For this Unit, two key assignments were to complete; drafting the formal report and peer reviewing a group member’s formal report.
I wanted to take a step back and focus on the basics of writing, improving my use of imperative verbs and revising the YOU attitude to avoid small mistakes. I also took the time to read the instructions carefully, more than once, to ensure that I understood assignment expectations and completed them correctly. I also revised the textbook, rereading assigned chapters and reviewing the peer review example in the instructor’s blog to guide my assignments. By doing so, I significantly improved my writing and assignments, as reflected in the comments made by the instructor and the peer review.
Formal Report Draft
Noting that this is a more extensive assignment than the previous ones we completed in the course, I took extra time to plan an outline for my proposal. Noting from previous feedback that I tend to write wordy sentences, I minimized unnecessary adjectives while still conveying my points by frequently proofreading my work.
When researching the topic, there was limited literature on the topic I chose, which initially made it challenging to curate a diverse body of information. Thankfully, I found five sources directly related to mental health services for newcomer youth, from which I retrieved valuable information to analyze my data findings. Since I have been working directly with the respondents in my proposal, I was able to gather data easily. Additionally, I have extensive experience with newcomer youth, which made writing the data section straightforward.
Since I had never written a formal report before, I wanted to ensure the information flowed naturally and synchronously. I found the textbook example helpful, but I also researched other examples of formal reports to help me visualize what the report should look like. This helped me organize my work.
The most challenging section to write was the introduction. The introduction must capture the reader’s attention and provide a clear overview of the report’s purpose and contents. Due to the importance of keeping the introduction short and minimizing complex ideas into a few sentences, I struggled to condense my thoughts and remove unnecessary details. I was able to combat this by editing the introduction after completing the report. I removed any information explained in depth in the body of the report from the introduction. For example, in the literature review, I introduced the demographical makeup of South Vancouver residents and how that informs their cultural attitudes toward mental health services. I then removed a section I wrote in the introduction under the subheading “Description of the Problem.” By doing so, I avoided unnecessary repetition and condensed my introduction.
Peer Review Process
This peer review was for a document much larger than the ones we had previously seen in the course. At first, I was intimidated by the amount of writing I would have to review, and I created a three-step process to help me complete the review efficiently:
- Reading my partner’s work once to get an overview
- Reading it a second time, highlighting well-written sections and areas that needed further clarification and modification.
- Reviewing one section at a time, focusing on the categories of review; content, organization, design, and style.
These steps made the process manageable and provided my partner with informative feedback. This process also made me reflect on my proposal and how to improve it. By providing feedback and receiving it in turn, I strengthened my ability to develop a sense of what makes for effective writing and communication and gain insight into the writing process as a whole.
