Technical report writing training course

Who should attend?

All those aiming to improve their technical writing skills, especially engineers and technical editors.

Topics covered

Introduction and defining your purpose

• The basics of communication
• Understanding what your starting point is
• Identifying the key challenges, you face and the things you find difficult
• The importance of knowing what you hope to achieve by your report

Gathering information for your audience

• Understanding who your audience is and what they need to learn
• Identifying the key elements that are relevant
• Making the correct choice of material
• Removing distracting information from your message

Deciding on your format

• Designing your report
• Sections and sub-sections
• Appendices
• References and bibliographies

Writing your report

• Writing your report into a story
• The use of paragraphs
• Clearer, shorter sentences
• Grammar

The visualisation of data

• The importance of your visualising data
• Which type of graphic suits your purpose
• Where to position graphics
• How to reference graphs and tables

Finishing the report

• Summaries and abstracts
• Table of contents
• Title page
• Appearance
• Proof-reading

Course objectives

• Write clearly and effectively
• Engage with readers and their needs, while also meeting the report’s objectives
• Structure a report for maximum impact
• Use drafting time more efficiently
• Edit with an eye for errors and improvements that can be made
• Present a report that appears attractive and professional.