ABF 401 Writing and Research

Lecture Hours: 6
Credits: 6

Practice effective research methods relevant to the workplace. Includes critical reading and analysis of information in order to design a variety of technical documents, including multimodal communication. Addresses ethical implications of technical writing in real-world contexts that require individual and collaborative problem-solving efforts. Significant focus on practical application of writing and research.

Prerequisite: Admitted into Applied Baccalaureate program; completed AAS degree; or consent of instructor.
Student Learning Outcomes:

Find, evaluate, use, and cite resources (Information Literacy)
Practice technical writing skills for the workplace.
Organize and effectively design written and multimodal communication.
Use information to ethically influence decisions.

Content Outline

Information Literacy
- Professional methods of inquiry
- Establish appropriate focus/scope for primary and secondary research
- Use library databases to access relevant academic and professional resources
- Critically read complex texts
- Evaluate credibility of various resource types
- Analyze, synthesize, and effectively incorporate information from research, with appropriate context
- Use research to support informative and persuasive communication
- Consistent, appropriate documentation
Technical Workplace Writing Skills
- User-based communication
- Professional, succinct diction
- Organization of ideas
- Avoid common errors: Offensive or inappropriate language; redundancy; ambiguity; ineffective syntax
- Navigate context-specific conventions
- Effective, timely communication
Document Design
- Use technology to design written and multimodal deliverables
- Adapt document design to meet the needs of various stakeholders
- Create graphics (charts, tables, figures) appropriate to various rhetorical contexts
Ethical Considerations
- Sense of responsibility for accurate presentation of ideas (one’s own and the ideas of others)
- Avoid misleading representation of data
- Intentional and flexible strategies for managing collaborative projects/project management
- Reflect on responsibilities within an organizational context