The third unit of Technical Writing 301 provided students with the opportunity to conduct research and analyze information in order to write the draft of their formal report. For me, this included the distribution of surveys through the UBC survey tool and interviews with the staff of the dental office the Tooth Gallery. I found follow-up interview questions were necessary due to not having gathered all the necessary information from survey responses. I realized I should have included more questions regarding paper products and single-use plastics used during dental treatment. However, I tried to remain broad as only the staff who work directly with clients truly witness the bulk of how much trash is disposed of directly from the treatment rooms.
I did not feel very confident upon organizing my formal report draft as the bulk of the data collection wasn’t complete by the due date. I received much fewer responses to the survey than I had expected, retrieving only 5 surveys out of a potential of 20 staff members. I don’t believe I set my sights high enough for this assignment. I had also written my questions in a way to facilitate distributing the questions to other offices and not just the Tooth Gallery, as I planned that the proposal could be implemented in other dental offices following success in this one. By interviewing staff members of the dental office, I was able to gather further insight into the waste management practices of the dental office. I believe that the purpose of this assignment is to develop our formal writing abilities and that the research I was able to gather will be adequate for completing the report.
A recurrent theme I’ve noticed through this course is that the peer review process is the most enriching aspect of the assignment. My partner Helene provided me with support that I’m on the right track as well as some tips and guidance on areas to improve. I enjoyed reading her draft and as I am also a dental hygienist, I truly related to the problem she chose. I felt much more confident in my most recent peer review than those submitted earlier on in the course and wonder if it was my personal involvement with the subject matter that enhanced my comfort. I do also feel more confident as a writer as the course progresses. Reading Helene’s draft helped me feel more at ease about the speed at which I had my work completed, as she had yet to complete certain areas such as her interview questions and works cited page. However, upon receiving feedback from this recent peer review, I see that there are still many areas in my own work that need attention. I plan on finishing this term off strong and hope to see a significant improvement in works submitted for the final WebFolio assignment. I wonder how I can enrichen other aspects of my professional life with help from my peers.