Tips: Getting started with the International Project

It's very easy to get bogged down with producing individual documents for the International Project, and in the process you lose track of the actual project.

Here's how the project works:

1. The first document you produce is the Research Design Plan. The whole point of the research design plan is develop a plan for carrying out the research you need to do in order to produce your final recommendation report. Because you're learning how to write this type of a document, the final version won't be due until fairly far into the whole project. It's important that you figure out right away what kind of research you're going to do and who's responsible for doing it, because you'll want to get started on your actual research as soon as possible.The Research Design Plan should include the specific questions you plan to investigate, the specific sources you plan to use to find answers to your questions. Make a table and assign particular people on your team to particular, specific bits of research.
   
2. Next, you conduct research that corresponds to your plan for doing research.
   
3. Finally, you'll produce your recommendation report. In your recommendation report you're going to tell you client what the most important things are to include in the material for employees, why that info should be included. In this document, you'll be acting as a research consultant and making an argument to your client based on the research you've done.

Getting off to a good start
You'll set yourself up for success on this project if you

• appoint a project manager who keeps the project moving forward,
• develop an audience profile for both your client (the company that's hired you) and your client's end-user (the people who will use the material the client eventually produces) -- ask yourself -- what does this user already know? need to know? want to know?  
• identify your client's problem and then frame the problem as a series of research questions.

I do like what I’m beginning to see in the group discussion spaces. Keep up the good work.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.


Dr. S.