The aim of this task is for students to gain a deeper understanding of their placement and the broader organisation/industry/community (I AM A CONTENT PRODUCER FOR AT AN AUSTRALIAN RADIO STATION) in which it is situated. Students will do this through conducting a broad range of in-depth research presented in a highly polished and professional report.
Overview of requirements
•Style: Must be written concisely and in the style of a report
•Length: 1500-2000 words (excluding reference list)
•Referencing:Chicago footnote style
Task
For the body of your report, you will incorporate a broad range of research about the organisation in which you are doing your placement. You will provide a summary that contextualises your placement within local/national/international changes, issues, trends, and innovations. You will include this research and summary in your report under relevant headings/sub-headings.This will include the following:
•Internal environment of organisation (such as brand management, vision, short to long term goals, clients, target audiences, partnerships, projects/products, resources, funding, operations, etc.)
•External environment of organisation (such as industry trends, policy/regulation changes, ethical and regulatory bodies, audience responses, product reviews, politics, news, op-eds, recent academic research, etc.)
Research
You will support your claims through conducting independent research across a broad range of sources –you must demonstrate a capacity to navigate between different types of knowledge. Reports must engage with a minimum of 12 sources, which must include a variety of types of texts (relevant unit readings, academic articles, academic books, industry reports, surveys, policy documents, legislation, trade media, news articles, reviews, industry codes, media examples, etc.)
Referencing
Referencing must be in Chicago footnote style
Layout
•Title page
– Table of contents – a formatted list of the different major and minor sections of your report (with page numbers).
– Introductiono – State the aim/purpose of the investigation. Outline the different sections of the report that will feature in the body.
– Body – Organise in a logical sequence. Use short informative headings and subheadings to add clarity.
– Conclusion – Recap the most significant findings of your research.
– Reference list
– Appendices (as necessary)
Formatting
MUST BE SAVED AS A WORD DOCUMENT
•Use consistent and appropriate formatting
•Use short informative headings and subheadings –as many as necessary
•Use dot points/ numbers/ letters to articulate these elements
•Use tables and figures (graphs, illustrations, maps etc.) for clarification (with full references provided)
•Use page numbers
•List your word count at the end of your report
Common mistakes
•Not using concise, formal language(and using the personal pronoun)
•Not supporting claims (even if it’s a general claim about the company, you should use the company websiteor its social mediaas the source)
•Not usingfootnotes (and instead using in-text or end notes)
•Not proofreading or submitting a polished document –too manytypos and formatting inconsistencies
•Treating it like an essay and not a report –overlylong sections with paragraphs that build to an argument instead of short, concise,factual sections that are divided by headings and subheadings
•Not using a range of sources (using only academic sources, or only Internet sources)