Long Report Submitted by EGS 215 Instructor EGS 215: Workplace Writing Month XX, 20XX Table of Contents Table of Contents Report Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction: Writing and Communication in Your Profession ........................................................... 2 Requirements ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Topics You Might Address .................................................................................................................................. 2 Genres .................................................................................................................................................................................................2 Professional/Workplace Setting ............................................................................................................................................3 Specialized Language or Jargon/Lexis................................................................................................................................3 Tools and/or Technologies .......................................................................................................................................................3 Research ................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Primary Research ..........................................................................................................................................................................4 Secondary Research .....................................................................................................................................................................4 Group Project Option ........................................................................................................................................... 4 1 Report Abstract This document is a model for students writing a long report for an EGS 215 course. It describes the purpose of the assignment, the requirements, as well as the organization and research involved with the project. Additionally, this report can act as a model or a template for students who will want samples beyond the textbook and class readings. 2 Introduction: Writing and Communication in Your Profession In order to prepare yourself for workplace writing in your future profession, it can be helpful to understand the types of contexts and settings for which you might be writing. This project is meant to help you understand and study the community-context knowledge necessary to be a successful writer and communicator in your field. To be an effective writer in the workplace, you need to know more than just the types of writing (genres) involved in your profession. You must also understand the contexts, audiences, conventions, language/diction, and values of a workplace community in order to write and communicate effectively. For this project, you’ll write a long report that examines writing and communication in your profession. You might think of the report as an informative guide for other students with similar career interests. Requirements • • • • • • • • Length: 2100-3000 words of text. This will be approximately 6 to 8 single-spaced pages, including a cover page and a Table of Contents, and components such as titles, images, and charts. Incorporates credible and various kinds of research (at least 5 sources); this can include your own research such as a survey or interview. Follows clear conventions of a long report, including relevant sections and headings, professional tone/voice, and organized information. Have relevant graphics/images, such as tables, screenshots, photographs, etc. Presents a clear purpose that is well-connected to the other composing choices made for the project. Provides context, information and support in ways that are useful to a specific audience. Presents writing that is free of error, well-organized, and comprehensible by the intended target audience. Cites all sources used correctly and consistently Topics You Might Address What should you include in the report? You have some freedom in your choice of how you organize the guide, based on the information you gather and what writing and communication is most important in your profession. However, the following sections/topics might give you some ideas of what you might address in the report: Genres Specific written and oral genres are essential to most workplaces. In addition to everyday communication, such as with emails or texting, various types of documentation are key in the workplace. In many fields you might hear the expression, “If it isn’t documented, it 3 didn’t happen,” which reflects how important writing can be. However, the genres used can vary greatly, depending on the profession. In investigating the genres used in your field you might consider: • What genres (types of writing or communication) are common in this profession? • What function do they serve in the workplace setting? • How are they typically written? • What conventions and features do they typically include? • What do these genres say about the workplace community and/or profession and what it values? Professional/Workplace Setting Effective workplace writing and communication can also depend on the specific settings and circumstances in which communication takes place. In order to become an effective writer and communicator in your profession then, it will also be important to understand the settings and circumstances. You might consider: • How might circumstances and specific contexts affect writing and communication in this workplace/profession? • What are the different audiences one might encounter in this workplace/profession and how could the different audiences affect the writing and communication? • What might the workplace environment be like and how could this influence writing and communication? Specialized Language or Jargon/Lexis Every profession has its own specialized language/jargon that is specific to that community, which someone outside of that community/workplace might not understand. For example, in medical professions, medical terminology and abbreviations are used in both written and oral communication, which people outside of those professions might not understand. In order to be an effective communicator in in your workplace, then, you will also need to understand any specialized terminology or way of speaking/writing. Investigating such language use in your own profession, then, you might consider: • What terms, acronyms, jargon, concepts, etc. does a new member of the profession need to know in order to communicate and write effectively in this profession/workplace? • How does someone new to the profession/workplace learn this terminology/jargon? • What are some examples of such terminology/jargon that is specific to this profession/workplace, and what function does it serve? Why is it important? Tools and/or Technologies Different professions might not only use different genres, but they might also engage with different tools or technologies in writing and communication. For example, some professions will use specific programs for writing and documentation. Some professions write and communicate in an office setting while others communicate remotely or in a variety of settings, employing different technologies. In examining how specific tools or 4 technologies might influence the writing and communication in your field, you might consider: • What are the physical and/or technological conditions for writing in this profession? • What computer programs or writing tools are commonly used? • How do these influence and constrain how writing is produced in the workplace/profession? Research In order to gather the information you’ll need to write this report, you’ll need to conduct extensive research. I expect you’ll need to engage in both primary research and secondary research in order to collect the necessary material for this project: Primary Research This is the type of research you do to collect new information that’s not found in textual sources. This might include interviewing someone in your profession, conducting surveys of people in your profession, observing people on-the-job in specific work settings (“shadowing”), collecting “artifacts” in your specific field (such as textual genres and materials used in your profession as forms of communication). For this project, such primary research might be essential in order to gain the information you need about writing and communication in your specific profession. Interviewing someone in this profession can give you important insights and information that you might not gain from textual research. Secondary Research This type of research is the more common textual research you usually do for academic projects. Secondary sources might include books, textbooks, articles, and videos. It is essential to critically consider the credibility of such sources. I recommend using Miami University’s library resources for this research: Miami University Library. Group Project Option If you and other classmates with the same or similar majors or career goals would like to approach this project as a group (between 2 and 4 members), contact me (your instructor) about this. Working in collaboration with others is essential in the workplace, taking place not only in physical settings, but also in online spaces. Collaborative writing can also be challenging, as you must find a way to work effectively with others to produce a polished document. If you choose the group project option, I recommend reading Managing Group Projects from WritingCommons.org. TO: Karen O’Hara FROM: Yuchen Shi DATE: Semester, 2020 SUBJECT: Short Progress Report Introduction: • • • The purpose of the final project is to let people who have ideas to join the pilot industry understand what communication and writing skills need to be paid attention to in this profession. The target audience is everyone who dreams of becoming a pilot like me. When I finish the project, the goal I hope to achieve is to understand all the communication skills in this industry and how to use it, also includes the technical terms related to flight technology and global communications. Discussion: • • • • • • So far, I have completed the search for the places where the skills of internal communication in the industry need to be used. Some of the websites that need to be used are websites about the importance of the risks faced by popular science pilots, websites for preliminary online teaching, and websites for reporting accidents in history. At present, I have completed the research on communication skills, as well as the search of websites and resources. I encountered some problems along the way. Part of the teaching is in video mode. I have problems converting these videos into qualified resource formats. My current work is proceeding as planned. All current searches can find corresponding websites and resources. The remaining work includes interviews with senior captains, searches for industry salaries, interviews with students in related fields, and attempts to search through books. Conclusion: • For now, my progress is fairly smooth, and I don't think there will be any major problems. However, the details should still need to be repaired, and the interview with the captain requires me to adjust the time for China. Annotated Bibliography: “ATP Flight School.” – Steps, Eligibility, & Requirements / ATP Flight School, atpflightschool.com/become-a-pilot/airline-career/airline-pilot-requirements.html. This article specifically describes the steps to become a pilot and explains step by step. I will use it as a source for those who want to be pilots. Editor, Anna Patty Workplace. “Fatal Consequences of Miscommunication between Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers.” The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2 Oct. 2016, www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/the-fatalconsequences-of-miscommunication-between-pilots-and-air-traffic-controllers20160928-grq1d9.html. The specific explanations and examples of accidents that occurred in history due to communication errors mentioned in this article. I will use this article as a source for the argument about why communication is extremely important. “Pilot Safety: Improving Radio Communications Skills.” Hartzell Propeller, 8 May. 2019, hartzellprop.com/pilot-safety-improving-radio-communications-skills/. What this article is about is a brief summary of the process of learning the pilot’s communication skills and what needs to be learned. I will use this excerpt to let everyone understand the whole process of learning and communication “SKYbrary Wiki.” Written Communication - SKYbrary Aviation Safety, www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Written_Communication. What this article says is that pilots need to use writing skills and specific examples to illustrate the details. I will use this article as an example in the report to let everyone understand why writing is important to pilots.
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