The elements that make up the many kinds of technical documents are often similar in form and function. These elements, collectively called the format, include titles, abstracts, introductions and the like. Writers use formats to establish the order of content in the document's front matter, body, and end matter. The format is generally followed by a professional community because the standardization of the document form makes it easier for readers to establish the purpose of the document, to understand how the document is organized, and to compare the document's content with that of other documents.
The following list identifies some standard elements that may appear in technical documents. Most documents, whether memorandums, proposals, research articles, research reports, or design reports, are composed of a selection of these elements.
Body End matter
