formal-report

Formal Report Resources toc

=Report Descriptions= Post these Mon., March 29, before class at 11:00 a.m. You can find these here.

=Student-Authored Sample Reports= Successful sample reports authored by students in the Fall 2009 semester are available in the content section of the course D2L page.

=Real World Sample Reports=

Basic Examples
> **Construction and Materials Support Center, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering** > "Evaluation of Owner Controlled Insurance Programs (OCIP’s) for Use on WisDOT Mega-Corridor Projects: A Review of the Marquette Interchange Owner Controlled Insurance Program" ([|PDF]) > 38 pages, good basic example of a formal report format

> **Pew Charitable Trusts** > "The Clean Energy Economy: Repowering Jobs, Businesses and Investments Across America" ([|PDF]) > 61 pages, lots of everything

> **U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Chairman, Senate Finance Committee** > "Call to Action Health Reform 2009" ([|PDF]) > 98 pages, incorporates transmittal letter > (NOTE: As of 4/7/10 this appears to have been removed)

Text-Dominant Examples
> **U.S. Senate, Select Committee on Intelligence** > "Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 / Amendments Act of 2007" ([|PDF]) > 52 pages, all text

> **U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Extremism and Radicalization Branch, Homeland Environment Threat Analysis Division** > "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment" ([|PDF]) > 10 pages, mostly text

Visual Information Examples
> **NASA, U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee** > "Seeking a Human Spaceflight Program Worthy of a Great Nation" ([|PDF]) > 157 pages, lots of everything, useful for its use of a variety of visual means of conveying information (AND co-authored by Sally Ride, the first woman in outer space)

> **Institute of Museum and Library Services** > "Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills" ([|PDF]) > 40 pages, lots of illustrations

> **U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development Policy and Program Studies Service** > "Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies" ([|PDF]) > 93 pages, lots of stats

Levels of Formality
> **U.S. 9/11 Commission** > "The 9/11 Commission Report" ([|PDF]) > 585 pages, essentially published as a book with text, maps, photos, and tables.

> **Marquette University Faculty Council** > "Report on the Use of Adjuncts at Marquette University" ([|PDF]) > 7 pages, not very formal

Levels of Information/Recommendation
> **American Bar Association** > "Task Force on Presidential Signing Statements and the Separation of Powers Doctrine" ([|PDF]) > 34 pages, upfront recommendation

> **The Nielsen Company** > "Global Faces and Networked Places A Nielsen report on Social Networking’s New Global Footprint" ([|PDF]) > 16 pages, interesting "pull" findings on front page, long sections throughout of recommendations for target reader (advertisers)

> **Marquette University** > "2008 Marquette University President's Report" ([|PDF]) > 12 pages, no explicit recommendation, though lots of extra stuff at beginning that suggests this is a PR document seeking alumni support

=Potential Interview Questions= What prompted you to leave the field? Was there a specfic issue, if so specify? What frustrates you the most about your job? What do you enjoy the most about your job? Can you decribe your path to your position? Would you say that was the best path to reach your position? Would you recommend to someone else or would you suggest another path? Are there things you can do to make yourself more desirable to an employer hiring for that position? What kept you interested and at this position so long?

Remember: Email your questions to your interviewee before hand. Preface it well so that they know that you sent them the list not to be ready for specific questions but to get them ready for the general topics of questions that will be asked.

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