Describe the factors contributing to the problem’s occurrence. Why is the problem happening?

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS The goal of workplace research is to identify and solve problems. Tasked with a problem in the workplace, you may be asked gather the information necessary to fully understand the issue at hand, offer potential solutions, prove that your solutions are viable, test your solutions, and/or solve the problem. Doing this work requires different types of research that go beyond querying a library database or using Google. You will likely need to speak directly to target populations and audiences as well as community members and experts across professions. In addition to drawing on scholarly resources, you will also need to take a look into local and national journalism for added context and perspective. Professional experts, government agencies, and state and local authorities may all be relevant sources as well as individuals in the target population. Essentially, research in the workplace requires you to think critically and creatively about (1) the type of information you need, and (2) the best way to get that information. Your job as a researcher is to address, explain, and/or solve a problem using the most relevant and applicable methods and resources. If a resource can supply relevant information, then it is the right resource for you. It’s also important when thinking about the problem you are researching to keep in mind that you probably aren’t the first person or organization to deal with the issue. Look at other organizations, groups, or communities negotiating the same or similar issue. Research how those groups describe and deal with the problem. The perspective of experience will be invaluable to your work. Assignment This project asks you to conduct workplace research into a local problem impacting USF and/or the surrounding community. Your goal for this project is to describe the problem in detail using as much information as you can gather from as many different sources as are useful. That means you will be looking at research gathered by others (e.g., government agencies, non-profit organizations, professional and academic experts) and gathering your own data by contacting experts and asking impacted population for their perspective. You will produce a detailed memo that reports your findings, giving readers (your classmates) a robust understanding of the problem you have researched. Download Rubric Download Download RubricDownload Download Rubric Outcomes Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to: Engage with a problem-based scenario similar to those found in the workplace Apply research skills appropriate for addressing a specific problem Integrate research into a project deliverable Practice professional and technical writing and editing skills Practice writing for a specific purpose and audience Produce a specific genre of professional discourse (informational report) To complete this project, you will choose a local problem occurring at USF or in the community. You can select a problem from the list below, or come up with one of a similar nature. Sample Problems Assessment and use of USF student fees Availability of employment and/or financial services (e.g., job application, college application, financial aid, home budget programs) at local libraries Sustainable plastic waste management (e.g., water bottles) Electric car charging stations at USF campuses Once you have selected a problem, you will collect a wide variety of research on the subject. Your memo should include the following: Background information: Contextualize the problem. What does the audience need to know to understand why the problem is a problem? Explanation of the problem: Describe the problem in detail. What is happening? Causes of the problem: Describe the factors contributing to the problem’s occurrence. Why is the problem happening? Impacted Population: Describe the people most directly impacted by the problem. Who is the problem happening to? To conduct your research you may wish to use any of the following methods and resources, or anything else that helps you explain the scope of your problem: Newspapers (local, university, national) Reports from government agencies, universities, and/or NGOs Scholarly research Facts and statistics compiled by government agencies and/or NGOs Interviews with experts and/or impacted individuals Surveys (social media makes doing surveys easy) Deliverables Major Deliverable A report in memo format that describes your problem in detail using all the research you have conducted. The memo should include the following subheadings: Background Information Explanation of the Problem Causes of the Problem Impacted Population References Supplemental Deliverables Research Plan: A memo that identifies the problem you have selected and your plans for researching it, including research methods and potential sources for each required topic listed above.