Fairness and accountability in peer evaluation for group pro…

Project #1: Topic-Approval Proposal Topic Ideas Due: January 27 Rough Draft Due: February 3 Final Draft Due: February 5 Format and Length: Business Letter in Block Format, 3-5 pages, single-spaced. This page count does not include your schedule plan or a works cited page, which would become supplemental. Overview For this assignment you will write a formal business letter seeking my approval for the project that will become your final report (See Project #4: Formal Analytical Report). The proposal is the first document in a series of assignments culminating in that final project. That will include Project #3: The Progress Report. Your audience for this letter is me, your instructor. I will also be your audience for the Progress Report, but I will not be your primary audience for the Formal Analytical Report. In that case, I will be your secondary audience. 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. I need to be convinced that this project is important to you and that you have the ability to complete it. Your primary audience for the Formal Analytical Report will be the person(s), entities or groups that have the authority to utilize and/or implement your conclusions, analyses, or recommendations. This pre-proposalthe first step you take to garner approval to begin your researchshould persuade me that a significant business challenge exists in a real organization and that you should be permitted to address it. This may include groups, companies or even communities and may include issues of money, time, efficiency, or lack thereof. Identify a problem that you would like to research in order to resolve it. This may be phrased as an overriding research question, and your final project will be the investigation that answers it. You do not have to have the solution to the problem at this time; rather you are suggesting that the organization should invest its faith in you to research and devise a solution. It will help you to come up with a research question to begin organizing and structuring your idea and thoughts. You should also identify specific criteria that you will use to conduct your research. This will be broad at first. You may use this research question and selection criteria to help you write your pre-proposal. Look for a project with practical application; that is, be able to define how a specific reader will use your report. The best projects are real and local rather than theoretical. (Dont create broad research questions, such as whether Apple should shut down manufacturing plants in Chinafor one thing, you wont have any access to good sources within Apple or in China, and the scope of such a formal report would be much longer than the parameters of Project #3 and #4.) Practical topics relate to your work, organizations, or field of specialization. Many of you will and should pick Penn State or State College related topics. It might work to include clubs or volunteer groups. Ideally, you will look to your personal experience or social network to find a business-related problem. Topic ideas are often found in the places you work and in your friends or family businesses. In these environments, its easier to do research because you have an in. You have better access to key experts, people you can interview and company documents that might include budgets or procedures. If your major, work or network doesnt suit this assignment, you may attempt something more theoretical. In other words, you may attempt to write a proposal for a business, organization or government agency from the outside looking in. This may be more difficult, however, since you wont have access to insider information; however, once you let people know youre writing something for class, theyre often helpful. One of the benefits of a large public university is that most faculty and staff are available for interviews. Government employees will often talk to students because thats expected from public, tax-funded agencies. Private businesses are often approachable, too. Some entities at Penn State are best kept off limits, such as student counseling services because they are overworked. Your Work and Research Intentions After you have convinced me of a problem and the need to find answers or solutions, include a detailed description of your research plan. This might include answers to several of the following questions: What criteria do you plan to investigate? What primary sources do you have access to? Who might you interview? Would a survey or field work be a good idea for your research? Be specific with your answers. Instead of writing things like “I will interview several professors in the Sociology Department” be specific with who, their credentials and why they’re relevant. Instead of writing, “I will conduct a survey of students” lay out a preliminary plan of how and where you will conduct this survey, the target audience you’re trying to reach and what kinds of questions you might ask. What kind of secondary research might you undertake? Will you go to the library and research the latest techniques in your field? Will you investigate the cost of new equipment? Are there other organizations that have succeeded in solving a similar problem? Will you research social media communication plans? Some combination of these? It may also help you to come up with a work plan that offers a preliminary structure and schedule for your research. You should also develop your ethos to write about this topicexplanations detailing your qualifications and access to sources to do this work. Preliminary work can be key here to make you more credible. It is often a good idea to identify a few sources early, to conduct an interview or commit to some initial information gathering. Be specific. The Topic While I am willing to consider a wide range of topics for your report, you must persuade me that you have chosen a worthwhile issue that you are capable of handling well. Keep in mind that the challenge must exist in a real organization, preferably one with which you have a actual connection. That means, I will be looking for topics that include primary research. In most cases, you will also include secondary research. In reading your proposal letter, I will be looking for answers to the following questions: What business challenge will your report address? Have you clearly defined a conflict between a desired situation and the current situation? Who is affected by the situation? Who will be the audience for your final report? What is your position in relationship to the audience? Why is this challenge significant for this final audience? What is at stake? Do you have a possible feasible solution for the problem? Have you established what a good solution would require? Have you thought about alternative plausible solutions? What makes you qualified to carry out the project? How is the topic related to your major? Your career plans? I prefer projects that give you practice using the skills you will need in your career. What will it take to gather the necessary information and complete your analysis? Can you complete your report in the time left in this semester, using the resources readily available to you? Do you have a work plan for your project, a plan that shows specifically when certain activities must be completed this semester if you are to finish the project on time? Details Craft your proposal in the form of a formal business letter to me. Select your information and organize it in such a way that it is persuasive and accessible. Remember, this proposal is not merely informative: it is an argument for why your topic should be approved. Your proposal will most likely include the following sections: An introduction that tells me why you are writing and previews the content that follows. A section on the topics significance, the problem, and potential solutions. A section describing your research plans for this project and potential sources. Convince me that you know what kind of information youll need and where to find it. What might be your primary sources. Your secondary sources? What kind of access do you have to these sources? Include an analysis of your targeted audience and what information theyll need in order to adopt your solution. A discussion of your credentials and motivation. Convince me that you have the background and resources necessary to conduct your research. Be sure to also indicate your motivation for and/or connection to this particular project. A work schedule. Convince me that you know what activities your research will require and that you can get them done on time. A conclusion that summarizes the key points of the letter and formally requests permission to proceed. Evaluation Criteria I evaluate your proposal based on the following criteria: Persuasiveness and organization. I will be looking to see that you are taking on an actual project related to your professional and academic expertise and that you can complete the project by the end of the semester. Make your proposal convincing; demonstrate that you have singled out a worthwhile problem to solve and that you are the researcher to solve it. Style, clarity and arrangement. Your proposal must be well written. The problem statement is clear and logically stated, sentences correct, concise and arranged so that the meaning is easily obtained and the prose is streamlined and effective for a general reader. Paragraphs are coherent, unified and relatively short (125 words or fewer). Design and format. Your design choices, including paragraph length, headings, subheadings, font choices, etc., increase document professionalism and accessibility. Business letter format is used consistently and appropriately. Note: I have done a rough draft I need a final draft zero ai in simple langauge maintaining key terms ready to submit, I will attach my rough draft. Please dont rephrase using ai so it doesnt lose meaning. Make sure all information is accurate and valid. keep the format and structure the same.