Description:
Write an informal technical (recommendations) report that 1) presents your findings on an issue of concern in your future industry and 2)
offers recommendations for what the industry should do about the issue moving forward. Your audience should be professionals who
would be directly impacted by and/or interested in discussing this issue; you will have to determine whether this includes both specialists and non-specialists.
Process:
Identify a topic about which you feel organizations in your future field need to be concerned. Examples include developing sustainable
building practices, sourcing more cost-effective materials, or achieving a more diverse workforce in the profession. Choose something
that interests you and has relevance to the future of your field.
Research your chosen topic. You must consult a minimum of five sources but can use as many as you need. All sources must either be
scholarly or professional (texts produced by individuals and organizations within your field, to be read by other individuals/organizations
within your field).
Submit a Project Proposal (Major Assignment #3) detailing your proposed idea and work plan for your Technical Report. Once you receive approval on your report idea, you CANNOT change it without checking with me first.
Continue research and begin drafting your technical report based on my feedback on your project proposal. Submit a partial draft of your report report (at least 4 pages, double-spaced) for PEER REVIEW here by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, April 20. I’ll also give you some brief
feedback and a grade estimate the partial draft.
Prepare an Oral Progress Report (Major Assignment 4) to update myself (and your classmates) on the progress you’re making on the
report, what you’re finding most interesting, and what questions/concerns you still have as you’re finishing up the report. Submit the oral
report for review by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, April 27.
Submit a revised draft of the technical report for my review and letter grade here by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, May 4.
Criteria:
Format: Your report should include the standard sections of an informal technical report, as detailed in ETC Chapter 8. The sample
summary and report on pages 178-189 are an excellent guide. You do not have to include infographics as that report does, but are welcome to do so.
Structure:
Summary: Identify the purpose of the report and your research methods, then summarize your main points, conclusion, and
recommendations. See example on pages 178-179 of the ETC text for guidance. Your summary should be no more than 2 pages;
these pages DO NOT count toward the 6-8 page report limit.
Introduction: Include an introduction that tells your audience the subject/report topic, purpose, background/rationale, and report development/”roadmap” (see ETC pages 170-171 for breakdown of each)
Discussion: Develop the main talking points. Explain your key issues, cite data and information from your sources, and make
recommendations regarding what to do with that information. This will be the longest section of the report; use headings to keep it
organized!
Conclusion: Briefly reiterate why your topic is important and what the key takeaways are from your report.
Citations: Include a Works Cited or References page that lists all the source (minimum of 5) you used in the report. Use MLA or APA style
unless there is another industry standard in your field (check with me to confirm if this is the case!). For in-text citations, you may use
numeric citations as demonstrated in the ETC report, or traditional parenthetical citations. The Works Cited/References page DOES count toward the 6-8 page report limit.
Style and Tone: Make report as clear, readable and understandable as possible. Speak as a peer to others in your field, be confident and
demonstrate your authority on the subject by backing up your claims with solid research. Consider who your audience is, and (especially if it’s a mix of specialists and non-specialists) determine what key terms may be critical to use and/or define.
Spelling and Grammar: Use clear, concise language and proofread carefully. Ensure all sources are cited correctly via your chosen style,
both in-text and on the references/Works-Cited Page.
Grading
You will receive a letter grade on this assignment, based on how you fulfill the above criteria, and it will be worth 25 percent of your
course grade. The grade you receive on this report will be final. You will have the opportunity to receive feedback on an early draft from
myself and your peers.
***I have attached the project proposal that is associated with this technical report. Please let me know if you have any questions.
References must be scholarly approved.