Hello 301;
This blog is meant to guide you with brainstorming your research topic for your Formal Report. Before reading this blog please be sure to read the assigned pages on The Research Process: 123 – 186.
Below you will find:
- A brief discussion on asking the right questions & pursuing a balanced view
- A brief discussion on Primary sources for research (p.140 – 150)
- Procedures for preparing your proposal (p.150)
Asking the right question: after reading the chapters on the research process and Formal Reports you need to consider your experiences in the workplace, as a volunteer, or a student, and identify a system, or procedure, or policies, or a combination of these three that are problematic in some way: inefficient, environmentally dangerous, socially discriminating, unhealthy, or some other similar category relevant to the situation you choose. What questions do you need to ask in order to investigate the problems? What questions do you need to ask for an analysis on the best ways to solve the problem? While you are brainstorming, be sure to also review pages 536 – 537; you will want to consider your audience right from the beginning. Give particular attention to the example of a letter of transmission; for this assignment, you will need to address your report to specific readers.
Primary sources for research: carefully review the sections in our text that discuss primary sources (140) and consider what types of data gathering you can use for the topics you are brainstorming. You will need to schedule yourselves accordingly; gathering data via interviews and surveys is time consuming and designing your interview questions and/or surveys will become a priority once you have settled on your topic for of investigation. And, yes, you are free to copy the text and pursue a feasibility analysis report concerned with a career choice.
Procedures for preparing your proposal: The list of steps for researching the analytical report (150) is an excellent way to begin. I encourage you to use this list when you organize your proposal, and to use your writing forums to discuss your approaches to audience profiles and narrowing down your topics, if time allows.
As always, please feel free to ask any questions or alert me to any confusions via our Group Facebook page or personal email message. Thank you and enjoy.
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