Guidelines for Creating a Formal Report Proposal

This blog is meant to guide you with preparations for creating your Formal Report Proposal. Before reading this blog please be sure to read the assigned pages on The Research Process in our textbook

Below you will find:

• A brief discussion on asking the right questions & pursuing a balanced view
• A brief discussion on primary sources for research
• Procedures for preparing your proposal

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. Identify a system, or procedure that is 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 consider your audience right from the beginning. Give particular attention to the example of a letter of transmission in our textbook. While you are writing this proposal for your Instructor, your Formal report will be addressed to specific readers; not to your instructor.

Because your proposal is for your instructor you will need to include background information and details about your reader.

But, again, the final report will be addressed and written for a specific reader or readers who have the authority to act on your recommendations.

The ultimate purpose of the report is to make detailed recommendations according to your investigation and analysis.

Primary sources for research:

Carefully review the sections in our text that discuss primary sources 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 your proposal has been approved by your Instructor.

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.