1. Introduction
The gist of the placement report is that you critically analyse the various jobs and tasks you carry out during your placement and particularly reflect on the set of competencies required. It is crucial to use the string of the bi-weekly activity reports and the the feedback from your company coach and co-workers. The net result of the placement experience should be that you have gained a fair and balanced insight into your professional competencies and moreover that you know what you are particularly good at and which deficiencies must be corrected.
This reflection is not purely subjective or solely an individual mental activity. It is not your individual assessment that counts, but it is a comprehensive analysis of your performance as seen not only by yourself, but also by others. You should be aware this will take courage and require a certain degree of openess and honesty on your part. The reward however will be well worth your while. Once you have acquired a clear picture of yourself and your own abilities, your self-esteem will grow considerably, as will your future professional grow potential.
When dealing with a research project, you must first integrate your research findings or succinct synopsis of the research report into your placement report. In so doing you will automatically have to analyse typical research skills, such as methodology and critical thinking.
Once you are approaching towards the end of your placement period you will be facing the task of how to bring a proper balance into the report as a whole bearing in mind that you have come to the end of a learning curve and that you have to give an account of what you really have learned. This implies that you have already considered your work as an integral whole and that you demonstrate this by handing in a consistent and harmonious critical assessment. This means you must be able to balance and interrelate different aspects of the job, i.e.