Manual
Overview:
Your group will form a company that encompasses all of your diverse major fields of study. Make sure each person has a distinct job role within the company that is directly related to their field. Be creative here. Past students have created International Espionage companies, Shoe companies, Medical Software companies, etc. I have placed you in a group of students with diverse major fields so that there will be no overlap of chapters and so that you may be creative with your company purpose and mission. Make sure that each group member has a distinct job with their chosen field at the company.
Each group member will write an individual chapter about writing practices in that particular field using their Formal Report resources as a guide. Your group will write a manual that lists guidelines and rules for creating major documents and all written correspondence. Employees will use your Manual to learn what writing tasks they will encounter, and how to complete those tasks.
Very important--this is not an HR manual. Do not include any information that is not related to writing.
Grading:
Although each student is responsible for their individual chapters, overall, this is a collaborative project. The group as a whole will organize the chapters and submit one document. Your grade will be dependant on the group's ability to coordinate the project. The group is responsible for creating a company name, purpose, and description. The group will also be responsible for collaborating on front and back matter.
Each individual student will receive a grade based on three factors: end of semester evaluation from entire group, quality of individual chapter, overall quality of the manual. Please log the time you have spent on your own chapter throughout the semester, and continue to think about each group member’s contribution. You will give a self evaluation and a group evaluation at the end of the project.
Goals and Skills:
The Manual is the final culmination of all the skills you have learned so far this semester. Fist you will need to rely on you research skills to gather examples of good writing practices. You will also need to read critically so that you only represent material that is appropriate for new hires in your company. You will show that you know how to write in the different styles of your profession, and finally you will practice communicating within that profession
Structure:
Your group will create a professional document that will have a very clear audience—new employees, and a very clear purpose—to discuss how to write in a particular job.
Each group member will write an individual chapter that discusses writing practices for that job in that company. Make sure each chapter is well organized. Each individual chapter will include explanations of:
- what types of documents they must produce,
- what types of writing guidelines they must follow,
- what types of reasons they might be writing for,
- who their audience will be.
Submitting First Drafts:
- All first drafts must be submitted to myASU as Microsoft Word documents.
- Name your Word document "your name + current paper number + first.”
Ex: joe paper one first.doc - In the subject line of your post type the paper number only.
Submitting Final Drafts:
- All final drafts must be submitted to me through email as Microsoft Word documents.
- Name your Word document "your name + current paper number + final.”
Ex: joe paper one final.doc - In the subject line of your email type the paper number only.