THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARMY MILITARY ISSUES IN THE ARMY
Headquarters
Department of the Army
Washington, DC
18 January 2024

*Army Regulation 70–31

Effective 18 February 2024

Research Development, and Acquisition

Standards for Technical Reporting

By Order of the Secretary of the Army:

RANDY A. GEORGE

General, United States Army

Chief of Staff

MARK F. AVERILL

Administrative Assistant to the

Secretary of the Army

History. This publication is a major revision. The portions affected by this major revision are listed in the summary of change.

Authorities. The authorities for this regulation are DoDD 5230.25, DoDI 3200.12, DoDM 3200.14, Volume 1, 10 USCUSCUnited States Code 130, and Office of Science and Technology Policy, Ensuring Free, Immediate, and Equitable Access to Federally Funded Research memorandum.

Applicability. This regulation applies to the Regular Army, the Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and the U.S. Army Reserve, unless otherwise stated. This regulation also applies to Department of the Army Civilians.

Proponent and exception authority. The proponent of this regulation is the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology). The proponent has the authority to approve exceptions or waivers to this regulation that are consistent with controlling law and regulations. The proponent may delegate this approval authority, in writing, to a division chief within the proponent agency or its direct reporting unit or field operating agency, in the grade of colonel or the civilian equivalent. Activities may request a waiver to this regulation by providing justification that includes a full analysis of the expected benefits and must include formal review by the activity's senior legal officer. All waiver requests will be endorsed by the commander or senior leader of the requesting activity and forwarded through their higher headquarters to the policy proponent. Refer to AR 25–30 for specific requirements.

Army internal control process. This regulation contains internal control provisions in accordance with AR 11–2 and identifies key internal controls that must be evaluated (see appendix B).

Suggested improvements. Users are invited to send comments and suggested improvements on DA FormDA FormDepartment of the Army form 2028 (Recommended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms) directly to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology) (SAAL-ZT), 103 Army Pentagon, Washington, DC 20130-0103.

Distribution. This regulation is available in electronic media only and is intended for the Regular Army, the Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and the U.S. Army Reserve.

*This regulation supersedes AR 70-31, dated 20 June 2018.

AR 70–31 • 18 January 2024

UNCLASSIFIED

Contractor A person or organization outside the Government with an agreement to provide supplies or services un- der procedures set up by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FARFARFederal Acquisition Regulation), the Defense FARFARFederal Acquisition Regulation supplement, and/or the Army FARFARFederal Acquisition Regulation supplement. The term includes both prime and subcontractors.

Controlling office The DoD activity that sponsored the work that generated the technical document for the DoD and has the inherently governmental responsibility for determining the distribution of a document containing such technical information. For joint sponsorship, the controlling office is determined by advance agreement and may be a party, group, or committee representing the interested activities or DoD components. Only the controlling office or higher authority may authorize distribution beyond the distribution statement.

Critical Technology Technologies that may pose major technological risk during development, particularly during the Engi- neering and Manufacturing Development phase of acquisition.

Data Management Plan A document that describes which data generated through the course of the proposed research effort will be shared and preserved and how it will be done. It may explain why data sharing or preservation is not possible or scientifically appropriate. It may explain why data sharing or preservation is not possible or scientifically appropriate, or why the costs of sharing or preservation are incommensurate with the value of doing so.

Data Set The digital recorded factual material commonly accepted in the scientific community as necessary to vali- date research findings. This includes data sets used to support scholarly publications, but does not in- clude laboratory notebooks, preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer review reports, communications with colleagues, or physical objects, such as laboratory specimens.

Defense Technical Information Center The central DoD repository of classified and unclassified scientific and technical reports resulting from DoD sponsorship, other than those maintained by the National Security Agency Reference Center. The DTIC is administered by the Department of Defense. The DTIC is devoted to acquisition, announcement, storage, retrieval, and secondary distribution of classified and unclassified DoD technical reports.

Department of Defense component (sponsoring or funding activity) The U.S. Army activity under whose immediate program a document is generated whether the work was done in–house or by contract. In the case of joint sponsorship, the controlling office is determined by ad- vance agreement; it may be either activity, agency, or Service.

Extramural Research Research that is sponsored and/or funded by an Army organization and conducted by and at an external organization, such as academic institutions, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, or other DoD or Federal Laboratories.

Grantee A research organization outside the U.S. Government to which grant funds have been awarded by a DA activity .

Intramural Research Research that is conducted in-house at an Army-owned facility.

National Security Agency Reference Center for Scientific and Technical Information The central repository of scientific and technical reports in certain categories that the DTIC is restricted from handling. These categories include documents classified higher than Secret and/or those dealing with electronic communication, telemetry, intelligence, and communications security.

National Technical Information Service The central U.S. Government repository of unclassified unlimited scientific and technical reports, adminis- tered by the Department of Commerce and devoted to the acquisition, announcement, storage, retrieval, and secondary distribution of unclassified Government–sponsored technical reports.

Performing organization The activity, organization, contractor, or grantee that actually performs the work.

Primary distribution The initial targeted distribution of or access to technical documents authorized by the controlling DoD of- fice.

Sponsoring agency An activity to which the administrative responsibility for a project, contract, or grant has been delegated (by the controlling office).

Technical data Recorded information related to experimental, developmental, or engineering works that can be used to define an engineering or manufacturing process or to design, procure, produce, support, maintain, oper- ate, repair, or overhaul material. The data may be graphic or pictorial delineations in media, such as drawings or photographs, text in specifications or related performance or design type documents, or com- puter printouts. Examples of technical data include R&E data, models, engineering drawings, and associ- ated lists, specifications, standards, process sheets, manuals, technical reports, catalog -item identifica- tions, and related information and computer software documentation.

Technical documentation Formal documentation of a reportable technical achievement, body of work, or event. Technical docu- mentation is a tangible product of Army-sponsored RDT&ERDT&EResearch, development, testing, and evaluation.

Technical report Any preliminary, interim, or final technical document prepared to record, document, or share results ob- tained from, or recommendations made on, or relating to, DoD-sponsored or co-sponsored scientific, technical, studies, or analytical work.