Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Chapter 15 Researching Proposals and Reports

15-2 Steps in Report Writing 1.Define the problem 2.Gather necessary data 3.Analyze the data 4.Organize the information 5.Write the report

15-3 Formal vs. Informal Reports  Formal reports contain formal elements:  Title page  Transmittal  Table of contents  List of illustrations  Informal reports may be memos, letters, , sales figures, etc.

15-4 Report Classifications  Information reports collect data for reader  Sales reports  Quarterly reports  Analytical reports interpret data but do not recommend action  Annual reports  Audit reports  Make-good or pay-back reports  Recommendation reports recommend action or a solution  Feasibility reports  Justification reports  Problem-solving reports

15-5 Report Classifications, continued…  Some reports combine information, analytical, and recommendation types  Accident reports  Credit reports  Progress reports  Trip reports  Closure reports

15-6 Defining Report Topics  Real problem  Important enough to be worth solving  Narrow but challenging  Real audience  Able to do recommended actions

15-7 Defining Report Topics, continued…  Data, evidence, and facts  Convey severity of problem  Prove that recommendation will solve problem  Available to writer  Comprehensible to writer

15-8 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

15-9 Research Types  Primary research gathers new data  Surveys  Interviews  Observations  Secondary research retrieves information that someone else gathered  Library research  Online searches

15-10 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?

15-11 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?

15-12 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

15-13 Questions to Consider about Surveys 1. Who did the survey and who paid for it? 2. How many people were surveyed and how were they chosen? 3. How was the survey conducted? 4. What was the response rate? 5. What questions were asked?

15-14 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

15-15 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

15-16 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

15-17 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

15-18 Using Technology in Research  Online networks  Web-based surveys  Data mining  Analytics

15-19 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