Synposis of Three Existing 505 Research Reports

Part of this week's assignment included critiquing three archived reports from past DAI 505 sections. Below, I've included just the final remarks I've commented on each of them. Note that the author's names have been omitted in an effort to protect their identity.

This task was helpful in that it made me familiar with the format, content, and length of what must be delivered upon completing this course. Otherwise, it was interesting to learn of others’ experiences with this course; whether their projects were ultimately successful or not.

Report #21R:
PowerBox: Portable Cordless Tool Battery Charging System
Fall 2007

Remarks: This report relies heavily on the strength of the writer’s literature review performed in the research stage of the project. Outside of this, it seemed lacking in mostly every other area. While some thumbnail-sized photos were provided, additional imagery would have been greatly appreciated: sketches, schematics, etc. Overall, I do not recommend this report for review since it lacks comprehensiveness, organization, and visual aids.

Report #33B:
Seniors and the Internet
Fall 2008

Remarks: This report contained a good amount of content that supported her study; however I encountered difficulty reading it due to frequent grammatical errors and strained style of writing. The report also had an inconsistent structure, and seemed to rely heavily on quotes and line spacing bump up the page count. The author also did not include any thumbnail sketches or process illustrations to support her development. Overall, I do not recommend this report because it is dense in content that seems secondary to the project itself.

Report #34J:
Archive Your Life
Spring 2008

Remarks: The author put forth tremendous efforts into compiling a report that is readable, concise, and well-organized. However, I fear that his research section might have been slightly too concise, as he does not cite much from the sources in his bibliography. Regardless, all of his visuals were appreciated, his appendix was actually helpful, and his methods were very systematic. I recommend this report as a fine example to refer to because it contains a variety of approaches that are highly effective and comprehensible.