Program Overview

Research, Analysis and Information Design

This course is designed to provide practical skills for research, analysis, and information design to enable students to:

• Identify and apply effective research methods to unfamiliar topics
• Elicit critical information from subject matter experts
• Understand and apply information design principles based on the needs of the audience

Students will learn to conduct user, context, and task analyses to identify valuable information, as well as how to create a research plan to guide research efforts.

Overview

• Location: Online
• Format: Self-paced within deadlines set by instructor
• Duration: 5 weeks
• Tuition: $545
• Can be applied to:
  • Plain Language Certificate
  • Technical Communication Certificate

Upcoming Offerings

• Start Date: Tue, Jan 13, 2026
  • Schedule: Tue, Jan 13 - Mon, Feb 16 (self-paced within deadlines)
  • Location: Online
  • Instructor: Ellen Ashdown
  • Cost: $545.00
  • Seats Available: 20
• Start Date: Tue, May 12, 2026
  • Schedule: Tue, May 12 - Mon, Jun 15 (self-paced within deadlines)
  • Location: Online
  • Instructor: -
  • Cost: $545.00
  • Seats Available: 24
• Start Date: Tue, Nov 10, 2026
  • Schedule: Tue, Nov 10 - Mon, Dec 14 (self-paced within deadlines)
  • Location: Online
  • Instructor: -
  • Cost: $545.00
  • Seats Available: 25

What You Will Learn

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Apply effective research methods to locate information on unfamiliar topics
• Collect documents and information related to new products, processes, or projects
• Identify and elicit critical information from subject matter experts
• Choose an appropriate writing style and document format
• Explain how document design affects document acceptance and usage
• Describe and utilize a variety of research and organization methods to:
  • learn about and characterize the audience
  • determine the type of information, whether it is valid and complete, and how useful it will be

How You Will Learn and Be Evaluated

• Prepare to spend 10–15 hours per week on coursework
• Expect reading and other assignments on a weekly basis
• Plan to access the course at least once every few days to keep up with work and group assignments
• Evaluation will be based on:
  • Assignments
  • Participation in discussions

Learning Materials

No textbook is required. All course materials will be provided online.

• Recommended reading: The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th or 18th Edition. University of Chicago Press, 2017 or 2024.
• Note: Courses use the author-date style from the Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.) citation guide.

Technical Requirements

For online courses, students will need a computer with audio and microphone connected to the internet. Canvas is the online system used for the course.

• Microsoft Word or other word processing software that can create PDF files
• High-speed internet access
• Adobe Acrobat Reader

English Language Requirements

To succeed in this course, students will need an advanced level of written and spoken English. If unsure about English language skills, it is recommended to complete the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with the following minimums:

• Overall band score minimum 6.5
• No band below 6.0
• Writing band score minimum 8.0
• Please note that registration fees cannot be refunded after the course start date if English language skills are found to be inadequate.