The document discusses elements that should be included in a marketing research report, including the importance of the report, formatting, and use of visualizations. It provides guidelines for each section of the report such as the introduction, methods, results, conclusions and recommendations. The document also discusses best practices for presenting research orally and avoiding plagiarism. Key visualization tools mentioned include tables, graphs, pie charts and bar charts. Formatting elements covered include the title page, table of contents, references, and appendices.
IT INCLUDES THE PROPER DESCRIPTION AND TYPES OF TECHNICAL REPORTS . I HAVE DISCUSSED ABOUT HISTORY OF TECHNICAL REPORTS AND BASICS OF TECHNICAL REPORTS ARE ALSO MENTIONED . MOREOVER THE OVERVIEW OF ALL TYPES ,STRUCTURE OF A TECHNICAL REPORT AND CHECKLIST FOR A REPORT ARE ALSO INCLUDED
IT INCLUDES THE PROPER DESCRIPTION AND TYPES OF TECHNICAL REPORTS . I HAVE DISCUSSED ABOUT HISTORY OF TECHNICAL REPORTS AND BASICS OF TECHNICAL REPORTS ARE ALSO MENTIONED . MOREOVER THE OVERVIEW OF ALL TYPES ,STRUCTURE OF A TECHNICAL REPORT AND CHECKLIST FOR A REPORT ARE ALSO INCLUDED
Types of reports
Contents
Styles of reporting
Steps in drafting reports
Chapter format
Pagination
Identification
Using quotations
Presenting footnotes–abbreviations
Presentation of tables and figures
Referencing
Documentation
Use and format of appendices-Indexing Editing and evaluating the final draft
Writing a report in the office could be very complex and confusing. This presentation is a guide to assist you write a good report of your work or project
Report Writing: Basic- The Structure and Components
Report Writing: Basic- The Structure and Components
Report Writing: Basic- The Structure and Components
Types of reports
Contents
Styles of reporting
Steps in drafting reports
Chapter format
Pagination
Identification
Using quotations
Presenting footnotes–abbreviations
Presentation of tables and figures
Referencing
Documentation
Use and format of appendices-Indexing Editing and evaluating the final draft
Writing a report in the office could be very complex and confusing. This presentation is a guide to assist you write a good report of your work or project
Report Writing: Basic- The Structure and Components
Report Writing: Basic- The Structure and Components
Report Writing: Basic- The Structure and Components
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ENGL 361 FALL 2021
Technical Report Assignment Guidelines
This report assignment requires you to write a recommendation report on a topic of your choice. A
recommendation report assesses a troublesome or unsatisfactory situation, identifies a solution to the
problem, and persuades decision makers to pursue a particular course of action that will improve
matters.
PROJECT GOALS
The overall goals of this project are to acquaint you with research and the publication process
involved in technical report writing. This is a pedagogical goal: in doing the project, you are to learn
about various professional journals, bibliographic aids, research practices, and directions of
communication. This experience should enable you to study other topics in technical
communication. Likewise, this experience should help you prepare for similar projects in the “real
world” – the world of work that you will enter after you graduate from Bowie State University.
TOPIC SELECTION & AUDIENCE
Your topic will stem from the businesses you have established in the Audience Analysis assignment.
The companies you have created will provide the foundation for this report.
You will write your report to a real decision maker in your company—an executive reader who has
the means to act on your recommendations. As you prepare your report, you should do so with this
reader in mind. In other words, write the report as if that person is the reader. You aren’t required
to directly submit the report to that reader; however, when I grade your report, I’ll be evaluating it to
assess how convincing it would be for that reader. Again, I am not your primary reader.
PROJECT TOPICS
Listed below are your options for topics. You may choose your own topic; however, be
reminded that your topic must address a particular problem, be researchable, and provide
recommendations. Only two groups may work on each topic, so read the options carefully.
A. A local business (identify the business) has an ineffective website or social media presence.
Based on what you know and what you have learned thus far from your textbook and from
this course, perform research to highlight ways the current website or social media presence
is ineffective and write a report to your primary reader recommending the best solution to
enhance, revise, or replace the current content.
B. A local business (identify the business) is struggling to keep pace with its competitors since
the pandemic began. Due to ineffective advertising and communication, sales have been
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slumping. Write a report to the company’s CEO that recommends ways to increase sales
once again.
C. Find a problem at a local business (consistently long queues (lines), ineffective merchandise
return policy, or poor customer service as examples). Research the problem and write a
report to your primary reader recommending t ...
Manuscript editing | Research data analyst | Data analysisPubrica
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Understand the purposes of a report
Plan a report
Understand the structure of a report
Collect information for your report
Organise your information
Use an appropriate style of writing
Present data effectively
Understand how to lay out your
information in an appropriate way
A step by step guide to report writing Step 1 Choose your top.docxannetnash8266
A step by step guide to report writing
Step 1 Choose your topic
If you are given a list of topics from which to choose, select the one that interests you the most or that may have relevance to your chosen career.
If you are allowed to create your own report topic choose a subject that you want to learn more about and that interests you or is a current problem in your workplace that you wish to address.
Step 2 Read the instructions relating to your assessments as set down in your Course Guide
Always check your course guide to ensure that you are clear about what you are required to do.
• When is the report due?
• How long is it?
• What is the format?
• What is the structure?
• How does this topic relate to the course?
• How does this topic relate to the current area being studied?
Step 3 Analyse the topic
Break the topic into its component parts to understand what the main issue is that must be addressed.
Report topics can usually be divided into three sections:
• Content What is the issue or problem to be addressed?
• Instruction What have you been asked to do in relation to the topic?
• Scope How has the topic been limited – is there a focus on particular organisations/ countries /year(s)?
Underline key words and draw circles around the action/instruction words.
It is really important that you understand what the instruction words are telling you to do.
Step 4 Brain storm – what do you already know about the issue?
A brainstorm is the beginning of a mind map – these random ideas can be organised into a structured mind map that will provide you with a guide for your research and your writing.
• Using your reading, lectures and your own experiences think about what you already know about the problem/issue.
• On a blank piece of paper, write down all the ideas that you think might be related to the subject under review
• Write down where you think you need to go to get information other than from books, journals websites etc. Think about who you know in business who you might be able to interview.
Step 5 Starting your research
Although you are required to read and research widely, it is better to gain an overview of the topic by firstly reading the recommended texts – don’t go straight online unless instructed to do so by your lecturer or tutor.
The texts will give you a broad understanding of .the main ideas, writers and theories associated with the issue.
By familiarising yourself with the key concepts, the next stage of your investigation will be more targeted.
Step 6 Mind mapping
A mind map is a visual way of gathering your ideas about a particular topic.
Mind maps help you to identify the main ideas and what research needs to be conducted to provide the evidence that supports these ideas.
Your mind map is a good time management resource. It will help you focus your search for information more efficiently and to organise your ideas into a coherent and logical structure when you write your .
2. Learning Objectives
• To appreciate the importance of the marketing research report
• To examine new tools marketing researchers are using to make report writing
more efficient, including online digital dashboards
• To know how to position the report for the audience and to learn the elements
that should be included in the marketing research report
3. Learning Objectives
• To learn what plagiarism is, why it is a serious problem, and how to properly
reference sources
• To learn the basic guidelines for writing effective marketing research reports
• To know how to use visuals, such as figures, tables, charts, and graphs
• Visualizing Data
4.
5. Visualizing Data - Some Examples
• Case Study: You work for a large corporation looking to due a research study
in urban areas for a new product launch
• Your supervisor wants to do the study in 5 different cities
• The population has to be diverse - the product will appeal to a wide
demographic audience and it needs tested with a diverse group
• They would like to focus in a densely populated area
• What cities would you pick? What resources would you use? Why?
7. Visualizing Data - Some Example
• Case Study: You work for the FAA and they are working on a project to
reduce fuel consumption of airplane travel by 25% by 2025. Your supervisor
has asked as a first step to understand what the flight patterns of today’s
airplanes are (destinations, times, etc)
• Where would you go to look?
• How would you display the information in a way that showcases the
amount of flights in the US everyday?
12. Visualization Tools
• Most of all - know how to use
excel
• You will use excel more than
any other program when you
graduate
• Know how to create charts
from data using tools
• Simple but effective
13. The Importance of
the Report
• The marketing research
report: a factual message that
transmits research results, vital
recommendations, conclusions,
and other important information
to the client, who in turn bases
his or her decision making on
the contents of the report
• The marketing research report
is the product that represents
the efforts of the marketing
research team, and it may be
the only part of the project the
client will see.
14. Improving the Efficiency of
Report Writing
• Dashboards: provide digital
interfaces that allow users to
quickly and easily see
information that is presented in
a simplified manner
• Online reporting software:
electronically distributes
marketing research reports to
selected managers in an
interactive format that allows
each user to conduct his or her
own analyses
15. Know Your Audience
• What message do you want to
communicate?
• What is your purpose?
• Who is the audience?
• If there are multiple audiences, who is your
primary audience? Your secondary
audience?
• What does your audience know?
• What does your audience need to know?
16. Know Your Audience
• What biases or preconceived notions of the
audience might serve as barriers to your
message?
• What strategies can you use to overcome
these negative attitudes?
• Do demographic and lifestyle variables of
your audience affect their perspective of your
research?
• What are your audience’s interests, values,
and concerns?
• Are there cultural differences you need to
consider?
17. The Marketing Research Report
• The following format is the format that the marketing research report should
be turned in for the project - to me and client
• The presentation is a streamlined version of this report in a creative and visual
format
• Introduction
• Research Objectives
• Findings
• Recommendation
18. Elements of the
Report—Front Matter
• The front matter consists all
pages that precede the first
page of the report: the title
page, letter of authorization
(optional), letter/memo of
transmittal, table of contents,
list of illustrations, and
abstract/executive summary.
19. Front Matter
• Title page: contains four major
items of information:
• The title of the document
• The organization/person(s)
for whom the report was
prepared
• The organization/person(s)
who prepared the report
• The date of submission
20. Front Matter
• Letter of authorization: the
marketing research firm’s
certification to do the project -
Not needed for your project
• Letter/memo of transmittal: the
letter of transmittal is used to
release or deliver the document
to an organization for which
you are mot a regular
employee. The memo of
transmittal is used to deliver the
document within your
organization - Not needed for
your project
21. Front Matter
• Table of contents: helps the
reader locate information in the
research report
• List of illustrations: if the
report contains tables and/or
figures, include in the table of
contents a list of illustrations
with page numbers on which
they appear.
• Tables: words and/or numbers
arranged in rows and columns
22. Front Matter
• Abstract/executive summary:
a “skeleton” of your report that
serves as a summary for the
busy executive or a preview for
the in-depth reader
23. Body
• The body is the bulk of the report. It contains an introduction to the report, an
explanation of your method, a discussion of your results, a statement of
limitations, and a list of conclusions and recommendations.
• Introduction: orients the reader to its contents. It may contain a
statement of the background situation leading to the problem, the
statement of the problem, and a summary description of how the research
process was initiated.
• Research objectives may be listed either as a separate section or within
the introduction section.
24. Body
• Method: describes, in as much detail as necessary, how you conducted the
research, who (or what) your subjects were, and what tools or methods were
used to achieve your objectives.
• Use of word method or methodology
• Method refers to the tools of scientific investigation (and the tools used in
a marketing research project are described in detail in the method section
of the report).
• Methodology refers to the principles that determine how such tools are
deployed and interpreted.
25. Body
• Results: the most important portion of your report. This section should
logically present the findings of your research and may be organized around
the research objectives for the study.
• Limitations: typical limitations in research reports often focus on but are not
limited to factors such as constraints of time, money, size of sample, and
personnel.
• Conclusions and recommendations:
• Conclusions are the outcomes and decisions you have reached based on
your research results.
• Recommendations are suggestions for how to proceed based on the
conclusions.
26. Plagiarism
• Plagiarism refers to representing the work of others as your own.
• Properly citing the work of others avoids this problem and also adds
credibility to the report.
• This is critical for secondary data - it must be referenced as to where it
came from
27. End Matter
• The end matter comprises the appendices, which contain additional
information to which the reader may refer for further reading but that is not
essential to reporting the data; reference list; and endnotes.
• A reference list contains all of the sources from which information was
collected for the report.
• Endnotes are notes at the end of a document that provide supplementary
information or comments on ideas provided in the body of the report.
28. Using Visuals: Tables and Figures
• Tables, which identify exact values
• Graphs and charts, which illustrate relationships among items
• Pie charts, which compare a specific part of the whole to the whole
• Bar charts and line graphs, which compare items over time or show
correlations among items
36. Producing an Accurate and Ethical Visual
• An ethical visual is totally objective in terms of how information is presented
in the research report.
• Double- and triple-check all labels, numbers, and visual shapes. A faulty or
misleading visual discredits your report and work.
• Exercise caution if you use three-dimensional figures. They may distort the
data by multiplying the value by the width and the height.
• Make sure all parts of the scales are presented. Truncated graphs (having
breaks in the scaled values on either axis) are acceptable only if the
audience is familiar with the data.
37. Presenting Your Research Orally
• Identify and analyze your audience. Consider the same questions you
addressed at the beginning of the research process and at the beginning of
this chapter.
• Find out the expectations your audience has for your presentation. Is the
presentation formal or informal? Does your audience expect a graphical
presentation?
• Determine the key points your audience needs to hear.
38. Presenting Your Research Orally
• Present your points succinctly and clearly. The written report will serve as a
reference for further reading.
• Make sure your visuals graphically and ethically portray your key points.
• Practice your presentation. Be comfortable with what you are going to say
and how you look. The more prepared you are and the better you feel about
yourself, the less you will need to worry about jitters.
39. Presenting Your Research Orally
• Check out the room and media equipment prior to the presentation.
• Arrive early.
• Be positive and confident. You are the authority; you know more about your
subject than anyone else.
• Speak loudly enough for all in the room to hear. Enunciate clearly. Maintain
eye contact and good posture. Dress appropriately.
• Bring backup printouts in case AV equipment is broken
• All reports are due to me before presentation for grading
40. Resources
• Where to find the iReportWriting Assistant?www.pearsonhighered.com/burns/
• A good visual research report: http://familiesproject.bettycrocker.com