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Chapter 15 - Researching proposals and reports. After studying this chapter, you will know: Recognize varieties of reports, define report problems, employ various research strategies, use and document sources.
Chapter 15 Researching Proposals and Reports Copyright © 2015 McGrawHill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGrawHill Education Steps in Report Writing Define the problem Gather necessary data Analyze the data Organize the information Write the report 152 Formal vs. Informal Reports Formal reports contain formal elements: Title page Transmittal Table of contents List of illustrations Informal reports may be memos, letters, e-mail, sales figures, etc 153 Report Classifications Information reports collect data for reader Analytical reports interpret data but not recommend action Sales reports Quarterly reports Annual reports Audit reports Make-good or pay-back reports Recommendation reports recommend action or a solution Feasibility reports Justification reports Problem-solving reports 154 Report Classifications, continued… Some reports combine information, analytical, and recommendation types Accident reports Credit reports Progress reports Trip reports Closure reports 155 Defining Report Topics Real problem Important enough to be worth solving Narrow but challenging Real audience Able to recommended actions 156 Defining Report Topics, continued… Data, evidence, and facts Convey severity of problem Prove that recommendation will solve problem Available to writer Comprehensible to writer 157 Purpose Statement Makes three things clear Organizational problem or conflict Specific technical questions that must be answered to solve problem Rhetorical purpose the report is designed to achieve Explain - Recommend – Request - Propose 158 Research Types Primary research gathers new data Surveys Interviews Observations Secondary research retrieves information that someone else gathered Library research Online searches 159 Criteria for Evaluating Web Sources Authors What person or organization sponsors site? What credentials does author have? Objectivity Does site give evidence to support claims? Does it give both sides of issues? Is the tone professional? 1510 Criteria for Evaluating Web Sources, continued… Information How complete is information? What is it based on? Currency How current is the information? Audience Who is the intended audience? 1511 Surveys, Questionnaires, and Interviews Survey—questions large groups of people, called respondents or subjects Questionnaire—written list of questions that people fill out Interview—a structured conversation with someone who will be able to give useful information 1512 Questions to Consider about Surveys Who did the survey and who paid for it? How many people were surveyed and how were they chosen? How was the survey conducted? What was the response rate? What questions were asked? 1513 Characteristics of Good Survey Questions Ask only one thing Are phrased neutrally Are asked in an order that does not influence answers Avoid making assumptions about the respondent Mean the same thing to different people 1514 Question Types Closed questions—limited number of possible responses Open questions—unlimited responses possible Branching questions—direct subjects to different parts of questionnaire based on answers to earlier questions 1515 Question Types, continued Multiple choice—make the answer categories mutually exclusive and exhaustive Probes—follow up original question to get at specifics of a topic Mirror questions—paraphrase content of last answer 1516 Sample Types Convenience sample—set of subjects who are easy to get Judgment sample—group of people whose views seem useful Random sample—each person in group has equal chance of being chosen 1517 Using Technology in Research Online networks Web-based surveys Data mining Analytics 1518 Citation and Documentation Citation—attributing an idea or fact to its source in report body Documentation—listing bibliographic information readers would need to locate original sources 1519 ... reports Audit reports Make-good or pay-back reports Recommendation reports recommend action or a solution Feasibility reports Justification reports Problem-solving reports 15? ?4 Report Classifications, continued…... group has equal chance of being chosen 15? ?17 Using Technology in Research Online networks Web-based surveys Data mining Analytics 15? ?18 Citation? ?and? ?Documentation Citation—attributing... to solve problem Rhetorical purpose the report is designed to achieve Explain - Recommend – Request - Propose 15? ?8 Research Types Primary research gathers new data Surveys Interviews