Writing Assignment
Writing for the Client
Outcomes addressed in this activity:
Unit Outcomes:
Formulate ideas for a non-technological audience using cause-and-effect writing techniques.
Explain issues to a technical audience using compare-contrast writing methods.
Show ideas in a professional business format.
Discover the requirements of publishing in professional journals.
Interpret real-world consequences of incorrect information.
Apply time-management skills.
Course Outcome:
IT513-4: Synthesize solutions to clients’ technology problems using research, appropriate writing styles, and a suitable business format.
Purpose
This Assignment will focus on different audiences/readers and two subtypes of expository essays: compare/contrast and cause-and-effect. Each essay will synthesize ideas from two sources and be presented in a work-like format but using APA citation and referencing. Complete the Unit 6 Reading before beginning work.
Assignment Instructions and Requirements
Choose a different technology topic for each of your two essays; these must be different topics and sources than what you chose for the Unit 4 and 5 assignments. Your choices should be based on personal interest as well as appropriateness to meet the requirements of comparing and contrasting concepts for the first essay and the cause-and-effect message for the second. Topic ideas are explored in this unit’s Learning Activity. This assignment will be submitted as two separate reports:
Client Report: a cause-and-effect report for the lay reader (such as the non-technical client)
Tech Report: a compare/contrast report for the expert reader (such as a technology team)
Requirements for each:
Writing:
Each report must have a body of 350450 words in length.
You may include a maximum of one short quote (40 words or less) in each report. If you choose to quote, you must treat the quote correctly per APA standards as learned in Unit 2. You do not have to quote.
Your work must be presented in essay/paragraph form, without lists, tables, or images. (Images are allowed on the cover page, however.)
Your writing must follow the rules for formal writing style as explained in the Unit 1 reading.
Organization:
Cover page content must include your name, date, and an appropriate title to describe the content.
Your content for each essay must start on the second page.
Organize each essay with the basic introduction-body-conclusion format.
Write descriptive subheadings.
Use deductive paragraphing (main idea and then details). Do not include “transition” sentences.
Avoid first person and write formally. Remember that the concepts for the lay reader may need to be simplified and be careful with use of jargon and difficult terminology.
Sources:
Locate exactly two appropriate sources for each essay, with at least one of the two found through an online University library search.
Do not reuse any of the sources used for the Unit 4 or Unit 5 Assignments.
All sources need APA in-text citation in the body and a complete APA reference entry in a reference section at the end of the report.
Formatting:
Find or create a business-like template and follow formatting rules provided in the unit Reading.
Use the same template for both of your reports.
Color for headings is allowed, but make sure the colors are not so light as to cause readability issues.
Keep the body of your work as black text on white background for readability. Do not place text in text boxes (with the exception being the cover page).
Use “block” formatting by applying single spacing for paragraphs with a blank line between paragraphs. Do not indent the first line of paragraphs. You may use “justified” alignment only if readability does not suffer.
Avoid overly fancy fonts and ensure that text size is reasonable for easy reading.
Any imagery on the cover should be appropriate to the project or general in nature.
Headers and footers are allowed as you see fit.
Directions for Submitting Your Assignment
Name your Word documents with the following convention: IT513-Unit6-ClientReport-LastName-FirstName and IT513-Unit6-TechReport-LastName-FirstName (using your own name).
Make sure you read all instructions carefully and review the rubric before submitting both reports to the Dropbox for Unit 6.
Reminders
Proofread your work for grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and formality.
Ensure that your work is not copied from sources. Copying does not prove an understanding of the material, and plagiarism will not be tolerated. In accordance with the University’s Academic Integrity policy, your assignment will be automatically submitted to TurnItIn.
