Assignment Description:

 For this assignment, you will write a planning proposal identifying your topic and focus for the Technical Report assignment. Topics for this assignment must be selected from the list below. Please only select ONEtopic for the list below. 

Topics:

• Multicultural and Global Issues in Technical Communication
• Plagiarism Issues with Written and/ or Visual Digital Media
• Creativity Issues in Technical Communication 

Proposals should include the following formatting elements:

• Memo format (Addressed to Leslie Patching.)
• Headings
• One full page in length (maximum two full pages)
• Single-spaced
• Times New Roman
• 12 point font
• Any additional formatting elements (appropriate margins, page numbers, etc.)
• First person pronoun

Assignment Purpose:

The purpose of this assignment is to inform an audience about your topic for the Technical Reportassignment. Additionally, the purpose of this assignment is to understand the basic features of a proposal and gain practical experience in constructing one for a specific audience. 

Assignment Guidelines:

After reading Chapter 22: Proposals in Technical Communication, create a planning proposal for the Technical Report assignment. 

Proposal Elements:

Proposals should have the following sections. 

• Introduction:  Define the subject and state the purpose of the proposal, which is to propose the  subject and purpose for the Technical Report. 

• Background:  Provide background information on the topic selected, and present at least two research questions that will be addressed in the Technical Report. Identify the primary and secondary audience for your Technical Report.

• Needs Assessment: State why you are creating this proposal AND later a research paper based on college, course, assignment, and instructor needs. State why the topic selected is a relevant topic for this course, and state how this topic relates to technical communication. 

• Proposed Plan:  Explain how and why you plan to narrow your topic for reader need-to-know information. Some questions you could answer/ address in this section include:
  • What is your primary focus for your research paper?
  • What sub-topics will you incorporate into your research paper? 
  • What learning objectives and outcomes do you hope to achieve with your research paper?
  • What type of research will be conducted, and how will you collect scholarly information?

• Limitations: Identify what restrictions you might encounter with the topic selected, time management, and research. 

Additional Information:

• Each section of your proposal should be identified using the following headings: Introduction, Background, Needs Assessment, Proposed Plan, Limitations.

• Please do NOT create a proposal and research paper based on a fictional company. (No company-based proposals and reports). Again, this assignment is a planning proposal and should start outlining your research paper. Your proposal and research paper should be based on and presented as academic research. 

• The information presented in your proposal must reflect what you plan to research and write about in your Technical Report. (Think of the proposal and research paper as connecting assignments.)

• For the proposal assignment, only preliminary research is required. (Preliminary research means quick searches related to the selected topic to help formulate ideas and questions.) This means that formal APA in-text citations and references are NOT required for the proposal (unless you summarize, paraphrase, and/ or directly quote someone else’s ideas and/ or words).