Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited Chapter 19 Part 6 Presentation of the Research Report COMMUNICATING RESEARCH RESULTS: RESEARCH REPORT, ORAL PRESENTATION, & RESEARCH FOLLOW-UP

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1.To explain how the research report is the crucial means for communicating the whole research project 2.To discuss the format and the components of the research report 3.To discuss the importance of using graphics in research reporting 4.To explain how tables and charts are useful for presenting numerical information and how to interpret their various components 5.To identify the various types of research charts What you will learn in this chapter Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–1

LEARNING OBJECTIVES (cont’d) 6.To discuss how an oral presentation may be the most efficient means of supplementing the written report 7. To understand the importance of research follow-up What you will learn in this chapter Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–2

The communication of the marketing research report is successful only if both parties share enough common experience for it to be encoded, transmitted, and decoded with roughly the same meaningThe communication of the marketing research report is successful only if both parties share enough common experience for it to be encoded, transmitted, and decoded with roughly the same meaning Communicating the Research Results Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–3

Research ReportResearch Report  An oral presentation or written statement of research results, strategic recommendations, and/or other conclusions to a specific audience The Research Report Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–4

Report FormatReport Format  The makeup or arrangement of parts necessary to a good research report Tailoring the Format to the Written Research ProjectTailoring the Format to the Written Research Project  The format of a research report may need to be adjusted for two reasons:  (1) to obtain the proper level of formality  (2) to decrease the complexity of the report Organization of the Written Research Report Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–5

Organization of the Written Research Report (cont’d) The Components of the Written Research ReportThe Components of the Written Research Report  Title page  Letter of transmittal  Table of contents  Executive summary  Introduction  The part of the research report that discusses background information and the overall purpose of the research Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–6

Organization of the Written Research Report (cont’d) The Components of the Written Research Report (cont’d)The Components of the Written Research Report (cont’d)  Research objectives  The part of the research report that clearly explains the research problem and the relevant research questions that the research aims to answer  Research methodology  The section of the written that explains the research design, sampling procedures, and other technical and methodological procedures that were employed to collect the data Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–7

Organization of the Written Research Report (cont’d) The Components of the Written Research Report (cont’d)The Components of the Written Research Report (cont’d)  Results  The part of the body of a report that presents the findings of the project. It includes tables, charts, and an organized narrative  Conclusions and Recommendations  The part of the report that provides opinions based on the results and suggestions for action Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–8

Organization of the Written Research Report (cont’d) The Components of the Written Research Report (cont’d)The Components of the Written Research Report (cont’d)  Limitations  The part of the research report that indicates the shortcomings of the research  Appendix Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–9

TablesTables  Tables are most useful for presenting numerical information, especially when several pieces of information have been gathered about each item discussed  Each table should include the following:  Table number  Title  Stubheads and bannerheads  Footnotes  Source notes Effective Use of Graphic Aids Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–10

ChartsCharts  Charts translate numerical information into visual form so that relationships may be easily grasped  Each chart should include the following:  Figure number  Title  Explanatory legends  Source and footnotes  Pie charts  Line graphs  Bar charts Effective Use of Graphic Aids (cont’d) Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–11

Charts (cont’d)Charts (cont’d) Effective Use of Graphic Aids (cont’d) Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–12 Exhibit 19.1 DISTORTION BY ALTERNATING SCALES Source: Adapted with permission from Mary Eleanor Spear, Practical Charting Techniques (New York; McGraw-Hill, 1969), p. 56.

Charts (cont’d)Charts (cont’d) Effective Use of Graphic Aids (cont’d) Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–13 Exhibit 19.2 DISTORTION FROM TREATING UNEQUAL TIME INTERVALS AS EQUAL Source: Adapted with permission from Mary Eleanor Spear, Practical Charting Techniques (New York; McGraw-Hill, 1969), p. 57.

Charts (cont’d)Charts (cont’d) Effective Use of Graphic Aids (cont’d) Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–14 Exhibit 19.3 DISTORTION OF CHART FROM BROKEN VERTICAL SCALES Source: Adapted with permission from Mary Eleanor Spear, Practical Charting Techniques (New York; McGraw-Hill, 1969), pp. 58–59.

Effective Use of Graphic Aids (cont’d) Charts (cont’d)Charts (cont’d) Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–15 Exhibit 19.9 MULTIPLE BAR CHART

Charts (cont’d)Charts (cont’d) Effective Use of Graphic Aids (cont’d) Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–15 Exhibit MULTIPLE BAR CHART Source: Advertising Age International, April 27, 1992, pp. 1–26. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 1992 Crain Communications, Inc.

Oral PresentationOral Presentation  A spoken summary of the major findings, conclusions, and recommendations, given to clients or line managers to provide them with the opportunity to clarify any ambiguous issues by asking questions The Oral Presentation Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–16

One easy way to share data is to make executive summaries and reports available on a company intranetOne easy way to share data is to make executive summaries and reports available on a company intranet Today, common software packages, such as Microsoft PowerPoint, will publish your presentations for the Web and facilitate posting your slidesToday, common software packages, such as Microsoft PowerPoint, will publish your presentations for the Web and facilitate posting your slides Reports on the Internet Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–17

Research Follow-UpResearch Follow-Up  Recontacting decision makers and/or clients after they have had a chance to read over a research report, in order to determine whether additional information or clarification is necessary The Research Follow-Up Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 19–18