Directions: You may choose any of the topics below for your Course Project-a formal recommendation report or proposal. In general, you may vary some of the details for each scenario, but please ask first. If you have another topic in mind, you must get instructor approval before using it. Keep in mind that the topic must fit the requirements for a proposal orrecommendation report
QUESTION
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The company that you work for does not have a website and is not taking advantage of the many Internet marketing opportunities that are available today (the use of social media sites for companies, pay-per-click advertising on search engines, article marketing, etc.). You decide to do some research about the importance of using the Internet to maximize your company's exposure and marketing plan, and then write a proposal to the CEO outlining the benefits and the specific strategies you recommend based on your research.
2500 WORDS or 10 PAGES
ANSWER THE QUESTION USING BELOW WEEKLY GUIDELINES.
Weekly Course Project Deliverables
Week 2: Course Project Launch and Topic Proposal
This week, you will choose a technological or business topic that you would like to investigate for your Course Project. It could be related to your current job, future career, or your Senior Project. However, the topic must be one that fits the parameters of a recommendation report or proposal and addresses a business audience, such as a company executive or decision maker. Make sure to select a topic that will interest you throughout the course. Topic suggestions are located in Doc Sharing. If there is a topic you'd like to use that is not on the list, please contact your instructor for approval.
Unless you are using a real-world issue from your own workplace to develop for this project, you will need to create a few details to help frame the direction for your project. To this end, your topic proposal should include the following.
Title: What is your preliminary title for the report?
Audience: Who will be reading your report or proposal? Is this solicited or unsolicited? In other words, have you been asked to investigate this topic or are you making a suggestion to someone who has not directly asked for it? Are there secondary audiences for the report?
Purpose: What is the overall goal of the report or proposal? What is your objective?
Thesis statement: State the main points you intend to use to develop your argument. Be sure to include at least three main points. See the thesis writing section in the lecture this week.
Week 3: Annotated References List
This week, you will create an annotated References page, including six sources for your report. Include a minimum of three traditional sources (books, newspapers, magazines, journals, and databases, such as EBSCOhost). Electronic sources (credible websites, etc.) are acceptable for the remainder. Your Annotated References list should include the following.
Correct APA format: All six references must be listed in correct APA format. Make sure to view the APA Guide for Citing Sources tutorial located at the bottom of the Syllabus. There are also several links to APA citation sites provided in the Course Resources.
Credible sources: All references, whether they are traditional or electronic, should be from credible sources written by identifiable experts or professionals in the field.
Well-written annotations: Three of the six references must be annotated in a meaningful manner. In other words, provide a short (100-word) description of the article and indicate how it applies to your topic. The annotations must be written in your own words. Note that all references included in your final report must be cited in-text within the report.
Week 4: Outline
This week, you will create an outline of your formal report. You must use the Outline Template located in Doc Sharing for this assignment. Your outline should include the following.
Information for all sections of the report: Be sure to fill in every section of the outline template with the required information.
In-text citations: In-text citation for all sources listed on your References page must be included within the outline indicating how you used each of the sources listed on the References page.
References page: Include the References page you created in Week 3.
Week 5: Formal Report First Draft
This week, you will create a rough draft of the formal report that will include all the required sections of the report, along with in-text citations and the References page. Note that the executive summary and cover letter will be written and submitted in Week 6. The report must be organized and formatted correctly using guidelines in Chapter 10 and the sample report beginning on page 334 in the text as a model. To recap, the draft should include
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a cover or title page;
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a transmittal letter (not required for draft);
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a table of contents;
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a list of illustrations;
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an executive summary (not required for draft);
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an introduction;
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discussion sections;
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conclusions and recommendations;
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a references page; and
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an appendix (optional).
As noted, you are required to create or locate an appropriate technical illustration, such as a chart, graph, diagram, or schematic to help convey a point in the report. You may use a software application, such as Excel or Visio. You could also create an image or photograph using a digital camera or some graphics package.
You must import the illustration into the formal report. It should be labeled correctly with a title and caption. If you did not create the illustration yourself, be sure to include a proper citation for it.
Week 6: Cover Letter, Executive Summary, and Peer Review
Executive summary: In Week 6, you will create an executive summary that accurately describes the entire report in a condensed one-page version. See pages 318-320 for a discussion and sample reports for examples.
Cover letter: You will also create your cover letter (or transmittal letter) and add it to your formal report. Information for this part of the project is on pages 314-316 of your text.
Week 7: Final Report and Technical Briefing
Final Report: Your final report is due this week. The final report must follow the formatting elements described above and include the following components.