ENGL 3620: Professional Writing
Project #2: Technical Report (w/ Research)
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ENGL 3620: Professional Writing
Project #2: Technical Report (w/ Research)
Project Purpose
The purpose of Project 2 is to give ENGL 3620 students the opportunity to apply their working knowledge of Unit 2 (document design, typography, Gestalt Principles, user experience, usability, accessibility, human centered design, design ethics) and Unit 3 (instruction sets, process documentation, instructional design, document/data management, project/team management, process ethics) to a particular research topic of their choice.
ENGL 3620 Learning Objectives
Identify the audiences, purposes, contexts, communities, and cultures of professional writing genres (e.g., emails, memos, analyses, instructions, proposals, reports)
Compose professional documents, graphics, and presentations using principles of effective document design, including Gestalt principles, typography, usability, and accessibility
Analyze processes and compose instruction sets with attention to best practices in instructional design, project management, and document/data management
Understand the impact of design, process, research, and information ethics on professional communication within a specific discipline or workplace
Conduct disciplinary research that analyzes and solves a specific problem, interprets qualitative and quantitative data, and reports the results in a well-researched report
Reflect and evaluate the learning experience in ENGL 3620 and determine long-term professional and personal impact through a professional schema analysis
Project Goals & Audience
The major goal of Project 2 is for students to engage in the primary and secondary research processes as they draft a researched technical report on a topic from one of the following:
Your major field of study (e.g., Engineering Technology)
Your intended employment industry (e.g., Professional Pilot)
Your current place of employment (e.g., Nissan Smyrna Assembly Plant)
The final report should be organized around a problem/solution and demonstrate your skills in: researching, organizing, drafting, and presenting information to non-specialist audiences in a cohesive, well-designed document that is attentive to user experience and accessibility concerns. All elements of your technical report will need to be accessible to someone who is unfamiliar with your field of study, intended employment industry, or current place of employment.
Writing Process & Template
The writing process for Project 2 will take place as you complete each research component. Because the technical report is a complicated genre, I have created a template for you to use as you research your topic and craft your report. Please download the template as a Word document and begin composing your technical report on your own device.
Invention & Brainstorming
Since your report will focus on a disciplinary research topic, you should begin your brainstorming and invention work by asking yourself the following questions in order to arrive at a report topic:
What is a communication problem in my major field of study that could use some additional research and/or recommendations? In this case, you might begin with a communication problem you’ve witnessed firsthand and attempt to research and propose a solution.
What is something I wish to know more about my intended employment industry? Is there something I’ve recently seen covered in the news or recent research that I’d like to know more about? Or, is there an industry communication problem you could research and attempt to solve?
What is a communication problem in my current place of employment that could use some additional research and/or recommendations? In this case, you might begin with a communication problem you’ve witnessed firsthand and attempt to research and propose a solution.
Report Components & Format
Following the template, your technical report should contain the following components:
Cover Letter
Cover Page
Abstract with Keywords
Table of Contents
List of Figures (if applicable)
Note: Your report should contain at least 1 figure or table (see below). Figures can be created by you or cited from a source. In case of the latter, you will need to clearly indicate the source for your figure in text and in your References section (see below).
List of Tables (if applicable)
Note: Your report should contain at least 1 table or figure (see above). Tables can be created by you or cited from a source. In case of the latter, you will need to clearly indicate the source for your table in text and in your References section (see below)
Introduction
Background (Literature Review)
The Introduction can be divided into additional sections depending on the scope of your project, but this is not required. Refer to the template for information on how to format subsections, if you choose to include them.
Body
Methodology (Research Process)
Results and Discussion
Conclusions and Recommendations
References (Read: Research Ethics)
Note: Your report must use a documentation style (APA, CBE, Chicago, ASME, IEEE, MLA) to properly and consistently cite information you receive from outside sources, including any figures or tables you did not create. Your report should include in-text citations, plus a list of these references at the end of your report. I don’t have a preference for your documentation style, but please remain consistent throughout your report.
Appendix A: Primary Research
Note: Primary research includes first-hand research (meaning designed and executed by you) like scientific tests, observations, interviews, surveys, or first-hand/primary documents such as photos, videos, or sound recordings. You should have at least 1 primary source. You must quote or paraphrase each primary research source, properly cite it in-text, and list them in your references using your chosen documentation style.
Appendix B: Secondary Research
Note: Secondary research includes articles published in technical and scientific journals, articles published in online technical and scientific journals, chapters in edited books, recent books on the topic, conference proceedings, or information from credible websites, podcasts, radio shows, YouTube channels, etc. You should have 4-6 secondary sources. You must quote or paraphrase each of them, properly cite them in-text, and list them in your references using your chosen documentation style.
Appendix C: Personal Reflection
Reflect on your primary research process and your writing process. What did you learn about the research process during this project? What did you learn about the writing process and/or technical report genre? How did this assignment help you apply your working knowledge from Unit 2 and Unit 3?
Grading Checklist
Project 2 is worth 8 points; it will be graded with the checklist below. If you can answer “yes” to each of the following questions, your memo will receive full credit.
Is the technical report written in the provided template format? (1 point)
Does the technical report include at least 1 figure and/or 1 table? (1 point)
Does the technical report introduce the author’s research topic and provide appropriate background information about a specific disciplinary topic? (1 point)
Does the technical report include primary research? (1 point)
Does the technical report include secondary research? (1 point)
Does the technical report consistently follow a specific documentation style? (1 point)
Does the technical report describe the author’s experience researching a specific disciplinary topic (Appendix C: Personal Reflection)? (1 point)
Was the technical report submitted by the deadline? (1 point)*
* I will only remove 1 point for late submissions. Your project can be one day late or one month late, and you still have the possibility of earning 7 of the 8 available points.
field of study- psychology/ behavior analysis
intended employment- board certified behavior analysis
current employment – registered behavior tech