10.8 End of Chapter Activities
10a. Thinking About the Content
What are your key takeaways from this chapter? What is something you have learned or something you would like to add from your experience?
10b. Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions
- Before the Internet improved information access, how did people find information? Are the strategies they used still valid and how might they serve you as a business writer? Interview several people who are old enough to have done research in the “old days” and report your findings.
- Find an example of a bogus or less than credible Web site. Indicate why you perceive it to be untrustworthy.
- Visit the parody Web site The Onion at http://www.theonion.com and find one story that you think has plausible or believable elements. Share your findings with the class.
- How do you prepare yourself for a writing project? How do others? What strategies work best for you? Survey ten colleagues or coworkers and compare your results with your classmates.
- Think of a time when someone asked you to gather information to make a decision, whether for work, school, or in your personal life. How specific was the request? What did you need to know before you could determine how much and what kind of information to gather?
10c. Applying chapter concepts to a situation
Dealing with Plagiarism in a Group Project
Nina is a third-year student completing her bachelor’s degree at the University of West Haven. She is a member of a team with four other students in her class, and they have a week to complete their latest group assignment. This assignment accounts for forty percent of their final grade, so Nina is determined to get an A.
Nina is the team leader and assigns a section to each member of the team to complete. She tells them to submit their sections to her one day before the assignment due date for her to have sufficient time to edit and collate the document.
While editing the sections received from her teammates, Nina discovers that they plagiarised most of the information they submitted to her. She immediately requests that they make the necessary changes as she knows that plagiarism can lead to expulsion at the university.
Nina’s team members are laid back and have no interest in rewriting their sections. Instead, they reassure her that the instructor will not check their project for plagiarism. Nina is frustrated and does not know how to address this.
What advice would you give to Nina?
10d. Writing Activity
Watch this video from TED.com on What really motivates people to be honest in business. Summarize the video. What is the most interesting point made by Alexander Wagner in your opinion?