What You Will Learn and Practice

• How to analyze your audience and purpose so that you can choose how to present information clearly and effectively. [CLO 1]
• How to find and evaluate original, ethical evidence that supports your position through primary and secondary research. [CLO 2 & 3]
• How to write documents you may encounter in the workplace (specifically front matter for a report). [CLO 4]
• How to use colors, layout, and formatting that make your documents understandable and easy to read. [CLO6]
• How to take advantage of design principles, including contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity, to communicate your ideas effectively. [CLO 7]

What I Want You to Do

Return to your Design Description, Instructions, and research to find all the information your recorded on researching your topic (both primary and secondary research). Using the recorded information and other notes you have, write the Methods section of your Recommendation Report. Your Methods section will describe the design principles you searched for on your website and the process you followed as you collected your primary findings.

Why I Want You to Do It

The Methods section is where you tell your readers about the research you did. I am breaking the report out, section-by-section, to guide you through the process of writing the document and help make sure you include everything that is required for a complete report.

Where You Can Find Help

• From Markel & Selber, Chapter 18:
  
  • The details on the Methods Section, from p. 493:
    “The methods section answers the question ‘What did you do?’ In drafting the methods section, consider your readers’ knowledge of the field, their perception of you, and the uniqueness of the project, as well as their reasons for reading the report and their attitudes toward the project. Provide enough information to enable readers to understand what you did and why you did it that way. If others will be using the report to duplicate your methods, include sufficient detail.”
  • Example Methods Section, on pp.512–515 (part of the sample recommendation report in Figure 18.8).
• LinkedIn Learning video, “Include methodology and procedures” (4m 11s), from the Technical Writing: Reports course.

When to Do It

• Suggested Due Date: By 11:59 PM on Friday, April 15, 2022.
• Grace Period: The grace period for this activity ends at 11:59 PM on Friday, April 29, 2022.

How You Do It

1. Return to your Design Description, Instructions, and research, and locate all the information you recorded on design concepts and your analysis of your website (both primary and secondary research).
2. Open the word processor document where you are working on your recommendation report.
3. Scroll through the outline you created to the location for your Methods section.

Tips for Writing Sub-Headings

• Use the headings in the Methods Section of the sample recommendation report in Figure 18.8 of the textbook as a model.
• If you are unsure where to begin, start with a section for each design concept that you analyzed the website for.
• Consult the advice in the “Writing Clear, Informative Headings,” section on pp. 199–202 (in Chapter 9 of the textbook).
• Use the help on the Professional Design for Reports page.
4. Make any changes necessary to the headings for the sub-sections of your Methods Section:
   • If you have already worked on your Results Section, copy the sub-headings from your Results Section to the Methods Section. The sub-headings in these two sections typically match.
   • If you have not worked on your Methods Section, choose one of the following:
     • If you added sub-sections when you created your outline, check your headings to ensure that you have included all the tasks you completed in your research.
     • If you did not include sub-sections in your outline, add them now, covering all the tasks that you completed in your research.
5. Write the content for the Methods Section:
   1. Describe the process that you followed as you analyzed your website, explaining what you looked for and the order you looked in. Use your Instructions as a reference.
   2. Explain each of the concepts that you analyzed on your website. If appropriate, you can include your Design Description as part of your Methods section. You can add similar descriptions for the other concepts you have included as you analyzed your website.
   3. Expand on the information with other notes and information that you have.
   4. Mention your Instructions specifically and indicate that they are included in your Appendix. [Note: The Instructions document itself will go in an appendix, not in the Methods section. Just describe what you did here.]
   5. Work back through the information you have added to make sure you have sentences and clear ideas.
6. Review the section and make any additions or changes, using the information from the textbook and LinkedIn Learning videos as needed. At this point, focus in particular in making sure that you have included everything that answers the question, “What did you do?”
7. Move on to the next part of the report that you want to work on.

How to Assess & Track Your Work

You track and grade your own work in this course. Be sure to complete the following tasks:

• Track your work in your Weekly Work Log.

This is a working draft for your Best Submission. It is marked Complete in Canvas when you submit it for one of the two Feedback Discussions.