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Posts from December 2017

#TuesdayTutorial: Citing Your Sources

#TuesdayTutorial: Citing Your Sources published on

You need to provide in-text citations and bibliographic citations in your Genre Analysis Report, so this week’s #TuesdayTutorial reviews How to identify and credit sources (6m 32s).

Screenshot of Lynda.com session, How to identify and credit sources

In your Genre Analysis Report, you can use whatever bibliographical format you are most familiar with. Here are some tools if you are unsure how to make correct citations:

You can also watch the Lynda.com information on Citing Sources in research papers for more specific examples of citations.

 

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


 
Last updated on Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Finishing & Submitting Your Genre Analysis Report

Finishing & Submitting Your Genre Analysis Report published on

This is the post for the week of December 4, 2017.

Calendar for the Rest of the Term

All submissions due by 11:59 PM.

Date What’s Going On?
12/04 Grace period for 12/08 Labor Log ends
12/05 Feedback on Genre Analysis Report drafts due to group members
12/08 12/08 Labor Log due
12/08 Genre Analysis Report due
12/11 Grace period for 12/08 Labor Log ends
12/13 Grace period for Genre Analysis Report ends
12/14 SPOT Responses due
12/18 Final Exam due (no grace period)

Readings for the Week

Review the readings about formal reports, as they apply to your Genre Analysis Report. There are chapters and Lynda.com videos all listed in Step 2 of the assignment.

Tasks for the Week

  1. By 11:59PM on Monday, December 4, submit your 12/01 Labor Log in Canvas, if you are using the grace period.
  2. Check your work on your Genre Analysis Report carefully. Since there is little time left in the term, you need to be sure that your project does not need revision. In particular, consider the following:
    1. Review the rubric, which is on the assignment page in Canvas.
    2. Ensure you include all the required sections and information, listed in Step 4 of the assignment.
    3. Use document design to organize the information:
    4. Include documentation of the sources used (see how to create Citations & Bibliographies in MSWord).
    5. Spellcheck and proofread your work.
  3. Finish work on your Genre Analysis Report:
    1. Tue, Dec 5 by 11:59PM: Post feedback on the drafts posted by your group members in the Group Feedback on Genre Analysis Report Discussion in Canvas.
    2. Fri, Dec 8 by 11:59PM: Submit your project in the Genre Analysis Report assignment in Canvas.
    3. Wed, Dec 13 by 11:59PM: Submit your project in the Genre Analysis Report assignment in Canvas if you are using the grace period.
  4. If you find yourself ahead of schedule, begin work on your final exam.
  5. By 11:59PM on Friday, December 8, write your 12/08 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, December 11.

 


 
Last updated on Wednesday, November 29, 2017

#WeekendWatch: Characteristics of Memos

#WeekendWatch: Characteristics of Memos 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.

When you are not writing letters or email messages, you will often find yourself writing memos. Today’s #WeekendWatch reviews the characteristics of memos, which are typically internal messages sent to colleagues within your organization.

Like all correspondence, memos should be clear and well-organized with document design features that help readers find the information that is important to them. You can use headings, bulleted lists, and numbered lists to make details stand out.

In addition to general memos, you may find that you use specific memos in the workplace. For instance, you might use a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as a kind of contract, where you and other parties agree to specific terms. MoUs are often created by a lawyer or the organization’s legal department. If you write such a memo yourself, it will probably need to go through a legal review before it is sent to the recipient.

For details on the basic memos you are likely to write, watch the Lynda.com video Special Considerations for Memos (3m52s) to learn more:

Special Considerations for Memos, on Lynda.com

 

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


 
Last updated on Wednesday, November 29, 2017

#FridayFact: Nobody Likes Receiving or Giving Bad News

#FridayFact: Nobody Likes Receiving or Giving Bad News published on
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Most people don’t want to receive bad news. Likewise, unless we’re talking about the Wicked Witch of the West, Voldemort, or Darth Vader, most people are uncomfortable when they have to give someone bad news. Continuing our focus on correspondence this week, today’s #FridayFact explains how to write a bad new message that gets the point across without alienating the reader.

Typically, bad news messages begin with some kind of “buffer” that cushions the negative information. This indirect approach allows you to break the news gently to your reader. There are times, however, when a more direct approach is appropriate, such as in an emergency situation or when the bad news is expected.

How to Organize a Paper: The Indirect Method (for Writing Bad News) includes a chart that outlines when to use an indirect approach to giving your readers bad news and when to use a more direct approach. The chart on the webpage tells you what to include in your message, whether it is direct or indirect. You’ll also find explanations of the information to provide in the different sections of your bad news message.


 
Last updated on Wednesday, November 29, 2017

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