Unit Three Reflection Blog
MEMO
To: Dr. Erika Paterson, Professor of English 301 99c Technical Writing
From: MinZhang Si, Student
Date: March 22, 2022
Subject: Unit Three Reflection Blog
Please find below my unit-three reflection and provide any feedback you may have.
I can only think of the adjective “colossal” to describe the experience with writing my formal report draft. I have written long papers, and one of the longest research papers I have done was about 4,000 words. But this report was different in its practicality and in its nature as a report. Unlike other academic papers that require mostly secondary research, this report required primary research. Because of this first-hand research component, I felt more pressure during my research and more responsibility to the data collection process and the findings.
For example, I felt slightly stressed about the surveys I sent out to my participants. Would they answer the questions in good faith? What if they took a long time to answer the questions? What would I do if I did not have the analytical skills to interpret their answers? Apart from these questions, I wondered whether my secondary research would be aligned with my primary research and doubted the relevance of academic, lab-based studies to real working environments. Specifically, I asked myself whether scholarly research in favor of employee engagement really applies to the workspace.
In terms of organizing my report, the word “colossal” is still a fitting description. To my surprise, the Table of Contents was the most challenging of the entire report. The challenge, however, did not lie in its writing but in its structure and format. I left the Table of Contents to the last stage of my report after I had completed other parts because I had to enter the corresponding page(s) to each section of the report as outlined in the Table of Contents. I wonder if there are other more effective ways to do the Table of Contents.
These challenges aside, I have enjoyed writing this report. It is one of the most practical assignments I have done, but I am not sure if I have done a good job. In any case, it is a colossal task, and I am glad I managed to break it into smaller parts and do it in multiple sessions.
As for peer review, I would avoid it if I could, even at the cost of losing marks. While I have benefited from my peer’s reading, which, for example, has helped me with readability and typos, I find the peer-reviewing process cumbersome. In a busy work environment, one suggestion from a co-worker can already be “too much.” That said, I am not so full of pride that I can’t take criticism. I only question how much an improvement a piece of writing may really have from a peer review.
Thank you for your all the comments you have given to my assignments to date. I look forward to reading your feedback for this reflection.
Hyperlink: 301 MinZhang Si Draft Formal Report