Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Finding, Evaluating, and Processing Information
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Learning Objectives Describe an effective process for conducting business research Define primary and secondary research and explain when to use each method Identify nine criteria for evaluating the credibility of an information source
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Learning Objectives Provide five guidelines for conducting an effective online search Outline the steps required to create and administer surveys and interviews Describe the major tasks involved in processing and applying your research results
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Supporting Your Messages 1.Plan your research 2.Locate data and information 3.Process data and information 4.Apply your findings 5.Manage information
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Plan Your Research Learn about the subject Target information gaps Prioritize research needs
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Ethics and Etiquette Don’t force a specific outcome Respect privacy of participants Document and credit your sources Respect intellectual property rights Don’t misquote your sources Don’t misrepresent your intentions
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Learn About the Subject Read industry publications Explore competitor’s websites Interview experts Search online resources Scan topical books Develop a problem statement
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Target Information Gaps Frame your purpose Indentify gaps Focus your efforts Locate information
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Prioritize Research Needs Constraints –Limited time –Limited resources Information –“Need to know” –“Nice to know”
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Data and Information Secondary research Primary research
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Evaluating Your Sources Is the source honest and reliable? Is the source potentially biased? What is the purpose of the material? Is the author credible? What is the source of the information?
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Evaluating Your Sources Can you verify the material? Is the material current? Is the material complete? Are all claims supported by evidence? Do the claims stand up to scrutiny?
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Secondary Research Inside the company –Reports and memos –Other documents Outside the company –Print resources –Online resources
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Finding Information at the Public Library Newspapers and periodicals Business books Directories Almanacs and statistical resources Government publications Electronic databases
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Online Information Internet public library Librarian’s Internet index Company websites
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Internet Search Tools Search engines –Web directories –Online databases –Meta-search engines
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Search Techniques Keyword searches Boolean operators Natural language Forms-based searches
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Fine Tune Search Methods Read the instructions Observe the details Review search and display options Vary the search terms Adjust the scope of the search
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Innovative Search Tools Desktop search engines Enterprise search engines Research and content managers Social bookmarking sites Newsfeeds
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Documenting Sources Credit research sources Build your credibility Help your readers
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Primary Research Surveys Interviews Experiments Observations
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Conducting Surveys Representative sample Effective questionnaire
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Effective Questionnaires Provide clear instructions Keep it short and easy to answer Seek easy-to-analyze answers Avoid leading questions Avoid ambiguous questions Ask one question at a time Make the survey adaptive
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Internet Surveys Save time Minimize cost
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Conducting Interviews Selecting the questions –Open-ended –Closed Asking the questions –Set the sequence –Be proactive
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Types of Interviews Face-to-face Focus group
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Data and Information Quoting Paraphrasing Summarizing Analyzing Concluding Recommending
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Process the Information Quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing –Avoid plagiarism –Cite sources –Observe context
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Analyze Numeric Data Mean, median, and mode Overall trends Cause and correlation Cross-tabulation
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Watch for Mistakes Avoid faulty comparisons Don’t push research results beyond their limits Avoid misleading presentations
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Apply Your Findings Summarizing your research Drawing conclusions Making recommendations
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Knowledge Management Technologies Policies Procedures