A technical report describes the structure and functions of a design. If the report’s purpose is to investigate the failure of a design, tool, or machine, then it is a forensic report. The audience for a technical or design report is usually other engineers or a similar audience of experts; it can also be decision makers, regulators, and the courts.
A technical report usually has the following structure:
executive summary, a one-page concise statement of the most important points in the report
introduction
purpose and goals
methods
data and findings
recommendations and action items
conclusion
appendices, if necessary
Use tables, charts, spreadsheets, maps, figures, and illustrations in the body of your report to present your data and findings or in appendices to support your conclusions. Your recommendations and conclusions should interpret your data, discuss any limitations or boundaries of your work, and suggest action items for this project or other, related projects. Document your work by citing your references in the style recommended by your instructor or the organization for which you are writing.
Related topics:
Project notebooks
Laboratory reports
Proposals
Progress reports
Chicago (CMS), IEEE, or USGS system for writing in engineering