I think my greatest takeaway from Unit 3 has been with regards to the difference between the objective and the subjective voice. I noticed when reviewing my peer’s formal report draft that bias comes through in subtle ways – for example, in the appearance of hyperbole or the use of certain adjectives (such as “beautiful” or “frustrating”). In noticing the subjective voice, I became more likely to look critically at the content of the report I was reading, and I reflected on the likelihood that I had strayed toward the subjective in the writing of my own draft. This made me think about the importance of concrete data in keeping the use of the objective voice ethical.
Another major takeaway for me from this unit has to do with readability. I completed much of my draft before thinking about headings and subheadings, and I had to remind myself to note the use of them when I was reviewing my peer’s draft. This was because I am much more used to writing essays and short articles than to writing reports, so I haven’t often written for an audience who might be inclined to skim or to search within a document for specific information. On this subject, I’ve found this course’s textbook to be the most effectively organized academic resource I’ve ever read, and it has helped me understand the incredible benefit of organizing content for readers with varying needs; but I am still learning how to apply the principles that I see used within that book myself. Overall, organizing my report draft and reviewing my peer’s helped me to move along my learning curve with regards to writing with document usability in the forefront of my mind.
Finally, in conducting my secondary research, I made huge strides in my understanding of my own preferences and tendencies when it comes to locating information. In the past, I have leaned heavily on search engines for secondary research purposes, and this has made the process a lonely pursuit. Between 2015 and 2016, however, I came to realize that one of my greatest professional strengths lies in my networking ability, so I leveraged my network for this project and sent out requests for links and relevant articles to people who I knew might be able to direct my eyes. In this way, I came up with the information I needed much more quickly than I might have done if I’d searched independently, and I strengthened my relationships simultaneously. It is a method of quickening secondary research that I intend to use again in the future.
In summary, this unit has provided me with three key learnings: 1) objectivity trumps subjectivity when research is at hand; 2) readability is the next most important consideration; and 3) even research can be networking!
I look forward to applying these learnings to the final unit of this class.
