Finding Evaluating and Processing Information Prentice Hall 2005

Finding, Evaluating, and Processing Information © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 1

The Research Process • • • Plan your research Locate data and information Process data and information Apply your findings Manage information © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 2

Plan Your Research • Learn about the subject • Identify information gaps • Prioritize research needs © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 3

Ethics and Etiquette in Business Research • • • Don’t skew results Respect privacy of participants Document sources Respect intellectual property Don’t misquote © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 4

Learn About the Subject • Industry publications • Competitor’s websites • Interviews with Experts © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 5

Information Gap Analysis 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Clarify the decision or conclusion Identify subquestions Clarify information requirements Locate existing information Assess the information gap © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 6

Data and Information • Secondary research • Primary research © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 7

Evaluating Sources Honesty and Reliability Potential Bias Purpose of the Material The Author Data Collection Methods Independent Verification Completeness Logic and Good Sense Timeliness © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 8

Secondary Research • A specific company • An entire industry • Statistics and trends • Business issues © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 9

Finding Information at the Library Business Books Directories © Prentice Hall, 2005 Electronic Databases Newspapers Periodicals Almanacs Statistical Resources Government Publications Business Communication Today 8 e 10

Online Information • Internet public library • Company websites © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 11

Internet Search Tools • Search engines – Web directories – Online databases – Meta-search engines © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 12

Search Techniques • Keywords • Boolean operators • Natural language • Forms-based © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 13

Fine Tune Search Methods • Read instructions • Review your options • Adjust search scope • Understand details • Vary search terms • Employ search agents © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 14

Documenting Sources • Credit sources • Build credibility • Help your readers © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 15

Primary Information • Surveys • Interviews • Experiments • observations © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 16

Survey Questions • Ask easy-to-analyze questions • Avoid leading questions • Ask one question at a time • Pretest all questionnaires © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 17

Effective Interviews • Purpose – Collect information – Make decisions – Clarify issues • Structure – Overall length – Stylistic issues – Organization © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 18

Types of Questions • Close-ended • Restatement • Direct open-ended • Open-ended © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 19

Preparing Questions • Think about sequence • Rate the questions • Ask smart questions • Mix types of questions • Limit the number • Edit questions © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 20

Processing Interview Information • Quoting • Paraphrasing • Summarizing © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 21

Analyzing the Data • Mean, median, and mode • Overall trends • Cause and correlation • Cross-tabulation © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 22

Minimize Mistakes and Misinterpretations • Avoid faulty comparisons • Don’t push research results • Avoid misleading presentations © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 23

Applying Your Findings • Unbiased summary • Logical conclusion • Feasible recommendations © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 24

Knowledge Management • Information • Insights • Experiences • Research © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 25