Questions That Matter in an Internship Report 1.2 2008/06/06 15:28:45 GMT-5 2008/06/26 12:47:13.751 GMT-5 Cain Project cainproject@mailman.rice.edu Cain Project cainproject@mailman.rice.edu Internship Report Writing Advice for graduate students who are reporting on an internship or special project for a managerial audience or for an audience of technical specialists

Questions of Academic Relevance What problem did you solve or undertake? What is the context for that problem within the field or company? Why was it important? What methods did you use? What are your findings or outcomes (to date or expected)? What is the special value of your participation to the company or the field? What are the possible applications, value to society, or long-term benefits?

More Specific Questions for Managerial Audience Why does this work matter to our company? What will we be able to do now that your work is complete? How did this project fit with our strategic goals?

More Specific Questions to Answer for Technical Audience Did your project result in a change in recommended methods, knowledge about the topic, models or theory? Were the methods you used consistent with best practices in the field? Are your results valid and reliable? Did your outcomes confirm or challenge existing knowledge? What needs to be done next? (more research?)