ENGL 2116 sec. 021 & 022: Introduction to Technical Communication » July 18th: Final Project and Research Discussion

July 18th: Final Project and Research Discussion

Possible Catch up

We might need to catch up on a few things from last week. We’re through with prose revisions, but, if you didn’t read Ch. 4 and 7 or the Prose Revisions pdf, you really need to do so before Thursday’s (7/20) Midterm Exam.

I’ll be handing back your resumes and cover letters. Make sure you review some general suggestions for improvement located here.

Ch. 5 and 10–last few things to address

Chapter 8: Reports and Other Such Fun

Chapter 8 basically stresses the need to understand audience and purpose for particular types of reports. Of course, reports are industry specific, so we need to be careful about generalizing. However, there are important components of the chapter that can be generalized as effective types of technical communication.

Some questions

  • What attributes make the reports in Appendix C effective report for the busy executive?
    3rd ed. “Mechanics ad Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease” pp. 391-416
    2nd ed. “Animal Rehabilitation” pp. 350-367 What attributes make the report
  • “Marketing CSU–Status Report” on pp. 186-188 (3rd ed.) an effective marketing campaign report? What about the effectiveness of the report “Radon Causes and Concerns” on pp. 159-163 (2nd ed.)

Research Discussion Introduction

Whatever we do, let’s just preview Proposal, Visual, and Annotated Bibliography due in two weeks on Monday, 7/31.

Here’s what I propose for our research discussions:

  • What is research?
  • How would you find information on…?
  • What is epistemology?
  • How do we determine a source’s credibility?
  • What are the annotated bibliography requirements?

What is research? Why do it? Why is it something people devote their lives to? What does it mean to research a topic? Where do you start? When do you stop? How do you come to a conclusion? Do you or should you come to a conclusion?

I know what you’re thinking: “Hold on! Can’t you just tell us what to do?” Well, I could, but where’s the fun in that?

As a class, let’s think about how we’ve researched and been told to research in the past. Think about the research assignments you’ve done for other classes (in high school or college). What were their purposes, and how did you create a research “paper” or final project?

Epistemology

How do we make knowledge? How do we take data and make it information? Let’s consider those questions as we explore epistemology. This should lead us into a page on Thinking Critically about Research.

Source Credibility

Are all sources equal? What makes a source credible or not so credible? Below are the names and descriptions of some types of sources you may encounter:

  • Popular media—Time, Newsweek, The Washington Post, The Charlotte Observer
  • Internet sources—sources which exist solely online and do not mimic “traditional” print sources:
    (The links below should open up in new windows)

  • Sources found on the Internet—databases and online “card” catalogs
  • Trade and business sources—white papers, consumer reports, other sources for semi-technical to highly technical
  • Specialized/Government Sources—commissioned reports, expert panels, empirical research
  • Scholarly/peer reviewed/refereed sources—same as above
  • Authoritative sources—the above three types of sources and usually primary sources or sources that have proven their reliability for offering credible information to a specialized group

Next Class

Tomorrow (7/19), your Set of Instructions assignment is due, so make sure you have that finished. We will finish up our research discussion and then move onto discussing Technology from a social perspective–don’t forget to read the supplement. Please have that reading done before coming to class.

Don’t forget, you Midterm is on Thursday, 7/20.