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What is an Essay? What is the difference between an essay and report? |
Overall Quality of the Answer
* Does the essay, in general, display a sound understanding of the relevant subject matter and course material?
* Are the examples used to support the central idea of the essay appropriate and effective? * Are the explanations of these examples clear and do they actually explain how the examples support the central idea? * Do those explanations display a sound understanding of course material?
* Does the language of the essay reflect proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation? * Is the vocabulary (both general and subject-specific) used correctly in the essay? What is the difference between an essay and report? Here are guidelines for better writing. Do not write fiction. Always ask relevant questions. What is the purpose of your writing? Who is/are your audience? Why do you need to write an essay? What is the topic? How will writing an essay on this topic be useful to people? Where is an essay useful? How do you get an essay topic? The topic can be of your choice, or it can be assigned to you. Do you need to write an essay for admission to various courses? No, you do not. Why isn’t there a need for an essay for specific courses? There are various questions for specific courses. There are initial general questions. There are course-specific questions. Your answers to these questions clarify what skills you have and what skills you need. Previously, admission to various courses required an essay. Nowadays, various schools, colleges, and universities ask questions as displayed here: http://www.qureshiuniversity.com/form_to_email_submit.html Essays are brief, non-fiction compositions that describe, clarify, argue, or analyze a topic or a subject. An essay is usually three to five paragraphs. A news report is an essay. News reports are taught in journalism courses. As founder of Qureshi University, I do not encourage essays. You should focus on English language for everyday use. What English language skills do you need for everyday? English language letters that can be transmitted via e-mail, fax, postal mail, or by hand. Telephone conversations. Situation-specific English language. Work-specific English language. Types of assignments:
Reports Annotated bibliography Literature reviews Reflective Thesis proposals Thesis writing |
Essay Topics |
| Academic Essays |
| Admission Essay |
| Law School Essay |
| Medical School Essay |
| Journalism Essay |
| Politics Essay |
| Psychology Essay |
| Economics Essay |
| High School Essay |
| (the list goes on) |
|
Article: A piece of writing included in a newspaper or magazine. A separate clause or paragraph of a legal document.
Types of Essays Persuasive/argumentative essay. Comparison essay. Descriptive essay. Narrative essay. (the list goes on) Writing ReportsTypes of Reports1. Business2. Research 3. Scientific 4. Police 5. Intelligence 6. Personal 7. (the list goes on) Writing Reports: The Process 1. Collect information, screen bias, disinformation, screen malicous engineering. Survey Experiment Research Investigation 2. Organize A. Statement of purpose B. Give background information C. Tell how the report was conducted D. Present your findings/results E. Give your conclusions/recommendations 3. Write the Report 4. Revise/Edit In report writing, you must be as objective as possible. Do not approach the task with any bias. Testing Writing What to test Accuracy Content/Substance Vocabulary/word choice Organization Fulfillment of purpose How to test Essay Paragraph/Article Reports Letter Other formats Scoring Weighted Factors (Example) Content Grammar Organization Vocabulary Fulfillment of Task Report writing is an essential skill for professionals. A report aims to inform, as clearly and succinctly as possible. Below we give some general guidelines, but you should check with your lecturer/professor for more detail on what is expected. A report is similar to an essay in that both need: formal style introduction, body and conclusion analytical thinking careful proof-reading and neat presentation A report should generally include the following sections. Letter of transmittal Title page Table of contents List of abbreviations and/or glossary Executive summary/abstract Introduction Body Conclusion Recommendations References/Bibliography Appendices Presentation and style are important. First impressions count, so consider these simple tips: ensure the separate parts of your report stand out clearly use subheadings allow generous spacing between the elements of your report use dot points/ numbers/ letters to articulate these elements use tables and figures (graphs, illustrations, maps etc) for clarification. number each page use consistent and appropriate formatting use formal language Avoid these: the inclusion of careless, inaccurate, or conflicting data the inclusion of outdated or irrelevant data facts and opinions that are not separated unsupported conclusions and recommendations careless presentation and proof-reading too much emphasis on appearance and not enough on content. Report writing is an essential skill for professionals in almost every field: Teachers, Media, Foreign Ministers, Law Enforcement, Ambassadors, Physicians, Doctors, Nurses, Engineers, Financial Analyst, Accountants, Architects, Food Workers, Check in Agents, Global Directors, Intelligence, Priests/Counsellors, Pilots, Hotel Staff, HR Professionals, IT Professionals, Lawyers, Legal Assistants, Marketting Professionals, Nurses, Management Consultants, PR Specialists, Politicians, Secretaries, Singers, Special Agents, Tax Advisers, Travel Agents, Scientists (the list goes on). That�s one of the reasons why your lecturers, Professors will almost certainly require you to write reports during your period of study at the University. A report aims to inform, as clearly and succinctly as possible. It should be easy to read, and professional in its presentation. Exactly what you include in your report and how you present it will vary according to your discipline and the specific purpose of the report. Here we give some general guidelines, but you should check with your lecturer for more detail on what is expected. Ask Yourself Does the report answer the question/satisfy the brief? Is the content relevant, well sequenced (logically arranged) and to the point? Are all the main aspects covered in sufficient depth? Is each main point well supported with explanation and evaluation, examples and argument? Is there a clear distinction between your ideas and other people's ideas? Are all sources acknowledged (references?) Is the length what was required? If it is too long can over-elaborate sections be made more concise. Can some sections be omitted for reason that they add little to your main argument? Is the report clearly written and well laid out? Is the report legible and are the grammar, punctuation and spelling correct? Are the sentences and is the sense clear? The Terms of Reference Before writing a report, establish its terms of reference i.e. why it is needed and by whom. The Terms of Reference will define the scope of the report, the ground it seeks to cover and why, its length and the date required. Is it merely to convey information or is it hoping to bring about change? In report writing, you must be as objective as possible. Do not approach the task with any bias. Collect information, screen bias, disinformation, screen malicous engineering. Reports and essays�what�s the difference? A common problem is that students transfer what they have learned about essay writing to report writing. Both essays and reports need: formal style careful proof-reading and neat presentation introduction, body and conclusion analytical thinking But there are some essential differences between the two. |
| A Report | An Essay |
| Usually needs references and bibliography/reference list | May not need references and bibliography/reference list |
| Uses numbered headings and sub-headings | Uses minimal sub-headings, if any. |
| Uses short, concise paragraphs and dot-points where applicable | Links ideas into cohesive paragraphs, rather than breaking them down into a list of dot-points |
| Uses graphics wherever possible (tables, graphs, illustrations) | Rarely uses graphics |
| May need an abstract | Will only need an abstract if it is very long, or if your lecturer asks for one specifically |
| Usually followed by recommendations and/or appendices | Seldom has recommendations or appendices |
| (the list goes on) | (the list goes on) |
|
Report structure What follows is a generic structure for reports. Using this structure will help to give your report the correct level of formality; it will also help to ensure that you do not leave out anything important. However, the actual structure required by your discipline may not be exactly what is represented here - you should check with your lecturer/Professor. A report should generally include the following sections. Letter of transmittal Title page Table of contents List of abbreviations and/or glossary Executive summary/abstract Introduction Body Conclusion Recommendations References/Bibliography Appendices Letter of transmittal specified by your lecturer/Instructor/Supervisor/professor This is a letter to the person who commissioned the report, in which you effectively hand over your work to that person. Include: a salutation (eg. Dear _______) the purpose of the letter (eg. Here is the final version of the report on �Underwater Welding� which was commissioned by your organisation.) the main finding of the report any important considerations an acknowledgement of any significant help an expression of pleasure or gratitude (eg. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to work on this report.) Title page This must contain: the report title which clearly states the purpose of the report full details of the person(s) for whom the report was prepared full details of the person(s) who prepared the report the date of the presentation of the report Table of Contents (usually only if the report is longer than, say, ten pages) This is a list of the headings and appendices of the report. Depending on the complexity and length of the report, you could list tables, figures and appendices separately. Make sure the correct page numbers are shown opposite the contents. Up-to-date word processing packages can generate a table of contents for you. Abbreviations and/or glossary If necessary, you should provide an alphabetical list of the abbreviations you have used in the report, especially if they may not be familiar to all readers of the report. If you have used a lot of technical terms, you should also provide a glossary (an alphabetical list of the terms, with brief explanations of their meanings). Acknowledgements (if appropriate) This is a short paragraph thanking any person or organisation which gave you help in collecting data or preparing the report. Abstract (Summary or Executive Summary) An abstract is quite different from an introduction. It is a summary of the report, in which you include one sentence (or so) for every main section of your report. For example, you can include: the context of the research the purpose of the report the major findings (you may need several sentences here) the conclusions the main recommendations Write the abstract after you have written the report. Introduction Give enough background information to provide a context for the report. State the purpose of the report. Clarify key terms and indicate the scope of the report (ie what the report will cover). Body The content of the body depends on the purpose of the report, and whether it is a report of primary or secondary research. A report of primary research (based on your own observations and experiments) would include: Literature review (what other people have written about this topic. See guide on writing a literature review). The literature review should lead towards your research question. Method (summarises what you did and why). Use the past tense. Findings or results (describes what you discovered, observed, etc, in your observations and experiements). Use the past tense. Discussion (discusses and explains your findings and relates them to previous research). Use the present tense to make generalisations. A report of secondary research would include: Information organised under appropriate topics with sub-headings. It is unlikely that your report will discuss each source separately. You need to synthesise material from different sources under topic headings. Analysis/discussion of the sources you are reporting. Conclusion Sum up the main points of the report. The conclusion should clearly relate to the objectives of your report. No surprises please! (that is, don�t include new information here.) Recommendations (if appropriate) These are suggestions for future action. They must be logically derived from the body of your report. Bibliography (See References for more information). Appendices An appendix contains material which is too detailed, technical, or complex to include in the body of the report (for example, specifications, a questionnaire, or a long complex table of figures), but which is referred to in the report. Appendices are put at the very end of the report, after everything else. Each appendix should contain different material. Number each appendix clearly. Presentation of the report The content and structure of your report is important; so is the presentation and style. First impressions count, so consider these simple tips to ensure your report is reader-friendly: ensure the separate parts of your report stand out clearly use subheadings allow generous spacing between the elements of your report use dot points/ numbers/ letters to articulate these elements use tables and figures (graphs, illustrations, maps etc) for clarification. Label them clearly and cite the source. These graphics should relate to the text of your report; for example, Figure 1 shows that the _____ of Atlanta has increased dramatically since 1990, or The _______ of Atlanta has increased dramatically since 1990 (see Figure 1). number each page (a neat header and/or footer makes your work look more professional) use consistent and appropriate formatting (you may like to follow the report format supplied with your word processing package) use formal language. It would be worth having a look at the language which is used in other, similar reports to check out useful expressions and terms. Common problems Some common problems with research report writing that you should take care to avoid are: the inclusion of careless, inaccurate, or conflicting the inclusion of outdated or irrelevant data facts and opinions that are not separated unsupported conclusions and recommendations too much emphasis on appearance and not enough attention to solid content. Do you have any question? admin@qureshiuniversity.com “How do you write a persuasive essay?” |
| Why you don't need an essay writing sample as much as an essay writing process |
| Why each student's/teacher's unique style is important in effective essay writing |
| How to write an argumentive essay |
| "What is an essay?" |
| Reports and essays—what’s the difference? |
Types of assignments:
Reports Annotated bibliography Literature reviews Reflective Thesis proposals Thesis writing |
Essay Topics |
| Academic Essays |
| Admission Essay |
| Law School Essay |
| Medical School Essay |
| Journalism Essay |
| Politics Essay |
| Psychology Essay |
| Economics Essay |
| High School Essay |
| (the list goes on) |
|
Article: A piece of writing included in a newspaper or magazine. A separate clause or paragraph of a legal document.
Types of Essays Persuasive/argumentative essay. Comparison essay. Descriptive essay. Narrative essay. (the list goes on) Writing ReportsTypes of Reports1. Business2. Research 3. Scientific 4. Police 5. Intelligence 6. Personal 7. (the list goes on) Writing Reports: The Process 1. Collect information, screen bias, disinformation, screen malicous engineering. Survey Experiment Research Investigation 2. Organize A. Statement of purpose B. Give background information C. Tell how the report was conducted D. Present your findings/results E. Give your conclusions/recommendations 3. Write the Report 4. Revise/Edit In report writing, you must be as objective as possible. Do not approach the task with any bias. Testing Writing What to test Accuracy Content/Substance Vocabulary/word choice Organization Fulfillment of purpose How to test Essay Paragraph/Article Reports Letter Other formats Scoring Weighted Factors (Example) Content Grammar Organization Vocabulary Fulfillment of Task Report writing is an essential skill for professionals. A report aims to inform, as clearly and succinctly as possible. Below we give some general guidelines, but you should check with your lecturer/professor for more detail on what is expected. A report is similar to an essay in that both need: formal style introduction, body and conclusion analytical thinking careful proof-reading and neat presentation A report should generally include the following sections. Letter of transmittal Title page Table of contents List of abbreviations and/or glossary Executive summary/abstract Introduction Body Conclusion Recommendations References/Bibliography Appendices Presentation and style are important. First impressions count, so consider these simple tips: ensure the separate parts of your report stand out clearly use subheadings allow generous spacing between the elements of your report use dot points/ numbers/ letters to articulate these elements use tables and figures (graphs, illustrations, maps etc) for clarification. number each page use consistent and appropriate formatting use formal language Avoid these: the inclusion of careless, inaccurate, or conflicting data the inclusion of outdated or irrelevant data facts and opinions that are not separated unsupported conclusions and recommendations careless presentation and proof-reading too much emphasis on appearance and not enough on content. Report writing is an essential skill for professionals in almost every field: Teachers, Media, Foreign Ministers, Law Enforcement, Ambassadors, Physicians, Doctors, Nurses, Engineers, Financial Analyst, Accountants, Architects, Food Workers, Check in Agents, Global Directors, Intelligence, Priests/Counsellors, Pilots, Hotel Staff, HR Professionals, IT Professionals, Lawyers, Legal Assistants, Marketting Professionals, Nurses, Management Consultants, PR Specialists, Politicians, Secretaries, Singers, Special Agents, Tax Advisers, Travel Agents, Scientists (the list goes on). That�s one of the reasons why your lecturers, Professors will almost certainly require you to write reports during your period of study at the University. A report aims to inform, as clearly and succinctly as possible. It should be easy to read, and professional in its presentation. Exactly what you include in your report and how you present it will vary according to your discipline and the specific purpose of the report. Here we give some general guidelines, but you should check with your lecturer for more detail on what is expected. Ask Yourself Does the report answer the question/satisfy the brief? Is the content relevant, well sequenced (logically arranged) and to the point? Are all the main aspects covered in sufficient depth? Is each main point well supported with explanation and evaluation, examples and argument? Is there a clear distinction between your ideas and other people's ideas? Are all sources acknowledged (references?) Is the length what was required? If it is too long can over-elaborate sections be made more concise. Can some sections be omitted for reason that they add little to your main argument? Is the report clearly written and well laid out? Is the report legible and are the grammar, punctuation and spelling correct? Are the sentences and is the sense clear? The Terms of Reference Before writing a report, establish its terms of reference i.e. why it is needed and by whom. The Terms of Reference will define the scope of the report, the ground it seeks to cover and why, its length and the date required. Is it merely to convey information or is it hoping to bring about change? In report writing, you must be as objective as possible. Do not approach the task with any bias. Collect information, screen bias, disinformation, screen malicous engineering. Reports and essays�what�s the difference? A common problem is that students transfer what they have learned about essay writing to report writing. Both essays and reports need: formal style careful proof-reading and neat presentation introduction, body and conclusion analytical thinking But there are some essential differences between the two. |
| A Report | An Essay |
| Usually needs references and bibliography/reference list | May not need references and bibliography/reference list |
| Uses numbered headings and sub-headings | Uses minimal sub-headings, if any. |
| Uses short, concise paragraphs and dot-points where applicable | Links ideas into cohesive paragraphs, rather than breaking them down into a list of dot-points |
| Uses graphics wherever possible (tables, graphs, illustrations) | Rarely uses graphics |
| May need an abstract | Will only need an abstract if it is very long, or if your lecturer asks for one specifically |
| Usually followed by recommendations and/or appendices | Seldom has recommendations or appendices |
| (the list goes on) | (the list goes on) |
|
Report structure What follows is a generic structure for reports. Using this structure will help to give your report the correct level of formality; it will also help to ensure that you do not leave out anything important. However, the actual structure required by your discipline may not be exactly what is represented here - you should check with your lecturer/Professor. A report should generally include the following sections. Letter of transmittal Title page Table of contents List of abbreviations and/or glossary Executive summary/abstract Introduction Body Conclusion Recommendations References/Bibliography Appendices Letter of transmittal specified by your lecturer/Instructor/Supervisor/professor This is a letter to the person who commissioned the report, in which you effectively hand over your work to that person. Include: a salutation (eg. Dear _______) the purpose of the letter (eg. Here is the final version of the report on �Underwater Welding� which was commissioned by your organisation.) the main finding of the report any important considerations an acknowledgement of any significant help an expression of pleasure or gratitude (eg. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to work on this report.) Title page This must contain: the report title which clearly states the purpose of the report full details of the person(s) for whom the report was prepared full details of the person(s) who prepared the report the date of the presentation of the report Table of Contents (usually only if the report is longer than, say, ten pages) This is a list of the headings and appendices of the report. Depending on the complexity and length of the report, you could list tables, figures and appendices separately. Make sure the correct page numbers are shown opposite the contents. Up-to-date word processing packages can generate a table of contents for you. Abbreviations and/or glossary If necessary, you should provide an alphabetical list of the abbreviations you have used in the report, especially if they may not be familiar to all readers of the report. If you have used a lot of technical terms, you should also provide a glossary (an alphabetical list of the terms, with brief explanations of their meanings). Acknowledgements (if appropriate) This is a short paragraph thanking any person or organisation which gave you help in collecting data or preparing the report. Abstract (Summary or Executive Summary) An abstract is quite different from an introduction. It is a summary of the report, in which you include one sentence (or so) for every main section of your report. For example, you can include: the context of the research the purpose of the report the major findings (you may need several sentences here) the conclusions the main recommendations Write the abstract after you have written the report. Introduction Give enough background information to provide a context for the report. State the purpose of the report. Clarify key terms and indicate the scope of the report (ie what the report will cover). Body The content of the body depends on the purpose of the report, and whether it is a report of primary or secondary research. A report of primary research (based on your own observations and experiments) would include: Literature review (what other people have written about this topic. See guide on writing a literature review). The literature review should lead towards your research question. Method (summarises what you did and why). Use the past tense. Findings or results (describes what you discovered, observed, etc, in your observations and experiements). Use the past tense. Discussion (discusses and explains your findings and relates them to previous research). Use the present tense to make generalisations. A report of secondary research would include: Information organised under appropriate topics with sub-headings. It is unlikely that your report will discuss each source separately. You need to synthesise material from different sources under topic headings. Analysis/discussion of the sources you are reporting. Conclusion Sum up the main points of the report. The conclusion should clearly relate to the objectives of your report. No surprises please! (that is, don�t include new information here.) Recommendations (if appropriate) These are suggestions for future action. They must be logically derived from the body of your report. Bibliography (See References for more information). Appendices An appendix contains material which is too detailed, technical, or complex to include in the body of the report (for example, specifications, a questionnaire, or a long complex table of figures), but which is referred to in the report. Appendices are put at the very end of the report, after everything else. Each appendix should contain different material. Number each appendix clearly. Presentation of the report The content and structure of your report is important; so is the presentation and style. First impressions count, so consider these simple tips to ensure your report is reader-friendly: ensure the separate parts of your report stand out clearly use subheadings allow generous spacing between the elements of your report use dot points/ numbers/ letters to articulate these elements use tables and figures (graphs, illustrations, maps etc) for clarification. Label them clearly and cite the source. These graphics should relate to the text of your report; for example, Figure 1 shows that the _____ of Atlanta has increased dramatically since 1990, or The _______ of Atlanta has increased dramatically since 1990 (see Figure 1). number each page (a neat header and/or footer makes your work look more professional) use consistent and appropriate formatting (you may like to follow the report format supplied with your word processing package) use formal language. It would be worth having a look at the language which is used in other, similar reports to check out useful expressions and terms. Common problems Some common problems with research report writing that you should take care to avoid are: the inclusion of careless, inaccurate, or conflicting the inclusion of outdated or irrelevant data facts and opinions that are not separated unsupported conclusions and recommendations too much emphasis on appearance and not enough attention to solid content. Do you have any question? admin@qureshiuniversity.com What is an Essay? What is the difference between an essay and report? Words are collections of sounds; sentences are collections of words; paragraphs are collections of sentences; and essays are collections of paragraphs. But so are many other forms of writing such as that found in novels, magazines, and newspapers. So what are the essential differences between the essay and other types of writing? The essay is, first and foremost, essentially true, a piece of non-fiction. As soon as authors begin making up characters, adding details that really didn't occur, or fabricating a plot structure in order to make what they are writing larger than real life, they are writing in a fictional mode. In other words, essays may be descriptive, use narration, propose solutions to problems, elucidate the inner workings of complicated creations of nature and/or humanity, but one thing they aren't is fake or false or made up or fabricated. Essays may be creative in the sense that the authors have creatively explained their points of view, but essays aren't creative. Secondly, all essays have definable beginnings, middles, and endings, unlike some forms of writing such as newspaper stories. In addition, essays are built around central ideas, normally referred to as theses. Elsewhere in this Online Writing Lab, the thesis statement is discussed, so there will be no great elaboration of that essential ingredient here. Basically, the thesis is the glue which binds the essay together. It is the point of the essay. It's what the essay is about, what it intends to show, prove, or do: the controlling purpose. Finally, essays consist of one, three, or more paragraphs. While a two paragraph essay may be possible to write, the requirement that essays have introductions, bodies, and conclusions makes the use of a two-paragraph format rather awkward. And the one paragraph essay, consisting of a topic sentence, supporting details, and a closing sentence, is too brief to be considered a serious effort in terms of narrating, describing, explaining, or arguing a point of view. Realistically, that leaves us with three paragraphs or more. But length should never be a primary consideration when creating an essay. More germane is the idea that the essay should be long enough to completely discuss, argue, prove, or relate the main idea of the essay, the thesis. The well-written essay has a completeness, a wholeness about it that announces, "There's nothing more to be said." The primary job of the essay, then, is to thoroughly discuss its main idea(s). In addition, three or more paragraphs are normally required to adequately perform this important function, even though under certain circumstances the one-paragraph essay is acceptable. In other areas of this OWL, typical one-paragraph, three-paragraph, five-paragraph, and longer essays will be displayed. What is the difference between an essay and report? Refer to QuickRef 6, Essay or Report? in Language and Learning Online for an introduction to this issue. At the basic level, an essay is characterised by being one piece of prose (or text) whilst a report is broken up into 'chunks' or sections of writing with specific functions or purposes. An essay can include headings but a report always does. Reports Reports have a formalised structure (i.e. executive summary, scope, discussion, recommendations) and are written with a specific purpose in mind, or with a particular focus. That given structure supports that purpose. See an example that illustrates the elements of a report under When should I use headings? This structure is often dictated by the discipline you will be writing in. For example, Psychology uses a specific laboratory report structure (see recommended resources for Psychology, including an extract from O'Shea (2002) 'Quick start for reports') that differs from one in Science (see recommended resources for Science; for example, an extract from Drury (1997) 'Results'). BusEco's report preferences are different again and that faculty's Q Manual outlines the requirements. Just how your lecturer would prefer your report to be structured will be given in your subject's Unit Guide. Essays Essays are structured around an introduction, body and conclusion, and the text itself is separated into paragraphs. See examples of the more formalised components of the essay, the introduction and the conclusion, in What does a good introduction look like? and What does a good conclusion look like?. The structure of an essay is not as formalised as that of a report. In some ways, you have more discretion about how you put your essay together, although you need to adhere to disciplinary expectations. Like reports, however, you must still provide an argument or position that is clearly sustained; that is, your reader must be able to follow what you have written. Refer to 'The reader – the writer' in How can I improve my argument? for more on this. Using headings One of the more obvious differences between reports and essays is that reports always use sections with headings, and each of these sections has a particular purpose. As you will do in an essay, however, you are also required to analyse, evaluate and produce a line of argument to support your report outcomes. Whether you use headings or not in your essay will depend on your discipline. For example, it is often acceptable in BusEco subjects to use headings. It is generally not the case in Sociology. For further discussion and examples on this refer to When should I use headings? Improve your awareness Spend some time with writing in subject areas available in Language and Learning Online to get a feel for what is accepted practice in your discipline, including how to write essays and reports. Discuss with others how they approach or have approached particular tasks on your subject MUSO site. Refer to your Unit Guide, and if you are unsure whether to use a report or essay format, check with your lecturer. What is the difference between an essay and a technical report? Some essays can have lots of technical information in them, but they are still an essay. Why? The difference between an essay and a technical report is actually rather difficult to define: as with most things, there is not a definitive line we can draw between the two. Here are some basic ideas about the differences: 1. Author’s stance. In an essay, the author takes an argumentative stance often stated as a thesis (a specific opinion). In essays, authors use arguments to make their point. In a technical report, the author has a main point, but it is not stated directly as an argument. Rather it is stated as a hypothesis, to be proved or disproved, or a main point. So, the author takes a non-argumentative stance. In technical reports, authors use definition to make their point. 2. Data: In an essay, authors may use information from all kinds of sources, including personal experience, to support the main point/argument. The author supports his/her argument with evidence that may vary from personal experience to researched information (usually secondary--library--sources). In technical writing, the hypothesis or main point is supported with quantitative or qualitative data gathered through either primary research (field work, lab work, interviews with recognized experts, and the like) or secondary research from professional, refereed journals. In technical writing, personal experience is omitted or if the author uses it, he/she substantiates the information with primary or secondary research. 3. Audience: The audience for an essay is usually not specialized; usually it is any group of readers with an interest (often general interest) in the topic. The audience for a technical report is a specialized group of people with a specialized interest, purpose, and expertise. 4. Purpose: When writing an essay, the author’s purpose is to persuade. When writing a technical report, the author’s purpose is to help readers solve a specific problem with specific data. So technical writing is oriented to solving a problem for specialized readers and informing. The problem may be that readers lack specialized information. 5. Voice. In an essay, authors tend to use a personal voice. In a technical report, authors tend to take an authoritative voice: the data becomes the focus rather than the author’s persona. 6. Subject matter: There can be quite a bit of overlap here. Essays tend to deal with general issues (e.g. the role of corporations in a society, the viability of organic farming, the use of punishment in education, the use of genetically modified food). Technical reports deal with specific, problem oriented topics. So, the topics can work as technical reports if the authors: a) take an unbiased stance, b) provide specific, specialized data from professional sources c) write for a specialized audience with technical expertise in the area, d) solve a specific problem for the audience (that problem could be lack of information), e) write as an expert (rather than as someone with an opinion), and f) focus the main point in a very specific way. |