Research Paper-define the problem persuasively and accurately

Your last writing assignment will be a report to a decision-maker on a problem and solution

in an organization or community.

In the report, you will do the following:

 define the problem persuasively and accurately

 propose a solution or solutions to the problem or issue

 present that solution to a decision-maker or group of decision-makers who can implement

the recommendation.

The report will include the following components:

 executive summary

 letter to the decision-maker

 table of contents

 introduction

 body of the report to include headings and subheadings

 conclusion stated as a recommendation for implementation of the solution

 References page, with references listed in APA format

o Instructions on how to list an interview in APA format can be seen at the

following url: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/11/

The complete report should be 2200-3000 words, not including the list of references.

The complete report should also cite at least seven sources. At least three of them should

come from peer-reviewed, scholarly journals. As noted above, your sources can also include

interviews. The sources will be integrated into the paper to explain the problem, provide

evidence of the problem, and support the solution.

You might have taken WRTG 393 at UMUC. In WRTG 393, the final paper is a white paper.

This assignment is different from the white paper in WRTG 393. In this paper for WRTG 394,

you are writing to a specific decision-maker about a specific problem in your workplace or

community. The audience is much more focused than that for the white paper in WRTG 393.

Defining the Specific Problem

In preparing to write this assignment, please be aware of the following cautions in fulfilling the

assignment instructions:

 If you write a report to your manager at work suggesting that more teleworking options be given to employees at your workplace, you cannot simply prepare a report on

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teleworking. You must show that teleworking will solve a specific problem or problems

in your organization.

 If you are proposing that email be used less frequently for communication at your workplace and that another application be used to improve communication, you cannot

simply write a report on the problem with having too much email. You must show that

the use of email at your current workplace presents problems and that the use of another

means of communication would solve the problem.

 If you write a report to your manager at work suggesting that your office become paperless, you cannot simply prepare a report on the benefits of a paperless office. You

must show that your specific office can go paperless and indicate the benefits of your

specific office going paperless.

 If you write a report to the board of directors at your townhouse community to argue that the playground area in your community should be renovated, you cannot simply prepare a

report on the benefits of a playground for a neighborhood. You must show that your

specific neighborhood will benefit from renovations in its playground.

 If you write a report to the manager of your unit at work noting that recycling facilities in the workplace should be improved, you cannot simply prepare a report on the benefits of

recycling or of good recycling facilities in offices. You must show that your specific

work environment lacks adequate recycling facilities and show how it will benefit from

improved recycling facilities.

A Reminder about the Role of Primary Research in Supporting the Argument

For your report, you will very likely find it beneficial to conduct some primary research. For

writing assignment #3, you gathered some primary research. For writing assignment #4, you

want to fill in any gaps needed by conducting additional primary research if necessary. Some

suggestions for primary research were given in the instructions for writing assignment #3. They

are as follows:

 For a report on teleworking, you might conduct interviews with fellow workers on the topic to see how and why they might benefit from teleworking.

 If you are proposing that email be used less frequently for communication and that another application be used to improve communication, you might interview fellow

employees on the situation, and you might take screen captures of alternative

communication tools to illustrate how they work and would improve communication in

your office.

 For a report on transitioning to a paperless office, you might take pictures of your office environment showing the clutter or unsafe environment that hard-copy files create.

 For a report on building a playground area in the community, you might take pictures of the community area to show where such a playground could be built, and you might

interview residents who have children.

 For a report on recycling facilities, you might take pictures of the office environment to show that current recycling facilities are inadequate, and you might interview fellow

workers about whether they find it easy to recycle materials at your office.

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Please note that, if you interview people for your research, you must cite the interviews in your

paper. In the paper, you cannot simply write that you “spoke with employees.” A url on how to

cite an interview in APA citation style is provided in the list of components for the report.

Length of your paper:

Your report should be 2200-3000 words in length. Again, you are required to use at least seven

sources, with at least three of them being acquired through UMUC Library OneSearch.

Graphics:

Your report might benefit from graphics. As mentioned above, pictures of your workplace or

community situation might help illustrate the problem you are trying to address. Graphs, tables,

or charts might help show trends that will persuade your decision-maker that the problem exists.

Please do not incorporate a graphic for the sake of incorporating a graphic. Include a graphic

only if it helps communicate a message in your report.

Due Date:

Your instructor will notify you of the due date. You will write a first draft, your instructor will

comment on the first draft, and you will submit a second draft using the comments as your guide.

Strategies to Consider for this Assignment:

 Victoria University of Wellington has a thorough outline and review of the components

of this type of business report.

 Queen Margaret University has an excellent guide for this type of report.

 Murdoch University has an excellent guide for this type of report.

 Colorado State University presents excellent tips in organizing the report.

Topics to Help You Come Up with Ideas on this Assignment:

Some possible workplace research topics are the following. These are examples to help you get

started. Please contact your instructor to have other topic ideas approved.

 Going to a wireless network

 Going to a paperless office

 Switching from Windows to Linux (or other similar switch)

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 Installing/upgrading company firewall

 Establishing a drug policy

 Establishing an employee leave donation program

 Establishing an equipment donation program for used computers, etc.

 Establishing a company recycling program (paper, etc.)

 Education/retraining for your employees

 Establishing a program for millennial workers (e.g., training on certain aspects of

etiquette, on understanding other generations, etc.)

 Designing a training program for workplace safety issues

 Redesigning employee performance evaluations

 Developing a work-at-home (telecommuting) policy

 Developing a flex-time policy

 Establishing on-site day care or providing other child care benefits

 Providing gym membership or creating an on-site workout facility

 Creating or revising a charitable contribution policy

 Creating or improving a tuition assistance program

 Accommodations needed for employee/s with specific health issues (for example,

migraines)

 Establishing a Habitat for Humanity (or other group) chapter at your organization

Some students have chosen topics outside of their workplaces, such as the following:

 Starting a neighborhood watch program

 Starting a mentor program at your place of worship

 Getting additional lighting in the neighborhood

 Changing traffic patterns around your child’s school

 Starting a PTA website for your child’s school

 Installing a tot lot in your neighborhood

 Constructing a crying baby room at your place of worship

 Offering ESL courses at your church

 Increasing participation in a military Family Support Group

 Introducing a youth sports program to a school or community

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Assignment Rubric:

Length 2000-3000

words

1600-1999

words

1300-1599

words

1000-1299

words

Fewer than

1000

words The essay meets the word count requirement given

in the instructions. 10 points 6 points 4 points 2 points 0 points

Executive Summary Excellent Good Fair

Does not

meet

expectatio

ns

Does not

pass

Is thorough — a busy executive understands the

problem and the recommended solution from the

executive summary 4 points 3.5 points 3 points 2.5 points 1 point

Is organized and uses headings to help the reader

navigate the executive summary 4 points 3.5 points 3 points 2.5 points 1 point

Demonstrates accurate grammar and punctuation 4 points 3.5 points 3 points 2.5 points 1 point

Transmittal letter to decision-maker Excellent Good Fair

Does not

meet

expectatio

ns

Does not

pass

Is written to a specific decision-maker or group or

decision-makers 2 points 1.5 points 1 point 0.5 points 0 points

Shows the specific problem and the specific

solution 2 points 1.5 points 1 point 0.5 points 0 points

Demonstrates accurate grammar and punctuation 2 points 1.5 points 1 point 0.5 points 0 points

Table of Contents Excellent Good Fair

Does not

meet

expectatio

ns

Does not

pass

Is formatted correctly with sections and page

numbers 1 point 0.8 points 0.6 points 0.4 points 0 points

Provides a clear orientation to the report by

indicating the sections and sub-sections 1 point 0.8 points 0.6 points 0.4 points 0 points

Introduction Excellent Good Fair

Does not

meet

expectatio

ns

Does not

pass

Describes the problem being reported on 4 points 3.5 points 3 points 2.5 points 1 point Gives the recommended solution to the problem

that is identified 4 points 3.5 points 3 points 2.5 points 1 point

Demonstrates accurate grammar and punctuation 4 points 3.5 points 3 points 2.5 points 1 point

Continued on the next page…

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Body of the report Excellent Good Fair

Does not

meet

expectatio

ns

Does not

pass

Develops the problem that exists within the

organization, including incorporating research to

provide evidence for the problem 15 points 12 points 9 points 5 points 1 point

Develops the recommended solution to the problem

for the organization, including incorporating

research to show why it will solve the problem 13 points 10 points 8 points 6 points 1 point

Uses effective headings and subheadings 3 points 2.5 points 2 points 1.5 points 1 point Integrates paragraphs that have a logical flow 5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point Demonstrates accurate grammar and punctuation 10 points 8 points 6 points 4 points 1 point

Use of sources Excellent Good Fair

Does not

meet

expectatio

ns

Does not

pass

Sources listed in APA format 5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point Sources cited in the paper in APA format 3 points 2.5 points 2 points 1.5 points 1 point Sources are scholarly or appropriate for the report’s

message 4 points 3.5 points 3 points 2.5 points 1 point

Overall Score

Excellent

90 or

more

Good

80 or

more

Fair

70 or

more

Needs

Improvem

ent

60 or

more

Does not

pass

0 or more