Chapter 8 - Researching + Writing reports. After studying this chapter, you should be able to: State a problem and purpose clearly in writing, list the factors involved in a problem, explain the difference between primary and secondary research, gather secondary sources using direct and indirect research methods, evaluate website reliability,. | McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. “Reports often lead to the most important business decisions.” eight Researching + Writing Reports What is a report? An orderly and objective communication of factual information that serves a business purpose. Determine the Report Problem Conduct a preliminary investigation Gather facts to better understand the problem Consult many sources State the problem and purpose in writing To help you stay on track To allow others to review, approve, and evaluate it To force yourself to get the problem clearly in mind Determine the Factors Types of Factors Subtopics in information reports Hypotheses for problems requiring a solution Bases of comparison in evaluation studies Gathering the Information Needed Two Basic Forms of Research Secondary Secondary research is research using data compiled and interpreted by someone else. It is usually library and online research. Primary Primary . | McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. “Reports often lead to the most important business decisions.” eight Researching + Writing Reports What is a report? An orderly and objective communication of factual information that serves a business purpose. Determine the Report Problem Conduct a preliminary investigation Gather facts to better understand the problem Consult many sources State the problem and purpose in writing To help you stay on track To allow others to review, approve, and evaluate it To force yourself to get the problem clearly in mind Determine the Factors Types of Factors Subtopics in information reports Hypotheses for problems requiring a solution Bases of comparison in evaluation studies Gathering the Information Needed Two Basic Forms of Research Secondary Secondary research is research using data compiled and interpreted by someone else. It is usually library and online research. Primary Primary research uses data compiled and interpreted firsthand by the writer. Sources for Direct Access Encyclopedias Biographical Directories Almanacs Trade Directories Government Publications Dictionaries Statistical Sources Business Information Services International Sources Sources for Indirect Access The Online Catalog Online Databases The Internet Search Engines—single, meta, and specialized Personalized Search Agents Primary Sources Company Records Experimentation Observation Survey Qualitative Research Interpret the Findings Advice for Avoiding Human Error Report the facts as they are. Draw conclusions only when appropriate. Do not interpret lack of evidence as proof to the contrary. Be sure your data are comparable. Be sure you draw only logical conclusions. Be sure the data are reliable and representative. Give attention to all important facts. Tailor your claims to your data. Organize the Report Information An outline Groups things that go together Orders them .
