Childhood Obesity
Your first major assignment for Business Writing is to write a formal report. Length: 1,200-1,500 words (approx). You may choose any subject.
Remember, as its name suggests, a formal report’s primary function is to report on something. It is the end product of a thorough investigation and analysis of an event or issue. Choosing an appropriate topic is one of the hardest parts of this assignment, so make sure you select something that is of interest and “meaty” enough for you to cover in a formal report. In the past, successful reports have covered such things as:
-a public relations or media event
-a trade show
-a public issue (e.g. smoking ban)
-proposed public policy
-an environmental issue
-the launch of a new agency or program
Your assignment will be divided into two parts. First, you will write a one-page Letter of Transmittal to me (using the full-block format from PR Techniques) in which you will tell me about the report you will write. The purpose of writing the letter is to make sure that you have a selected a topic that we are both confident can make for a good formal report. As such, please make sure your letter includes: the subject of the report, your reason for writing it (not because it has been assigned), the importance of the report, who commissioned it (Paul Welsby, Professor, Durham College), and your general plans (what you’ll cover and how, what sections you’ll include, what the appendices will be, etc.).
The second part of the assignment is the report itself. Make sure you follow the format presented in class, including all of the essential elements from dust cover to Bibliography.
Marks will be deducted for errors in CP Style, MLA Style, spelling, punctuation, grammar, format, etc.
FORMAL REPORT ASSIGNMENT– 30%
MARKING SCHEME:
MARK ITEM
5 Letter of Transmittal (describing topic & intentions of report)
Formal Report:
7 Format (includes all elements, properly positioned)
8 Organization/presentation of main ideas
10 Writing (cleanliness of copy; absence of clichés, jargon;
transitions; varied sentence structure; not choppy)
Please note: In addition, one mark will be deducted
for each error in CP Style, spelling or grammar. Mistakes in names of individuals or organizations will cost five marks.
NOTE: LATE PAPERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AND WILL
RESULT IN A MARK OF “0” FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT.