Assignment $2$

Proposal for Formal Report

The Assignment

For this assignment, you will write a memo to me requesting my approval to conduct research for your Formal Report $($Assignment $4).$ When writing the proposal, think of me as someone who wants to be sure that you choose a project from which you can learn a great deal and on which you can do a good job. The Research for Assignment $4$ will be ongoing throughout the semester.

What Your Memo Should Include

A Problem: What problem will your report address? Explain this problem with enough detail so that I will understand what you will be working on$.$

Audience: Whose problem is it$?$ Who will read the report? What is your position relative to your readers? Why is this problem significant for these readers? What's at stake?

The Research: What kind of research will you need to do to complete your final project? Consider that you might need to gather information through questionnaires or interviews. You may also rely on library or internet research.

Logistics: What will it take to gather the necessary information and complete your analyses? Can you complete your report in the time left in this term, using resources readily available to you?

A Schedule: The memo should include a schedule that shows specifically when certain activities must be completed this Term if you are to finish the project on time.

Accessibility

One of the important elements of good business communication is good document design. You need to make your information accessible to your readers. Your Proposal should have headings to show important information. These headings can be larger font and bold face to make your section stand out. You should also have sub$-$headings for various sections under the major headings. Using different fonts, font types, and font sizes are good ways to show each new topic or heading.

The Format

The format for this assignment should be a formal business memo. Select your information and organize it in such a way that it is persuasive and accessible. It should include the following:

An introduction which tells me why you are writing and what the memo is about

A section on the problem, including an explicit, well$-$developed problem statement.