ASSIGNMENT PRE-READING

As explained in Chapter 12 of your textbook, primary research is research that you, yourself have conducted. For your business report you will be required to conduct both secondary and primary research. Primary research is research you have conducted yourself. For the report there are two different types of primary research that you can choose from: interviewing or surveying. So, think about your topic that was approved and the work plan you've developed and decide which primary research you would like to conduct.

This assignment will help you draft good questions, analyze results, and present relevant, ethical information in narrative and/or visual form. The majority of your report will be based on secondary research (from other sources), but being able to conduct primary research is an important skill. The primary information will be a small aspect of your final report. When writing your report on the topic that you chose, you will incorporate it into your report by mentioning the results of your survey or interview and by creating a bar, line or pie chart of some aspect of your primary research.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Choose one type of Primary Research

If it is an interview: (Conduct an interview with one or more people that will happen later, first we will concentrate on the questions, you will ask)

• You must have a minimum of 10 questions and most should be open-ended questions. Be sure to review the information in Chapter 12 pages 372 regarding conducting interviews.
• Then post the interview questions for Grading ( Due Thursday)
• Start thinking about who you will interview and reach out to them to set up a time

If it is a survey: (You will send out to approximately 25 people - that will happen later, first we will concentrate on the questions you will ask)

• You must have a minimum of 10 questions and a minimum of three types of survey questions (not all True/False, or all multiple choice). Be sure to review Chapter 12, and the Chapter Power Points. Figure 12.7 on page 371 provides a good example of various types of survey questions.
• It is not required, but I highly recommend trying a free, online survey tool to develop your questions. They have the ability to produce charts and/or graphs based on what your respondents say.
• Since this is a discussion, you can also ask your classmates to take the survey.

I recommend trying one of the following:

Survey Monkey (Links to an external site.) Free Online Surveys (Links to an external site.) Survey Planet (Links to an external site.)

• Post the survey questions for Grading
• Start thinking about who you will survey

After you have shared your questions in the discussion area, review STEP 2 below.

PRIMARY RESEARCH FOR REPORT: STEP 2 (ongoing)

Once your interview or survey questions have been graded and you have read the feedback, start your primary research:

If you chose to interview:

• Once your interview questions have been graded and you have read the feedback, as soon as possible conduct the interview. The person(s) who you speak with will be listed on the Work Cited page of your report.
• Begin to think about which information you can gather in the interview to use to create your pie, line or bar chart
• List of interview questions will be in the appendix section of report
• Write about some of the most important or most relevant data that you collected during your interview(s) in the body of your report. The rest of the information will come from the research that you do on your topic (information from primary and secondary research, whether summarized or quoted, needs to be cited in the body of your report as well as on the Work-Cited page).
• Review the Report Criteria doc & Grading Rubric in the Handout for more details

If you chose to survey:

• Once your survey questions have been graded and you have read the feedback, start your primary research - distribute to approximately 25 individuals
• Begin to think about which information you will use to create your pie, line or bar chart
• List of survey questions will be in the appendix section of report
• Write about some of the most important or most relevant data that you collected in the body of your report. The rest of the information will come from the research that you do on your topic (information from primary and secondary research, whether summarized or quoted, needs to be cited in the body of your report as well as on the Work-Cited page.