WRTG 394 students,
Your next writing assignment will be a background review and synthesis of the literature for
the topic of your research-based report.
This assignment is designed to help you prepare for the final paper in WRTG 394. Keep in mind
that your final paper in WRTG 394 will be a report in which you do the following:
define a problem in your workplace or community persuasively and accurately
propose a solution or solutions to the problem or issue
Steps to Take in Completing this Assignment:
Locate at least seven articles on your topic. At least four articles should come from
scholarly journals or credible trade journals. You should use OneSearch through
UMUC’s Library and Information Services or individual databases through the library for
your research.
Take notes, perhaps by applying the skills from your annotated bibliography exercise, on
each article.
Write a synthesis of the articles. The synthesis will be 1000-1400 words.
In your synthesis, you will group the themes of the articles. For example, if you have
collected seven articles on the topic of paperless offices, you might find that three major
themes emerge from your perusing of the seven articles:
o common reasons for resisting the move to a paperless office
o costs of transitioning to a paperless office
o benefits of transitioning to a paperless office
Examples of Topics and the Role of this Assignment:
You might write a report on any one of the following topics. Please note that these are
examples of topics. You might not choose any of them. They are provided here to help illustrate
this assignment.
a report to your manager at work suggesting that more teleworking options be given to
employees at your workplace
a report to your supervisor at work suggesting that email be used less frequently for
communication and that another application be used to improve communication.
a report to your manager at work suggesting that your office become paperless
a report to the board of directors at your townhouse community to argue that the
playground area in your community should be renovated
a report to the manager of your unit at work noting that recycling facilities in the
workplace should be improved
In any report of this nature, some background research is necessary. For example, consider the
following strategies when collecting background research for the topics mentioned above:
For a report to your manager at work suggesting that more teleworking options be given
to employees at your workplace, some research studies on teleworking would be very
persuasive.
For a report to your supervisor at work suggesting that email be used less frequently for
communication and that another application be used to improve communicatio n, some
scholarly literature or articles from credible trade journals on transitioning to alternative
electronic communication would be beneficial. In addition, articles that demonstrate the
problems with email communication would add to the argument.
For a report to your manager at work suggesting that your office become paperless, some
scholarly literature on paperless offices would be effective.
For a report to the board of directors at your townhouse community to argue that the
playground area in your community should be renovated, some scholarly articles or trade
journal articles on the benefits of playground areas for communities, the benefits of
exercise for young children, the effect of such playground areas on home values, etc.
would be effective.
For a report to the manager of your unit at work arguing that recycling facilities in the
workplace should be improved, some scholarly articles or studies on the challenges of
and benefits to implementing recycling facilities in organizations would be persuasive.
Of course, there are varieties of recycling programs. The articles you find would help
define what type of recycling program you would propose.
Length of your paper:
As noted above, your background review of the literature on your topic should be 1000-1400
words in length.
The sources should be cited throughout the paper in APA format and listed in a References page
at the end of the paper in APA format.
Due Date:
Your instructor will notify you of the due date. You will write a first draft, your instructor will
comment on the first draft, and you will submit a second draft using the comments as your guide.
You will find that your synthesis will be a helpful component of your final research-based report.
In fact, if your synthesis is well written, you might be able to take whole parts of it and copy it
into the final report. In any case, the skills and strategies you gain from writing the background
review and synthesis of literature will be very valuable in writing your final research-based
report.
Topics to Help You Come Up with Ideas on this Assignment:
Some possible workplace research topics are the following. These are examples to help you get
started. Please contact your instructor to have other topic ideas approved.
Going to a wireless network
Going to a paperless office
Switching from Windows to Linux (or other similar switch)
Installing/upgrading company firewall
Establishing a drug policy
Establishing an employee leave donation program
Establishing an equipment donation program for used computers, etc.
Establishing a company recycling program (paper, etc.)
Education/retraining for your employees
Establishing a program for millennial workers (e.g., training on certain aspects of
etiquette, on understanding other generations, etc.)
Designing a training program for workplace safety issues
Redesigning employee performance evaluations
Developing a work-at-home (telecommuting) policy
Developing a flex-time policy
Establishing on-site day care or providing other child care benefits
Providing gym membership or creating an on-site workout facility
Creating or revising a charitable contribution policy
Creating or improving a tuition assistance program
Accommodations needed for employee/s with specific health issues (for example,
migraines)
Establishing a Habitat for Humanity (or other group) chapter at your organization
Some students have chosen topics outside of their workplaces, such as the following:
Starting a neighborhood watch program
Starting a mentor program at your place of worship
Getting additional lighting in the neighborhood
Changing traffic patterns around your child’s school
Starting a PTA website for your child’s school
Installing a tot lot in your neighborhood
Constructing a crying baby room at your place of worship
Offering ESL courses at your church
Increasing participation in a military Family Support Group
Introducing a youth sports program to a school or community
Assignment Rubric:
Article found Excellent Good Fair
Needs
improvem
ent
Does not
pass
At least four articles come from
credible scholarly or trade journals
10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points 5 points
Synthesis of articles Excellent Good Fair
Needs
improvem
ent
Does not
pass
The review introduces the synthesis
with an introductory paragraph and
thesis statement
10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points 5 points
The review synthesizes the ideas of
the articles and divides the articles
into themes, rather than simply
reviewing each article in a list
20 points 16 points 12 points 10 points 5 points
The review demonstrates how the
findings of one article relate to the
findings of other articles
10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points 5 points
The review uses signal phrases and
parenthetical citations appropriately
in integrating its sources
5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 0 points
The review provides an effective
concluding paragraph summarizing
the findings of the research
5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
The review cites sources in APA
format
5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 0 points
Accurate grammar and punctuation is
demonstrated
15 points 12 points 9 points 6 points 4 points
“References” page Excellent Good Fair
Needs
improvem
ent
Does not
pass
Lists at least seven sources, and all
sources listed are cited in the paper
10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points 5 points
Lists the sources in APA format 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points 5 points
Overall Score
Excellent
90 or
more
Good
80 or
more
Fair
70 or
more
Needs
Improve
ment
60 or
more
Does not
pass
0 or
more
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