Connecting Practice

Objective: To completely and clearly express the ideas as support to current program, event, or activity.

1. Formulate and understand what the idea in your specific piece of writing is.

2. Describe the idea. The reader should interpret the information presented in the idea statement characteristically with the following questions: What is the main point or expression that you are trying to convey to your reader (what the idea is – explain what you’re thinking about it)? Why you want to do it (explain its importance to you and others)? Who will benefit from it?

3. Provide descriptive, statistical, quantitative, qualitative, and/or examples as evidence (data base) to serve as a sign or representation of the relationship established in the idea and explanation portions from Step 2 that conveys and verifies the existence and significance of the problem/need that you want to solve or address for this idea. This covers facts, figures, and/or information needs and gaps. A Statement of Need can be based on the latest developments in one’s field, expert statements, or statistical documentation:

4. Describe the specific results you want to achieve (attainable and realistic) and include additional statements that define the expected outcomes in measurable terms (the objectives):

5. Develop a plan of action/approach that includes the activities or services you plan to provide in achieving these results:

6. List the resources needed to implement your idea; e.g., list of colleagues who will participate in the project and indicate their prospective roles, equipment, travel, supplies, printing, and so forth.

7. (Optional) The Timeframe for this project is from to :

8. (Optional) The estimated cost for this project is: $

9. Name the Supervisor who should support and review your idea.

10. (Optional) If you know of a possible funding source, please list: (For ideas about funding, click here.)

Note: In the idea development, choose information that will help to explain, support, and perpetuate the idea throughout the entire paper. The information that comprises your paper should always have a relationship to this idea. In other words, your paper should remind your reader, at every possible point, that there is a recurrent relationship between your idea and the information in each section. The idea functions like a seed through which your paper, and your ideas, will grow.