For Project 5, you will write a recommendation report with research, but you have a few options. Keep in
mind that you must write to persuade, so you will need to show all of the benefits of your recommendation
compared to those of other options.
OPTION 1:
At work, your current IBM (or some other brand name) copier (or some other piece of expensive equipment)
is causing many problems, and everyone agrees that the cost to repair it exceed the costs of purchasing a new
one with an extended warranty.
The “sticking point” between you and your supervisor concerns brand name. You do not like IBM (?) products
as a rule, and this copier has never performed well for long before having to call in the repair tech, so you
would like to go with a different name brand, but your supervisor wants to stick with another IBM copier.
Research the newest and best copier for your business’s budget from IBM (?) and another one of your choice,
and write your findings and a recommendation for your specific application. Present a recommendation based
on the facts, avoiding skewing your results to fit your personal desires.
OPTION 2:
You can draw your topic from your work or classroom environment. For example, if you and your colleagues
were considering the purchase of new equipment, the implementation of a new procedure, expansion to a
new location, or the marketing of a new product, you could study and research this idea and then write a
report on your findings as well as your recommendation.
For Options 1 and 2, make sure you provide the following in your report:
A section in which you compare the choices. Use the point-by-point approach (not the whole-to-whole
approach) in setting up the comparisons.
In each comparative section, normally at the end, state the conclusion for that section (for example,
which product is best in terms of reliability).
OPTION 3:
As a student, you may like to see your college add a daycare center. Research the costs, including insurance,
employees (including student work studies from the ECE program) and space or location for the facility. Also,
consider how the college would fund establishing this service and if the college could make back the costs.
What would the college have to charge per child per day or week or month? Who would benefit from the
center? Could the college make money from the facility?
OPTION 4:
As a student, you may like to see your college establish an infirmary on campus. Consider all of the costs,
including insurance, employees (including work studies from healthcare programs), and space or location for
the infirmary. Also consider how the college would fund this and how quickly it could make back the money.
Could the college actually make money from the infirmary? Who would benefit from the infirmary?
OPTION 5:
Many communities have recycling projects that allow residents to recycle paper products, cans, and plastic. In
this scenario, your place of business does not recycle, and your supervisor has asked you to research the
benefits of corporate recycling, determine how your business could implement a recycling plan, and write
your recommendation.
You will want to determine how much recyclable waste most companies (if not your own) generate every day,
week, and month to show a need, so keep this in mind as part of your research.
Guidelines for All Choices
Define and state the requirements you use to make your recommendations.
Define and describe somewhere in the report the situation in which this report is needed.
Be sure to describe anything that will help readers follow your discussion: for example, brands or
models of the equipment you are making a recommendation on.
Be sure to define any terms that might be unfamiliar to readers of your recommendation report.
Write your cover letter or memo to introduce your topic and then have your separate “formal” report.)
Include other graphics as necessary. Use headings and lists as necessary.
Include a background section on the situation (problem or opportunity) or the products, technologies,
or programs–or both, as necessary.
Include a recommendation section in which you make your recommendation.
Include a conclusions section in which you summarize all of the key points.
Use whatever information sources (including Galileo or company websites) you need to gather the
data for this report; use the number system to document your borrowed information.
This assignment should consists of 7 – 10 pages, including an initial request to perform
recommendation report memo, the report cover page, the table of contents, the report memo, and
the works cited page.
Include at least three substantial graphics in this writing project. Pictures of a product count as only
one.
