How can you write specific objectives for a technical report?

1 What are specific objectives?

Specific objectives are the statements that describe what the technical report intends to achieve, answer, or demonstrate. They are derived from the general objective, which is the overall aim or goal of the report. Specific objectives should be aligned with the research question, problem statement, or project scope of the report. They should also be relevant, realistic, and measurable.

2 Why are specific objectives important?

Specific objectives are important because they help you to plan, organize, and structure your technical report. They also help you to focus on the main points, avoid irrelevant information, and evaluate your results. By writing specific objectives, you can communicate to your readers what your report is about, why it is important, and how it contributes to the existing knowledge or practice in your field.

3 How to use the SMART criteria?

Using the SMART criteria is a useful way to write specific objectives for a technical report. This acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These criteria help you to define your objectives in a precise and clear manner, and to avoid vagueness or ambiguity. Each criterion has its own meaning: the objective should be specific and concrete, with a quantifiable or observable outcome; it should be achievable within the resources, time, and scope of the report; it should be relevant to the purpose, scope, and audience of the report; and it should have a specific deadline or timeframe for completion.

4 How to use the ABCD format?

The ABCD format is an effective way to write specific objectives for a technical report. It stands for Audience, Behavior, Condition, and Degree and helps you structure your objective as a complete sentence that includes who, what, when, and how. Audience refers to the subject or group of your objective, such as the readers or customers of your report. Behavior is the action or outcome that you want your audience to perform or achieve as a result of your report. Condition is the situation or context in which your objective will be performed or achieved, such as any constraints or limitations that apply. Lastly, degree is the level of performance or achievement that you expect from your audience. You should quantify or qualify your objective with a measure, criterion, or indicator.

5 What are some examples and tips?

To illustrate how to write specific objectives for a technical report using the SMART criteria and the ABCD format, here are some examples and tips. For example, a technical report on the feasibility of a solar energy project for a rural community should have a general objective of assessing the feasibility in terms of technical, economic, social, and environmental aspects. Specific objectives would include estimating potential solar energy output and demand with data from meteorological stations and surveys, comparing costs and benefits of different solar energy systems and technologies with a cost-benefit analysis, and evaluating social and environmental impacts with a stakeholder analysis and life cycle assessment. Another example is a technical report on the design and testing of a mobile application for online shopping. The general objective is to create an application that is user-friendly, secure, and reliable. Specific objectives would include identifying needs and preferences of online shoppers with a user research method, creating a prototype with a wireframing tool, and testing usability, security, and reliability with a user testing method. When writing specific objectives for a technical report, it is important to start with a verb that indicates what you want to achieve, use one verb per objective, make sure the objective is clear, consistent with the general objective, and revise as you progress.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?