3:3 Peer Review of Daniel’s Formal Report Draft – Terry Chou

To: Daniel Kim, Segfault Team Member

From: Terry Chou, Segfault Team Member

Date: April 03, 2023

Peer Review: Formal Report Draft for Increase Affordability in Transportation for UBC Students and Staff Members

Thank you for submitting your formal report draft for lesson 3:2. I enjoyed reading your draft and have reviewed it with some suggestions for improvements.

First Impression: 

The introduction section provides a clear and concise overview of the topic of affordable transportation, its benefits, and barriers. It effectively outlines the motivation, intended audience, data and method, and scope of inquiry of the formal report. Nonetheless, some contextual information about the University of British Columbia (UBC) and its transportation services could enhance this section.

Introduction:

The introduction is well-structured and clearly outlines the topic, including the definition of affordable transportation, background information, barriers to accessing affordable transportation, and motivation and intended audience. It could benefit from providing more specific examples of how affordable transportation can lead to poverty reduction and increased economic mobility for individuals and their families.

Data Section:

The data section is well-written and provides an overview of the current methods of transportation and prices. The overview of public transportation options, cycling infrastructure, and roadways in Vancouver is helpful, and the breakdown of transportation costs in different zones is informative. However, more recent data and statistics on transportation costs and trends could be included, as some of the information presented is from 2021.

Conclusion:

The conclusion provides a well-written summary of the report’s key findings and recommendations. Nonetheless, the recommendations could be more specific and actionable to provide a clearer direction for implementing solutions that address the barriers to accessing affordable transportation.

Content:

• The definition of affordable transportation in the Introduction is clear and concise, providing a good foundation for the rest of the report.
• In the Background section, the benefits of affordable transportation are well-explained with supporting evidence from credible sources such as Litman (2013).
• However, the report could benefit from more specific recommendations for solutions to address the barriers to accessing affordable transportation. For instance, providing examples of successful affordable transportation initiatives in other cities or proposing specific policy changes that could be implemented at UBC.
• The report could also benefit from defining technical terms such as “economic mobility” or “alternative forms of transportation” for readers who may not be familiar with these terms.

Organization:

• The organization of the draft is clear and effective, with each section flowing logically into the next.
• The draft is correctly paginated and the headings and subheadings are effective in revealing the content clearly.
• However, there are a few places where the report could benefit from breaking up big chunks of text to make the information easier to read. For example, the Overview of current methods of transportation and prices section could be separated into smaller sub-sections with clear headings.
• Additionally, the report could benefit from more effective transitions between sections, particularly in the Data section where the sub-sections feel disconnected from each other. Providing clearer preview statements at the beginning of each sub-section could help to better connect the sections.

Style:

• The tone of the report is objective and positive throughout, with a focus on providing solutions to the issue of affordable transportation.
• The report could benefit from using more inclusive language, such as using “people” instead of “individuals” or “households”, to make the report more reader-friendly and accessible to a wider audience.

Design:

• The charts in the report are well-designed and effectively labeled.

Daniel Kim’s Formal Report Draft