2.7 Reports

2.7 Reports

The computer field changes so fast that regardless of what you learn in this class much of it will be out of date shortly. The only way to stay current with regard to computers is to read and research constantly. To communicate what you have learned, you need to write. Reading, writing, and research are important in the "white-collar" workplace as well. This importance is reflected in this class by the class requirement of a written report(s). The reports I am asking for are short, between 2 and 4 pages. They need to be done at a college writing level. (I am not a writing instructor.) If you need assistance to achieve a well written reports, ask for the assistance of someone who writes well. Most Pima Community College campuses have learning centers that are available to the students. A list of things to keep in mind:

• Spelling. This is easy with spelling checkers, but read the report to make sure you have the right words.
• Punctuation & grammar.
• Structure of the overall paper. How does it flow from one topic to another.
• Introduction. Where is the paper going. A good introduction helps the reader.
• Completeness. Did you cover all of the material you planned to cover.
• Conclusion. What was covered in the report. A few closing remarks.
• Citations. Make sure that all work used is properly cited. Quotations should be in quotes or indented with a specific link to your source. Graphics and pictures also need citations unless they are your own creation. For the topic reports you will need a bibliographic page.

Almost all students can improve their writing skills and technique. Writing is a life long struggle for some. Better writing skills can make a big difference in someones life. It is worth the effort. Realize that practice helps, time on task helps, and assistance helps. This applies to a lot of areas, not just writing. For this class I have some specific requirements. They are:

• report quality
• The reports must be original writing done for this class.
• The reports must be done with a word processor.
• They need to be done at a college writing level. You will loose some credit for poorly written reports that have NOT receive assistance from the Learning Center. If they are not well written you will be required to take them to one of Pima Community College's Learning Centers and work with them on your report. This might result in you receiving a grade of I (Incomplete) for the class.
• All reference used must be cited completely: author, title, date, publication, volume, issue number, page number(s), ...The purpose of a citation is for a reader to be able to access the referenced work. If there is any doubt about someone being able to find the specific passage, sentence, or phrase cited please fix the citation. There are specific styles for citations, you are welcome to use any standard citation style. If a quote from someone else's work is used, it must be placed in quotation marks and given a complete citation. You may NOT paraphrase someone else's work and call it your own. Plagiarism is not acceptable. If you plagiarize or copy the work of others you will receive full negative credit for the report in addition to any other penalties. The West Campus now has a "Traffic School" for plagiarists. If an assignment is plagiarized, you can contact Meg Files and re-do the report on a new topic to clear one assignment of this penalty.
• report, length
• Aim for a length between 1800 to 3600 words. About 2 to 4 single spaced 12 point type pages with one inch margins.
• The reports need to be turned in to Turnitin. A hard copy is optional. Please keep a copy of what you turn in to me, either in electronic form or a paper copy. I do NOT like binders or folders. Staples are preferred. Thanks. The "codes" for Turnitin are "2028134" and "Components". Turnitin checks for plagiarism, does a word count, and time-stamps your papers. The time-stamp at Turnitin will be used as the time you turned in your paper - NOT when I receive the hard copy.
• Extra credit is available if your report is at early and done properly. (This is the carrot.)
• There is a penalty for late reports. It will be a maximum of 1% of your class grade per class day that it is late. The penalty is usually less, but don't count on it being less. (This is the stick. You don't know how big the stick is.)
• Backup your work. I have't had a student yet that has wanted to re-type their paper.

You are encouraged to have the Learning Center help you in writing your reports. You can visit the multiple times. They are located West Campus Santa Catalina building (C), second floor, north end in room C217 (Hours: Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM -- 8:00 PM, most Friday 8:00 AM -- 2:00 PM, and no Saturday or Sunday hours. Phone: 206-6819)on the West Campus.

2.7 Reports