<< Test project-level managers | Creating a technical report >>

Test raw data display

type targets a different audience, and the most effective methods of communicating data
differ dramatically.

Raw Data Display

While not explicitly a reporting scenario, the sharing of raw data for collaboration
purposes involves many of the same principles of data presentation that are applied to
reports in order to improve the effectiveness of the collaboration.

In general, most people would rather view data and statistics in graphical form instead of
in tables. In some cases, however, tables are the most efficient way to show calculated
results for all of the data. It is recommended that you use tables sparingly in reports,
while including the tabular form of the data used to create charts and graphs as an
appendix or attachment to a report, so that interested stakeholders can refer to it.

Results from the following types of tests can be well represented in a tabular format:
·

Baseline

Benchmark

Scalability

Any other user-experiencebased test

Tables are an excellent way to present volumes of data in a clean and orderly manner and
to support the findings they ultimately lead to. However, you should be careful not to
overuse tables in your reports. Many people quickly skip over tables and read only the
surrounding text or examine only the charts that go with them. Be certain that whether
you use the tables discussed below or other types, you present in your report only those
tables that clearly make an important point. Huge tables containing all of the supporting
data may be of interest to a few individuals, but not to most, and thus should be included
only in an appendix to a report. Raw data is most commonly shared in the following
formats:
·

Spreadsheets

Text files (and regular expression searches)

Data collection tools ("canned" reports)

Technical Reports

Technical reports are generally more formal than raw data display, but not excessively so.
Technical reports should stand on their own, but since they are intended for technical
members of the team who are currently working on the project, they do not need to
contain all of the supplemental detail that a stakeholder report normally does. In the
simplest sense, technical reports are made up of the following:
·

Description of the test, including workload model and test environment

Easily digestible data with minimal pre-processing

Access to the complete data set and test conditions

Short statements of observations, concerns, questions, and requests for collaboration

Technical reports most commonly include data in the following formats: