Writing Technical Reports
About this course
In-person (2 day)
Virtual (modular, 9 hours)
As technology becomes increasingly complex and all-consuming, the need for technical writing skills is more important than ever. Every business, large or small, must clearly and concisely convey technical information, issues, instructions, findings and solutions.
This course builds the skills necessary to turn technical facts into useful information that helps move projects forward. Participants learn how to write useful technical specifications for their colleagues, and recommendations to management. They learn how to write reports that both technical and non-technical readers can understand.
Download course outline (in-person) Download course outline (virtual)Who should attend
This course is for anyone who needs to communicate technical information. It is especially useful for people who make recommendations to non-technical readers.
We suggest a course size of 12 to 15 participants to allow for individual coaching.
You learn to
- Assess your existing technical writing skills and pinpoint areas for improvement
- Use a helpful framework to quickly organize your reports
- Decide on the right amount of information and how much detail to include
- Decide what to include as appendices
- Write information-rich headings so readers can quickly scan your document
- Incorporate graphs, statistics and visuals into the text
- Write in a clear, concise style
- Use plain language to explain technical information for non-technical readers
- Write clear executive summaries
What to expect
We know that people learn best by doing, so this technical writing course gives you many opportunities to practice as you learn. You participate in both group and individual learning projects and receive coaching from your facilitator. You use your own documents to assess your writing and set goals for improvement. As well, you have an opportunity to write a report on a topic of your choice so you can immediately apply your new skills.
You receive a tip sheet and a comprehensive manual containing checklists and other job aids to help transfer what you have learned to your back-at-work writing.
Want to build on your report writing skills?
Consider these additional courses:
Procedure Writing
Technical Presentations
Not sure which course is right for you? Check our Course Matrix to find the solution that fits your needs.