4. Collecting and organizing the data

Collecting the right data is paramount to the success of a business report. As a professional, you will need to be aware of the techniques that will help you collect both secondary and primary research.

Data collection has been simplified and made less time consuming by computer-assisted searches. Which of these are examples of how technology facilitates secondary data collection? Check all that apply.

Online databases have replaced the time-consuming task of searching print indexes and card catalogs.

Social bookmarking sites reduce the need for card catalogs and databases.

Microblogging allows you to input key terms to receive output to facilitate research.

Read the scenario about collecting secondary data, and then answer the question.

John is working on a report for his boss. He finds a report online that covers the exact material that he needs for his own report. John borrows the text and places it in his own report without using quotation marks or citing the authors name.

What advice would you give John as he collects secondary data? Check all that apply.

Dont plagiarize others work.

Cite the author of the report and give credit where credit is due.

Copy only freely available material.

Surveys are common tools for primary data collection. However, there are several critical factors in conducting successful surveys with valid results. When collecting primary data through surveys, what should you do to produce the best results with a questionnaire? Check all that apply.

Write clear questions that will be interpreted in the same way by different respondents.

Ask for general information because people like to give information that isnt specific.

Eliminate design elements such as numbering to avoid distracting respondents.

Create a cover message to explain what you are looking for and include it at the top of the questionnaire.

Ask questions in a logical sequence, starting with easy questions to put the respondent at ease.

The success of your report is largely influenced by the datas validity and reliability. Which of these statements about the validity and reliability of data collection is true?

If you dont collect enough data, interpretation may be inaccurate.

If you dont collect enough data, the results can be evened out in the interpretation.

Read the scenario about data gathering, and then answer the question.

Frank Fellowes, a writer working for Flight Magazine, intended to survey frequent flyers. When he surveyed 200 people at various airline gates, he forgot to ask people whether they fly frequently. Franks editor asked him to write about frequent flyers.

What can Frank do to use his survey material honestly and properly document his work? Check all that apply.

With his editors permission, Frank could write a slightly different article based on the information he obtained.

Frank could redo his survey, this time including the missing question.

Frank could cite the study appropriately to not plagiarize.

A political polltaker wants short answers from a wide cross section of users rapidly, yet she also wants to allow contact between interviewer and respondent for clarification of answers. For this type of survey, best.

Documenting and interpreting information clearly leads to ethical research reporting. To ensure your professional credibility, document all information correctly, and provide interpretations that are objective and unbiased.

Documenting your sources can be tedious; however, it leads to accuracy. What are the advantages of proper documentation? Check all that apply.

Documentation gives credit where credit is due.

Documentation helps collect on royalties.

Documentation supports the report readers opinions.

Two major types of citations are used to document a report: source notes and explanatory notes. Read the scenario about including report citations, and then answer the question.

You work for a small company that sells custom bicycle frames and equipment. The owner is interested in getting into the electric bike market. You have been asked to report on the industry trend to create electric bikes using lightweight lithium-ion batteries. In your report, you include a citation to acknowledge differences in different studies you looked at regarding the charge capacity of lithium-ion batteries.

Which type of citation will you use to document this information?

Explanatory notes

Source notes

Reports use various reference tools for the format and content of source notes. Determine which method is described here.

In the body of the report, citations are provided that contain abbreviated source information within parentheses.

Footnote citations

In-text parenthetical citations

Works cited or references