The research report is the major project for this class; its subject provides the basis for the short proposal (Week 3), annotated bibliography (Week 4),the executive summary and letter of transmittal (Week 5), and the final reflective discussion board posting (Week 6).
Deadline: Final copy of the report is due 6/17/11. All assignments are due by 11:55 p.m. PDT on the assigned due date.
Length: 6-8 single-spaced pages (see information below for details)
Topic: The choice of topic is up to you, since you have the knowledge base in your field that will allow you to choose a suitable topic. The basic criterion is that the report focus on a current topic or a topic of interest to you in your field of study. Although you cannot recycle a paper previously handed in for another class and resubmit it for this report, you can certainly make use of research and information that you are currently working on for other classes to write this report.
Audience: You are writing this report for an educated general audience, such as the members of this class, rather than for a group of specialists in your field. You'll need to define terms and acronyms, but you can assume a general level of knowledge.
The principal requirements for your report are these:
1. A clear purpose. Your report should have a purpose.It should indicate how it solves a problem, addresses a question, or proposes a solution. Your report must also show how your research contributes to an ongoing issue or topic in your field; that is, it should provide a context for understanding your new information by including background information in its literature review or introduction.
2. Six to eight single-spaced pages of information. Your report should be from 6-8 single-spaced pages in length, although you may make it longer, if necessary. It should include headings for its sections. Here is the customary order of the items in the report
| Report Elements | Does this item count in the page total? |
| Letter of transmittal | No |
| Title page | No |
| Executive summary | No |
| Table of contents (optional) | No |
| Body of report | Yes |
| No | |
| Appendices (optional) | No |
3. At least five scholarly sources. Your report should include at least five scholarly sources. One or more of these may be a primary source (interview, survey, statistics from newspaper, etc.), but the others will be from books or peer-reviewed journals in your field. There is no maximum limit to the number of sources you can use.
General encyclopedias such the Encyclopedia Britannica or non-authoritative sites such as Wikipedia or personal web pages are not acceptable for a research report.
4. One chart, table, or graph. Your report should also include at least ONE chart, table, or graph. If you use one from a book, you must be sure to cite the source. If you create your own, indicate that as well.
5. Standard report elements, such as headings. Your report should be organized according to the standard format for reports discussed in the textbook, including headings. See the lectures on reports and report visuals for as well as the textbook for this information.
6. Subject matter and style appropriate for a general audience.Although you are encouraged to write about your area of specialization, your report must be intelligible to a general audience.
7. Citation style. Sources must be cited correctly using MLA, APA, or CSE (formerly CBE) style.
1.Group work option. For this report, you may choose to work with a group of others in collecting information, drafting, and writing the report. If you choose to submit a single report as a group project, all members of the group will receive the same grade. Note that this is an option, not a requirement.
2.Report type. The type of report you choose to write depends upon your field of study and your research interests. Some of the most appropriate types include the following:
Examples:
1. Sample completion report in the social sciences (pp. 236-273).
2. Sample engineering feasibility study (pp. 292-307).
3. Sample student scientific report (pp. 311-322).