RESEARCH IN THE WORKPLACE
Research in the workplace solves a problem. Tasked with a problem in the workplace,
you may be asked to gather the information necessary to fully understand the issue at
hand, solve that problem (or offer potential solutions), prove that your solutions are
viable, and/or test your solution(s).
Because research in the workplace focuses on addressing specific problems or issues,
finding the information you need may be a mixture of different avenues. Often, this
research will need to go beyond simply querying a library database or using Google. You
often will need to speak directly to target populations and audiences, and directly
contact resources and experts in different professions and in the community. You also
may need information in addition to or instead of scholarly resources. Local and national
journalism may add context and perspective. Professional experts, government agencies,
state, and local authorities all may be relevant sources. Additionally, asking your
individuals in target populations directly, for example through a survey, can also be a
valuable source of information. Essentially, research in the workplace requires you to
think critically and creatively about
• The type of information you need; and
• The best way to get that information.
Your job as a researcher is to address, explain, and/or solve a problem using the most
relevant and applicable methods and resources. If a resource can supply information you
need, then it is the right resource for the job.
It’s also important when thinking about a problem you’re researching to keep in mind
that you probably aren’t the first person or organization to deal with this issue. Look at
other organizations, groups, or communities negotiating the same or similar issue.
Research how those groups describe and deal with the problem. The perspective of
experience is invaluable to your work.
ASSIGNMENT
This project asks you to do workplace research into a local problem impacting USF or
the surrounding community. Your goal for this project is to describe a local problem in
detail using as much information as you can gather from as many different sources as are
useful. That means you are looking at research gathered by others (e.g., government
agencies, non-profit organizations, professional and academic experts, as well as local
sources from USF or the immediate community), but also you will gather your own data
by asking impacted population for their perspective by creating a survey. You will
produce a memo that reports your findings, giving readers a robust understanding of the
local problem you have researched.
To complete this project, you will choose a local problem occurring at USF or in the
community. You can select a problem from the list below or pick your own problem of a
similar nature.
Sample Problems:
• Mental health on campus
• Campus safety
• Impact of COVID on student performance
• Technology use and its impact on campus safety
• Sustainability efforts on campus or local community
• Student data use for mandated systems (Canvas, Turnitin, USF Writes)
Once you have selected a problem, you will research the problem, to include the
following topics:
• Background information: Put the problem in context. What does the audience
need to know to understand why the problem is a problem?
• Explanation of the problem at USF/In the local community: Describe the local
problem in detail. What is happening here?
• Causes of the problem: Describe the factors contributing to the problem’s
occurrence. Why is the problem happening?
• Impacted Population: Describe the people most directly impacted by the
problem. Who is the problem happening to? Be specific. Target a local
population that could benefit from intervention.
To conduct your research, you may wish to use any of the following methods and
resources, or anything else that helps you explain the scope of your problem:
• Newspapers (local, university, national)
• Reports from government agencies, universities, and/or NGOs
• Scholarly research
• Facts and statistics compiled by government agencies and/or NGOs or USF
• Interviews with experts and/or impacted individuals
• Surveys (social media makes doing surveys easy)
DELIVERABLES
Major Deliverable
• A report in memo format that describes your problem in detail using all the
research you have conducted. The memo should be 3-5 pages long and have
the following section headings:
o The citation style you choose should be based on the needs and
expectations of your audience. You may want to get some ideas by
looking around online to see how citations were handled in reports
on similar topics. But your audience should determine what citation
style you select.
o Be sure to offer consistent usage of citations throughout the report
Your memo should have the following section headings:
•
o Background Information
o Explanation of the Problem at USF/In the Local Community
o Causes of the Problem
o Impacted Population
o Citations (footnotes, endnotes, hyperlinks, etc.)
