Major Assignment 3 Research Overview
Research and planning are essential components of the technical writing process because it is at this stage that the writer sources for and analyzes diverse information, regarding the subject and audience in question, to create clear documentation.[1] This stage is the most critical part, and, as I have discovered so far in planning for the major assignment, it makes or breaks the quality of one’s writing. My specific focus is on understanding the audience according to levels of interest, roles and capacities, and general disposition. As such, I have created a simple checklist to classify what information each type of reader is interested in and why they need it, and their tolerance for the message.
I followed Richard Johnson-Sheehan’s perspectives in his book, “Technical Communication Today,” on how to analyze different types of readers from primary readers, who make the decisions, to the tertiary (evaluators) and gatekeepers (supervisors) levels. For instance, I have discovered that while top education officials are open-minded and optimistic about the potential of volunteerism among college students, they are cautious in their approach to the subject. Therefore, my research gears towards presenting information in a precise way that will eliminate doubt and hesitancy in implementing volunteerism as a critical cornerstone of higher education. I have read and recorded the significant benefits that motivate students to volunteer, mostly in local non-governmental organizations and community development activities. Such benefits include the promise of a better academic grade based on hours volunteered, the chance to give back to society in meaningful ways, and the skills and experience they stand to gain. In my research, I’m keeping in mind that while these reasons are valid, they have different capacities to influence the student to volunteer. I want to find credible evidence that these reasons can assume a ranking order according to importance and power over students and other stakeholders. This way, my report will articulate the benefits of college volunteering and provide an insight into which specific benefits resonate with my audience and, thus, outline practical suggestions on how to implement such volunteering programs. I have also identified the graphics in terms of graphs, possible sub-headings, color, and images that will complement my writing. Finally, I have collected possible article journals and other sources that have the message that my audience will resonate with, as the sources of evidence for the information presented regarding the benefits of volunteering. Hence, this process has enabled me to apply all the rhetorical choices of the audience, context of use, genre, and purpose that define the technical writing.
[1] Johnson-Sheehan, Technical Communication Today, 1–707.