Peer Review of Research Proposal for Jiajie

To: Jiajie Xu

From: Cynthia Li

Date: June 24, 2020

Subject: Peer Review of Research Proposal for a Formal Report

Thank you for posting the formal report proposal assignment on the team forum. I enjoyed reading about the topic, especially as forest fires in BC are an annual occurrence. Please consider the following suggestions below.

First Impressions: The structure is well organized and the information is delivered clearly. There are many details provided to bring awareness to the severity of the situation to the audience.

Organization:

• The sections are divided clearly using spacing, making it easier for the audience to follow visually
• The key topics are bolded without extra subtopics and all the information is combined neatly and concisely
• The “Scope” especially is organized well and asks many relevant as well as informative questions

Content:

• The necessary requirements of the assignment are met but “Methods” may need to be expanded upon
• Chapter 7 includes a section called “Primary versus Secondary Research” which clarifies the differences and can help the audience understand the methods better
  • For example, objective observation of the field can be a primary source but information provided by the Government of BC may be considered as a secondary source
• More explanation of the method could help with clarity. Sometimes I was a bit confused about the process and had to read through the section a few times.
  • Expanding on the methods by explaining the analysis process by using statements in between or at the end that directly point out what you plan to do can be helpful. Doing so can clear up any confusion for the reader who may not be familiar with all the terms. These are some examples as I am unsure of the process completely and may have gotten the method wrong:
    • the field observations and environmental data are going to be used to determine the causes of forest fires by comparing the field observations made of human activities, temperature, moisture content etc. to the census information available
    • The observations will then be inputed into the ArcGIS tool and the software will point out the relationship
    • After the relationship will be discussed (May consider an interview for the discussion to add outside opinion/information)
• Interviews (primary source)
  • would it be possible to interview anyone such as peers or in the working field who know about forest fires and ask questions like what they found to be the main causes are/what they think they might be/why etc.?
• The combination of objective and field observations with the software seems very interesting, especially as the qualifications clearly state how you are familiar with it as well as how it was explained in both the “Proposed Solution” and briefly in the “Methods.”

Grammar/Tone/Style:

• There are some minor grammatical points throughout to consider while editing:
  • Plural use
    • Eg. the first two sentences in the “Introduction:” forest fire has -> forest fire’s have & forest fire is caused -> forest fire’s are caused
  • Past/Present/Future tense
    • Eg. third sentence in the “Introduction:” these kinds of disasters has made -> these kinds of disasters have made & fourth sentence in “Proposed Solution:” the intense -> the intensity
  • Adding/Removing a word
    • Eg. third sentence in “Statement of Problem:” The human-caused forest fire which is easier to be prevented and managed -> The human-caused forest fire’s are easier to prevent and manage”
• The tone is formal and professional
• The writing is concise and direct which makes the objectives clear such as stating the goal in the “Proposed Solution”
• The “Statement of the Problem” especially addresses many concerns and also highlights the importance of the study

Conclusion: 

The research proposal is informative and concise. It is clear the research done can aid in the prevention and management of forest fires by providing more information from the study. As a summary:

• Providing clearer statements of the method
• Proofread for small grammatical errors

Although the review is a bit long, much of it contains examples and the proposal is well written and interesting. Hopefully some of these suggestions are helpful. It was great to read your proposal. Thank you and if there are any questions, please feel free to ask.

301 Jiajie Xu Research Proposal