Aleem Tariq

Formal Report Draft

During this unit, we conducted the background research necessary to write the draft of our formal report. We did so following guidelines that were planned and written out in the previous unit.

The research was straightforward, I opted to only use surveys, rather than interviews. The surveys captured the questions posed in the scope of my report and provided both the quantitative and qualitative information needed for me to reach my conclusions. Interviews are difficult to conduct, especially this late in the term, and even more-so for professors. My surveys were directed towards research professors, and so I am very grateful to have gotten their input. Although I would have preferred to also have been able to conduct at least one interview, the scope of the questions answered in the survey is roughly parallel to those which would have been asked in the interview. I am also glad I took the time to carefully devise questions that would lend themselves to being useful both for the generation of graphs, as well as recommendations. The questions I asked were answered thoughtfully and went a long way towards helping me reach my conclusion.

The process of drafting my report was easier than expected. I spent a lot of time generating a rough outline of what the ‘flow’ of my discussion should look like. I spent some time looking at examples in the book, as well as the information provided, and made a general abstract template that could be applied to any topic. After having done so, the process was greatly simplified, as all I needed to do thus was fill in the blanks and personalize the template. I had planned on including results of the student surveys as well, but given the nature of the problem, reasoned that the professor surveys would be a more valid source of information.

Peer Review

I conducted my peer review in the standard manner, by breaking down my peer’s review by headings, and provided feedback for each, as well as how each section individually, as well as how each section flowed into the next.

Although the topic differed, my peer marvellously followed the standardized format; I found it easy to follow along, despite being unfamiliar with the topic. In my formal report, I will seek to do the same, and look towards how I can improve the clarity of my report; describing the problem in simple terms, discussing the results, and my recommendations. My peer also included a section that discussed the ‘effects of the recommendations’. Although outside the scope of the outline, I may consider doing the same. It allows the author to make an even stronger case for such recommendations, assuming the reader agrees the problem outlined exists, the author can provide further evidence for their recommendations being a solution.

A lot has changed in the past month, and I can firmly say I am coming closer to reaching the goals outlined when I began this course.

LinkedIn Profile

Creating a professional social media network (LinkedIn) as part of this class is something I thoroughly enjoyed. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to not only create a profile, but properly engage in the creation process with respect to this; an initial draft, peer review, and modifications. Following the tips outlined by my reviewer allowed me to craft a profile catered to the specific type of employer I was seeking to attract (software-related). I certainly would have otherwise put off the work until I applied for internships a few months from now, which would not have been an optimal solution.

Formal Report

When it comes to my formal report, I am satisfied with the progress of my report, now that I have changed topics. My new topic will grant me the opportunity to robustly collect significantly more data. I am not only glad that I have the opportunity to express my thoughts on this personal topic but also do so in a professional manner that can be used to call on actionable change. The formal report itself provides insight into how, in a professional setting, one can identify a problem and convincing an intended audience of such a problem. I have no doubt that the process of brainstorming and preparing my report proposal and outline will be relevant to my professional life; in the future, I will have to call upon what I learned during this process.

Peer Review

With regard to reviewing my partner’s proposal, I have learned that even seemingly perfectly working organizations have their fair share of issues that can be addressed. My partner’s proposal was professional, concise, and gave me a clear picture of how one can go about forwarding a formal complaint to a relevant audience, with sufficient evidence to back their claims. Furthermore, I also surprised myself in terms of what I can bring to the table. Given that the topic was accounting, I thought that I would not have much to offer in terms of feedback, beyond feedback with regards to grammar, organization, and the formal report process. However, I found that I could draw on my background in personality psychology to offer my partner some new things to consider when creating his draft. This not only revealed to me that I could surprise myself, but that others may surprise me in terms of the feedback they can offer, even if they may be unfamiliar with the topic I am covering.

Through the peer review process, I have learned even more about my writing. I certainly have a lot of work to do with regard to clarity and organization, which are two qualities that are expected of professional writing. I aim to in future, when writing, spend more time on brainstorming and studying the outline of what I am attempting to write; doing both will improve my clarity and organization. With regard to writing in general, both peer-reviewing and having been peer-reviewed involves the long process of brainstorming, writing iterative drafts and obtaining corrections from others. Getting feedback from others is a necessary part of writing, as one can learn plenty from others, and use what one learns to make corrections in one’s writing. Furthermore, brainstorming is absolutely necessary, where there is almost always more to consider, and in conjunction with peer review, can provide new avenues of exploration.

Link to Peer Review of Proposal

Link to Revised Proposal

When I first made this blog, I outlined that my goal in taking this class was to expand upon my domain of knowledge in technical writing and address any weaknesses I find. I can say that as of completing this first unit, I have taken one step of what will be many in that direction.

I noticed that I approached my writing in entirely novel ways. Making use of expansion strategies to weave an easy-to-follow description of a complex term, and also keeping the familiarity of the audience with the subject matter in mind were two entirely new techniques I have slowly begun to become familiar with. In particular, I made use of expansion by parts and visual expansion, both of which complement my learning style. As I proceed through the course, I hope to continually add more technical writing techniques to my toolset.

Fortunately, the expansion techniques I used complemented Syed’s learning style as well, and he was very easily able to grasp the term. Concerning his suggestions, the errors he noticed point to a single underlying weakness in my writing. That is, trying to balance attention to detail and communicating essential information to an unfamiliar audience. My tendency to use jargon, and not frame my writing in a way that is easily understood by those unfamiliar with the topic is something I will need to continually work on. Interestingly, in reviewing Syed’s definitions, I noticed similar strengths and weaknesses. He marvellously made use of expansion techniques, in a way that would capture and compel the reader’s interest. However, for someone unfamiliar in the field, the meaning of some technical terms would be lost and break the flow of the writing. From this, I can conclude that such errors may be common in many peoples’ writing. In future, I must not only break down the information I want to convey but keep in mind the audience, and make a decision about what amount of detail is necessary.

In the process of editing my writing, I ended up removing several field-specific terms, as well as having to restructure how I expanded my definition to best get the message across to a non-biologist audience. Firstly, leaving out an explanation of RNA, which would have raised more questions than it would answer. Secondly, I explained the impact of gene-editing on human health before delving into the details. Although I set out to avoid making the aforementioned mistakes, I still made them as my peer editor pointed out. Regardless, it is a learning process, and I look forward to continuing to refine my writing as the course proceeds.

Regards,

Aleem

Revised Definition: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99a-2020wa/2020/10/07/assignment-13-revised-definition-of-crispr-cas9/

Peer Review: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99a-2020wa/2020/10/05/assignment-13-peer-review-of-crispr-cas9-aleem-tariq/

To: Dr. Erika Paterson, Erika.Paterson@ubc.ca

From: Aleem Tariq, aleemtariq19@gmail.com

Subject: Attachment of Letter of Application

Greetings Dr. Paterson,

My name is Aleem Tariq, and I am a student in your ENGL 301 class for the Winter 2020 semester. I am emailing you to notify you that as instructed, I have posted a Letter of Application on my student blog. I have also attached the letter in Microsoft word format below.

The attached application is summarized as follows:

1. I’m a Neuroscience graduate from the University of British Columbia, and currently in the BCS Computer Science program at the same University.
2. My writing experience is largely academic, and my experiences through my time in academia have shaped me into a reliable writing partner.
3. I offer my writing partners diligence, initiative, and a willingness to address my weaknesses.
4. I think continuous exposure is the key to learning, and am willing to put the effort in to make the most out of my time here.

I would appreciate your review of my Application and suggestions for revision. Thank you for taking the time to read my email. I look forward to an illuminating semester.

Kindest Regards,

Aleem Tariq

Letter of Application – Aleem Tariq

I look forward to this course!