Assignment Dates

• Due Date: By 11:59 PM on Friday, April 7, 2023.
• Grace Period: Ends at 11:59 PM on Friday, April 28, 2023.

What I Want You to Do

Review the information required in your Recommendation Report, and write an outline for your draft, including specific headings and subheadings.

Why I Want You to Do It

By creating an outline, you are sketching out the work that you need to do. Longer documents frequently require specific sections and information, and your outline can help ensure you include them all. Think of your outline as a working plan for all the things you will write for your report.

Where You Can Find Help

• Markel & Selber, “Organizing and Outlining Your Document,” on page 49 in Chapter 3.
• Markel & Selber, Chapter 7, “Organizing Your Information”
  Consider which organizational structures will help you in specific sections of your report.
• Markel & Selber, Chapter 18, “Writing Recommendation Reports”
  In particular, consult the sample recommendation report to understand how the sections of the report connect.
• Recommendation Report Criteria
• Effective Report Titles
• Tip Sheet: Recommendation Report Outline
• Student Examples
  • Economically Friendly Ways to Eat Healthy as a College Student
  • How to Save Money on Food While in College
  • Recommending an Alternative Option for the Diets of Independent College Students
• From LinkedIn Learning:
  • The video course “Organizing an Outline” (46m).
  • The videos “The importance of planning” (4m 46s) and “Develop a final outline” (6m 13s).

How You Do It

1. Review the information you should include in your report on the Recommendation Report Criteria page.
2. Review Table 18.1: “Elements of a Typical Report,” on page 492 of Technical Communication for details on report structure.
3. Examine the structure of the Sample Report, Figure 18.8 on pages 504–527 of Markel and Selber’s Technical Communication.
4. Use the information in the textbook and on the Tip Sheet: Recommendation Report Outline to compose your outline.
5. Create a rough outline for your Recommendation Report, relying on the information from the Criteria and the textbook.
   • Begin your outline with your report title, using the advice on the Effective Report Titles page to compose a strong title.
   • Use whatever outlining system you prefer for now, as long as it shows major sections and their subsections.
   • Start your outline by copying the list of required sections from the Recommendation Report Criteria page.
   • Revise the basic information you have copied to make it specific to your report. Just copying over the basic outline is not enough. You need to add details that demonstrate your plans for the report.
   • Include notes under the sections and subsections if you like.
   • Work through the entire report, from beginning to end. This is a first draft. You can revise and add material later.
6. Compare your outline to the table of contents in the sample report from the textbook, on page 508. Your outline should include similar details to those you see in the example table of contents.
7. Make any additions or revisions to your working outline to include relevant information, based on your comparison.
8. Success Tip
   You should be able to answer “True” to each question before you submit your work to the Full Draft Submission. If you do not meet each of the criteria listed, your draft will be marked Incomplete and you’ll need to revise.
   Review your draft by comparing it to the Recommendation Outline Self-Check.
9. Choose one of these options based on your Self-Check:
   • If you answered “True” to every question, move on to the next step. You’re ready to submit your work.
   • If you did not answer “True” to every question, follow this process:
     • Return to your draft and revise so that you can answer “True.”
     • Review your draft with the Recommendation Outline Self-Check after you revise.
       • If you answered “True” to every question, move on to the next step. You’re ready to submit your work.
       • If you did not answer “True” to every question, continue revising until you can.
10. Submit your Full Outline here once you are ready. See How do I submit an online assignment? if you need help with Canvas.

How to Find Feedback After Your Submit Your Work

• Watch for feedback comments from me—find feedback in annotations and comments on your submissions in Canvas.
  • I will mark your work Complete in Canvas Grades, if you have met all the criteria for the assignment.
  • I will mark your work Incomplete in Canvas Grades if your draft needs revision OR if you do not submit your work by the end of the grace period.
• Watch for this assignment to reappear in your to-do list if you need to revise.