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D. Topics in Computer Science · Topics in Computer Science: Sustainability, Ethics, Emerging Technologies and Careers

Investigating an Emerging Technology: Technical Reports and Evidence

D3.2About 75 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can turn an emerging technology into a focused, researchable question.
  • I can structure a technical report and adapt it to a website, presentation or video.
  • I can check claims by reading laterally and separate facts, estimates and opinions.
  • I can cite sources in IEEE style, including with a small Python formatter.

Words to know

technical report
A structured document that explains a technical subject, presents evidence and makes recommendations.
abstract
A short summary of a whole report, including its question, method, findings and conclusion.
lateral reading
Checking a source by leaving it to see what other sources say about it and its claims.
hype
Exaggerated excitement or claims, often from people who benefit from them.
IEEE citation style
A referencing style using numbered citations in square brackets and a numbered reference list.
interested source
A source that benefits from a particular conclusion, such as a company describing its own product.

Your turn to be the expert

Expectation D3.2 asks you to investigate an emerging technology and produce a report in an appropriate format: a technical report, a website, a presentation or a video. In Grade 11 (ICS3U, Researching and Reporting on a Computer Science Topic) you learned to narrow a topic, evaluate sources with the CRAAP test and cite them. This lesson adds what a Grade 12 and first-year university report needs: the structure of a technical report, a professional citation style, lateral reading to check claims, and writing about uncertain predictions honestly.

Choosing and focusing your topic

A good investigation has a question, not just a topic.

  • Topic: "quantum computing" (too broad).
  • Focus: "post-quantum cryptography" (better).
  • Question: "How ready are Canadian banks and governments to switch to post-quantum encryption, and what will it cost them?" (researchable).

Choose a technology that is genuinely emerging (still developing, with effects still unfolding), that you can explain technically, and that has impacts you can analyse with the framework from Emerging Technologies and Society.

Structure of a technical reportTitle page and abstractthe whole report in about 150 words1. Introductionthe technology, why it matters, your question2. How it worksthe technical explanation, with a diagram3. Current applications and state of the artwhat exists now, with dated evidence4. Impactson groups of people, cultures, the economy, environment5. Limitations, risks and outlookwhat's unsolved; realistic predictions6. Conclusions and recommendationsanswer your question; suggest actionsReferencesnumbered, in a consistent style (e.g. IEEE)
A technical report follows a predictable structure, so busy readers can find what they need. The abstract is written last, but read first.

Writing for a technical reader

  • Write in clear, precise sentences. Define terms the first time you use them.
  • Separate facts (with sources and dates), estimates (with their source and method) and your opinions (clearly labelled as conclusions or recommendations).
  • Use numbered headings, figures with captions, and tables.
  • Be careful with predictions about the future: say who predicts it, when, and how confident they are. Avoid words like "revolutionary" unless you can back them up.
  • Cite every fact in the text with a number in square brackets, like [3], matching a numbered reference list. This is the IEEE style, common in computer science and engineering.

Checking claims: lateral reading

New technologies attract hype: companies, investors and enthusiasts have reasons to exaggerate. Researchers who studied professional fact-checkers found that they read laterally: they leave a page quickly and search what other sources say about the claim and the source, instead of judging a page by its appearance. Look for independent tests, peer-reviewed papers, government or standards bodies, and reputable journalism, and always check the date: a 2022 article about AI is already out of date.

Checking a claim by reading laterally1. The claim"Battery X chargesin 5 minutes"2. Who says it?a company pressrelease (interested)3. Leave the pagesearch what otherssay about it4. Find evidenceindependent tests,papers, dates5. Decidereport it withthe right cautionProfessional fact-checkers open new tabs to check the source before reading deeply,instead of judging a page only by how it looks.
Lateral reading: before trusting a claim, find out who is making it and what independent sources say.
Worked example

Example 1: Turning hype into an evidence-based sentence

A start-up's press release says: "Our revolutionary AI will eliminate traffic congestion in every Canadian city by 2030." Rewrite this as a sentence fit for a technical report, and list what you would check.

  1. Who is speaking? The company that sells the product: an interested source.
  2. What is the actual claim? A prediction (2030), with an absolute word ("eliminate") and a sweeping scope ("every city").
  3. Check laterally: search for independent pilots or studies of the system; check whether any city has published results; look for traffic-engineering research on similar systems.
  4. Suppose you find one city pilot report (made-up for this example) showing average delays fell 12% on 20 intersections over 6 months.
  5. Rewrite: "The company claims its system will eliminate congestion in Canadian cities by 2030 [1]. The only independent evaluation found, a six-month municipal pilot on 20 intersections, reported a 12% reduction in average delay [2]; no evidence yet supports city-wide elimination."

Attribute the claim to its source, report the independent evidence with its scope, and state clearly what is not yet supported.

refs = [
{"author": "International Energy Agency", "title": "Energy and AI",
"publisher": "IEA", "year": 2025, "url": "https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai"},
{"author": "A. Student", "title": "Notes on post-quantum cryptography",
"publisher": "School research blog", "year": 2026, "url": "https://example.org/pqc"},
]
def ieee(n, r, accessed="Oct. 17, 2026"):
return (f'[{n}] {r["author"]}, "{r["title"]}," {r["publisher"]}, {r["year"]}. '
f'Accessed: {accessed}. [Online]. Available: {r["url"]}')
for i, r in enumerate(refs, start=1):
print(ieee(i, r))

A simplified IEEE-style formatter for web sources. enumerate(refs, start=1) numbers the references from 1. (example.org is a reserved example address.)

[1] International Energy Agency, "Energy and AI," IEA, 2025. Accessed: Oct. 17, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai
[2] A. Student, "Notes on post-quantum cryptography," School research blog, 2026. Accessed: Oct. 17, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://example.org/pqc

Output of the program above (what Python prints).

Choosing a format

Match the format to the audience and purpose. A technical report suits decision-makers who need detail and evidence. A website suits a public audience who will skim and click. A presentation suits a live audience: few words per slide, strong diagrams, and your speaking notes carry the detail. A video suits demonstrations and broad audiences; script it first and include captions for accessibility. Whatever the format, sources and dates must be visible.

Just for fun

Abstract: This study examined how readers approach technical reports.

Results: Most readers skipped straight to the conclusion. Which is probably where you are now.

Hands-on activity

Emerging technology investigation (major task)

You need: a computer with internet access, a word processor, presentation software or a free website builder, and about 5 to 8 hours over two weeks.

  1. Choose and focus: pick an emerging technology and write a researchable question. Have a parent or teacher check it.
  2. Research: find at least six sources, including at least two independent, non-company sources and one source from 2025 or 2026. Use lateral reading on every key claim.
  3. Plan: choose a format and audience. Outline the sections from the technical report diagram (adapt them for a website, presentation or video).
  4. Draft: explain how the technology works (with one diagram you make yourself), its current state, impacts on at least four groups, and limitations. Cite with numbered references.
  5. Revise: ask a family member to read or watch it and tell you one thing that was unclear. Fix it. Write the abstract or summary last.
  6. Reflect: in 150 words, explain which source was hardest to evaluate and why.

What to look for: a focused question that is actually answered; a correct technical explanation; facts, estimates and opinions clearly separated; impacts on specific groups; dated, numbered references; and a format that suits the audience.

Your turn

1

Turn the topic "virtual reality" into a researchable question.

2

List the main sections of a technical report in order.

3

What is lateral reading?

4

Why is the abstract written last?

5

What does the citation [3] in a sentence mean in IEEE style?

6

Rewrite to separate fact and opinion: "Quantum computers are amazing and will soon break all encryption."

More practice: warm-up

1

Name the four formats D3.2 mentions.

2

Is a company press release an independent source about its own product?

3

What does enumerate(refs, start=1) give on its first step?

4

Why should a technical report include dates for statistics?

5

What is hype?

More practice: on your own

1

Add a third reference to the program for the IEA's 2026 report "Key Questions on Energy and AI" (url https://www.iea.org/reports/key-questions-on-energy-and-ai). What does its line begin with?

2

Your source is a 2021 article saying "AI chatbots can't write working code." How should you use it in a 2026 report?

3

Explain why presentations need fewer words per slide than reports.

4

A website claims a new battery lasts "10 times longer". List three lateral-reading searches.

5

Give two ways to make a video report accessible.

Challenge

1

Modify ieee so that if a reference has no author, it uses the publisher as the author. Show the key change.

2

Write an abstract (about 80 to 120 words) for a report on low-Earth-orbit satellite internet in northern Canada. Include the question, method, key findings (you may describe them in general terms) and conclusion.

3

Evaluate this source plan: "I'll use the top five Google results for 'future of AI'." Suggest a better plan.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which question is best focused for a technical report?

2.

What is lateral reading?

3.

In IEEE citation style, how is a source shown in the text?

4.

Which sentence best separates fact from opinion?

5.

Why is a company's press release a weak source for claims about its own product's performance?

6.

Which part of a technical report is written last but read first?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: D3.2 asks students to investigate an emerging technology and produce a report in an appropriate format. This lesson prepares a major task similar to a first-year university technical report.

How to help: Help your teen choose a technology they're genuinely curious about and check that their question is focused. Be the test reader in step 5 of the activity and tell them honestly what was unclear. Ask, "How do you know that's true? Who said it, and when?"

Common difficulties:

  • Topics that are too broad, which lead to shallow reports.
  • Relying on company sources or old articles; for emerging technologies, dates matter.
  • Mixing opinion into factual sentences.
  • Leaving citations until the end; record sources (with dates and URLs) while researching.