This post addresses the importance of using a reader-centered writing style to complete the formal report. Through researching, composing the paper, and peer review, I was able to finalize my casual and feasibility report on “Expanding and Enriching the BCS  Study Room”.

Unit three mainly focuses on writing with the “You Attitude” and the process of completing our formal report draft. These two topics tie nicely together with each other as the formal report draft uses the “You Attitude” writing style.

Process of Researching

The process of researching for my formal report involves creating a survey, collecting survey responses, conducting on-site observations and taking photos. I learned the importance of using a positive tone in constructing a survey.  It is also equally important to include a survey introduction. This helps the respondents to learn more about the nature of the survey and also fulfills research ethics. I also had fun conducting on-site observations in the ICICS building. There are so many available space to use for my proposed solution to move the BCS study room. After walking around for some time, I was able to find the ideal room for the relocation. In order to provide some ideas for enriching the BCS study room, the UBC Computer Science Student Society club room was selected as a comparable club in my report. It has some nice features that the new BCS study room can implement. As a result, some photos of the club room are featured in my report. After gathering all the research data, I learned that a thorough research takes time and on-going efforts.

Organizing and Writing the Formal Report

Both the textbook and the report outline helped with organizing my formal report. I did restructure my report outline after collecting all the research data to better align with the research results. From this, I learned that structuring a formal report is an ongoing process and it does not end until the completion of a report. The knowledge of the “You Attitude” came in handy when I started to write out the formal report draft. It constantly reminded me to tailor the tone to the intended audience and ask the question “how does this solution benefit the audience?”

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Peer Review

Pedraum has a very interesting research topic that affects all UBC students. His introduction is very detailed and emphasizes the end goal of his research which is very lucrative to the intended audience. This calls for immediate attention and action. It is an effective use of the “You Attitude”. I believe by completing the rest of the Data Section, his report will be very informational to the audience.

Enclosure: 301 Yingying Wu- Casual and Feasibility Report Draft

This post discusses the process of creating two of the most important assignments of the course. It illustrates the importance of conducting research.

After successfully completing Unit 2 of the course, I gained valuable insights on how to systematically update my LinkedIn profile and structure a formal research paper.

Process of Creating a LinkedIn Profile
Before this assignment, I already had a LinkedIn profile page. I created it a long time ago and only updated it when I was in transition of jobs. It was when I researched for the best practices on LinkedIn that I realized a lot of my information was either outdated or missing. I then had the opportunity to update my page. I was able to scrutinize my page as a whole and identify what sections needed more attention. I was glad that I put most of my research to use.

Brainstorming and Preparing Report Proposal and Outline
Coming up with an appropriate topic for my formal report was the hardest part in this process. I spent two days thinking about the potential subjects that I could write and have the passion to write. I tried to get insights from rereading the textbook content. It was also important to select a topic that I was comfortable to investigate effectively and thoroughly within the target length of 12 to 15 pages double spaced. Eventually, I found a topic in regards to expanding and enriching the current BSC study room.

Once I had the topic, it was easier for me to prepare my report proposal. Since this was a topic that I was passionate about, I was able to quickly identify the main areas in my report. It was also extremely helpful to have an outline example in the textbook for me to refer to.

After finishing my formal proposal, I was a bit uncertain about how everything is going to come together. The progress report assignment soothed my concern by allowing me to structurally online and think more about the content of my research paper. It helped me identify the details of my research plan and put a concrete date beside each of my writing plan.

Peer Review for Kevin Huang’s Proposal
I am surprised to see how different Kevin’s research topic is from mine. Given my hospitality background, it helped me to understand Kevin’s statement of problem and solution. I enjoyed peer reviewing his proposal. One thing I learned from reviewing his writing is the importance of identifying an audience and tailor the tone to that audience. It is also equally important to always have a positive tone in a professional writing.

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Peer Review Process
It was always great to have another fresh set of eyes to peer review my writing. Kevin helped me to spot the citations section that I accidentally missed. He also pointed out a couple of sentence structures that I could improve. As he is also in the BCS program, it was great to receive a positive feedback from him about the topic of my research paper. One thing I learned by continuing doing peer reviews is to never stop proofreading your own writing. You will always find something to improve by reading it one more time.

enclosure: 301 Yingying Wu Formal Report Proposal
link: Proposal Peer Review Link