Planning Reports and Proposals Copyright 2011 Pearson Education

Planning Reports and Proposals Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 1

Learning Objectives • Adapt the three-step writing process to reports and proposals • Describe an effective business research process and learn the difference between primary and secondary research • Provide five guidelines for conducting an effective online search Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 2

Learning Objectives • Describe the major tasks involved in processing and applying your research results • Explain how to organize informational reports and website content • Discover three ways to organize analytical reports, and how to plan proposals Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 3

Effective Reports and Proposals • Informational reports • Analytical reports • Proposals Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 4

The Three-Step Process Planning Analyze Situation Gather Information Select Medium Get Organized Writing Adapt to the Audience Compose the Message Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Completing Revise Produce Proofread Distribute 5

Analyze the Situation • Define purpose • Create work plan – To inform – Determine tasks – To identify – Create outline – To analyze – Set schedule Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6

Gather the Information • What is your purpose? • Who is your audience? Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 7

Select the Medium • Media requirements • Media preferences • Feedback preferences • Subject matter Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 8

Organize the Information • Direct approach – State conclusions and recommendations – Introduce findings – Include support • Indirect approach – Introduce findings – Discussion and support – State conclusions and recommendations Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 9

Supporting Your Messages 1. Plan your research 2. Locate data and information 3. Process data and information 4. Apply your findings 5. Manage information Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 10

Plan Your Research • Learn about the subject • Develop a problem statement • Understand your research purpose Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 11

Ethics and Etiquette • Do not force a specific outcome • Respect privacy of participants • Document and credit your sources • Respect intellectual property rights • Do not distort information • Do not misrepresent your intentions Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 12

Data and Information • Secondary research • Primary research Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 13

Evaluating Your Sources • Is the source honest and reliable? • Is the source potentially biased? • What is the purpose of the material? • Is the author credible? Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 14

Evaluating Your Sources • What is the source of the information? • Can you verify the material? • Is the material current? • Is the material complete? Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 15

Secondary Research • Inside the company – Reports and memos – Other documents • Outside the company – Print resources – Online resources Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 16

Using the Library • Newspapers and periodicals • Business books • Directories • Almanacs and statistical resources • Government publications • Electronic databases Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 17

Internet Search Tools • Search engines – Web directories – Online databases – Metasearch engines Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 18

Search Techniques • Keyword searches • Boolean operators • Natural language • Forms-based searches Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 19

Fine Tune Search Methods • Read the instructions • Observe the details • Review search and display options • Vary the search terms • Adjust the scope of the search Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 20

Innovative Search Tools • • • Desktop search engines Enterprise search engines Research and content managers Social bookmarking sites Newsfeeds Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 21

Documenting Sources • Credit research sources • Build your credibility • Help your readers Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 22

Primary Research • Surveys • Interviews • Experiments • Observations Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 23

Conducting Surveys • Avoid sampling bias • Obtain a representative sample • Make sure the sample is reliable and valid Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 24

Effective Questionnaires • • Provide clear instructions Keep it short and easy to answer Seek easy-to-analyze answers Avoid leading questions Avoid ambiguous questions Ask one question at a time Make the survey adaptive Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 25

Internet Surveys • Save time • Minimize cost Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 26

Conducting Interviews • Selecting the questions – Open-ended – Closed • Asking the questions – Set the sequence – Be proactive Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 27

Types of Interviews • Face-to-face • E-mail • Focus group Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 28

Data and Information • Quoting • Paraphrasing • Summarizing • Analyzing • Concluding • Recommending Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 29

Analyzing Numeric Data • Mean, median, and mode • Overall trends • Cross-tabulation Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 30

Processing Information • Quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing – Avoid plagiarism – Cite sources – Observe context Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 31

Apply Your Findings • Drawing conclusions • Making recommendations Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 32

Planning Informational Reports • Monitor and control operations • Implement policies and procedures • Demonstrate compliance • Report progress Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 33

Organizing Informational Reports • • Comparison Importance Sequence Chronology Geography Category Spatial orientation Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 34

Organizing Websites • Users are demanding • Reading online is difficult • The format is non-linear • The medium is multidimensional Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 35

Information Architecture • Vertical hierarchy • Horizontal division • Hyperlinks Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 36

Planning Analytical Reports • Assess opportunities – Market analysis and due diligence • Solve problems – Troubleshooting and failure analysis • Support decisions – Feasibility and justification Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 37

Challenges of Analytical Reports • Investigation • Persuasion • Responsibility Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 38

Defining the Problem • What needs to be determined? • Why is this issue important? • Who is involved in the situation? • Where is the trouble located? • How did the situation originate? • When did it start? Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 39

Methods of Organization • Focus on conclusions • Focus on recommendations • Focus on logical arguments Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 40

Focus on Conclusions • Advantages – Ease of use – Bottom-line driven • Disadvantages – Possible resistance – Oversimplification Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 41

Focus on Recommendations 1. Establish the need for action 2. Introduce the overall benefits 3. List the required steps 4. Explain each step more fully 5. Summarize the recommendations Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 42

Focus on Logical Arguments • 2 + 2 = 4 approach • Yardstick approach Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 43

Planning Proposals • Internal – Management support – New equipment or research projects • External – Investments and grants – Sales Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 44

Types of Proposals • Solicited – Requested (RFP) – Audience initiated • Unsolicited – Not requested – Writer initiated Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 45