Objectives
The objective of the project is to recommend a wireless solution for a sporting goods company. This is an individual project. You will be required to submit two assignments for the project. Because of this, you may need to spend additional time and effort in Week 3 to produce the proposal which will form the basis for your project.
Plan on utilizing the Writing Source, available under Student Resources under the Course Home tab on the left, or make use of the official style guide entitled, Writing the Research Paper: A Handbook, 6th edition, by Anthony C. Winkler and Jo Ray McCuen. This handbook includes information on the following styles: APA, MLA, CEE, CMS, and Columbia Online (ISBN – 1413001785).
Scenario: The Wireless Technology Company (WTC), a company that assists organizations and businesses with issues involving network planning and design, has hired you as a consultant. The Athlete’s Shack (TAS) is a chain of sporting goods stores. Because TAS has grown in popularity, it now has 10 stores in the area. TAS is considering implementing a wireless technology that will link all of its stores through wireless broadband service, installing WLANs in each store, and providing its employees with iPads for better customer service. TAS is unsure how to start this process. They have asked WTC for help, and WTC has turned to you.
Create a technical, detailed-oriented report for TAS that explains the process of the project. The format of your technical paper should be based on the following:
Table of Contents
The Table of Contents is a key tool. Use it to format and organize your paper. You can use the headings below as the main sections of your paper. If you are unfamiliar with the Table of Contents utility in MS Word, check out the video in the Hub Writing Center, located under the Student Resources tab.
Executive Summary
The Executive Summary includes the specific findings of the research in a short format optimized for a quick read by decision makers. It gives an overview of the organization and summarizes the findings.
Assessment
Evaluate the needs of the business. Identify and clearly state the problems and issues. If there appears to be more than one problem or issue, decide if they are separate or related issues. What are the problems that you are tasked with solving? Provide a detailed analysis of the causes of the problem or issue. Be sure the causes you identify relate directly to the problem or issue. Discuss the concepts, ideas, and insights that are most valuable in helping you make sense of your project. Cite all sources.
Solution
Explore the solutions appropriate to solve the identified problems or issues. Be sure the solutions are logical and based on your analysis. The solutions should effectively treat the problem, not the symptoms. Also, discuss the anticipated outcomes (both positive and negative) of implementing each of the possible solutions you identified. Describe exactly what should be done and how it should be done, including by whom, with whom, and in what sequence. Be specific about your recommended solution and implementation.
Diagrams
A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when you are describing a network solution. Diagrams should add value and not simply take up space.
References
List all references used in your paper. All references must be cited in two places: within the text and on the reference list. Choose references judiciously and cite them accurately. Refer to Writing the Research Paper or use the videos in the Hub Writing Center, located under the Student Resources Tab, to understand how to cite sources appropriately.
Guidelines
- The report should consist of 10-15 pages (280–300 words per page, except for Charts, Drawings, and/or Spreadsheets).
- Use a 10 point font; double spaced; and include a cover page, table of contents, introduction, body of the report, summary or conclusion, and works cited.
- Submit your work in a Microsoft Word document, via the appropriate dropbox.
- Do not submit your report in Acrobat PDF format.
- Even though this is not a scientific writing assignment and is mostly creative in nature, references are still very important. At least ten authoritative, outside references are required (articles and web pages with anonymous authors are not acceptable). These should be listed on the Works Cited page.
- Appropriate citations are required.
- All Policies are in effect, including the plagiarism policy.
- Papers are due in Week 7.
- Any questions about this paper can be discussed in the weekly Q & A Forum.
- This paper is worth 200 total points and will be graded on quality of research topic, quality of paper information, use of citations, grammar, and sentence structure.
Milestones
Project Proposal – Due Week 3
Final Report – Due Week 7
Best Practices
The following are best practices in preparing this paper.
- Cover Page: Include who you prepared the paper for, who prepared it, and the date.
- Table of Contents: List the main ideas and sections of the paper and the pages where they are located. Illustrations should be included separately.
- Executive Summary: Use a header on your paper. This will indicate that you are introducing the paper.
An Executive Summary is an overview. The purpose is to summarize the key points of your paper for readers, saving them time and preparing them for the upcoming content. You should also include your recommendation in the Executive Summary. Think of the Executive Summary as an advance organizer for the reader. Above all else, an executive summary has to be clear and concise. It is always a good idea to wait until the paper is written to write the Executive Summary.
- Body of the Report: Use a header with the name of the project. An example is, “The Upgrade of The Athlete’s Shack: A World Class Company”. Proceed to break out the main ideas: State the main ideas, the major points of each idea, and provide evidence. Show some type of division, such as separate, labeled sections; separate groups of paragraphs; or headers. Include the information you found during your research and investigation.
- References: Use the citation format specified in the Syllabus.
Additional hints on preparing the best possible project follow.
- Apply a three-step process to writing: plan, write, and complete.
- Prepare an outline of the research paper before going forward.
- Complete a first draft and then go back to edit, evaluate, and make any changes required.
- Use visual communication to further clarify and support the written part of the report. Examples include graphs, diagrams, photographs, flowcharts, maps, drawings, animation, video clips, pictograms, tables, and Gantt charts.
