Over the course of this semester I’ve had the pleasure to practice my technical writing through various writing assignments. Here are some examples of my best work:
My definition assignment:ENGL301 Ruth’s Revised Definition
The purpose of the definition assignment was to provide a parenthetical, sentence, and expanded definition for a topic in our area of study for a non-technical audience. I chose to define PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and had Julianne peer review my definition afterwards. Some of the feedback I received was that focused too much on the technical aspect of the definition, rather than the significance of PCR, which someone from a non-technical background would appreciate reading about more. In addition, I did not expand on some of technical jargon like DNA, polymerase, nucleotides I subconsciously assumed the audience already knew. Therefore, the peer review helped me revise my assignment such that I expanded on introductory knowledge, significance, and application so that it was better catered towards an audience unfamiliar with PCR.
My formal report proposal: ENGL301 Ruth’s Formal Report Proposal
The purpose of the formal report proposal was to identify and investigate an inefficiency in a public setting either in a workplace or volunteer organization to provide reasonable recommendations. I chose the topic of improving recruitment in terms of raising awareness of volunteer opportunities from Junior Achievement to UBC students. I then narrowed down the problem, scope, and methodology utilized to investigate the the lack of volunteers. Julianne’s peer review was helpful because I realized my audience should be towards Rosine Hage-Moussa, the Junior Achievement Marketing and Communications Manager, rather than our professor. In addition, my purpose was initially not clear or concise but with Julianne’s feedback I was able to revise my problem statement and scope to better convey my proposal.
My complaint letter: ENGL301 Ruth’s Complaint Letter
The purpose of the complaint letter was to utilize the “you-attitude” to convey a complaint or concern in an effective manner following appropriate business letter format. I was able to successfully follow the business letter format illustrated in Technical Communication and convey my message to IKEA in an objective manner with sufficient details and facts. One important aspect is to maintain a polite and rational tone throughout the letter. The “You Attitude and Reader-Centered Writing” document provided was incredibly helpful because I realized I had to avoid accusations and imperatives as they don’t convey respect, and sound demanding.
My peer review: ENGL301 Ruth’s Peer Review
The purpose of my peer review was to provide constructive feedback for Robele’s application package draft by identifying highlights, areas of improvement, and spelling/grammatical errors. After completing several peer reviews prior to this I realized the importance of outlining a general format of areas I should cover prior to peer reviewing. Having a template prior to peer review allowed me to objectively review Robele’s application package and cover all areas that need to be addressed. I chose to separate the peer review based on three separate documents and addressed some of his highlights such as his unique customized introductory paragraph in his cover letter and professional looking resume. Afterwards, I was able to go into detail into areas that he could improve his application package and provide rationale for each point.