Lecture Business and administrative communication: Chapter 15 - Kitty O. Locker, Donna S. Kienzler

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