Assignment Dates

• Target Due Date: By 11:59 PM on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
• Checkpoint Deadline: By 11:59 PM on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
• Final Grace Period: Ends at 11:59 PM on Friday, May 2, 2025.

See the Short Guide for an explanation of these dates.

What I Want You to Do

You and the members of your group will write a recommendation report that analyzes the usability of a website that a Virginia Tech student would use in the workplace or in the course of their academic work at the university.

You will include customary sections (e.g., intro, methods, results, conclusions, and recommendations), along with front and back matter. Your report will probably be 10–15 pages long, including all sections.

Why I Want You to Do It

You will write longer documents in the workplace, usually with a team of people. This assignment examines the various parts that comprise a long report and asks you to practice formatting and arranging a long document.

Where You Can Find Help

• Weeks 12 to 14 Readings
• Sample Recommendation Report

The Scenario for the Project

How You Do It

Follow the instructions in the three sections below to

1. Plan the work and update the schedule your group will follow to write the recommendation report.
2. Write the recommendation report collaboratively.
3. Review the recommendation report draft and revise/proofread as necessary.

Section 1: Planning the Work for Your Recommendation Report

1. Review the Recommendation Report Overview, the Recommendation Report Criteria, and the example report to understand the requirements for the project.
2. Ensure that your website backup is complete. If anything on the website has changed, update your backup so that you have the most recent files. Here are some ways to make a backup:
   • Print out the webpage on paper, ensuring all the information on the page prints.
   • Print the webpage and choose to print a PDF, so you’ll have a digital backup.
   • Save a backup to the Wayback Machine by following these instructions.
3. Use the information in the readings, the Recommendation Report Overview, and Recommendation Report Criteria to divide the work for your group’s report, considering the two basic ways to work.
4. Review the schedule that your group included in your Progress Report with one another. Update the schedule as needed. These tips still apply:
   • Create your schedule to finish by the due date. If your group gets down to the last minute and needs to use the grace period, that’s fine; but plan to be on time.
   • Pay attention to the way that sections of the report rely upon one another. For instance, it‘s hard to write the recommendations before you have the rest of the report written.
   • Consider the tips on how to Plan a strategy for scheduling from UNC’s Writing Center.
5. Set up a Google Doc or shared Word doc for your group’s Recommendation Report. Share the document with everyone in your group, so that you can all edit. Also share the Doc with me (tengrrl@vt.edu). Find additional ways to share your document and related information in this UNC Writing Center Tip Sheet.
6. Add headings in the document for each of the required sections (listed in the Recommendation Report Criteria) of the report. Use the styles in the word processor your group has chosen to format all of the headings consistently, following the relevant documentation:
   • Make a title or heading in Google Docs
   • Add a heading in Microsoft Word
7. Review the documentation style that the group will use for the Recommendation Report to ensure that everyone adds citations in the same format. You can use whatever style your group has chosen. Consult the Citation and style manuals guide from the library and the Documentation and Citations page for help.
8. Make any other decisions necessary to ensure that all sections flow in a coordinated way. For example, make decisions about how you will refer to your website: will you use its full name or a shortened version?

Section 2: Collaborating to Write Your Recommendation Report

9. Compose the body of your Recommendation Report with your group, using the following linked instructions for each section of the document:
   

   

   • Writing Your Introduction
   • Writing Your Methods Section
   • Writing Your Results Section
   • Writing Your Conclusions Section
   • Writing Your Recommendations Section
10. Compose the front matter for your Recommendation Report with your group, using the instructions linked below. Remember that you need to complete the body sections before you work on the front matter. Why? You cannot write summaries of the information in your report before you write the report.

    

    • Writing Your Letter of Transmittal
    • Writing Your Title Page
    • Writing Your Abstract
    • Creating Your Table of Contents
    • Writing Your Executive Summary
11. Compose the back matter of your Recommendation Report with your group, following the instructions linked below:
    

    

    • Writing Your References
    • Writing Your Appendixes
12. Add at least three visual elements, following these criteria:
    • Use as many visuals (e.g., photos, illustrations, flowcharts, tables) as needed to make the subject compelling and enhance the message in the content.
    • Do not add decorative illustrations.
    • Include textual references to visuals to integrate them into the text.
    • Wrap text around visuals.
13. Use in-text citations throughout the report, following the style system your group decides upon. Be consistent, and use the same style throughout. In other words, don’t use IEEE in the Introduction and then switch to APA in the Justification section. See the Documentation and Citations for Your Projects page for help.

Section 3: Checking and Revising Your Recommendation Report

14. Assemble all parts of the report if you have worked separately so that you have one document.
15. Review the structure and document design of your report, using the Professional Design for Reports page to guide your work.
16. Review the document to ensure that the text is clear and complete, using these Revising, Editing, and Proofreading Tips
17. Check and update your group’s report with the review tools in your word processor, using the following links if you need instructions:
    • Check spelling and grammar in Office
    • Check grammar, spelling, and more in Word for the web (for Microsoft 365)
    • Check your spelling & grammar in Google Docs
    • Check spelling in Pages on Mac
18. Check and update your report for accessibility, using the following links if you need instructions:
    • Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker (for Office and for Microsoft 365)
    • Accessibility for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, & Drawings
    • Create accessible documents, spreadsheets, or presentations with Pages, Numbers, or Keynote
19. Success Tip
    You should be able to answer “True” to each question in the Self-Check before you submit your project. If you do not meet each of the criteria listed, your draft will be marked Incomplete and you’ll need to revise.
    Complete the Recommendation Self-Check, and decide with your group whether to submit the assignment:
    • If you answered “True” to every question, move on to the next step (#20). 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 it to meet all of the criteria.
      • Review your draft with the Recommendation Self-Check after you revise.
        • If you answered “True” to every question, move on to the next step (#20). You’re ready to submit your work.
        • If you did not answer “True” to every question, continue revising until you can.
20. Submit your group‘s report here once you are ready. Only ONE member of your group needs to submit the report. See How do I submit an online assignment? if you need help with Canvas.

How to Find Feedback After Your Submit Your Work

• Find feedback in annotations and comments on your submissions in Canvas, according to one of these options:
  • I will add feedback and mark your work Complete in Canvas Grades, if you have met all the criteria for the assignment.
  • Canvas will mark this activity Incomplete in Grades automatically if you do not submit your work by the Target Due Date. You can still submit your work by the Checkpoint Deadline or Final Grace Period.
  • I will mark this activity Incomplete if I find your project does not meet the Recommendation Report Criteria.
• Watch for this assignment to reappear in your to-do list if you are eligible to revise. See the information on Target Due Dates and Checkpoint Deadlines for details.