The technical background report is hard to define—it’s not a lot of things, but it’s hard to say what it is. It doesn’t provide step-by-step directions on how to do something in the way that instructions do. It does not formally provide recommendations in the way that feasibility reports do. It does not report data from original research and draw conclusions in the way that primary research reports do.

So what does the technical background report do? It provides information on a technical topic but in a way that is adapted for a particular audience that has specific needs for that information. Imagine a topic like this: renal disease and therapy. A technical background report on this topic would not consist of a large textbook containing everything you could possibly say about the topic. It would select information about the topic suited to a specific group of readers who had specific needs and uses for the information. Imagine the audience was a group of engineers bidding on a contract to do part of the work for a dialysis clinic. They need to know about renal disease and its therapy, but only to the extent that it has to do with their areas of expertise. In this case, a technical background report might include some basic discussion of renal disease and its treatment, but no more than what the engineers need to do their work and to interact with representatives of the clinic.

Unlike most other technical reports, the technical background report does not have a common set of contents. Because it focuses on a specific technical topic for specific audiences who have specific needs or uses for the information, it includes whatever type of content the situation requires. You need to rely on a careful audience analysis when doing a technical background report, in order to offer useful information for your purpose, audience, and situation. For example, with the report on renal disease and treatment for engineers, you’d probably want to discuss what renal disease is, what causes it, how it is treated, and what kinds of technologies are involved in the treatment.

The following are types of content that may be included in technical background reports:

• Definitions – Define the potentially unfamiliar terms associated with the topic. Write extended definitions if there are key terms or if they are particularly difficult to explain.
• Causes – Explain what causes are related to the topic. For example, with the renal disease topic, what causes the disease?
• Effects – Explain the consequences, results, or effects associated with the topic. With the renal disease topic, what happens to people with the disease, and what effects do the various treatments have?
• Types – Discuss the different types or categories associated with the topic. For example, are there different types of renal disease, and are there different categories of treatment?
• Historical background – Discuss relevant history related to the topic. Discuss people, events, and past theories related to the topic.
• Processes – Discuss mechanical, natural, and/or human-controlled processes related to the topic. Explain step by step how the process occurs. For example, what are the phases of the renal disease cycle; what typically happens to a person with a specific form of the disease?
• Descriptions – Provide information on the physical details of things related to the topic. Provide information about size, shape, color, weight, and so on. For the engineering-oriented background report on renal disease and therapy, this might mean size, power requirements, and other such details about the treatment technologies.
• Comparisons – Compare the topic, or some aspect of it, to something similar or something familiar. With the renal disease example, you could compare renal disease to some other disease, the treatment to some other treatment, the functions of the kidney to something familiar, or even the treatment to something familiar, for example, the filter system for a swimming pool.
• Applications – Explore how some aspect of your topic can be used or applied. If it’s some new technology, what are its applications?
• Advantages and disadvantages – Discuss the advantages or disadvantages of one or more aspects of your topic. In the renal disease topic, for example, what are the advantages of one treatment over another?
• Economic considerations – Discuss the cost of one or more aspect associated with your topic. How much does treatment for renal disease cost? How much does the equipment and personnel cost?
• Social, political, legal, ethical implications – Explore the implications or impact of your topic or some aspect of it in relation to social, political, legal, or ethical concerns. The renal disease example may be discussed in terms of cost-effective treatment for social groups traditionally underrepresented in health care systems.
• Problems, questions – What problems or questions are associated with your topic or some aspect of it?
• Solutions, answers – What solutions or answers can you offer to those problems or questions raised by your topic?

There are other types of information that could be included in a technical background report, based on the purpose, audience, and situation for the report. Different types of information may be offered in a paragraph or even a full section of the report, depending on your context.

Just as with content, you need to determine the organization of a technical background report, so that information is ordered logically, in a way that makes sense for your readers.

And just as with any other type of report, formatting conventions—headings, subheadings, list, visuals—apply.