Communication result

Communication result Course Project In the project for this course you will research, write, and present an analytical report to help your "client"—usually an organization, but it can also be an individual—solve a problem that you have identified. Every report starts with an overarching key research question. Your analytical report will present your findings, analysis, and recommendations for answering the key question and solving your client's problem. (For the deadlines and instructions for this project, see Final Analytical Report.) Analytical reports come in many forms—for this project, I will ask you to prepare either a feasibility report or a recommendation report. If you start digging into the communications literature, you’ll find that there is no universal definition for these report types. That said, here is a working outline of each of these report types: • Feasibility reports generally start with a specific solution in mind, and the key research question is whether it makes sense to move forward with that solution. The organization is asking, "Should we do X?" or perhaps "Should we do X or Y?" (Reports that compare two possibilities are sometimes called comparison reports.) • Recommendation reports also seek to solve a specific problem—the difference is that you aren't starting with a potential solution (or solutions) to evaluate. Therefore, your key question is broader: "What should do we do about X?" Your goal is to identify the potential solutions and help the decision maker by recommending the best solution or set of solutions. As you’ll learn, the overall structure of your report will be similar regardless of which type of question you ask, so don't worry about which type of report you should choose. To begin with, just focus on coming up with your key research question. Since the activities involved in this project constitute a large part of your grade, it will be worthwhile to pick your key research question carefully. I suggest that you start mulling over potential topics at the start of the course. Think about the organizations you are familiar with and the problems that they face, large and small. Try to pick a problem that you are curious about or interested in, since you'll be doing a lot of research in that area. Sample Key Research Questions To help you brainstorm your project topic, here are some of the key research questions that have been used for this project in previous semesters. All of these questions have one thing in common—they focus on solving a real problem in a real organization. As a result, the report writer was able to identify a specific decision maker who would be the primary audience for the report and also identify any other specific audience(s). As we'll see, knowing your audience will be essential when researching, analyzing, and reporting on the issue at hand. Feasibility Reports Examples of key research questions posed for feasibility reports: "Should organization X . . . • redesign its storefront or move to a new location to more effectively reach customers? • expand its operations to be able to send its construction crews out of state for projects? • add new gravel to the paths on a golf course or pave them with asphalt? • purchase company vehicles instead of having employees drive their own cars for job-related trips? • add Internet access to a store for use by employees and guests? • (at a hotel) keep restaurant X as the room service provider or switch to restaurant Y or Z? • continue using biodiesel in the company fleet? • discontinue its subcontracting business? • (at a nonprofit) choose software X, Y, or Z to track fundraising efforts? Recommendation Reports Examples of key research questions posed for recommendation reports: • How should bus company X redesign its Web site to more effectively reach its prospective customers? • How should documents be improved to help teachers easily access disciplinary processes at school X? • What should dental facility X do to encourage children to improve their oral hygiene? • How can school X more effectively encourage its students to make healthy food choices? • Which community service projects would attract the most participation from the members of sorority X? • How should company X streamline the number of vendors it uses for its supplies? • How should club X change its practices to attract more student participation? Audience and Purpose The primary audience for the analytical report is your client, although there may also be other primary, secondary, and (possibly) additional audiences. The objectives of this report are as follows: • present to your client a balanced consideration of your findings, analysis, and conclusions about potential solutions • based on your conclusions, offer recommendations to your client to help your client choose a course of action and meet the needs of other primary, secondary, and (possibly) additional audiences • persuade your client to make decisions consistent with your recommendations You will also demonstrate that you have learned key business communication skills and are able to • analyze the needs of a client to determine appropriate report-writing strategies; • use interviewing and other research strategies to explore potential solutions to address a client's needs; • apply the conventions of an analytical report to organize and present your research methods, findings, analyses, and recommendations; • develop the front and back matter sections that are appropriate for a formal report; • effectively organize a report narrative with a logical flow, clearly focused paragraphs, supporting sentences, and transitional devices; • integrate graphics or tables to help readers process information you are presenting; • choose effective design strategies that emphasize key information and clarify the structure of the document; • apply writing style strategies that provide clarity and conciseness. Report Components Your report submission should include the following elements, in this order: • Title page • Table of contents • List of figures and tables (use at least one visual element, such as a graph or table) • Executive summary • Introduction that includes a Problem statement, Scope of the project and report • Background methodology (what you did to uncover information, including why you selected the methods you used) • Definitions (if needed by the audience) • Limitations (if needed) • Findings (the facts, data, and information you collected) • Conclusions (with your analysis and explanation of the findings) • Recommendations (the steps you are recommending your client take based on the findings and conclusions section). Remember that a recommendation that no action be taken is perfectly valid. • Appendices (Include your interview questions in an appendix, as well as any other supporting information that you refer to in the report.) The suggested length of the analytical report is 5–10 pages (2,500–4,000 words). Evaluation Criteria Content (25%) • The report includes descriptive front matter, including report cover, title page, executive summary of key aspects of the full report, and a table of contents. • The introduction clearly defines the problem and its importance to the client and previews the contents of the full report. • The report provides enough information and analysis for the audience to make an informed decision. • The report describes the key findings and analyzes what they mean to the client. • The report provides recommendations that clearly flow from its conclusions, helping the client know what to do next, based on those conclusions. • The report includes appendices that provide the interview questions and other relevant documents. All the items in the appendices are referred to in the body of the report. • Organization (25%) • The information is chunked for the reader and organized in a logical flow. • There are clear transitions from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph to create a cohesive whole. • The organizational approach is appropriate for the needs of the intended audience. Design (25%) • The design effectively applies font style and size, margins, and other formatting to create an easily readable (scannable) document. • The design uses principles of balance, alignment, grouping, consistency, and contrast. • The design clarifies the structure of the document by using consistent headings and subheadings. • The report uses a well-designed figure (such as a table or chart) to help present key information. • The graphics have clear and informative titles. The key components of each graphic (the x- and y-axis, the parts of a pie chart, etc.) are clearly labeled. • The text and graphics work together—the text clearly references each visual element and explains its meaning. Expression (25%) • The writing is clear and concise. • The style and tone are appropriate for the audience. • The report uses correct grammar