Course
Project: Formal Recommendation Report or Proposal
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Objectives
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Given information on a
technology or business-related issue presented in a case study, evaluate and
integrate outside research to create a well-organized and documented formal
analytical report or proposal using at least six sources, including books,
articles, interviews with subject matter experts, and websites or databases,
and prepare a set of presentation slides to accompany the proposal.
Guidelines
Beginning in Week 2,
you will work through the weekly research stages and writing process toward the
creation of an 8- to 10-page Formal Recommendation Report or Proposal and
accompanying PowerPoint show, either narrated or for use during an onsite
presentation of your final report.
Topic: Topic
suggestions are provided in Doc Sharing; however, if there is a topic youâd
like to use that is not on the list, please contact your instructor for
approval. Please note that the topic must be appropriate for either a
recommendation or proposal report. Review Chapters 11 and 12 in the text for a
description of these reports.
Audience: The
audience for this report is an industry decision maker, such as your supervisor
or CEO, or a public policymaker, such as a politician or bureaucrat, who could
act upon your recommendations or proposal. You will identify this decision
maker in the Course Project topic proposal that you will submit in Week 2.
Research: Six
academic and/or professional research sources are required. Your research must
consist of a variety of electronic sources (websites, databases, media) and
traditional sources (books, journals, magazines). All sources must be cited
using the American Psychological Association (APA) documentation system.
Final
Report/Proposal Details
As noted above, the
final product will consist of an 8- to 10-page report or proposal on a
technical or business topic from the approved list in Doc Sharing or your own
topic with approval from your instructor. The final document includes the
following.
Title
page (one
page)Cover
letter (one
page, one or two paragraphs, single spaced)Table
of contents including
list of illustrations (one page)Executive
summary (one
page, two or three paragraphs, single spaced)Body
of report or proposal using the following required sections.IntroductionDiscussion sectionsConclusions and RecommendationsSix research
sources provided
on APA formatted References page (one page). All references included on
the Reference page must be cited in-text.Technical
Illustration or visual such as a chart, graph, or image that you have
created or have located via academic research. This should be incorporate
within the main body of the report and be mentioned in-text.Formatting
Elements(discussed
in Chapter 5 in the textbook).Single spacing (or 1.15), double spacing between
sections and/or paragraphs12-point font size for main body of writingArial, Calibri, Cambria, or Times New Roman font typeUse of headings and subheadings when appropriateParagraph length of approximately five to seven
sentencesStandard 1â marginsRagged right justification
Note: Sample
formal reports are found in the textbook on pages 334, 388, and 431. There are
some formatting and heading variations depending on the type of report but all
include the required sections.
Multimedia
PowerPoint Presentation Details
You will present your
report in a multimedia technical briefing in Week 7 using a narrated PowerPoint
slide show. The instructions for creating this project can be found under
Course Home and iConnect. Details include
eight
to 10 slides, includingintroduction slide with the report title and your name;two to three slides per each main point of report;a memorable conclusion slide;use of full sentence, meaningful headings, and short
words or phrases within the body of the slides;a minimum of two meaningful visuals;use of a business-appropriate design template; and5â7 minutes of narration.
Milestones
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Please see the chart
below for the topics, deadlines, and deliverables. Under the chart, you will
see details for each week’s assignments.
As you will see, there
is much work to be done. We will, however, be walking through each stage together.
Keep up each week, and you will have no problems succeeding. You will
definitely want to feature your formal report in your professional portfolio to
show to employers.
Lastly, don’t forget
about your other assignments unrelated to this Course Project.
NOTE: Because the
course requires other assignments, working ahead on your Course Project is an
excellent idea. Doing so will free you up when there are longer weekly
assignments.
Week
TCOs
Topics
Deliverables
1
1, 4
Final formal report begins in Week 2
None
2
1, 3
Topic proposal including audience, purpose, and
tentative thesis.
(MT) Sunday:
Topic Proposal
3
2, 6
Annotated references page with six credible sources
in APA format.
Annotated referencesMinimum of six sources written in APA format
4
4, 6
Outline, in-text citations, References page
5
1, 6
Formal report first draft (includes technical
illustration, in-text citations, and a References page), originality
report.
6
7, 8
Cover letter and executive summary, peer reviews
Cover letter and executive summary (it should also be
included in your final report)
the first draft of your formal report to the Peer Review
discussion topic for peer review by 11:59 p.m. (MT) Wednesday. Your grade for
your peer review is given in your discussion grade this week.
Submit the two peer reviews you did for your classmates to the
Peer Review discussion topic by 11:59 p.m. (MT) Sunday.
7
5,6
Final formal report, multimedia technical briefing
Submit the following to the Dropbox by 11:59 p.m.
(MT) Sunday:
Formal reportPresentation
8
All
Final Exam
No Course Project items due
Weekly Course Project
Deliverables
Week
2: Course Project Launch and Topic Proposal
This week, you will
choose a technological or business topic that you would like to investigate for
your Course Project. It could be related to your current job, future career, or
your Senior Project. However, the topic must be one that fits the parameters of
a recommendation report or proposal and addresses a business audience, such as
a company executive or decision maker. Make sure to select a topic that
will interest you throughout the course. Topic suggestions are located in Doc
Sharing. If there is a topic youâd like to use that is not on the list, please
contact your instructor for approval.
Unless you are using a
real-world issue from your own workplace to develop for this project, you will
need to create a few details to help frame the direction for your project. To
this end, your topic proposal should include the following.
Title: What is
your preliminary title for the report?
Audience: Who will be reading your report or proposal? Is this
solicited or unsolicited? In other words, have you been asked to investigate
this topic or are you making a suggestion to someone who has not directly asked
for it? Are there secondary audiences for the report?
Purpose: What is the overall goal of the report or proposal?
What is your objective?
Thesis statement: State the main points you intend to use to
develop your argument. Be sure to include at least three main points. See the
thesis writing section in the lecture this week.
Submit your thesis to
the Dropbox by 11:59 p.m. Sunday for instructor feedback.
Week 3: Annotated
References List
This week, you will
create an annotated References page, including six sources for your report.
Include a minimum of three traditional sources (books, newspapers, magazines,
journals, and databases, such as EBSCOhost). Electronic sources (credible
websites, etc.) are acceptable for the remainder. Your Annotated References
list should include the following.
Correct APA format: All
six references must be listed in correct APA format. Make sure to view the APA
Guide for Citing Sources tutorial located at the bottom of the Syllabus. There
are also several links to APA citation sites provided in the Webliography.
Credible sources: All references, whether they are
traditional or electronic, should be from credible sources written by identifiable
experts or professionals in the field.
Well-written annotations: Three of the six references
must be annotated in a meaningful manner. In other words, provide a short
(100-word) description of the article and indicate how it applies to your topic.
The annotations must be written in your own words. Note that all references
included in your final report must be cited in-text within the report.
Submit the preliminary
outline with the bibliographic information for the six sources to the
Dropbox by 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
Week 4: Outline
This week, you will
create an outline of your formal report. You must use the Outline
Template located in Doc Sharing for this assignment. Your outline
should include the following.
Information for all
sections of the report: Be sure to fill in every section of the
outline template with the required information.
In-text citations: In-text citation for all sources
listed on your References page must be included within the outline indicating
how you used each of the sources listed on the References page.
References page: Include the References page you created
in Week 3.
Submit the outline to
the Dropbox by 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
Week
5: Formal Report First Draft
This week, you will
create a rough draft of the formal report that will include all the
required sections of the report, along with in-text citations and the
References page. Note that the executive summary and cover letter will be
written and submitted in Week 6. The report must be organized and formatted correctly
using guidelines in Chapter 10 and the sample report beginning on page 334 in
the text as a model. To recap, the draft should include
a
cover or title page;a
transmittal letter (not required for draft);a
table of contents;a
list of illustrations;an
executive summary (not required for draft);an
introduction;discussion
sections;conclusions
and recommendations;a
references page; andan
appendix (optional).
As noted, you are
required to create or locate an appropriate technical illustration, such as a
chart, graph, diagram, or schematic to help convey a point in the report. You
may use a software application, such as Excel or Visio. You could also create
an image or photograph using a digital camera or some graphics package.
You must import the illustration
into the formal report. It should be labeled correctly with a title and
caption. If you did not create the illustration yourself, be sure to include a
proper citation for it.
Submit the formal
report first draft with the technical illustration included to the Dropbox by
11:59 p.m. Sunday.
Week
6: Cover Letter, Executive Summary, and Peer Review
Executive summary:
In Week 6, you will create an executive summary that accurately describes the
entire report in a condensed one-page version. See pages 318â320 for a
discussion and sample reports for examples.
Cover letter: You will also create your cover letter (or
transmittal letter) and add it to your formal report. Information for this part
of the project is on pages 314â316 of your text.
Peer review: You should submit the first draft of
your report to the Peer Review Discussion Forum by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday
for peer review. You will be completing a review of another classmateâs report
by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Your grade for your peer review is given in your
discussion grade this week. NOTE: You must use the Peer Review
feedback form in Doc Sharing for this assignment.
Week 7: Final Report
and Technical Briefing
Final Report: Your
final report is due this week. The final report must follow the formatting
elements described above and include the following components.
Cover
or title pageTransmittal
letterTable
of contentsList
of illustrationsExecutive
summaryIntroductionDiscussion
sectionsConclusions
and recommendationsReferences
pageAppendix
(optional)
Technical
Briefing (narrated PowerPoint): Create a 5â7-minute multimedia
technical briefing based on the highlights of your formal report. You will
record your presentation using the audio narration function within PowerPoint.
You will need a headset microphone. The directions are located in the iConnect
Present section under Course Home.
You should create
eight to 10 highly effective slides. The following details apply.
How many slides?Your
PowerPoint slides should align with and support the points of the thesis. A
good rule of thumb is approximately two to three slides per main point of your
report or proposal. You also need a title slide that appears during your
introduction and a slide that appears during the conclusion of your
presentation. This adds up to approximately eight to 10 slides.
Slide design:Use a business- or professional-design
template with appropriate font styles, sizes, and colors. PowerPoint has
choices. Keep fonts consistent and easy to read. Follow the design principles
for visual aids found in your text and in the Week 7 Lecture.
Slide content:Write full-sentence headlines that
summarize or synthesize the content in the slide body and tell a coherent story
from start to finish. Bullet slide copy with words or short phrases; do not put
in paragraphs of text.
Visuals within the PowerPoint:You are required to
include a minimum of two visuals within your slides. More is better. Clip art
(cartoon-type images, etc.) is not acceptable. Good visuals include
charts, graphs, tables, diagrams, maps, screenshots, photos, and other images
that add meaning and value to the presentation and make the information easier
to comprehend for the audience.
Presentation time frame of 5â7 minutes:Remember to
preview and review. When we make oral presentations, we always tell the
audience where we are taking them, and then end with a summary of where we have
been. So, for your presentations, preview your main areas or points in the
opening, and then review those same points in your closing to reinforce the
messages and signal the ending of the speech.
Submit the final
presentation to the Week 7 Dropbox by 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
Submit the final
report with cover letter and appendix to the Week 7 Course Project Dropbox by
11:59 p.m. Sunday.
Grading Rubrics
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ENGL 216âWeek 2 Course Project:
Topic Proposal
Points possible
Points Earned /
Additional Comments
Thesis
Statement and Purpose:
The thesis statement clearly defines the topic of the report or proposal and
outlines the main points to be discussed. The purpose of the report/proposal
is clear.
10
Audience: An
appropriate audience is described along with any secondary audiences. The
report is identified as either solicited or unsolicited. (2 points each)
8
Writing
Style and Mechanics: The tone is appropriate for the audience
and the purpose. Sentences are complete, clear, concise, well constructed,
and varied. Rules of grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation are followed.
2
Total
20
Points Earned
/20
ENGL 216âWeek 3 Course Project:
Annotated References
Points possible
Points Earned /
Additional Comments
Quality
of Sources:
All six sources are credible (from academic or professional-industry authors
as indicated in the instructions) and clearly relate to the main topic. (2
points each)
12
Format:
All sources are accurately documented in APA style in the form of a correctly
formatted APA References page. (2 points each)
12
Annotations:
Three of the six sources are annotated and show understanding of main ideas
and how each source relates to the main topic. Each is approximately 100
words in length. (7 points each)
21
Writing
Style and Mechanics: The tone is appropriate for the audience
and the purpose. Sentences are complete, clear, concise, well constructed,
and varied. Rules of grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation are followed.
5
Total
50
Points Earned
/50
ENGL 216âWeek 4 Course Project:
Outline
Points possible
Points Earned /
Additional Comments
Introduction
Section:
Purpose (Explains why the project was carried out
and the report written.)
Description and background (Briefly describes the
project and includes facts readers must know to fully understand the
discussion that follows.)
Scope (Defines the parameters of the report,
describes the ground covered by the report, and outlines the methods of
investigations. If needed, discusses limiting factors.)
9
Discussion
Section:
Appropriate amount of information are provided (all points filled in on the
template).
Organization of facts or arguments used is logical.
20
Conclusion
Section:
States the major inferences that can be drawn from the discussion.
Based entirely on previously stated information.
Does not introduce new material or evidence to support your argument.
4
Recommendations
Section:
Indicates your chosen solution based on the information presented in the
discussion and conclusion.
4
References
and In-Text Citations:
References page contains each source used in the in-text citations
(parenthetical documentation).
There are in-text citations for each piece of information in the outline that
is not common knowledge.
Every reference listed is cited in-text, demonstrating how the source was
used.
References page and in-text citations are formatted in APA.
9
Writing
and Format:
There are no grammar, punctuation, spelling, and so forth, errors.
The outline follows the organization and format of the template.
4
Total
50
Points Earned
/50
ENGL 216âWeek 5 Course Project:
Rough Draft Report
Points possible
Points Earned /and
Additional Comments
Cover
or Title Page:
All required information, as described on page 313 in the text, is included.
2
Table
of Contents:
Lists the correct section names and page numbers.
3
Introduction
Section:
Purpose (Explains why the project was carried out
and the report written.)
Description and background (Briefly describes the
project and includes facts readers must know to fully understand the
discussion that follows.)
Scope (Defines the parameters of the report,
describes the ground covered by the report, and outlines the methods of
investigations. If needed, discusses limiting factors.)
6
Discussion
Section:
Appropriate amount of information is provided (at least three main points are
used).
Detail is thorough.
Organization of facts or arguments used is logical.
20
Conclusion
Section:
States the major inferences that can be drawn from the discussion.
Based entirely on previously stated information.
Does not introduce new material or evidence to support your argument.
3
Recommendations
Section:
Indicates your chosen solution based on the information presented in the
discussion and conclusion.
Written in strong, definite terms to convince readers that the course of
action is valid. No new evidence or ideas are introduced.
3
Technical
Illustration:
Simple and
uncluttered
Effectively depicts one main
point
Positioned close to narrative
Labeled with a figure or table number and title, caption, or comments located
beneath
Referred to at least once in the report
10
References
and In-Text Citations:
References page contains each source used in the in-text citations
(parenthetical documentation).
There are in-text citations for each piece of information in the outline that
is not common knowledge.
Every reference listed is cited in-text, demonstrating how the source was
used.
References page and in-text citations are formatted in APA.
10
Format/Organization:
Report is organized as described in Chapter 10 (use sample report beginning
on page 334 as a model.)
Correct use of formatting elements
is included.
Effective use of headings and subheadings throughout.
Single spacing (or 1.15), double spacing between sections and/or paragraphs.
11- or 12-point font size for main body of writing is used.
Arial, Calibri, Cambria, or Times New Roman font type is used.
Paragraphs of approximately five to seven sentences for most.
Standard 1â margins are used.
Ragged right justification is used.
