Surname 1

Name
Instructor

Course

Date

Research Proposal on Writing in the Military

Introduction

This research will focus on writing in the military primarily from the sources in the

Marine Corps including all branches in the military for efficiency and compliance with

Department of Defense. The research is also intended to evaluate how low similar writing style

and procedures are utilized to disseminate record and publish documents. There are many kinds

of writing in the military. For instance there are tactical training manuals, letters that explain a

commanders intent, daily log books, and leave requests. There is a specific procedure, pattern,

method, and style in these writings. Understanding how these writings developed and studying

their efficiency by having the comprehension of both civilians and veterans will be the primary

method of my study.

Background information

The Military is older than the United States. The Army, Navy and Marine Corps were

founded in 1775 along with the tradition passed on through centuries with specific genres like

in the communicative furtherance of its aims as well as articulate the operation of

[military](Swales 221-22). Almost every official document that I have seen in the military has a

header which shows where the message was passed from and official seal labels that indicate

who the intendedaudience was. The document also contains classified information

regardingwhether it was for general audience or only for personnel with security clearance. Like

any formal letter that an individual would write, the documents may contain an issuing authority,
 Surname 2

and based on the intent of the document it may follow a set of rules, pre-established norms and

formats just like writing an essay usingMLA or APA style. Most document styles and the latest

revised formats are available on the World Wide Web for the public to view. Individuals who are

on active duty can look up leave request formats online and follow the provided procedures.

Words used in these documents are not complex even though specific lexical items

existfor the purpose of conveying clearly the information with the least amount of

misunderstanding, and to enable a person to proceed with efficiency. There is a purpose to the

style that shows the importance, the authenticity of document, the target specification and ease of

understanding. An example isa document regarding uniform regulation, which would have the

issuing authority, a passage citing the previous published orders which are cancelled or have

been used to build the latest publication, effective dates and updated changes. Information

published in certain documents does not apply to all personnel like males vs. females. The

purpose of restricting this information is to exempt readers from wasting time to read and

understand materials that do not apply to them. My research will question why some of these

standards exists and if it helps the readers understand easily how the standards are entrenched in

history.

Justification of the Study

Military officers are required to communicate effectively for the purpose of performing

their jobs competently. A critical dimension of the military work involves the orders given in the

military. How orders are understood and implemented contain an effect that is domino

throughout any military organization. Evaluation of officers as well as the linkage between

critical thinking and writing is of great importance for the military officers. Much of the military

activities are actually communicated through orders in the military operations. The operations
 Surname 3

orders are mainly formatted in such a way that they squeeze much of the information in a

minimal space. It is essential to note that an order from the operations department describes the

intent of the commander, the receivers responsibilities and the details of a particular mission.

Writing well is essential in making sure that first, all the personnel are able to properly

understand the given order, and second, to warrant that the language does not contain ambiguity,

so that confusion or misunderstandings do not occur (Finney 1).

The written officer assessment procedure and performance evaluation makes clear

writing a significant and indispensable skill all through the chain of command since military

officers are given promotions based on the written assessments regarding how they perform their

duties. The Armys command selection and promotion processes are done depending heavily on

the officers good writing skills. Panel members heavily depend on senior rater as well as rater

comments from evaluation reports of officers to make command and promotional selections

(Finney 1).

Ensuring that commendable officers are the ones selected is essential for the militarys

institutional health. The military is not able to afford either promoting an unworthy officer or

overlooking a suitable officer. Error free and proficient writing based on both the assessment by

superiors and subordinates are critical skills for composing accurate and fare evaluations.

According to Finney, writing is actually not the only effective and precise method of

communication. The writing activity functions as an effective means of enhancing and promoting

critical thinking. The action of doing the writing itself enables an individual to examine his or her

writing by putting it on the paper (Finney 1).

Furthermore, the writing activity includes formulating complex thought and thinking

beforehand. Writing is primarily an action of putting thoughts that are complex on a paper, since
 Surname 4

the words as well as the relationships between them contain nuances. Therefore, concurrently

with a process of writing, an individual has the ability to look into and analyze his or her process

of critical thinking through a honest, accurate and clear lens. Such analysis is quite instrumental

in remedying and detecting unclear or incomplete thoughts (Finney 1). This research is important

because it further helps to bridge the gap for researchers who use military documents in their

study as well as civilians to better understand the nature of the written documents, how they

work and to utilize the documents while they interact with members of the discourse or take part

in activities that involves the military.

Research Objectives

Main Research Objective

The primary research goal of this study is to determine the efficiency and compliance of

military writing from sources in the Marine Corps including all branches in the military.

Specific Objectives

This survey will seek to answer the following study questions:

1. How has the genre of writing the military developed of the years?
2. What is the importance of the writing convention to the Marine Corps?
3. To what extent do the military officers comply with the military writings?
4. What are the writing styles and contexts used based on the roles and tasks at hand?
5. Should the writing convention be improved or is it best left to develop in time according to need?

The common goal of the military is to protect and serve. However, there are individual

goals and skills possessed by the military personnel. When an individual joins the military he or

she becomes part of team and the person is often left with no choice but to comply with existing

standards and protocols. Therefore, when one becomes a veteran he or she will have been

exposed to the existing standards and protocols and understands these standards and procedures.

Methodology
 Surname 5

Study Design

This research will be a descriptive qualitative research. A descriptive qualitative research

refers to a survey where the researcher finds out detailed descriptions of particular situation(s)

using observations, structured interviews and document review. The researcher simply describes

things as they are. This type of research works best for the following kinds of questions:

How do the participants implement a certain program or activity?

What are the challenges that the participants face during the implementation process?
What are the perceptions of the participants?

According to Lambert and Lambert (255), the objective of a descriptive qualitative

survey is a complete summarization of precise events that groups of individual or individuals

experience. Qualitative descriptive surveys are the least hypothetical of all the approaches

utilized in a qualitative research.Additionally, this type of study is the least overloaded survey

compared to other qualitative surveys, through a pre-existing philosophical or theoretical

commitment. For instance, ethnographic theory, ground theory as well as phenomenology are

based on certain methodological frameworks that originated particular disciplinary traditions.

Through comparison, a qualitative descriptive research leans on naturalistic inquiry that

purports a commitment to survey something which is in its natural condition. Therefore, there is

no variable manipulation, no pre-selection of the variable intended for the study and no pre-

commitment to any speculative view of the target event.

Target Population

The target population for this research will include military veterans from the Marine

Corps and civilians who have interacted with the military genre as well as those who have not.

Sample Size Determination

 Surname 6

This survey is intended to utilize qualitative variables since in any descriptive qualitative

survey; there is no manipulation of the qualitative variables. According to Lambert and Lambert

(255), sampling in a research that is a qualitative descriptive survey, requires the use of

practically any purposeful sampling method. Like any other research design that is qualitative,

the objective is to attain cases believed to be rich in information with an aim of saturating

data.The most important thing for the researchers is their ability to defend the strategies they

utilize n sampling to meet the goals of their studies (Lambert and Lambert 255).
 Surname 7

According to Charanet al (121), the formula for determining sample size for descriptive

qualitative studies is as indicated in the figure below:

 Surname 8

This research will utilize the above formula to calculate the sample size of the target

population.
 Surname 9

Data Collection Methods

According to Lambert and Lambert (256), data collection methods used in qualitative

descriptive surveys focuses on finding out the nature of particular events under study. Therefore,

collection of data entails minimal to moderate, focus group or individual structured interviews.

However collection of the data may also involve observations as well as examination of

documents reports and other records.

The primary method of my research will be an inquiry ridden method where I will ask

veterans to explain their understanding of a military publication, and briefly explain the different

attributes that they see in the document. I am intended to achieve this through utilization of

structured interviews. I will also sort to find out how difficultit is for the veterans to understand a

military publication. Similar questions will also be directed to the civilians who have some

interaction with the military genre as well as those who do not have. In addition, the survey is

intended to find out different perceptions of thee civilians regarding the writing convention. The

challenge that is expected to arise during the study is that I will be spending more time with

civilians explaining lexical terms, brief trends as well as standards and then question again the

effectiveness of the documents.

Method of Data Analysis

Genre analysis is a primary purpose and method of research that involves questioning and

providing answers to those questions. This survey will utilize this convention for the purpose of

reestablishing how writing develops and helps the military with its goals, values, and beliefs

(Stewart 59).

This type of analysis will help understand the complex ways of how communication

occurs and the purpose of those methods. In addition, the process will assist in finding out why
 Surname 10

and how the new members should assimilate into the convention of the writing formats, how the

lexis language is used to represent the values and the needs of the organization and the extent of

representation of the civilians. The process will also find out how the service member

characterizes the writing and how its development aids him or her to achieve personal goals as

well as the objectives of the military.

It is important to note that the results of genre analysis bring together the impending

approaches to textual analysis and a better sophistication in examining a writers purpose. The

steps and moves that Swales suggests for the introduction of an article marries the textual

consciousness of the document analysts with a broader observation regarding how rhetorical

considerations can govern the choice of grammar (216).

According to Swales (221-22), the concern of a discourse community as well as how the

conventions and expectations of diverse communities mould their texts has resulted in to this

broader observation and placed my survey in a spot where it may play a meaningful role in a

discussion of how facts are created and ideas disseminated in communities.

The idea of a discourse community originated from the ideas of interpretative community

and speech community, and it sits rather uneasily between them (Borg 398). According to Borg,

the term speech community may be defined as the actual persons who have the ability to

acknowledge that the use of their language is quite different from other languages. For example,

the use of Geordie English is different from the use of Australian English. The term interpretative

community does not mean gathering of people, but refers to a network of people that is open

where the individuals are able to share studying texts, mainly literary texts. Interpretive

community therefore emphasizes the social origin of interpretation (Borg 398-400).

 Surname 11

Finally, the questions of power and the stability of discourse communities as well as their

genres are of great importance. If the discourse communities are viewed as stable, with

professionals who perform the roles of gate keeping, then they have normative genres, and

novices should conform to the community expectations to enter it. However, according to Borg,

other writers have suggested that this particular view takes away power from the learners (400).

Such writers propose that rules and conventions must be deconstructed, with learners encouraged

to correct the discourse of their communities, both for renewing the discourse community itself

and for their individual purposes.

The research will also utilize a textual analysis process of the document provided to the

participant during the interview. Textual analysis can be defined as a method of communication

which the researcher utilizes to illustrate and interpret either the characteristics of a visual or

recorded message. The goal of textual analysis is to illustrate the structure, functions as well as

the content of the messages provided in the texts. The considerations that are crucial in textual

analysis involve the choice of the kinds of texts intended for the study, and determining which

specific approach to utilize in analyzing them. The texts may be in form of outputs of formal

communication or transcripts of communication.

Outputs of communication are mainly messages provided by communicators where as

transcripts of communications are verbatim recordings. In terms of obtaining texts, the category

of outputs of communication is more readily utilized by researchers compared to the

transcripts(Botan and Kreps 1-2). Acquisition of the texts is crucial as is the selection of the

texts representativeness because sampling will be used in this survey. There are four main

approaches to analyzing texts. The first approach is rhetorical criticism. This kind of approach
 Surname 12

refers to systemic method for analyzing, describing, evaluating and interpreting the persuasive

force of the messages entrenched within the texts.

The second approach of text analysis is content analysis. Botan and Kreps describes this

kind of approach as a means of identifying, analyzing and enumerating occurrence of particular

messages as wel as the message characteristics that are embedded within the texts (2).

Additionally, in qualitative content analysis, the researcher is more concerned with the meanings

connected to the messages rather than the number of message variables. The third approach to

textual analysis is interaction analysis. Most scholars view on the term interaction is that it is an

accomplishment that is complex and which requires greater knowledge on the section of personal

communicators as well as the skill of coordinating behavior with other individuals.Finally, the

forth approach to textual analysis is performance studies. This approach refers to a process of

engaging dialogically with an individuals own and others artistic communication via the

performance means. Researchers interpret writings a way of investigation that allows them and

the performance audiences to interpret the artistic richness of the writings(Botan and Kreps 3-4).

My research will focus on the category of output of communication to obtain messages

from the participants.The textual analysis will allow me to ask questions regarding the ability or

the readers to understand the source of the document, if the purpose is easy to understand, and if

they are able to see similar writing in other organizations.

I am aware that the task at hand would have some biased opinion since I love the

convention due to its simplicity and familiarity. According to Pannucci and Edwin (619), Bias

can be defined as any propensity that does not allow unprejudiced consideration of a particular

question. In a survey, bias may occur when a systemic error is introduced into the testing or

sampling by encouraging or selecting one answer or outcome over the others. It is crucial to not
 Surname 13

that bias can take place at any phase of the study. It may occur during the data design phase, data

collection, data analysis process as well as during the data publication process.

Pannucci and Edwin notes that bias is mainly not a variable that is dichotomous.

Additionally, the interpretation of bias should not be limited to a straightforward inquisition.

Instead, literature reviewers should consider the extent to which prevention of bias has been done

through proper research deign as well as implementation. It is also crucial for the readers to

consider how bias may influence the conclusions of the survey. The type of bias that is likely to

occur during my research in called interviewer bias. Interviewer bias as described by Pannucci

and Edwin (619) refers to a difference that is systemic and which occurs between how

information from the participants is interpreted, solicited or recorded. This type of bias can be

eliminated or minimized if there is no occurrence of the result of interest or the person doing the

interview is blinded to the result of interest, as in the case of a prospective trial. Therefore, to

minimize the bias, I will be writing about the subject based primarily on the opinion and ideas of

my research subjects as well as add my experience as support and building my conclusions based

on the results.

Works Cited
 Surname 14

Borg, Erik. "Discourse Community".Oup.silverchair-cdn.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 Apr. 2017.

https://oup.silverchair-

cdn.com/oup/backfile/Content_public/Journal/eltj/57/4/10.1093/elt/57.4.398/2/570398.pd

f?

Expires=1491984073&Signature=Qn9pru04w7od80R745i9ujpyi3qXkTuBxil2WBLLUp

COQOqh3-Qdt4jd~zVfwS2Wuax6eFTC7hh6NQ8ZgVngSJBe~~fT-

MQl5Js7Z61oGFYDzf1W6A4RkWFZ4y92Ipap2obn5lDcihMudvlOfE1DXwQ-

qppF4o30ARlVSozQmIrxTGt7leLgubEmA8Jm7qnWawaujSfVhz5~3Xm8lZbwiYk1oRr

4LrWkwVuDm8sTZg2xOle4LMcyDyjGIjgKNYt0o4vtyYvQwOS1~qzN~LVKqu7OCwi

RRutAD78XV-PzmrqffAUnlbmuz-S2lzpf-qEVncxEaSuxvkM-~KD1XT1r9g__&Key-

Pair-Id=APKAIUCZBIA4LVPAVW3Q

In this article Borg vividly describes the concept of a discourse community. He

offers detailed explanation on the origin of a discourse community using to key

concepts. The concepts he utilizes are interpretive and speech communities. He

gives an in-depth explanation of how the two concepts led for formation of a

discourse community. The concepts provided by Borg are important for this

survey since they explain how one can analyze a discourse.

Botan, Frey, and G Kreps. "Chapter 9: Textual Analysis". Investigating communication: An

introduction to research methods..N.p., 2017. Web. 8 Apr. 2017.

Botan and Krepsprovide an explanation of what are textual analysis and the

approaches used for analyzing texts. He describes the four types of approaches

used for analyzing texts: content analysis, rhetoric criticism, performance studies

and interaction analysis. These approaches are relevant to this research proposal
 Surname 15

since they aid a research to correctly choose the appropriate approach for

analyzing written texts in the military. More specifically, this research will utilize

the interaction analysis approach to analyze military text in the course of the

study.

Charan, Jaykaran, and TamoghnaBiswas. "How to calculate sample size for different study

designs in medical research?." Indian journal of psychological medicine 35.2 (2013):

121.

Charna and Tamoghnatry to educate researches on various methods of calculating

the sample size of a survey. They show that not all formulas are appropriate for

calculating sample size since there are different kinds of study designs. They have

also provided a formula that is widely used for calculating the sample size of a

descriptive qualitative survey. This formula is particularly important for this study

since the study itself is a descriptive qualitative study.

Finney, Nathan. "The Military And Writing: It's Complicated | MWG". The Military Writers

Guild.N.p., 2017. Web. 7 Apr. 2017.

Finney who is an author of the military writers guild describes significance of

writing in the military. He also shows various techniques of writing as well as the

critical skills for composing accurate and fare evaluations. The ideas of Finney

serves as a basis for justification of this research.

Lambert, Vickie A., and Clinton E. Lambert. "Qualitative descriptive research: an acceptable

design." Pacific Rim International Journal of Nursing Research 16.4 (2012): 255-256.
 Surname 16

Lambert and Clinton describe the objectives of utilizing a qualitative descriptive

technique in a research. They further provide an insight on the importance of

various sampling techniques in a qualitative shewurvey. Their approaches have

formed the basis for guidelines to utilize during sampling of the target population

for this survey.

Pannucci, Christopher J., and Edwin G. Wilkins. "Identifying and avoiding bias in research."

Plastic and reconstructive surgery 126.2 (2010): 619.

Pannucci and Wilkins have described various types of bias that can occur during a

study. They have particularly shown the bias that may arise when conducting a

descriptive qualitative survey. Of particular significance to this study is the

approach of interviewer bias which is expected to occur during the course of this

survey.

Swales, John. The Concept of Discourse Community. Genre Analysis: English in Academic

and Research Settings. Boston: Cambridge UP, 1990. 21-32. Print Rpt. in Wardle,

Elizabeth and Dough Downs, editors.Writing about Writing: A College Reader,

Bedford/St. Martins, 2014pp 215-16, 220-222.

Swales who is linguistics professor, examines the concept of genre analysis as

well as the concept of a discourse community. His approaches can be widely used

in this study since they offer an insight on the nature of the language used by the

military personnel as well as the relationship between a discourse community and

the military community.