Advanced Writing Assignment

Assignment 3: Request to Conduct Research DUE February 2, 2014 by midnight EST.

Typically before a writer would expend energy on a research proposal, s/he would ask for permission from a decision-maker to undertake the project. In this assignment, you will identify the decision-maker(s) who will read your researched proposal and you will write a business letter to them requesting that you be given permission to move forward with your research, and explaining why they should grant you this permission. Remember that your decision-maker will likely judge the merit of your proposal based entirely on this letter.  It is critical that the letter provide your decision-maker(s) with justification for the research project. Also make sure to offer a summary of the benefits you believe the proposed idea will bring to the organization. You should open with a clear and polite request for permission to move forward with the project. As you progress writing the letter, be as concrete as possible. Vague requests are discounted by an audience. Concrete requests, with compelling details, are given serious consideration by the audience.

Your topic will be one of immediate importance to your local community or workplace. What problem in your community or workplace needs to be addressed? Sample topics would include creating a youth center in your neighborhood; launching an urban greening initiative in your city; starting a food kitchen in a certain neighborhood in your city; implementing new training at your workplace; implementing community policing in a distressed neighborhood; or organizing a community build of a playground or garden.

Tip: You are writing a letter (not a memo).

(Sections of the assignment should include: Problem, Overview, Audience, Topics to Investigate, Methods and Resources, Qualifications, Work Schedule, and Call to Action.)

In the Methods and Resources section, list at least ten (10) references. Also, this is NOT the same thing as a bibliography. Here, you should explain to the decision maker why you are using the specific sources you chose. For instance, in many research projects, a primary source (interview of a content expert) is considered superior to a secondary source (information/research published elsewhere and written by someone else). If you choose a secondary source, that’s fine, but be ready to explain why this source was the best choice. Again, this is NOT simply a list of sources. Tell your decision maker why you chose these information sources and how they best benefit your company’s informational needs in this project.