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#TuesdayTutorial: Conducting Research for Your Report

#TuesdayTutorial: Conducting Research for Your Report published on

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I’m sure you have done many research projects during your time as a student. Starting back in elementary school, you were asked to find outside sources and use them to create a project about your topic. Essentially that is your task for the Genre Analysis Report.

To review what goes into conducting research, watch the Lynda.com video on Conducting Research to Collect Information.

After you watch the video, consider the specific list of sources in the discussion of primary and secondary research, and describe how you can find or conduct one or more kind of research mentioned in the video.

Screenshot from the Lynda.com course Conduct Research to Collect Information

Note: This video has closed captioning, so it does not need a transcript.


 

Genre Analysis Report Overview

Genre Analysis Report Overview published on

This is the post for the week of October 30, 2017.

Once you turn in your Short Report Proposal, you will turn your attention to the Genre Analysis Report, which will be your focus for the rest of the term.

Readings for the Week

Everyone
Business Writing Students
  • 9.4 Report from Business Communication for Success
Technical Writing Students
  •  Technical Reports from Style for Students Online: Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age

Tasks for the Week

  1. By 11:59PM on Monday, October 30, submit your 10/27 Labor Log in Canvas, if you are using the grace period.
  2. By 11:59PM on Monday, October 30, submit your project in the Short Proposal assignment in Canvas. If you are using the grace period, submit your project by 11:59PM on November 2.
  3. Assume that your proposal has been accepted, and begin work on your Genre Analysis Report. I have never had to reject a proposed topic, but I do ask for slight changes occasionally.
  4. Begin your research for your Genre Analysis Report, and be sure to keep track of your sources for your bibliography. Use the instructions in Step 3 of the assignment to guide your research. This is a large project, so I encourage you to work steadily over the next month, rather than waiting until the last minute.
  5. Check for tools that can help with your research by reading the infographic on the right of today’s post and the blog post “12 Essential Chrome Extensions for Student Researchers” from the Educational Technology and Mobile Learning blog on research extensions.
  6. By 11:59PM on Friday, November 3, write your 11/03 Labor Log in Canvas. Specific questions for your log are included in Canvas. The grace period for your log entry ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, November 6.

Note: This infographic needs a text-based transcript. See the Optional Accessibility Transcript Activity for more details.

 

 

Photo credit: Chrome Extensions Infographic from Educational Technology and Mobile Learning.


 

#WeekendWatch: Comma Splices

#WeekendWatch: Comma Splices published on

At one point or another, you are bound to make a comma splice. We all have. I make them most often when I’m texting and not paying attention to what I’m doing. It’s not the worst error you could make, but it is one you should avoid in professional writing.

So you know comma splices are a problem to avoid, but do you know what they are? Watch this tutorial video from Texas A&M (2m14s) to find out!

 


 

#FridayFact: Typos Can Ruin Your Credibility

#FridayFact: Typos Can Ruin Your Credibility published on

The covfefe tweet by Per-Olof Forsberg on Flickr, used under a CC-BY 2.0 licenseYou already know that your job application materials should be error free. Misspell words, misname the university, or mistype the date? Your application will likely be rejected immediately. What you may not realize is that even a small error in other documents you write in the workplace can decrease your credibility.

Why does error-free writing matter? Lennox Morrison explains:

The humble typo not only has the power to make us appear less intelligent than we are. Poor spelling can also create confusion, a loss of clarity and meaning and in extreme cases it can cost millions in missed sales and job opportunities. It has the potential to wreck customer relationships and even ruin your chance of finding love online.

So the lesson here? Be sure that you proofread your writing carefully before sending it out to coworkers or clients. Even a typo in a Tweet can cause trouble. After all, you don’t want to make the covfefe error of your workplace. At the best, you may only be laughed at. At worst, well, let’s not think about that. Instead, double and triple check your writing every time!

To learn more about today’s #FridayFact, read the BBC article The true importance of good spelling.

 

Screenshot credit: The covfefe tweet by Per-Olof Forsberg on Flickr, used under a CC-BY 2.0 license.

 


 

#InfographicInspiration: Overused Words

#InfographicInspiration: Overused Words published on

If you’re like me, you have a few words or phrases that you find yourself using too much. When I make my final passes through anything I write, I watch for these overused words and rephrase whenever possible.

I’ve become pretty good at finding my overused phrases. If you have difficulty finding them in your documents, try pasting the entire text of your document into a word cloud app like Wordle. The words that you overuse will be a larger size. Be smart about your word clouds however. It’s normal for words like the topic of your document to be repeated frequently. Suppose you’re writing a proposal for a new way to manufacture widgets. In that case, you’d expect the word widgets to be used frequently. There would be no need to change it.

What kinds of words are you likely to want to change? That’s where today’s #InfographicInspiration comes in. The image shows 44 Overused Words and Phrases to Be Aware Of and suggests alternative words to use instead. One more tip: You want to have variety in your documents, but don’t let this list of overused words and phrases block your writing. Go ahead and use whatever comes to mind in your first draft. Use the list when you are revising and editing.

44 Overused Words & Phrases To Be Aware Of (Infographic)
Source: www.grammarcheck.net

 

Note: This infographic needs a text-based transcript. See the Optional Accessibility Transcript Activity for more details.

 


 

Grades on the Analysis Project

Grades on the Analysis Project published on
Text Alignment in Web Design

I have graded all of the Analysis of Writing in Your Field projects. In this post, I’ll comment on how you all did and what you can do if you are not happy with your grade. Please read the information carefully and note the related dates.

Overall Feedback for the Class

  • Meet the requirements of the assignment. Some folks either failed to read the assignment or didn’t pay attention to the details. Their projects typically failed to include 10 kinds of writing, so they need to revise. Please pay attention to the details and requirements of assignments.
  • Pay attention to parallel grammatical structure. Remember that the text in all cells of a column needs to be grammatically parallel. They need to match in their structure. Read more about parallelism on the Purdue OWL for help and examples, and revisit the course post from 9/19.
  • Avoid centered text. Remember that the best design for text is flush left, ragged right. Centered text is harder to read. See the #TuesdayTutorial on the problems with centered text on the course website.
  • Work on document design: Many projects could be improved with more attention to document design. The posts on Improving A Table’s Appearance  and explaining why Tables Can Be Boring provide tips.
  • Help from the Writing Center: As a reminder, anyone can visit the Writing Center in the library for help with projects for the course. Writing Center tutors can help you strengthen your content as well as work on document design and issues with phrasing, grammar, or punctuation. You can read more about the Writing Center and make an appointment on the Writing Center’s webpage.

Revision Activities for the Analysis Project

I have reopened the assignment so that those of you who want to revise can improve your project. Follow the guidelines below to resubmit your work.

  1. If I made a mistake
    Send me an email message or a private message on Slack with the details. I’ll fix it.
  2. If there were problems with the content or design of your analysis project
    Revise your project to improve your work, adding whatever is missing or tweaking the design. Resubmit your project, and I will regrade your work.
  3. If you did not submit your work at all
    It is too late. Be sure to turn in all the remaining projects if you want to pass the course.
  4. If something else is going on
    Send me an email message or a private message on Slack with the details. I’ll see what I can do to help you.

Suggested Revision Dates

By 11:59PM on November 10, aim to submit your revision (so that I can get it graded before Thanksgiving break).

If you need more time, that is fine. The analysis project is open until 11:59PM on Wednesday, November 29. You do not need to contact me. Just work to submit your revision by the 29th.

 

Note: This infographic needs a text-based transcript. See the Optional Accessibility Transcript Activity for more details.


 

#WednesdayWrite: Proofreading Facebook vs. Proofreading Essays

#WednesdayWrite: Proofreading Facebook vs. Proofreading Essays published on

Meme: Posting on Facebook: Proofread status five to ten times. Writing an essay for school: Proofread essay exactly zero times. You know it's true.For your #WednesdayWrite, I have a meme for you, on the right side of the post. I know that you are writing proposals and reports (instead of essays), but the idea probably still applies.

So here’s the question I have for you: Why do students spend more time proofreading a post for Facebook than a document for school? What’s the difference between a status update and an essay for school?

There’s no one right answer. Think about what happens and why. You can post your own thoughts or reply to someone else. For a bigger challenge, you can also talk about how you might encourage yourself or others to invest time in proofreading a document.


 

#TuesdayTutorial: Using Lists to Organize Information

#TuesdayTutorial: Using Lists to Organize Information published on

Today’s #TuesdayTutorial focuses on how organizing information in your professional writing by using lists. Bullet lists and numbered lists make related information easy to read through, and because they are offset from the margins, lists stand out and catch the reader’s eye. Consider this example of a text written in a paragraph:

How To Fill Out Form I-765

Type or print legibly in black ink. If extra space is needed to complete any item, attach a continuation sheet, write your name and Alien Registration Number (A-Number) (if any), at the top of each sheet of paper, indicate the Part and item number to which your answer refers, and date and sign each sheet. Answer all questions fully and accurately. State that an item is not applicable with “N/A.” If the answer is none, write “None.”

—From Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization,
Department of Homeland Security

You can read through the information, but it could be better with the right formatting. Compare the paragraph version above to this revision, which uses numbered lists:

How To Fill Out Form I-765

  1. Type or print legibly in black ink.
  2. If extra space is needed to complete any item
    1. Attach a continuation sheet
    2. Write your name and Alien Registration Number (A-Number) (if any), at the top of each sheet of paper
    3. Indicate the Part and item number to which your answer refers,
    4. Date and sign each sheet.
  3. Answer all questions fully and accurately. State that an item is not applicable with “N/A.” If the answer is none, write “None.”

It should be immediately obvious that the version with the lists is easier to read. It provides a structure that works well with the F-shaped reading pattern.

I have two resources that you should read to learn more about using lists:

  1. Read all four pages of Grammar Girl’s Formatting Vertical Lists (or listen to the podcast). The information will tell you when to use a colon with a list, whether to capitalize list items. how to use other punctuation, and why list items should be parallel.
  2. Read Bulleted & Numbered Lists from the University of Minnesota’s Accessible U. This resource will tell you how to format your lists so that they work well with screenreaders and other assistive technologies.

 


 

Peer Review & Submission of Short Proposals

Peer Review & Submission of Short Proposals published on

This is the post for the week of October 23, 2017.

This week, you’ll share the draft of your Short Report Proposal with your writing group and give feedback to everyone else in your group.

Readings for the Week

Review the texts below for help with your project:

Tasks for the Week

  1. By 11:59PM on Monday, October 23, submit your 10/20 Labor Log in Canvas, if you are using the grace period.
  2. Check out the previous posts that can help you improve your Short Report Proposal:
  3. By 11:59PM on Wednesday, October 25, post a draft of your project in the Group Feedback on Short Proposals Discussion in Canvas.
  4. By 11:59PM on Friday, October 27, post feedback on the drafts posted by your group members in the Group Feedback Discussion in Canvas. Be sure to use the strategies from the Peer Review: Commenting Strategies video.
  5. By 11:59PM on Monday, October 30, submit your project in the Short Proposal assignment in Canvas. If you are using the grace period, submit your project by 11:59PM on November 2.
  6. By 11:59PM on Friday, October 27, write your 10/27 Labor Log in Canvas. Specific questions for your log are included in Canvas. The grace period for your log entry ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, October 30.

 

Note: This infographic needs a text-based transcript. See the Optional Accessibility Transcript Activity for more details.


 

#WeekendWatch: Creating a Gantt Chart

#WeekendWatch: Creating a Gantt Chart published on

Lynda.com Login Help

Lynda.com videos are free to Virginia Tech students with your VT.EDU login. Start at the VT.EDU login page to access these resources.

On Thursday, our #InfographicInspiration explained background information on Gantt Charts, identified their basic characteristics, and outlined their strengths. As you probably recall, Gantt charts are one of the ways that you can organize the schedule for your project to make the details clear and easy to follow.

Today’s #WeekendWatch is a Lynda.com video that explains, step-by-step, how to use Excel 2016 to Create Gantt charts (7m55s). Videos are also available for these versions of Excel:

Screenshot of Create Gantt charts video from Lynda.com

After watching the video, check out the contents for Excel 2016: Charts in Depth, the course that the Gantt Charts video is part of. It includes details on several other kinds of charts and more advanced information on using Excel to create charts.

If you are curious about Gantt charts, you can also watch the Lynda.com video Learning Gantt Charts (1h17m).

 

Note: This video has closed captioning, so it does not need a transcript.

 


 

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