Business Communication ch. 11

CSCM2040-A Professional Communication 

Readings:

Business Communication ch. 11 (part), “Researching and Writing Reports,” pp. 368-405.

Writing Matters ch. 12, 13, 14, “Research Matters (part I),” pp. 196-232.

Journal #5: “In class, a report-writing task might be just an assignment – but in the workplace, the need for information is real.” Consider your own future field of study and apply the advice in these readings to the future career you imagine.

Read the “Key Terms” on p. 421 in BC and the prompts below before reading the chapters, and keep them in mind as you read. Most of the questions below can be answered by reading Business Communication; Writing Matters offers parallel and useful information with a somewhat different emphasis.

Note: Substantive journals will consist of two full pages in standard manuscript format (see syllabus). If you have done the reading and considered the prompts below, you should have plenty to say.

1. (BC pp. 369-375) A number of types of reports and reasons for their creation are discussed in the text. Which are the likeliest you will encounter in your future workplace, either as a reader or creator? In what ways does the creation of a report differ from the kinds of papers you have written in school? How does the process BC describes differ from the writing process described last week in LA (PDF)? How do problem and purpose statements of business reports compare and contrast with thesis statements in academic writing?
2. (BC pp. 376-387) Business Communication stresses online research much more than Language Awareness did last week. Is your business more likely to have internet access or a research library? What criteria should be used to evaluate forms of online information? What is the difference between primary and secondary research, and what are some of the forms each may take? Describe a form of primary research you may have participated in, either as a gatherer of information, or as a source.
3. (BC pp. 400-405) What practices should be followed to ensure quality and ethics in your, research? What kinds of errors in interpretation are common, and how can you guard against them?
4. (WM pp. 196-232). What advice does Writing Matters stress that BC does not? Which presentation do you find more appealing and useful as a handbook and guide, and why? Why might research logs and working bibliographies be useful (WM pp. 202-207)?