Formal Report Assignment
Topic: Your topic must be related to communications, possibly in a business context. You can choose your own topic or look at the list below for ideas. If you choose to focus on one of the general topic areas listed below, then you must make sure that your paper narrows down the topic so that it is more specific and concrete.
Feel free to narrow your focus down to one specific industry or subject area, e.g. communicating effectively in the accounting industry, tourism industry, fashion industry, human resources, etc. Clear your topic with me before you start writing.
Report Format:
• Follow the Business Report Style Guide in Moodle
• 1.5 spacing, with an extra space between paragraphs
• Times New Roman, 12 point font
• In-text citations use APA Format
• Reference Page uses APA Format
Length: 9 pages maximum, including title page, table of contents etc. (I will be happy if it is shorter)
Outline:
• Title Page (1 page)
• Table of Contents (1 page)
• Executive Summary (1 page maximum) – a short summary of all of the content of your report for readers who do not have time to read the whole thing.
• Introduction (approximately 1/2 page) – introduces the overall topic and the subtopics that you will be discussing.
• Body Content (8 pages maximum) - use informative, logical headings of your choice; may use subheadings under each heading (make sure heading formats are consistent at each level); paragraphs should be relatively short and well-structured; content should fit together logically; include in-text citations for ALL information, ideas, facts and quotations taken from an outside source.
• Conclusion (approximately 1/2 page) – summarizes what you have said in a strong and definite manner; recaps the topic and subtopics.
• References (1 page) – separate page; follows APA format as discussed in class; should include at least 5 sources that were used in your report.
We will be discussing all of these sections in the classes about writing formal reports. I strongly encourage you to start doing research on your topic as soon as you can.
If you need help finding research sources and articles, the librarians at the NAIT library are your best resource.
Topic:
1. Visual communication and graphic design: There’s more to the message than the words themselves. How do visuals (pictures, shapes, colours, fonts, logos) affect communication and audience perception?