A technical report arises after the evaluation of a certain issue or topic.
The first step to proceed with the analysis of the term that concerns us now, technical report , is to establish the etymological origin of the two words that make it up. In this way, we can establish that informe emanates from Latin and specifically from the verb informare which can be translated as “to provide form.”
While the second word of the aforementioned term, technical, has its origin in Greek. Specifically, we can see that this is found in the word tekhnicos , which is synonymous with “relative to the one who does it.”
A technical report is a written statement of the circumstances observed in the examination of the issue under consideration, with detailed explanations certifying what was said.
What does a technical report consist of?
It is a presentation of data or facts addressed to someone, regarding a question or matter, or what should be done about it. It is, in other words, a document that describes the state of a scientific problem . It is usually prepared at the request of a person, a company or an organization .
Sometimes the technical report tends to be confused with the project, but they are not synonymous at all. Thus, while the first document refers to a reality, which is a certain technical problem around a specific issue, the second work carried out is nothing more than a scheme or a set of ideas and plans about an action that is intended to be carried out. accomplished and, therefore, is not yet a reality.
The technical report must include sufficient information so that a qualified recipient can evaluate and propose modifications to its conclusions or recommendations.
Technical reports consist of several parts and may include graphs, tables, and other resources.
Its structure
The structure of the technical report is made up of the initial part , the bodies of the report , the annexes and the final part .
The initial part must include the cover (with the title of the report, its author and the date ), the title page , the summary , the index , the glossary (with the signs, symbols, abbreviations and technicalities used) and the preface (if applicable). as necessary).
The bodies of the report present the introduction (detailing the scope and objectives of the work), the core (with images and tables), the conclusions or recommendations , the acknowledgments and the reference lists .
The annexes are optional and allow complementary information to be added to the report. The data they present can generally be omitted by the ordinary reader, although they will be valuable to the specialist in the field.
As for the final part, it offers document data sheets , the distribution and availability list and the back cover .
Types of technical report
In addition to all of the above, we must make it clear that there are several types of technical reports. Thus, first of all, we would find the inspections, which are those documents prepared by the people who are in charge of analyzing and inspecting the object of recognition.
Secondly, there are arbitrations that are carried out by experts on a specific subject or matter on which there is no agreement and in which they show, through them, their professional vision.
These two types of reports should also include expert opinions, tests and files.