Reflecting on Unit 3 – Formal Report Draft and Peer Review
As per my previous reflection in Unit two, I had hoped to integrate more creativity and clarity in terms of professional communications in Unit 3. I also aimed to incorporate lessons that I have learned from writing with “you-attitude” into this unit. The following reflection demonstrates my effort to incorporate these writing styles onto both my formal report draft and my peer review of Jen-Ai’s formal report draft.
Researching the formal report
One of the main challenges I faced when researching for the formal report was finding a suitable alternative to paper towels for hand drying. I was able to narrow my search to 3 main methods: hand dryers, paper towels and cloth towels. Each method had its own pros and cons and it was hard for me to determine which was the best alternative. Fortunately, after talking to my group members, I was able to select the most suitable method based on environmental and economical impact.
I find it extremely helpful to interview people who are experts in this field of study. They were able to provide helpful insights into which method works the best and past insights of what may have worked well.
Organizing the formal report
Generating an an outline and a formal report proposal in Unit 2 was extremely helpful because it enables me to better plan out things I wanted to include in my formal report and systematically introduce facts and data onto my report. As one who is very familiar with scientific reports, I find the formal report provided more freedom in terms of layout and criteria.
Writing the formal report
This was a huge undertaking for me. As a trained biologist, I found it hard to proceed without having a guiding hand. Interestingly, I found myself constantly referring back to the Technical Communication text for insights. I find it helpful to have read about the “you-attitude” before writing the formal report as it provided me with the necessary tools to integrate professionalism in my writing while engaging the readers at a personal level.
Peer Review
I was extremely impressed by the level of professionalism both in the layout and writing of Jen-Ai’s formal report draft (link below). She has chosen a very relevant topic and provided some very valuable insights into promoting food security and environmental conservation. The suggested areas of improvement were workable and the solutions were logical and affordable. In regards to the tonality of her report, she was able to integrate professionalism while engaging the readers at a personal level. However, as mentioned in my peer review (link below), one of the main weakness I found was the lack of graphical representation in her report. I personally find that visual cues help with the understanding and flow of the document.
Unit 3 has allowed me to practice weaving both creativity and clarity into my writings. I look forward to presenting the improvements I have made in my writing abilities and the set of writing skills I have accumulated over the past two units into the final unit.
By Timothy E. Goh
301-Timothy Goh-Formal Report Draft
Peer Review of Timothy Goh’s Formal Report Draft – by Jen-Ai Lai
Peer Review of Jen-Ai’s Formal Report Draft – by Timothy Goh