If you do well in this course, you will be able to:

• identify a topic;
• narrow the focus;
• use appropriate online and print resources for gathering information;
• prepare an annotated bibliography that evaluates the authority and usefulness of each source;
• plan a research report;
• prepare an outline; prepare a draft;
• polish the final report with in-text documentation and a list of works cited.

• identify the audience and purpose of each piece of writing they prepare;
• address those issues as they write and revise their exercises and reports.

• prepare various kinds of technical writing documents, including: memos; short reports; comparison analyses; objective descriptions; process analyses, research reports, etc.;
• choose a format appropriate for document type.

• prepare their documents in clear, direct, exact language;
• keep the audience level and interests in mind.

• recognize the importance of simple visuals such as tables and graphs and imported images to support and reinforce their written presentations;
• use plenty of white space;
• choose appropriate fonts and other visual elements for their written presentations.

• edit their writing to eliminate extra words, imprecise phrases, roundabout sentence structures, and other impediments to clear, direct communication;
• revise their writing after careful proofreadin.