Investigation Report: COMM 1380 Textbook Analysis - Conestoga

This investigation report addresses a textbook issue for the COMM 1234 course at Conestoga College. The report investigates the necessity of the "Effective Writing Skills" textbook for new students, incorporating insights from interviews with the Bookstore Manager, Instructor, and Administrative Assistant. Key findings include publisher deadlines for returning old editions, enrollment predictions, and instructor preferences for the 3rd edition. The report concludes that a balanced approach is needed, suggesting the bookstore return approximately 70-75 books to the publisher based on a hypothetical 35% new book purchase rate among students. The report recommends conducting a survey to determine student preferences for new books to inform future decisions.

Running head: INVESTIGATION REPORT
INVESTIGATION REPORT
name of the student:
name of University:
Author's note:

1INVESTIGATION REPORT
Kelly Book,
Dean, Department of Communications
Conestoga College
Respected ma’am,
The purpose of this report is to discuss the investigate the requirement of the text
book namely “Effective Writing Skills” for the new students of COMM 1234. The
interview of Dave Black, Bookstore Manager, Matt Hoan, Instructor, Effective Writing
Strategies, Hector Mead, Administrative Assistant has greatly helped to understand
the issue and find the way to solve it. This report will be discussing the relevant facts
which has been found in the investigation, the insights relating to the issue based on
facts and the possible solution of this problem.
The investigation first considers the input of the bookstore manager as this is the
most important factor to understand the actual situation. To Dave Black, Whenever
the publisher has a new edition of the textbook, they provide the bookstore with a
timeframe to return the old edition of textbooks so that it can replace them with the
new edition. Hence the publisher has given a very short timeline to return the
inventory of 3rd edition. In case the bookstore manager fails to return the 3rd edition
text books within the given time the publisher will not take the books back. It its
critical as the semester will be not start before four weeks but it is the ultimate
deadline to return 3rd edition books. Therefore, the bookstore manager wants to
make a decision for the upcoming semester before the semester even starts.
To the Administrative Assistant Hector Mead, it is essential to reduce the number of
unsold textbooks which could be charged back to the department. He provides
Enrolment and Registration Report to help the investigation from which the exact
number of students in the previous semester and protective number of students in
the next semester could be predicted. To Hector, the prediction of students is not
always correct therefore, the decision-making process need to be initiated.
Moreover, the semester does not start for the four weeks which is the timeline from
the Oxblood Publishing. In addition to this, the administrative assistant office also
cannot predict the number as the current registration number is also not final. To
him, there are more registrations always in the last weeks before the starting of the
semester.
To Matt Hoan COMM1234 Instructor, the importance of the 3rd edition of the text
book is high as the semester course will follow this particular edition for the course
duration. The course in structure will not be able to use the 4th edition this semester
because the publishers have brought minor changes in the latest edition which will
not be possible to be included in the next session hence the 3rd edition books will be
followed. Interview with the instructor reveals some very important facts that all of the

2INVESTIGATION REPORT
students enrolled in the next semester will not buy new books but few of them. Some
of the students prefer to buy old books some with manage reading from library hence
there must be some new copies of the text book available in the stock to provide the
students preferring to buy new text books.
All of the interviews point out the fact that the issue of retuning or keeping text book
for the next semester is much uncertain as there is no idea what the particular
number of students will be in the next semester or how much student will buy new
books based on which the books will be returned to the publishing house to avoid
loss of the department.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the number of pre-registered students is 60 and
current registration is 127. Hence total 187 books will be needed according to
calculation. The number of projected registration even if reduced to 100, then also
the number of student will be 387 which is more than the last semester. Moreover,
not all of the student will buy a new book or a book even. Therefore, if 35% of the
new student of next semester like to buy new book, the number will be 135
approximately. Hence the bookstore can return 70 to 75 books to the publisher to
avoid loss.
As this investigation did not access to the number that what percent of student
actually buy new books, a hypothetical percentage has been taken. Based on this
report you can ask for a survey what percent student had preferred to buy new
books in the previous semester to understand the trend. Then you can make
decision to return book to the publisher.