Recommendation Report: Rough Draft

Goals

• Analyze the rhetorical situation and determine the appropriate audience or users of written communication, considering the needs of global audiences and people with disabilities. [CLO 1]
• Use conventions of various workplace genres, such as proposals, instructions, correspondence, reports, and slide decks, with understanding of how the genre conventions can be used as heuristics and as principles of arrangement. [CLO 4]
• Apply principles of effective visual design for print and electronic presentation, including hierarchical, chronological, and spatial arrangements. [CLO 6]
• Identify and apply the principles of effective style in the composing of usable, reader-centered written communications. [CLO 7]

The Task

For this Major Writing Project Activity, create a rough draft of your project in your word processor. 

Getting Started

Complete the research and related activities to gather information and prepare to write your draft.

Composing Your Draft

Create a rough draft of your project in your word processor. Keep the following Project Requirements in mind:

• Is a document in report format created in a word processor.
• Covers all of the information listed in the scenario or description of the assignment.
• Includes the following sections, in this order, in your report (page numbers refer to Technical Communication):
  • Front matter
    • letter of transmittal (p. 481)
    • title page with a specific title (p. 481)
    • abstract (p. 481)
    • table of contents (p. 482)
    • list of illustrations (p. 483)—Optional, include if relevant
    • executive summary (p. 485)
  • Body
    • introduction (p. 479)
    • methods (p. 479)
    • results (p. 479)
    • conclusions (p. 480)
    • recommendations (p. 480)
  • Back matter
    • glossary (p. 486)—Optional, include if relevant
    • list of symbols (p. 486)—Optional, include if relevant
    • references—REQUIRED (p. 488)
    • appendix—Optional, include if relevant
• Use professional design and formatting that does the following:
  • Makes information easy for readers to find and read.
  • Emphasizes important information.
  • Makes a good first impression as a polished, professional document.
  • Uses well-integrated and well-designed visuals to clarify the information.
• Use accurate/appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation, mechanics, linking, and formatting.

Read additional details on the project assignment, Recommendation Report: Original Assignment or Recommendation Report: Alternative Assignment.

Requirements

1. Create your document in your word processor. 
2. Include a rough outline of the entire Recommendation Report.
3. Make sure your draft is clear, but don’t need to worry about spelling, grammar, and punctuation since this is a rough draft. 

Grading Process

I  will record the points for this activity after I check your draft and ensure that it meets the basic requirements listed above.  Note that your draft need not be complete to earn the points for this activity, but I do expect to see at least half of your project, accurately fitting the assignment, with enough information to demonstrate that you put your effort into the draft.

I provide individualized editing and revision feedback on rough drafts submitted by 11:59 PM on Friday, April 3. Please allow approximately 3 days for me to respond to your work.

I will provide everyone with collective feedback that goes over issues I see in the drafts all members of the course submit. I may use excerpts from your draft to provide collective feedback to the class, based on the Anonymous Use of Student Texts policy.