Technical and Professional Writing
Engl 402 Spring 2018
Proposal, Formal Report or Memo Format (the format will depend on whether your audience is internal or external)
Presentation Dates: February 21 and 23. Final Report due by 11:59 p.m. February 23 to Blackboard.
Grade breakdown:
Report: 10%
Presentation: 5%
Overview
Proposals are often the first writing done for technical writing projects, and serve "to propose an action or series of actions" (Gurak and Lannon 282). There are many kinds of proposals, but all share similar components and all are rhetorical in nature; that is, they all make an argument.
Assignment
With a classmate, choose an issue or need with veterans in one of your majors, write a detailed proposal for research on the issue or need, and give a presentation on your proposal. The topics for the proposals will be used as topics for the next project, and your proposed program (methods) may be followed, so choose carefully.
Your proposal must be both practical and real: Is there a real need for or value in the research? Can you propose methods that can actually be accomplished and with a real budget? If your proposal is accepted, will there be real benefits, and who will benefit? Why?
By the end of your report readers should have a clear understanding of the topic, context, existing research (if any) on which your research will build, the need for or value in research and action, how you propose to conduct the research and the project, and your team's experience and qualifications.
Please follow the guidelines in Chapter 16 for formatting and recommendations.Report
Your audience for the report is a committee who will vote on whether or not to accept your proposal and allow you to conduct the research you recommend.
Required content (per the organization discussed in Chapter 16, pages 428-435):
Introduction (see page 429)-your introduction should include a statement of the issue or need, statement of the purpose, statement of background, presentation of sources of information, statement of limitations and/or the scope of the research and project, explanation of the organization, and if necessary a definition of key terms and concepts.
Proposed Program (commonly called Methods or Methodology--see page 430)-this section outlines the proposed methods for your research. Your goal is to convince your audience you have a clear plan for your research and for the course of action you recommend after conducting and reporting on your research.
As Markel notes, "Be specific. You won't persuade anyone by saying that you plan to 'gather data and analyze it'" (430).
"The Method section is very important because it tells your Research Committee how you plan to tackle your research problem. It will provide your work plan and describe the activities necessary for the completion of your project" (Wong par 20).
Qualifications and Experience (see pages 430-432)-this section of your proposal should summarize your team's experience and background, and address any final considerations for your proposed research.
Budget (see pages 432-433)-a brief hypothetical budget for your proposed research, if the research project is approved. This section should answer the question, how much do you think your research project will cost, and what are the specific direct and indirect costs? Though hypothetical, this section should be based on real and practical expectations.
Appendix: a task schedule for your proposed research, if your topic is used for the next project; this should be in graphical format; do NOT place the task schedule in the body of the report. Your task schedule should reflect the time frame available for the next project (see the class schedule). You are welcome to include any other documents you feel are useful or necessary, such as peer-reviewed drafts.
The report should be a minimum of three pages, with appropriate headings for each section. The format (report or memo) will depend on whether you believe the audience is internal (inside your organization) or external (outside your organization).
You will be graded on how clearly you address the requirements in the required sections. Please refer to the review rubric for more details.
Proposal Presentation Details
Your presentation must be at least three minutes long and may be up to five. Your team must address these criteria:
1. An introduction to the topic you are proposing for research, your goal(s), and why this is worth working on (i.e. why should your classmates join you?).
2. An outline of your proposed program.
3. Your team's expertise.
4. The qualifications you will want or need from classmates if they join you for the next project.
The goal of this presentation is to persuade class members to join you for the next project. It must be delivered extemporaneously from a key-word outline, and cannot be read from a script. All team members must contribute. Visuals are not required but may be included.
It is strongly recommended you set up any presentation materials, including Power point and/or Prezi, before class starts in order to ensure your materials work. Class time spent on setting up presentations may be deducted from the total time allotted.
Your rubric for the presentation is the four criteria above and how effectively you address each of them.
Works Cited
Gurak and Lannon. A Concise Guide to Technical Communication.
Markel, Mike. Technical Communication, Eleventh Edition. Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2015.
Wong, Paul T. P. "How to Write a Research Proposal." International Network on Interpersonal Meaning. Web. 15 Aug, 2012.