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Learning Module 5: Final Project: Creating a Professional Document

 Module 5: Final Project 

I.  GOALS:

In Module 5, we will build on the preparation/proposal work you accomplished in Module 3 in order to craft and ultimately submit a professional-level technical document tailored specifically to an accessible real-world audience.

II.  DOCUMENT TYPES:

Over the semester we have encountered a number of technical/professional documents, some of which you were familiar with, some of which you might not have fully considered before. These include:

As mentioned in Module 3, for the final project you have the option of choosing from the following:

The  type of document you choose depends on the audience/rhetorical situation you've identified and how best you can address the problem/opportunity.

III.  REQUIREMENTS:

Independent Work

  1. Review example documents below
  2. Review Primary Research Overview
  3. Review Secondary Research Overview

IV.  CRAFTING THE FINAL PROJECT

For the Research Proposal assignment, you completed some initial work to identify an accessible audience/rhetorical situation and to map out a potential solution to a problem/opportunity you identified. Depending on the feedback you received following final submission, your goal now is either 1) to move forward with your plans or 2) to revise your approach, decide on a viable project, and then to start working on it. If your intended project demands significant revision, you should make plans to meet with me online or in person as soon as possible.

Often the most challenging component of the final project is the Primary Research requirement. Nevertheless, completing primary research - ideally talking directly with members of your intended audience(s) - will ensure you are able to tailor your Final Project as much as possible to them.

Remember, the point of the final project is to synthesize everything we've learned over the last several weeks and apply it to creating a real (that is, not hypothetical) document intended to serve as a solution/resource for a real audience.

V.  MODULE RESOURCES

Below you will find a variety of other real world examples that may help you when crafting your own document.

Technical Background Resources and Examples:

Onboarding Manual Resources and Examples

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Examples:

Technical Specifications Resources and Examples (potentially useful for some projects):

Recommendation Report Examples: