Proposal Memo: 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. You can use any word processor you like, just as long as it can save a file as *.doc or *.docx, OR it can be shared online. 

Getting Started

Complete these activities to gather information and prepare to write your draft: 

• Proposal Memo: Generate Ideas about Your Topic
• Proposal Memo: Complete an Audience Profile Sheet
• Proposal Memo: Outline Your Memo

You are not required to complete the activities above, but they can help you prepare your draft.

Composing Your Draft

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

• Focuses on a kind of writing from your Analysis of Writing in Your Field project that you have not written before.
• Is a document in memo format created in a word processor.
• Provides a specific subject line for the document.
• Includes the following sections, in this order:
  • A clear statement of purpose.
  • A brief summary of the information in the document.
  • Details on the areas to be studied in your recommendation report, including the ethical issues you will consider.
  • An explanation of the research strategy you will use, explaining your plan for finding information about the kind of writing.
  • A request for approval of your proposed topic.
• 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.
• Use accurate/appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation, mechanics, linking, and formatting.

Read additional details on the project assignment, Proposal Memo: Assignment.

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 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, September 20.

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 Links to an external site..