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Report Topic – Investigation Feasibility
This document is designed to assist you in identifying an appropriate topic, focus and scope for Part 1 of
the Research assignment, the proposal. Complete the information for each section. The Hints and
Examples for each section to guide you through the process.
1. INVESTIGATION
1.1) Objective(s) and Scope of your investigation
1.2)
OBJECTIVE: What would you like to investigate?]
HINT: Describe what you would like to determine with your investigation Be objective, use neutral language You are not setting out to “prove” something; you are “investigating” to find something out
EXAMPLE: I would like to investigate the use of e-books for textbooks at college
YOUR ANSWER: 1.2) Scope of your investigation
[SCOPE > What is the focus of your research?]
HINT: Is the scope of your topic specific enough so that it relevant, or could potentially add value, locally
or do you need to narrow it down? Although you should start your investigation by searching for relevant expert research on your
topic, how will you narrow your focus in order to make it relevant for someone at a more local
level? For example, you could not produce a report on the use of e-books in the world, in North America,
in Canada, or even in Ontario that would be of interest to people at that level; however, it might be
feasible to add value by focusing on the use of e-books at the college where you attend, or
perhaps even a more focused scope on the program in which you are enrolled.
EXAMPLE: I am interested in whether e-books are could be used within the Accounting program at
Conestoga College.
YOUR ANSWER: 1.3) Background / Situation
[LOCAL SITUATION / TRIGGERS > What is the issue or opportunity?]
HINT: Describe the situation/issue/opportunity that triggered your interest in investigating this topic. DO NOT describe WHAT YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE or what you believe the outcome of your
investigation will be, describe the situation, issue or opportunity to prompted you to investigate
the topic.
EXAMPLE: The cost of textbooks is high and they are a hassle to buy with lineups at the bookstore. I am
wondering if it would be cheaper and more convenient if we could use electronic versions of textbooks.
YOUR ANSWER: Report Topic – Investigation Feasibility
2. PRIMARY AUDIENCE
2.1). Client
[CLIENT: Which specific person, group, organization or business might be interested in your report?]
HINT: Given the focus for your research that you have decided upon, your position (student at college),
the resources and the timeframe available to conduct your research, who, at a local level, might be
realistically interested in a report on this topic?
EXAMPLE: Lee Bailey, Coordinator of the Accounting program at Conestoga College, might be interest in
a report on e-books for textbooks because coordinators would have some say in the textbooks used for
courses.
YOUR ANSWER: 2.2) Rationale / Benefits
[RATIONALE / BENEFIT > What potential benefit could the “client” possibly receive from reading the
information in your completed report?]
HINT: Describe the rationale or focus on the benefit a specific client (person/group/organization/business)
might receive from reading the information contained in the report of your investigation. Although you can speculate on possible outcomes, do not focus the possible benefits on one
specific pre-determined outcome – the results of the investigation are unknown when you are
preparing your proposal because you haven’t conducted your investigation yet.
EXAMPLE: The Coordinator of the Accounting program at Conestoga College could benefit from reading
the information in the completed report because I believe they would be interested in the pros and cons of
e-books, what is happening with e-books in colleges and whether they are being used in other colleges. Rather than: This report will demonstrate to the Coordinator of the Accounting program at
Conestoga College that it is cheaper and more convenient for students to use e-books instead of
printed textbooks.
YOUR ANSWER: Report Topic – Investigation Feasibility
3. RESEARCH
3.1) Secondary Research
[EXISTING INFORMATION > What information to hope to find related to your topic on the Internet and in
periodical databases?]
HINT: Usually, research begins with “a scan of the environment” to determine what “expert” research /
knowledge exists on the topic that you are researching. Indicate what you are looking for in research repositories such as the Internet and periodical
databases to determine the current information and knowledge available on your topic You can included, but do not limit your description to
o specific sources that you are currently aware of
o simple descriptions of how you are intend to collect it
EXAMPLE: I will conduct searches using the Internet and periodical databases to find additional
information about the use of e-Readers by college students and the use of e-books for post-secondary
courses. I also hope to find information about the experiences students have had using e-books.
YOUR ANSWER: Report Topic – Investigation Feasibility
3.2) Primary Research
[PRIMARY RESEARCH > Although there are no specific requirements to conduct primary research on
your topic, primary research is generally a key part of most workplace reports. Your topic may present an
opportunity to gather some preliminary research.]
Primary research is, usually, gathering local information that is relevant to your topic. There are, generally,
two ways of collecting this information:
a) asking people who may have knowledge of the issue you are investigating
b) reviewing specific documents relevant to the issue you are investigating that may not be
available on the Internet or published in periodical databases (e.g. orders made for a particular
product in the last 6 months at a specific company).
(a) Asking (Interview / Survey)
Asking for information can take on many forms, but the two primary ways are
1. Interview
Talking to some who has direct experience: someone in a position of authority who has dealt with the issue (e.g.
owner, manager, director) or someone who has had direct experience with the issue (e.g.
employee, customer or citizen), or both, and can provide you with some background or
requirements as to what sort of timeline, solution or outcome they are hoping your
research will provide expert knowledge: someone who is an expert, or deals professionally with issues related
to the topic you are investigating and is able to provide some expertise, advise or
resources that may provide insight or options on your topic
EXAMPLE: I will be interviewing the instructor for our 2 nd semester Accounting course to determine if ebooks are a consideration when deciding on textbooks for courses.
2. Survey
Surveys ask the same questions to a group of people, who either have some experience with the
issue or may be impacted by the topic you are investigating. The results are tallied to consolidate
general and unorganized information. Surveys collect experience and/or opinions to potentially validate what the issues may be determine the extent of the issues get feedback on possible solutions or measures to address the issue you are
investigating
EXAMPLE: I plan to talk to/survey my classmate to determine their experience using e-books and their
opinions of e-books vs. printed textbooks.
(b) Documents
If you are investigating a particular local situation, there may be “local” documents that might provide
relevant information about your topic. These could range from company documents or information from
municipal governments that you can review and compare to come up with your own findings. In such
cases, you would be indicating either the documents you might be looking for or the type of information
you might be looking for.
EXAMPLE: I will be reviewing the course outlines for all courses in the 2 nd semester of the Accounting
program to see how many textbooks are required for the courses and how many offer e-books as an
alternative to printed textbooks. Report Topic – Investigation Feasibility
4. PLAN
4.1) Investigation plan and timelines
[SCHEDULE > What are the key activities you will be completing during your investigation and when do
you expect to have them done?]
HINT: Speculate as to what the key activities and timelines you would need to complete your investigation
and write your report in order to meet the requirements of your “client” build credibility for your proposal show that you have given your investigation some preliminary thought
Use the Course Schedule to estimate the timelines for each activity and determine the deadline for
completion for the report.
EXAMPLE: I estimate the key milestones dates and activities for my investigation to be as follows: March 18 – interview Accounting professor and survey Accounting students March 25 – complete review of assessments for all course outlines April 1 – complete periodical and Internet research April 8 – submit the final report
YOUR ANSWER:
I estimate the key milestones dates and activities for my investigation to be as follows:
Attachments: