Natural Environment Programs
Standard Technical Report Format
It should be noted that technical report formats are quite varied depending on the
nature of the subject matter, the particular agency involved or the publisher of the
document. As such, the format being presented here is not necessarily definitive.
The purpose in providing this standardized format is to ensure that students will
experience consistent expectations regardless of instructor or course. This should allow
greater attention to the content of a report as students become more adapted to the
standard format.
A checklist has been provided to help students ensure that they include the necessary
information required for their technical reports. The information in this document
provides detailed instructions on each of the expected items and formatting
requirements on the checklist.
Title Page
The title page must include:
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An appropriate title (NOT “Lab# 2”) – the title should describe the project/lab
clearly
Example: Canada goose (Branta canadensis) population estimate at Elliott Field,
Sault Ste. Marie, On)
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The instructors name
The course name and course code
The Author(s) name(s)
Date submitted
Table of Contents
A table of contents should only be included when the report is more than 10 pages in
length and should be presented as follows.
Table of Contents
Page
List of Figures ……………………………………………………………………………....1
List of Tables ………………………………………………………………………………..1
Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………...2
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List of Figures and Tables
A list of Figures and Tables should be included in all reports and each figure and table
should be listed in the order of appearance in the report and with the exact title used in
the report. An example is presented as follows:
List of Figures
Page
Figure 1
Location of study site ……………………………………………………. 4
Figure 2
Number of trees per hectare for the upper and lower areas of the Sault
College woodlot, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario ………………………….… 7
List of Tables
Table 1
A list of species of trees found in the Sault College woodlot, Sault St
Marie, Ontario ……………………………………………………………. 7
Abstract
The purpose of an abstract is to allow a reader to quickly determine the contents of the
report, its applicability and general findings.
The abstract is a one or two paragraph condensation of the entire report; which
includes the objective(s) of the study, how the results were obtained, where the study
was conducted, general results and overall conclusions.
Example of an Abstract:
A laboratory study was conducted to determine the relationship between
temperature and the physical state of water. By exposing water to a range of
temperatures from –25o C to 200o C it was demonstrated that water changed
between the liquid, solid and gas states as a result of changes in temperature.
Introduction
The purpose of the introduction is to provide the reader with an overview of background
information that relates to the objective(s) of the study.
Depending on the nature of the study, the introduction could begin with a description of
the biology of a specific organism being studied, or the characteristics of a community
or habitat being studied, or the basis for some procedure being studied.
Standard Technical Report Format
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Much of this background information is obtained from journals, books and other
reputable sources that relate to your study and must be properly referenced.
The last paragraph of the introduction identifies the objective(s) of the study in
relation to the introductory information; which may be set out in numerical fashion when
there is more than one objective.
Note:
 A minimum of two peer-reviewed references (e.g. journal articles) must be cited
in the introduction.
 One credible internet source (e.g. websites with .edu, .gov, extensions) may also
be included in addition to the two required references listed above.
 A demonstration on how to access peer-reviewed journal articles through the
Sault College Library (e.g., Database: Environmental Science Collection Proquest) will be provided by your instructor.
 Additional references may be required by individual instructors depending on the
nature of the study or level of the course
 Do not summarize methods or results in the Introduction section
Example of an Introduction:
Shoestring root rot affects a wide variety of trees including both conifers and
deciduous trees (Singh, 1994). Boyce (1961) suggests that the presence of the
disease can be determined by examining the base of trees for decayed bark or
wood, white mycelial fans or black rhizomorphs.
Trees that are potentially infected with shoestring root rot often show signs of
decline in the upper branches of the tree (Boyce, 1961). Many of the trees in the
Sault College woodlot exhibit this type of decline and may be a result of
shoestring root rot.
The purpose of this study was to determine the number of dying trees in the
woodlot that are affected by shoestring root rot.
Study Site
A study site section is only required when the results of the study are related to a field
condition.
This section should first provide sufficient information to locate the study site. Maps and
UTM coordinates should be included. There are a number of web sites where maps
can be inserted into your document e.g. www.mapquest.com. Maps must have an
appropriate scale and a north designation.
Standard Technical Report Format
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Secondly, this section describes in detail the conditions of the site that have an effect
on the results. For example, forest composition, stand age and structure, lake or
stream characteristics, terrain, environmental conditions, etc.
Example:
The study was conducted in the Sault College of Applied Arts & Technology woodlot
(UTM coordinates: Zone 16T, 706240N, 515690E) in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (Figure
1). This site is on an east facing slope, dominated by mixed hardwood species.
Materials and Methods
This section must provide a detailed account of how the study was done. Anyone
reading the report should be able to repeat the procedure exactly.
The lab or field sampling procedures should be summarized in your own words. Each
item of equipment utilized should be mentioned as well as its purpose. Any
modifications to the procedures should also be identified. In addition, the lab manual
should be included as an appendix.
Example 1:
Water chemical parameters, specifically dissolved oxygen, pH, carbon dioxide
and alkalinity were determined using a HACH kit. The parameter turbidity was
determined as a demonstration using a field turbidimeter. A total suspended
solids measurement was calculated based on a specific conductance reading
using a water conductivity meter (See Appendix A: Lab Manual).
Example 2:
The height of each tree in the plot was measured to the nearest tenth of a meter
using a Suunto Clinometer.
Example 3:
Zooplankton was obtained by pulling a 003-mesh zooplankton sieve through the
photic zone.
NOTE:
 Do not copy the procedures from the lab handout
 Do not reference the lab handout (e.g., DO NOT include: Procedures followed
are outlined in Lab #3 handout).
 Items used in the study are NOT listed. However, the equipment used should be
included in your description of the activity.
 Methods are not to be written as recipes or in a point form format. It is an
account of what was done, not how to do it.
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Results
This section will include all of the tables and graphs that summarize your data.
 Do not include a table or graph unless it is going to be discussed.
 Some simple results may be best stated in a single sentence, not in a table
or figure.
 Do not duplicate data. It is inappropriate to have a graph and table that shows
the same information. It is inappropriate to have more than one style of graph
that shows the same data.
 Where there is a desire or need to include the data on which a figure is based, it
should be presented as an Appendix.
 Graphs are figures.
 All tables and figures must be numbered and have a title.
 The caption of a table must be placed above the table.
 The caption of a figure must be placed below the figure.
 Captions should communicate as much information as possible about the Table
or Figure.
 Present Tables and Figures chronologically as they appear in the document i.e.
Figure 1 is presented before Figure 2 and Table 1 is presented before Table 2.
 Units go in the column or row headings, not in the body of the table.
Only information is presented in this section. In other words, do not discuss the
significance of the results. Prior to or following each table or figure be sure to include
one or more sentences describing what you deem to be the most important results and
be sure to make reference to the table or figure. In addition, any important information
that is not already included in the tables and figures may be stated.
Example 1: A table and text that can be included in the results section:
Lake Superior has the largest surface area but Lake Huron has the largest drainage
basin (Table 1).
Table 1. Physical characteristics of the Great Lakes.
Lake
Area
Area of
Average
(km2)
Drainage
Depth
Basin
(m)
(km2)
Superior
82,100
127,700
147
Volume
(ckm)
Retention
Time
(Yr)
12,100
191
Michigan
57,800
118,000
85
4,920
99
Huron
59,600
134,000
59
3,540
22
Erie
25,700
78,000
19
484
2.6
Ontario
18,960
64,030
86
1,640
6
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Example 2: A figure in the form of a graph and text that can be included in the results
section:
All
-Fe
-K
-Ca
-Mg
-S
-P
H2O
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
-N
Total Dry Weight (mg)
Plants treated with water deficient in nitrogen had a lower total dry weight (mg) than
those treated with water containing all nutrients (Figure 1).
Treatment
Figure 1. Total dry weight (mg) of plant matter produced for each of
the ten radish plants grown in the nine nutrient treatments.
Discussion
It is in this section that the meaning or significance of your data is discussed. Each
topic of discussion should refer directly to the data (Figures and Tables) that was
presented in the results section. You should also research similar studies in publicized
journals so that you have something to compare your data to.
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Carefully observe the data to determine trends and relationships among all
parameters measured
Be sure to refer to your data by table and figure numbers. For example,
A direct linear relationship between white sucker weight and fork length is
apparent in Figure 2.
Make an evaluation as to whether or not your results are consistent with
established relationships. This type of information needs to be supported with
references (e.g. peer-reviewed journal articles) obtained from a literature search
to compare your findings with that of established authors
If your findings are not consistent with other studies or theories provide some
explanation for the deviation such as sources of error in your procedures
When comparing your results to other studies you must properly cite these
sources within the text.
NOTE: Footnotes and quotes are not acceptable.
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Conclusions
This section should begin with a re-statement of the objective(s) of your study followed
by an overview of the degree to which the objective(s) was achieved.

Specific recommendations and/or conclusions can be listed in numerical format
Example:
Based on the results of this study it can be concluded that:
1. The mass of different materials can be used to identify the material.
2. Temperature has a direct effect on density.
References Cited
References are presented on a separate page after the conclusions.
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Only those references that were incorporated in the text of your report are listed.
References are listed in alphabetical order
Any reference listed here must be cited in the text of your report
References must be presented in acceptable standard formats (e.g. APA). Choose one
format and be consistent, refer to a journal that is applicable to the material you are
studying, and lastly, DO NOT use the MSWord cites and sources tool. The following
are some examples for some different sources:
1.
For a paper presented in a journal:
Garner, P. 1997. Sample sizes for length and density estimation of 0+ fish when
using point sampling by electrofishing. J. of Fish Biol. 59: 95-106.
2.
For book references:
Borror, D.J., D.M.DeLong, and C.A. Trilehorn.1981. An introduction to the study
of insects. 5th ed. Saunders College Publishing, Dryden Press, Philadelphia.
827PP.
Zolman, J.F. 1993. Biostatistics. Oxford University Press. New York. 226 pp
3.
For a paper/chapter presented in a publication or book:
Chapman, D.W. 1978. Production Fish Populations. In Ecology of Freshwater
Fish Production (S.D. Gerking, ed.). Blackwell. Oxford. 335 pp
Standard Technical Report Format
4.
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For entire web sites:
Project Feeder Watch. Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
(http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/)
5.
For government reports, accessed online:
Ministry of Environment. (1998). Guidelines for Interpreting Water Quality Data.
Retrieved from http://ilmbwww.gov.bc.ca/risc/pubs/aquatic/interp/index.htm
Appendices
An appendix is used only for items that are too cumbersome in the text, but useful for
understanding the project or study.
Each appendix will have its own title page; which includes the appendix number and
title.
Example:
Appendix 1
Field forms and Raw Data
NOTE: Normally, raw data is not included in a report, however, for
all of these reports you are to include all your field and lab data
sheets so that your skills in data entry and note taking can be
evaluated.
Appendix 2
Calculations
NOTE: Include general formulae and an example of each different
calculation used to generate data in the “Results” section.
Standard Technical Report Format
Other Report Format Standards
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Page layout will be with 1” borders all around
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Paragraphs to be identified by spacing and not indented
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Line spacing to be 1.5.
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Font style of the text to be 12 point
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Font style for section titles to be 14 point and bolded
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The first time any species is presented in a report it must be followed by its
scientific name
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Scientific names to be italicized
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Common names to be in lower case unless made up of a proper name
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The body of the report will have a header that contains the page number at the
right
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Report to be written in 3rd person
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