provides the values
used to complete the analysis.
Numerical Model—What Did You Simulate and How? If a numerical simulation was performed, it should
be described under a separate heading using the same guidelines as presented for the Experimental Program.
Results and Discussion—So What Did You Find?
Here you present and discuss your test results and tie them back to your original hypothesis. For technical or
laboratory reports, this section will usually be the longest section of the document. Describe the operation
conditions and range of tests done and then present your findings. When presenting your results remember that
even though you are usually writing to an experienced technical audience, what may be clear to you may not be
obvious to the reader. Guide the reader towards your interpretation. Tell the story.
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unless these are vital to your conclusions. Instead, take a fresh look at the results and organize the flow of your
document to present the work in an effective way. In most technical documents, figures and tables provide the
substance for the purpose, results, and conclusion of the study and so these should comprise a good bit of your
discussion. The following guidelines for preparing each section of a technical document provide some basics
necessary for sound reporting procedures. Just a note: these sections are not absolutes, just a guide. The
important thing is to communicate effectively.
The Abstract—A Summary of the Entire Report
An Abstract is a complete, concise distillation of the full report. It provides a brief (one sentence) introduction to the
subject, a statement of the problem and question studied, highlights of the results (quantitative, if possible), and the
conclusion. It must stand alone without citing figures, tables, or references. A concise, clear approach is essential. It is
usually written after the main body of the report is complete. Most abstracts are rarely exceed 150 words.
Similar in organization but using more like 500 words as a common length, an Executive Summary does
not need an abstract. It may include a critical figure, table, or chart, and references.
The Introduction—Why Did You Do What You Did?
An Introduction provides the necessary background information, including appropriate literature review,
develops for the reader a clear rationale for the work, and clearly states the objective of the report. This is where
you develop and then state the hypothesis or question tested. The Introduction does not contain results, and
generally would not contain equations. It could contain a figure or table as needed to develop the rationale.
Approach – What was done and how?
The Approach section contains the methodology used in the study. This might include separate sections
describing descriptive analytical, experimental and/or numerical models, as appropriate.
Analysis—Is There A Model? An Analysis section develops a descriptive model used in the study.
Sufficient detail (mathematical or otherwise) should be provided for the reader to clearly understand the
physical assumptions associated with a theory or model. This will help explain what information was needed
from any supporting experimental or numerical tests.
Experimental Program—What Did You Measure and How? The Experimental Program section is
intended to describe how the experimental model was developed to support the analysis and so test the
hypothesis, and to detail how the results were obtained. Provide an overview of the approach, test facilities,
verification studies, and range of measurements in just sufficient detail that the reader understands what was
done and how. Do not give instructions, this is not a recipe. If a list of equipment is included in the report, it
should be a table in the body of the report, or cited and placed in an appendix. In cases where both an analysis
and experiment are described, these two sections of the report should complement and support each other. The
relationship of the analysis to the experiment should be clearly stated. Often, the experiment provides the values
used to complete the analysis.
Numerical Model—What Did You Simulate and How? If a numerical simulation was performed, it should
be described under a separate heading using the same guidelines as presented for the Experimental Program.
Results and Discussion—So What Did You Find?
Here you present and discuss your test results and tie them back to your original hypothesis. For technical or
laboratory reports, this section will usually be the longest section of the document. Describe the operation
conditions and range of tests done and then present your findings. When presenting your results remember that
even though you are usually writing to an experienced technical audience, what may be clear to you may not be
obvious to the reader. Guide the reader towards your interpretation. Tell the story.
A.1 A Guide for Technical Writing 565