Read the top two paragraphs in your textbook on p. 324: Investigative Reports. Look through all of Chapter 10: Writing Formal Reports in order
Investigative Report
Assignment Objectives:
to practice research and documentation,
to analyze and synthesize secondary sources, and
present your findings in an investigative report that uses appropriate citation, effective organization and formatting and
appropriate tone.
Read the top two paragraphs in your textbook on p. 324: Investigative Reports. Look through all of Chapter 10: Writing Formal
Reports in order to fully understand the scope of such a large undertaking as well as its layout.
Scenario:
You may use the prompt on p. 334-335 #2 (you may also use the concept of this prompt and tweak it to make it your own, as long as
the result will actually be an Investigative Report that follows the requirements provided here) OR make up your own scenario that is
relevant to your intended line of work in which your superiors have asked you to investigate a problem occurring at your workplace.
They want to know why this problem occurs and what can be done to prevent it. This problem can be something that is unique to your
workplace, or it can be something broader that affects your field. It can be the same problem that was the impetus for your incident
report, or it can be another issue, but it cannot be a larger scale trouble/incident/accident report. It needs to address a larger issue
affecting your field. (In other words, this is far greater in scope than just a bigger version of what you turned in for your incident
report.)
To investigate the issue, you will need to use secondary sources in addition to any primary source information that you get from the
workplace (e.g. the incident report, or witness information). You should locate at least three current, reputable sources that will
help you and your audience understand this problem. This information can help provide context, provide statistics, some history as to
the issue, information as to how other places have dealt with similar concerns, and so on. Synthesize the information you have
gathered with your own ideas and insight.
Present your findings in a detailed (1200 – 1500 word) investigative report and include word count at the end of the report.
Notes:
As this scenario is hypothetical, you are not required to gather actual witness data, create your own questionnaires or conduct
your own surveys. You are welcome to make that up. However, your information must be consistent with actual data that you
uncover in your research.
Use the sections in the textbook on “Formal Reports” in Ch. 10 to inform this document. You will not need the front matter
(except a memo of transmittal and a cover page, see p. p. 339 – 366), however. So you do need a memo of transmittal and a
cover page, but no other front matter. You do need a References page.
Use either APA or MLA formatting for your sources, as long as you’re consistent.
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