Report Project

Group Contract | Report Proposal Memo | Annotated Bibliography |
Final Report | Grading Criteria Report | Report Final Presentations

Purpose of Project:

• To introduce formats for technical reports and proposals
• To introduce you to principles of creating a proposal and writing a 20-25 page report collaboratively
• To introduce you to research strategies: research methodologies, triangulation, using and incorporating sources
  
• To continue your group work experience
  

Assignments:

Group Contract (5 points)

• For your group contract, I will ask that you and your group write up a 1 page contract that specifies the terms of working together in your group. The contract will serve to clarify the terms of working together within the group and help resolve any issues in advance.
  Your contract should address the following issues:
  -roles/responsibilities of group members
  -what will be done when somebody cannot make it to a group meeting
  -what will be done when a group member neglects to do their part in the project
  -how the issues above should be resolved
  -other issues that you find important to specify in order to ensure a good group dynamic.

Make sure to have all your group members sign off on the contract

Report Proposal Memo (15 points)

The Report Proposal Memo is a memo that proposes a particular topic that you will do research on for the Report. See this link for specifics.

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Annotated Bibliography (10 points)

• An Annotated Bibliography documents and summarizes the sources that you’re using for your project. I expect each person to find 4 different paper-based sources such as books, journal articles, newspapers articles, or online-journal articles (websites are off limits for the annotated bibliography). Seeing as your project should involve substantial research on your group’s behalf, I am interested in seeing how this preliminary research is reflected in your annotated bibliography, and your motivation in using these particular sources. I realize most of you will also use of websites and various people that are associated with organizations, but for this assignment I am asking explicitly for sources that were printed on paper originally.
  
  
• The annotated bibliography will be based upon the American Psychological Assocation (APA) format, and each of your group members should contribute 4 sources. The format for the annotated bibliography is the following:

1. Bibliographic annotation using APA format
2. After each bibliographic annotation, summarize the main thesis and the points that are made in the source, as well as why this source is relevant to your project and how it fits into your aims for the project. Finally, at the end of each particular bibliographic entry, put the name of the team member in parenthesis at the end of each entry that they have contributed.

• EXAMPLE for Annotated Bibliography:
  
  Johnson-Sheehan, R. (2005). Technical Communication
  Today. New York: Pearson & Longman.
  
  Johnson-Sheehan (2005) provides a good introduction
  to the various models of technical communication. His
  approach to technical communication is to separate
  "expository" writing for educational purposes from
  writing used in the workplace and focused on
  "achieving a specific purpose" (Johnson-Sheehan, 2005,
  p. 7). Moreover, he sees technical communication as
  the process of "managing large amounts of information
  that allow you to take action" (Johnson-Sheehan, 2005,
  p.6). According to Johnson-Sheehan, technical
  documents should be created by keeping in mind the
  principles of usability, persuasiveness and ethical
  deliberation. This source will be useful for demonstrating
  the approach by current technical communicators.
  (your name)

NOTE: Make sure to alphabetize the sources based upon the last name of the author. See pages A27-A30 of Technical Communication Today for APA formatting, and especially the NMSU Library PDF on APA formatting. Here's another version of the NMSU Library Tipsheet PDF on APA formatting with some updates for electronic sources.

Also, visit another NMSU Library link with several good links to other websites on APA formatting.


Final Report (25 points)

With your group, you will be responsible for creating a 20-25 double-spaced report that gives your project’s details in either a feasibility report or that of an empirical research report. Depending on your project, you should choose one or the other. Your group will want to use the general pattern of IMRaD (standing for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) for your report.

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Criteria for grading Final Report:

I will be looking for the following things in your report (adapted from Anderson’s Technical Communication page 502 & 522):

1- Clarity of Reasoning

States your claims and conclusions clearly?
Provides sufficient evidence, from the readers’ viewpoint?
Explains, if necessary, the line of reasoning that links your facts and your claims?
Addresses any counterarguments or objections that your readers are likely to raise at any point in your report?
Avoid making false assumptions and overgeneralizing?

2- Prose

Presents information in a clear, usable, and persuasive manner?
Uses a variety of sentence structures and length?
Flows in way that is interesting and easy to follow?
Uses correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation?

3- Graphics

Included wherever readers would find them helpful or persuasive?
Look neat, attractive, and easy to read?
Referred to at the appropriate points in the prose?
Located where your readers can find them easily?

4- Page Design

Looks neat and attractive?
Helps readers find specific information quickly?

5- Ethics

Treats all the report’s stakeholders ethically?
Presents all information accurately and fairly?

6- General

Uses conventions appropriate to either empirical research report or feasibility report?
Uses segmented information (i.e. uses various patterns of organizing information: description, compare-contrast, cause-effect analysis, problem-solution) as appropriate?
Uses direct organizational pattern (i.e. most important information first, gives the bottom line) or, when appropriate, uses indirect organizational pattern?
Rhetorically addresses context of stakeholders reading the report (i.e. is addressed appropriately to various stakeholders – people who are directly or indirectly affected by your proposal)?
Uses APA Style conventions correctly?
Follows length requirements?

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Final Report Presentation (10 points)

• After handing in your final report, you’ll have the opportunity to present your project to the class. This presentation is a professional way to present the work you have done for the report, so make sure to spend some time preparing for it.
  
  
• In terms of content, consider using the main sections of the report (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion) as a way to present your research. Overall, your presentation should display your awareness of your audience of stakeholders and should be done in convincing and professional manner.
  
  
• Generally, the presentation will last 20 minutes, with 5 minutes for questions. Make sure to show up on time so we can get started on time. In addition, I encourage people to invite their clients if they so desire.
• The location for this will most likely be in ECIII. Because the presentation is important in terms of professional development, these presentations are done in a formal format (and in Powerpoint), as if you were presenting for a company or organization. This means that we will use formal attire and in general, will use a professional format for the presentation.

During the presentation, I will grade on the following criteria:

1. clear distribution of presentation segments (introduction, body, conclusion)
2. clear distribution of presentation topics and who will talk about what
3. General professional presentation of your project
4. use of clear visual means to convey complex, varied information
5. clarity of project objectives/ goals/ data/ solutions and how these were realized
6. persuasiveness of solution/recommendation because of presentation
7. ability to interact with and keep the audience’s attention
8. ability to present with confidence and clarity
9. ability to answer audience’s questions clearly
10. ability to use Powerpoint in a rhetorically effective way
    
    

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