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Chapter 58. RECOMMENDATION REPORT Advanced Methods of Recommendations --- Other Processes Additional Types of Papers     Rhetorical Modes Writing Theory for Students --- Introduction These advanced ideas and/or applications can help you understand and use this paper's type of thinking better.  For additional information, check the chapter's Grammar Book Links in the right column.                       Other Processes in a Recommendation Report Recommendation reports are one of the more sophisticated forms of general professional and business writing.  they involve step-by-step critical thinking.  They are, in critical thinking practice, what is called a "problem-solving" technique or tool.  This is because, in true critical-thinking fashion, they present a problem and reach a solution by first going through a series of logical, thoughtful steps, including 1. Gathering all relevant background data 2. Exploring all aspects of the problem--causes and results 3. Establishing a set of real-world criteria for examining solutions 4. Brainstorming a number of solutions 5. Applying the criteria to the solutions to rate the solutions 6. Ranking the two or three best possible solutions 7. Re-examining & revising a step before the next one 8. Re-examining the whole and revising it before finishing 9. Using the solution 10. Evaluating its effectiveness and possible alternatives to it A shorter summary of this process can be called the "D.A.R.E." model: D.A.R.E. System (rev. 7-12) D.   Describe  Describe your text (or your problem or need) and all its surrounding issues. A.   Analyze  Analyze your information by sorting it according to several possible systems. R.   Respond/React Respond or react by offering several possible pros and cons--arguments--from public, academic, or other spheres and/or your own carefully weighed thoughts.. E.   Evaluate  Having collected all this data, evaluate which is best using a set of criteria: judge it as a legal judge might, using the evidence to critique it fairly and squarely. (For additional discussion about using these four steps of D.A.R.E., go to "The Steps of D.A.R.E. in a Critical Review" in another chapter.) A worksheet for applying critical thinking skills to an academic or professional paper can be found in the "Critical Thinking" chapter. --- Return to top.          Additional Types of Recommendation Writing   Writing a Recommendation Letter for a Person A recommendation letter can be as simple as a verification that the person has worked for a company, or a much richer and potentially very important document written by a supervisor, faculty member, fellow employee, or friend to help someone gain employment entrance into a program.  The latter type of recommendation letter is especially important to write well so that the author of it does not "damn with faint praise" by writing about the subject of the letter with lukewarm assessments and a lack of significant personal detail. The best recommendation letters are one to two typed, single-spaced pages in length, written in standard professional letter format.  They are written using anecdotes about the subject, details of their work and/or academic record, a statement of whether the author of the letter would enjoy working with the person, and strong praise of the subject in especially important areas.  A good recommendation letter also often will have at least one paragraph discussing two or three of the subject's weaknesses; a great recommendation letter will explain what the subject has done or is doing to turn those weaknesses into strengths.  A recommendation letter has many of the same elements as a personal statement.  See the chapter in this textbook on "Applying for Jobs" for a discussion of personal statements and a sample of a well written personal statement. Writing an Analysis An analysis is a common type of paper in collegiate writing.  At a disciplinary or college-major level, it usually requires applying one or more theories to a specific reading, event, person, or situation.  In professional recommendation writing, one or more theories--or several parts of one theory--can be applied to a problem or need, the results analyzed, and then the theory or part of the theory that is most effective can be applied.  To learn how to write an analysis, go to the chapter in this textbook called "Analysis." Writing an Evaluation Paper    Evaluative writing in an academic setting can also be applied to professional writing and activities.  For evaluative criteria and other aspects of academic evaluative writing, see well developed chapter in this textbook called "Evaluation." Writing a Critical Review    Writing a critical review in a professional situation generally means reviewing one or more professional books or articles so that others can decide whether to read them.  The steps of thinking involved in a critical review include (1) summary or description of the reading, (2) arguments or interpretations of it by the reviewer and/or other potential readers, and (3) evaluation of the quality of the work and thinking in it based on a set of criteria.  Disciplinary/professional critical reviews are discussed in the chapter in this textbook called "Critical Review." Writing Evaluative Conclusions in a Business Report, Performance Review, or System Review      The most common type of formal professional and business writing (other than letters) probably is the "Professional Report."  Often, a professional business report simply is a step-by-step, objective description of a system, project, or person.  However, in some situations, a writer may be asked to provide evaluative conclusions as well.  If that is the case, an evaluative system must be clear to both the writer and his or her audience: if it is not obvious (or legal concerns require full reporting), then the writer should be careful to describe what evaluative criteria are being used.  In this kind of report, the evaluative comments may occur at the end of each topic section, as a separate evaluative topic section at the end, or briefly as part of the conclusion.   A job performance review or a systems review are specific types of business reports that require thorough evaluation.  These types of reports can be broken into topic sections as described above.  The introduction and/or first topic section should, however, very clearly describe the subject, the need or purpose of the review, and the criteria that will be used.  To see more about writing a simple business report, go to "Professional Report" in this textbook. --- Return to top.           Writing Theory for Students: Writing an Xxxxxx Important basics about critical thinking can be found in this textbook's chapter called "College Thinking."  A more advanced discussion of critical thinking can be found in this textbook's chapter called "Critical Thinking." --- Return to top.