Memorandum Project
All writing must be correct Standard English.
Guide for project
Deepen your research so that you are confident that you have a sound understanding of the breakthrough you are reporting on. This does not have to follow your outline exactly. You may learn things through research that prompt you to make some changes in content or organization. Please reread the instructions in the “Your Task/Purpose of the Document” section of the project overview.
Remember that this is a draft. It is a preliminary piece of writing, and should not be a polished, finalized document. You should expect to make substantial changes for your revision.
Draft requirements:
Your name
The date
Title
Description of organization
Description of the field
A clear, detailed and objective explanation of what the breakthrough is and how it works
Answers to the questions you posed in your outline.
Summaries of 2-4 differing opinions about the breakthrough
Suggestion for implementation in your organization
List of sources you have used so far.
Topic Chosen: SLEEP APNEA (Subject can change)
Background Memorandum Project
Overview
The Background Memorandum Project is one of two major projects for the course. It includes a series of assignments each of which highlights a particular stage in the writing process. You will choose a recent breakthrough in a particular field, research it, submit an outline, and a rough draft. Then you will create a final the report that includes your own revisions and corrections, and changes based on feedback from the instructor.
Scenario
Imagine that your supervisor has asked you to prepare a background memorandum on a new method or technology that your organization is considering adopting. The purpose is to provide sufficient information so that your supervisor can create a presentation for the highest level of management in your organization, such as the Board of Directors or Board of Trustees. Because your report will be the basis of the presentation to the board of directors or trustees, it must be detailed, accurate, and objective.
Your Task/Purpose of the Document
The title of the memorandum will be in the form: “A Recent Breakthrough in ______ [the particular field]: ______ [the specific breakthrough].” For example, A Recent Breakthrough in Online Education: New Software, “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Blackboard,” if the new software is a radical improvement to Blackboard.
Provide a context for the report, including a brief description of the organization and the field in which the breakthrough has occurred. The organization can be your invention or a real workplace, but it must have some connection to the field mentioned in your title.
The audience (in this case your supervisor), should be addressed as an educated and involved reader, but not an expert one. Avoid jargon and technical language.
It is important to include clear explanations of what the breakthrough is and how it works. Keep in mind that a “breakthrough” is not necessarily good or beneficial. Cloning or atomic weapons were undoubtedly breakthroughs in their fields, but are not universally regarded as positive developments.
Include summaries of 2-4 differing opinions of this breakthrough. These can be pro and con, or emphasize different kinds of benefits or risks.
Suggest at least one way that the breakthrough might be implemented in your organization. For example, if SPS were to use “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Blackboard,” you might suggest that it be tested first in 2 or 3 courses taught by technically proficient instructors and junior- or senior-level students, and that a questionnaire/survey be developed for each participant to assess the software. Or you might suggest that the school adopt the new software in all courses following a period of training for students and faculty.
Provide an addendum with resources for further investigation, including the research sources you have referred to in the body of the document.
Final memorandum is 600-1200 words (not including addendum).
Make use of a least 3 reliable sources for research (not including the opinion summaries).
Research sources can be cited using either APA style, or “neat” links where a web address is embedded in text using the chain icon.
All writing must be correct Standard English.
………………..Answer preview …………………………………….
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which a victim occasionally stops breathing for a couple of minutes while in sleep. When this happens, the victim wakes up as the brain functions to restore breathing once again. Medically speaking, this condition may cause other health problems if not treated. Emotionally, it leads to sleep disruptions………………………….
