For this week’s Weekly Writing Assignment, we are going to do some work to prime our thinking for the next major project in the class–the Technical Report–which we will discuss in depth next week. To prepare, I would like you to read the introduction and first section (“Technical Background Reports”) on this page and skim this page on Report Design of David McMurrey’s Online Technical Writing Textbook. Then, write a memo (remember to add a memo header with a subject of “Technical Background Report Info”) of at least 250-words in your own words discussing what a technical background report is, what kinds of information goes into it, what sections/layout should it have, and how technical reports relate to other things that you’ve read or seen before (e.g., other technical reports, examples in films or video games, other types of documents, etc.). Write your memo in your word processor of choice, save it someplace safe, and copy-and-paste it into a comment made to this post.
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Josef Rodriguez
Professor Ellis
ENG 1133 OL96
10 October 2021
Technical Background Report Info
TO: Prof. Ellis
FROM: Josef Rodriguez
DATED: 10/13/2021
SUBJECT: Technical Background Reports
We are going to be defining what a technical background report is, it’s functions and capabilities, what goes into a technical report, etc.
The first aspect about technical background reports is that it focuses on a technical topic, along with providing a background on that topic that’s tailored toward a specific set of readers who have specific needs for it. The report in and of itself does not supply instructions, nor recommendations in a systematic way. The second aspect of technical background reports is that many of them can have a checklist. One of the first things you can look for is definitions. Definitions can help you define unfamiliar terms that are associated with the topic in question. The second part of the checklist would be causes. You can give an explanation in regards as to what causes are related to the topic at hand. The third part of the checklist is effects. Effects can help you explain as to what are the consequences, results, or effects associated with the topic at hand. The big takeaway here is that there’s many portions of a checklist that can help aid in your writing for the technical background report.
The first section that a technical background report should have is the first paragraph. The first paragraph is used as a base to cite the names of the report and mentions the date of the agreement to write the report. The second paragraph zeroes in on what the main purpose of the report is while at the same time, providing a brief overview of the overall content that it contains. The final paragraph is written to encourage the reader to contact the writer if there are any concerns, questions and or comments that need to be stated. It also closes off with gesture of benevolence, with the continuing expression of hope that the reader finds the report on a satisfying note.
The third aspect of a technical background report is labels. The information you put on a label is your report tile, your name, organization’s name, a report tracking number and a date. One thing to keep in mind is that there are no general standard “one size fits all” requirements for a label, although many companies should have their own guidelines as to what should be included in it.
The technical report that best relates to the ones in David McMurrey’s examples is a technical report that was written by the APA (American Psychological Association). The title of the report is called “Technical Report on the Review of the Violent Video Game Literature”. One of the main similarities between this report and the reports that are contained within David McMurrey’s site is the table of contents. The table of contents in both of these reports gives you sections and page numbers on where to find said sections.
Josef Rodriguez
Professor Ellis
ENG 1133 OL96
10 October 2021
Technical Background Report Info
TO: Prof. Ellis
FROM: Josef Rodriguez
DATED: 10/13/2021
SUBJECT: Technical Background Reports
We are going to be defining what a technical background report is, it’s functions and capabilities, what goes into a technical report, etc.
The first aspect about technical background reports is that it focuses on a technical topic, along with providing a background on that topic that’s tailored toward a specific set of readers who have specific needs for it. The report in and of itself does not supply instructions, nor recommendations in a systematic way. The second aspect of technical background reports is that many of them can have a checklist. One of the first things you can look for is definitions. Definitions can help you define unfamiliar terms that are associated with the topic in question. The second part of the checklist would be causes. You can give an explanation in regards as to what causes are related to the topic at hand. The third part of the checklist is effects. Effects can help you explain as to what are the consequences, results, or effects associated with the topic at hand. The big takeaway here is that there’s many portions of a checklist that can help aid in your writing for the technical background report.
The first section that a technical background report should have is the first paragraph. The first paragraph is used as a base to cite the names of the report and mentions the date of the agreement to write the report. The second paragraph zeroes in on what the main purpose of the report is while at the same time, providing a brief overview of the overall content that it contains. The final paragraph is written to encourage the reader to contact the writer if there are any concerns, questions and or comments that need to be stated. It also closes off with gesture of benevolence, with the continuing expression of hope that the reader finds the report on a satisfying note.
The third aspect of a technical background report is labels. The information you put on a label is your report tile, your name, organization’s name, a report tracking number and a date. One thing to keep in mind is that there are no general standard “one size fits all” requirements for a label, although many companies should have their own guidelines as to what should be included in it.
The technical report that best relates to the ones in David McMurrey’s examples is a technical report that was written by the APA (American Psychological Association). The title of the report is called “Technical Report on the Review of the Violent Video Game Literature”. One of the main similarities between this report and the reports that are contained within David McMurrey’s site is the table of contents. The table of contents in both of these reports gives you sections and page numbers on where to find said sections.
Technical Background Report Info
TO: Prof. Ellis
FROM: Anahi Cortes
DATED: 10/13/2021
SUBJECT: Technical Background Reports
This memo is to discuss the fundamentals of technical background reports and how these types of reports relate to other things that one has read or seen.
Technical background reports are tricky to explain or define in one sentence. But the gist of it is basically a report about a specific topic catered to specific readers who have a specific need for it. For example, medical doctors will be the specific reader, and a specific topic they would be looking for would be a certain disease, such as Alzheimer’s. If let’s say the topic is Alzheimer’s disease, then in the report it’ll define the disease (definition), state its cause and effects. Then it gets into detail about what happens to the people that have it and the effects of those who seek treatment (processes). Then in the report it’ll discuss the historical background of the disease, or certain theories/people/events related to the topic. It’ll discuss its process, how it looks (description), comparing it with other diseases (comparison), and how much treatment would cost (economic consideration). It will follow up on problems/questions associated with the topic then will follow with solutions/answers. This is just an example of what a technical background report on Alzheimer disease would look like.
The only time I have seen or read a technical background report is through medical reports and climate change reports. I would say scientific reports are a good example of a technical background report. They’re very informative and straightforward.