Unit Three Reflection Blog
Miranda Hoang
July 19, 2021
Reflection on the process of researching, organizing, and writing the formal report draft:
For 301 ENGL Assignment 3:2, we were asked to write a draft of our formal report. Prior to this course I was not even sure I knew what a formal report was. After reading the text and the instructor’s blog, I realized I was in for an exciting challenge. The formal report is an essential component to workplace problem solving. My goal in researching and organizing the formal report draft was to gather the necessary information needed to present to the reader. My proposal is addressed to Gurbaz Sandhu Dentist/Owner of Spencer Dentistry and is investigating the issue of diagnosing and referring the periodontally involved client within the practice. My primary research for this proposal was in the form of survey questions that I developed to gain an understanding of where other Dental Hygienists in Ontario stand on this issue. My hope was that the result of the survey would support my recommendations to Dr Sandhu and the practice. Once the survey questions had been approved, they were distributed to 22 practicing dental hygienists in Ontario. I was pleasantly surprised as I had 90% response rate within 24 hours. This information confirmed that there were improvements that could be made at Spencer Dentistry to calibrate the clinicians on diagnosis, as well as the referral process. Next, I dug into the secondary research to further support the proposal. I pulled information from the RCDSO, CDHO, ODA, CDHA, and most importantly the AAP (American Academy of Periodontology) to aid in constructing a list of recommendations that Spencer Dentistry can utilize moving forward, to ensure all patients are receiving a proper periodontal diagnosis and prompt periodontal referral when needed. When constructing the draft, I tried to ensure the document was professional, and respectful. As I am learning, presenting a YOU attitude, as well as avoid any negative tone is an important skill for any technical writer.
Reflection on Partner Peer Review:
We were asked to complete a peer review of our partner’s draft of their formal report. I had the pleasure of reviewing Shahd Khudher’s draft as well as accept constructive, valuable feedback from her on my own draft. Shahd formulated a well organized, detailed draft with the subject of improving infection control protocol within the orthodontic clinic after the covid-19 pandemic. As a fellow oral health professional, I can appreciate her passion for this topic and understand the importance of such a subject. The pandemic has placed a lot of extra stress on everyone, and dental professionals are no exception. I have enjoyed the peer review process during this course as it has allowed me to look at my partners work through a different lens causing me to reflect and improve on my own work. For this peer review we were asked to give our partner constructive and balanced feedback, employing a YOU attitude throughout the review. The YOU attitude is a work in progress for me, but I am starting to assess documents in a different manner as I gain confidence with this aspect of writing. In reviewing Shahd’s draft, I tried to look at the overall document and give advice on how to enhance the final report. I reviewed the report for content, organization, design, and style offering praise for a job well done, as well as minor suggestions for the final draft. I appreciate the opportunity to be a member of the RDH Writers team, as I have learned a lot from reviewing their technical writing assignments, which has allowed me to reflect on my own writing style, making adjustments and improvements where necessary.
Below is a copy of the first draft of my Formal report