What is the importance of technical report writing in the field of mechanical engineering?
Importance of Technical Report Writing For Software EngineerIn Software Engineering, one of the major forms of communication is the Technical Report Writing. This is the conventional format for reporting the results of your research, investigations, and design projects. At university, reports are read by lecturers and tutors in order to assess your mastery of the subjects and your ability to apply your knowledge to a practical task. In the workplace, they will be read by managers, clients, and the software engineers responsible for software from your code designs. The ability to produce a clear, concise, and professionally presented report is therefore a skill you will need to develop in order to succeed both at university and in your future career.Engineers spend a great deal of time writing technical reports to explain project information to various audiences.While reports vary in the type of information they present (for example, original research, the results of an investigative study, or the solution to a design problem), all share similar features and are based on a similar structure or software.The Importance of WritingMany Engineers (software) spend between 1/3 and 1/2 of their work time engaged in Technical Writing. Examples include:ØProposalsØRegulationsØManualsØProceduresØTechnical ReportsØProgress reportsIn order to be successful, an Software Engineer must be able to write effectively.Poor writing makes the reader question the abilities and dedication of the writer, and can keep an engineer from advancing in his or her career.Technical writingis a type of expository writing this is used to convey information for technical or business purposes.Technical writingis NOT used to:ØEntertainØCreate suspenseØInvite differing interpretationsSome Things To Keep In Mind When Doing Technical WritingThere are some something that is important for technical writing .ØUnderstand the type of report/memo you are writing—find examples and notice the structure of Software.ØThink about your readers' knowledge and needs—this is crucial! Try to imagine what the reader knows and expects from such a texte.g when you buy software then always there some txt that for help for you to get useful information and use that software.ØKeep your list items or points short.ØOnce you have a draft, ask some readers for Feedback—at this point you're interested in what meaning they make, you're not interested in editing help, so be sure to let them know what information you're looking forØUse examples and illustrations; consider tables and visuals that might explain your argumentsBasic structure of a reportA report usually has these components:ØTitle pageØSummaryØTable of ContentsØIntroductionØMiddle sections with numbered headings(i.e., the body of the report)ØConclusionsØReferencesTitle pageThis page gives:Øthe title of the reportØthe authors' names and ID numbersØthe course name and number, the department, and universityØthe date of submission.The title of the report should indicate exactly what the report is about. The reader should know not only the general topic, but also the aspect of the topic contained in the report. Compare the following pairs of titles:Bridge Analysisvs.Analysis of a Prestressed Concrete BridgeInternet-based ATISvs.An Evaluation of Internet-based Automated Traveller Information SystemsSummaryThe summary provides a brief overview of the substance of the report; usually no more than half a page. It is not an introduction to the topic. The summary should outline all the key features of your report, including the topic, what you did and how you did it, and the main outcomes of your work. A busy ADMINISTRATOR who might not have time to read the full report should be able to get the gist of the whole report by reading the summary.The summary:Østates the topic of the reportØoutlines your approach to the task if applicableØgives the most important findings of your research or investigation, or the key aspects of your designØstates the main outcomes or conclusionsIntroductionThe introduction provides the background information needed for the rest of your report to be understood. It is usually half to three-quarters of a page in length. The purpose of the introduction is to set the context for your report, provide sufficient background information for the reader .Table of contentsThe contents page sets out the sections and subsections of the report and their corresponding page numbers. It should clearly show the structural relationship between the sections and subsections. A reader looking for specific information should be able to locate the appropriate section easily from the table of contents. The conventions for section and page numbering are as follows:Number the sections by the decimal point numbering system:1.0Title of first main section (usually Introduction)1.1First subheading1.2Second subheading2.0Title of second main section2.1First subheading2.2Second subheading2.2.1First division in the second subheading2.2.2Second division in the second subheadingConclusionsThe conclusions section provides an effective ending to your report. The content should relate directly to the aims of the project as stated in the introduction, and sum up the essential features of your work. This section:states whether you have achieved your aimsgives a brief summary of the key findings or information in your reporthighlights the major outcomes of your investigation and their significance.ReferencingThe two parts to referencing are:citationsin the text of the reporta list of referencesin the final sectionAcitationshows that information comes from another source. Thereference listgives the details of these sources. You need to use in-text citations and provide details in the references section
