From: Jason Valentin

To: Dr. Leslie Bruce

Subject: Recommendation Report
Date: 11/20/2014
Citation Style: APA format

Abstract
Students today lack the necessary skills to be successful in the Health Science workforce. This
may be attributed to CSUF not implementing certain writing genres applicable to health science
majors necessary for success. This recommendation report analyzes the most important genre
(research report) and its conventions. Due to insufficient evidence, this research cannot conclude
that another class is needed because CSUF is implementing research report writing in Health
Science 475. Instead it recommends that no additional class needs to be implemented for health
science majors because most health science professors interviewed do not agree it is necessary.
Introduction
Health Science students are graduating without the necessary skills needed for their future career
path. This can be attributed to lack of classes at CSUF with the necessary skills for health science
majors to be successful in the health science workforce. This recommendation report will explore
the most important genre (research report) for health science students and will provide a recommendation to ensure the success of health science students at CSUF.
Methods
This research was conducted to examine whether health science students were prepared with the
proper genre in their field of study. The following steps were conducted to investigate the best

soothed genre for health science majors. In this case, research reports seems to be the best genre
due to the amount of research being conducted, and the format used in peer review articles.
I. Surveys/ Interviews
A group of Health Science (H.S.) professionals and faculty were interviewed with a series
of questions regarding genres within Health Science professions.The questions discussed the following criteria: most important genre, most used genre in H.S., how prepared were students after
college for this genre, how often this genre was used after college, and does a new writing class
need to be developed.
II. Course Catalog
Upper division English graduation requirements for Health Science majors were examined within the 2014 catalog. Two classes were identified as the only two options for English requirements: English 301, and English 360. Health Science 475 was also examined to see if they
may possible be candidates to expand the upper division English requirement to satisfy H.S. majors.
III. Research
More research was gathered to identify which genre was mostly used within Health Science career fields. This research yield a variety of results due to the the broadness of Health Science. Instead of doing a complete research on Health Science, the focus was on Public Health to
minimize the focus to one most crucial genre used today (APUS, 2014).
IV. Conventions of Genre
The conventions of this genre was then examined to further understand the importance of
it. Conventions of this genre is also crucial to examine the use and implementation for future

H.S. majors. This may identify whether a whole new class needs to be developed, or whether another class can be substituted for one of the two English graduation required classes.
Results
I. Surveys/Interviews
Based on the surveys and interviews, 100% of interviewers agreed that research reports
were implemented within the Health Science Department. Furthermore, all four participants
agreed that research reports are used in Public Health professions. However, one out of four interviewees agreed that a new course needed to be implemented to teach research reports within
the Health Science Department. See appendix for data output.
II. CSUF Course Catalog
English 301: This class is meets the upper division writing requirement for non English majors.
It focuses on rhetoric and development of individual style. It does so by focusing on diction, audience, emphasis and persuasion.
English 360: This class is for open for all students trying to fulfill the upper division requirement. It focuses on professional rhetorical situations, genres and styles. The purpose of this class
is to understand professional writing and how to design, edit, outline, process explanation. The
main genres for this professional writing includes reports, proposals, memos and letters (CSUF,
2014).
Health Science 475: This class is specific to health science majors and incorporates planning
research, and evaluation. It allows health science students to analyze and plan research that is
applicable to health professionals, and serves as a health measurement status tool at individual,
community, and national levels (CSUF, 2014).

III. Research
Research was conducted on the types of genres used within health science professions.
However, due to the broadness of health science, not one genre was able to be identified as the
best or most used, however, research reports will be used for this study. Instead, the format and
audience seems to be more important (APUS, 2014). One of the most important aspects of writing within health professions is the audience to which these findings address (Park, 2011). The
audience for public health tends to be either the pubic or other health professionals. This includes
writing research reports so other professionals are able to understand the research conducted.
Additionally, American Psychology Association format seems to be the most acceptable format
for public health. Most peer reviewed research reports articles are written in this format.
IV. Conventions of Genre
Research reports follow a specific model that serves as a template for the scientific
method approach. First, before any research can be conducted there is one main thing that needs
to be address. This is known as a hypothesis and is the first step to the scientific method (Scientific Method, 2014). A research report revolves on the research hypotheses through certain conventions. Furthermore, conventions in a research report also allow the reader to skim through and
pinpoint vital information without having to read the whole report. They also allow the researcher to replicate the experimentThe research report includes the following conventions:
Abstract: The abstract summarizes the entire research report. The goal of the abstract is
to give the reader a quick and brief view of the research conducted. It includes key
points of the introduction, methods, results and analysis. When the reader reads the ab-

stract, he/she should understand what the whole research was about. For this reason the
abstract is written after the research was conducted (ESM, 2014).
Introduction: The introduction gives a basic background of the topic and also introduces the hypothesis. The introduction allows the reader to understand why the research is being conducted (ESM, 2014).
Methods: This section discusses how the research was conducted. It also describes
what groups, samples, or population being used and any other variables associated with
samples, and how these samples were gathered. This section is very specific and detail
in order to allow future research to be duplicated. Under this sections any special
equipment of specific treatment ideologies are also acknowledged (ESM, 2014).
Results: Results in the research report gives only quantitative data. This means there is
no interpretation of the findings but only raw data associated with the findings. The results section includes charts, graphs, and any other form of statistical representation
(ESM, 2014).
Discussion: All interpretation of the data collected in the results is done in this section.
The discussion also includes any bias information, limitations on the research/ experimentation, and any other recommendation for future research. People who seek to do
future research focus on this section because future research can be conducted by addressing the limitations on the previous (ESM, 2014).
Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the whole research and includes and recommendations for future projects as well as acknowledgments for the research (ESM,
2014).

Conclusion
This recommendation report analyzed the genres used within health science majors. As a result,
health science was too broad to identify one genre, instead public health was the scope of the research. Within public health this research was able to identify research reports as the best soothed
genre. Interviews and surveys were also given to health science professionals and professors and
yield mix results. Most agreed that research report was already included within the curricula, and
therefore no new class was needed. A recommendation was given that no new health science
class was needed to teach recommendation report because Health Science 475 covered research
reports.
Recommendation
Based on the responses of interviewers one and interviewer three, no further classes needs to be
implemented (Interviewer 1 and Interviewer, 2014). Health Science 475, an upper division class
implements the research report genre in APA format and its convention.

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Appendix

This chart represents the responses given to health science professionals discussed in
the Results I. Surveys/interviews section.

Genre

Mostly Used in
Public Health?

Mostly used in
Health Science
Career?

Used or taught
within the H.S.
department?

New class
needed?

Interviewer 1

10

Interviewer 2

10

Interviewer 3

10

10

Interviewer 4

10

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Reference

California State University Fullerton. (2011, August 18). 2011-2013 University Catalog.
Fullerton, CA: Titan Shops

Elements of the Scientific Method. (2014, November 14). Scientific Method. Retrieved November 14, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method#Elements_of_the_scientific_method.

http://apus.campusguides.com/programstyleguides

Interviewer 1, CSUF Health Science Advisor and Professor, California State University Fullerton. November 4, 2014.

Interviewer 2, CSUF Professor of Health Science, California State University Fullerton, November 4, 2014.

Interviewer 3, CSUF Professor of Health Science, California State University Fullerton, November 4, 2014.

Interviewer 4, CSUF Professor of Health Science, California State University Fullerton, November 4, 2014.

Park, H. (2011). Patient Safety, 2nd Edition. American Journal Of Health-System Pharmacy,
68(23), 2302.