What is a technical report? Technical reports are a type of grey literature written by researchers that usually describe the process or results of scientific research. They often include more in-depth information about the experimental details, the data, and the results than some other types of publications. Sometimes, they will also include recommendations or conclusions from the research conducted. The goal of technical reports is to let readers know about the research you’ve conducted. Technical reports are produced by corporations, academic institutions, and government agencies. They are often sent to funding agencies a report of accountability — as proof that the researchers are using the funding appropriately. Because of their nature, technical reports are not peer-reviewed. Technical reports are published in a variety of disciplines, but you will often encounter them in engineering and physical sciences.
But why are these technical reports important? For one, they can contain technical and scientific information that is not published anywhere else, leaving them to be the only source of that information. They are also able to be produced rapidly and shared within their field quickly, sharing new scientific findings promptly. Technical reports are also important in the race for patents because they can put a time-stamp on the intellectual property of an innovation or development. This time-stamp allows the patent offices to know who was the first to invent something when there are multiple applications for the same or similar innovations.