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Dr. Koster's home page.Written Assignments
The "big project" in WRIT 465 is to write a report, complete with all the supporting material, on some real, meaningful question to be answered for some real reader(s). It can’t be for "the general public" or "for all Winthrop students" like a research paper; as a report, it needs to be addressed to a specific individual or group of individuals who have the power to act on its recommendations or contents. Thus, a report on implementing a plus-grading system can’t be addressed to "everyone at Winthrop," but it could be addressed to the Academic Council or to the Board of Trustees, who would enact such a change.
A good way to choose a topic is to look for a problem that needs to be solved, a frustration that needs to be relieved, a need that no one has time to look into. You might want to explore the feasibility of taking some action, recommend a course of behavior, survey a situation, or establish a policy or procedures. Whatever topic you choose must contain some kind of research component (formal or informal survey) and must contain at least one piece of graphic information. Exclusive of appendices, the final report body usually consists of around 7 pages, so look for a topic of that scope.
I will provide you with several lists of topics that students have written about in past semesters; use these as inspiration. Please pick a topic you can live with for the next eight weeks; there is no time, really, to change topics once this process gets going.
The report package includes a number of subassignments, all of which will be used to build the final project. You will get a separate assignment sheet for each task, and there will be opportunities to revise almost everything. FAILURE TO SUBMIT ANY OF THE SUBASSIGNMENTS MEANS YOU FAIL FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT.
The subassignments are:
1: Work plan describing the problem your report will try to solve
2: Letter of inquiry for information on your topic due
3: Memo describing how you will conduct your survey, accompanied by draft of survey questions
4: Progress report due
5: Graphics due
6: Audience Analysis Grid and assignment
7: Mandatory rough draft conference
8. Final Project
I will provide you with some completed reports for analysis and discussion later in the semester. Right now, get started on thinking about locating a "client" and focusing in on a project that meets this description.