Option 1 Recommendation Report Refer to Chapter 18 in your textbook. Prepare a detailed analytical report containing a letter of transmittal, title page, abstract, table of contents, list of illustrations (optional), executive summary, introduction, research methods, results, conclusion, recommendation, and references (glossa

Option 1: Recommendation Report
Refer to Chapter 18 in your textbook. Prepare a detailed analytical report containing a letter of transmittal, title page, abstract, table of contents, list of illustrations (optional), executive summary, introduction, research methods, results, conclusion, recommendation, and references (glossary and appendices may also be included, as appropriate). Your report should compare two (or more) options and make a recommendation.

Your scenario may be imagined, but your investigation (facts, details) should be based on real research, and your audience should be specific. (Hint: One difference between an A paper and a lower grade paper is often how directly the recommendation connects the discussion of criteria to the audience’s specific needs. Example: “This laptop’s excellent graphics would be a must for a college student majoring in architecture because these features will be used in their drawings for class.”)

Be sure to include visuals (graphs, tables, figures) to enhance the quality of your document design. However, try to avoid simply copying and pasting several charts and graphs designed by others in your report. At the very least, re-arrange the information found in a published graphic into a new graphic you create that emphasizes the facts you deem most important.

Examples:
You have been asked by your boss to do some research on a product he/she wishes to purchase for your company: a company car, a video camera for recording workshops and meetings, a new computer, etc. In your report, you will consider such factors as cost, quality, and what the company needs the item for. In other words, your boss/company/audience needs to be very specific, as does its intended use for the item. [An IT student wrote up a recommendation for his friend, a small business owner, advising him which PC would be best for his specific needs.]

The director of student life has asked you to recommend the best product for new students attending FIU (computer, smartphone, etc.) so that this information can be discussed during freshman orientation or first-year experience. Even better: recommend a product for students in a specific demographic: sorority students, members of a specific club, students with a certain major, etc.

Imagine that your campus group has asked you to choose between possible fund-raisers, charitable organizations to support, etc., and you have to recommend one. [One student wrote about why a concert fund-raiser would be preferable to a bake sale for her sorority’s charitable donations project.]

You and several business partners want to open a new franchise in Miami (Subway, McDonald’s, Foot Locker, etc.). Your task is to recommend a location that would generate the most business.

You and a friend are planning to open a new bar in Miami. You have gotten all the permits. You have secured a location. Now you need to make some choices: which brands of high-end wine will you offer your customers?

Use your imagination. Think of something original!

Option 2: Set of Instructions
Refer to Chapter 20 in your textbook. Create an extended set of definitions that are useful to a specific field (with visuals and examples) OR an original set of instructions on how to complete a certain task (with visuals). Note: this is the shortest of all the assignments, so to make the work load fair compared to other groups, be sure to add an introduction with research to your project. For example. If you choose option 1 below, include a page or two listing the Top 10 law schools according to one or two different sources. Interview a lawyer for 5 tips they recommend for students going to law school, etc.

Examples:
100 terms every future law school attendee should know

Step-by-step instructions on how to de-clutter and check security on your Toshiba laptop to make it run virus free and faster.

Option 3: Proposal
Refer to Chapter 16 in your textbook. Write an original proposal for a great idea that could be implemented at your workplace or at FIU or in your community. Choose a specific person or organization to be the audience for this great idea. Include a summary (which defines the problem), introduction, proposed program, qualifications and experience, budget, task schedule, list of sources, and appendices (the book’s suggestions for primary research are excellent).

Examples:
One student wrote to the leaders of his church, proposing that they switch from one visual used for projecting hymns and Bible verses during services to a more sophisticated one.

One student proposed that FIU build a covered roof for the outdoor basketball court at BBC.

One student wrote a proposal to Miami-Dade high schools that they include more Hispanic and African-American literature texts in their English curriculum in order to appeal to the diversity of the student population locally.

Option 4: Other Formal Report
Refer to Chapter 17 in your textbook. Collect data and write an original informational report related to FIU or your major. You could also write a series of incident reports related to an ongoing problem.

Examples:
Collect data on which students prefer most and why: face-to-face, online, or hybrid classes.

Write a series of incident reports on a problem on campus, such as students who have been graded unfairly, or had to spend exorbitant amounts on textbooks, etc.

Option 5: Original Business Website
Refer to Chapter 13 in your textbook. Design an original website for a business or non-profit that does not yet have one. If possible, complete usability testing on the site and include this in your final project. (Do not use a website that is already under construction or complete – create a website that is completely new.)

Examples:
Design a website for a friend who is starting her own wedding planning business.

Design a website for a club on campus or a church or a local charity.

Textbook Readings
Chapter 13, “Evaluating, and Testing Documents and Websites,” Chapter 16, “Writing Proposals,” Chapter 17, “Writing Informational Reports,” Chapter 18, “Writing Recommendation Reports,” or Chapter 20, “Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions.”

Grading Rubric
50 points – Form follows the conventions of the genre, such as proper headings, spacing, paragraph blocking, appropriate font choices, effective use of graphs/visuals.; grammar, spelling, and mechanics result in a correct and easy to read prose (see chapters for detailed expectations for the genre you are choosing to write: report, proposal, or set of instructions).

50 points – Content addresses the assignment prompt fully yet concisely (Target page count: 8-20 pages depending on topic and genre); project uses a variety of well-chosen sources and cites them appropriately (note: primary sources – quotes from experts or the public, a letter from an interested party, etc., – usually make a project stronger); information is clear and accurate; choice of language, information, and tone enhance the credibility of the writer; report, proposal, or set of instructions presents new and engaging information – not facts that everyone already knows.