© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 1

Finding, Evaluating, Finding, Evaluating, and Processing and Processing

InformationInformation

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 2

The Research ProcessThe Research Process

• Plan your research• Locate data and information• Process data and information• Apply your findings• Manage information

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 3

Plan Your ResearchPlan Your Research

• Learn about the subject• Identify information gaps• Prioritize research needs

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 4

Ethics and Etiquette in Ethics and Etiquette in Business ResearchBusiness Research

• Don’t skew results• Respect privacy of participants• Document sources• Respect intellectual property• Don’t misquote

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 5

Learn About the SubjectLearn About the Subject

• Industry publications• Competitor’s websites• Interviews with Experts

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 6

Information Gap AnalysisInformation Gap Analysis

1. Clarify the decision or conclusion2. Identify subquestions3. Clarify information requirements4. Locate existing information5. Assess the information gap

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 7

Data and InformationData and Information

• Secondary research• Primary research

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 8

Purpose ofPurpose ofthe Materialthe Material

IndependentIndependentVerificationVerification

Logic andLogic andGood SenseGood Sense

Honesty andHonesty andReliabilityReliability

The AuthorThe Author

TimelinessTimeliness

PotentialPotentialBiasBias

Data CollectionData CollectionMethodsMethods

CompletenessCompleteness

Evaluating SourcesEvaluating Sources

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 9

Secondary ResearchSecondary Research

• A specific company• An entire industry• Statistics and trends• Business issues

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 10

Finding Information Finding Information at the Libraryat the Library

BusinessBusinessBooksBooks

ElectronicElectronicDatabasesDatabases NewspapersNewspapers PeriodicalsPeriodicals

DirectoriesDirectories AlmanacsAlmanacs StatisticalStatisticalResourcesResources

GovernmentGovernmentPublicationsPublications

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 11

Online InformationOnline Information

• Internet public library• Company websites

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 12

Internet Search ToolsInternet Search Tools

• Search engines–Web directories– Online databases–Meta-search engines

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 13

Search TechniquesSearch Techniques

• Keywords • Boolean operators• Natural language• Forms-based

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 14

Fine Tune Search Fine Tune Search MethodsMethods

• Read instructions• Review your options• Adjust search scope• Understand details• Vary search terms• Employ search agents

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 15

Documenting Documenting SourcesSources

• Credit sources• Build credibility• Help your readers

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 16

Primary InformationPrimary Information

• Surveys• Interviews• Experiments• observations

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 17

Survey QuestionsSurvey Questions

• Ask easy-to-analyze questions• Avoid leading questions• Ask one question at a time• Pretest all questionnaires

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 18

Effective InterviewsEffective Interviews• Purpose– Collect information–Make decisions– Clarify issues

• Structure– Overall length– Stylistic issues– Organization

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 19

Types of QuestionsTypes of Questions

• Close-ended• Restatement• Direct open-ended• Open-ended

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 20

Preparing QuestionsPreparing 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 8e Chapter 10 - 21

Processing Processing Interview InformationInterview Information

• Quoting • Paraphrasing• Summarizing

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 22

Analyzing the DataAnalyzing the Data

• Mean, median, and mode• Overall trends• Cause and correlation• Cross-tabulation

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 23

Minimize Mistakes and Minimize Mistakes and MisinterpretationsMisinterpretations

• Avoid faulty comparisons• Don’t push research results• Avoid misleading presentations

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 24

Applying Your FindingsApplying Your Findings

• Unbiased summary• Logical conclusion• Feasible recommendations

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 25

Knowledge ManagementKnowledge Management

• Information• Insights• Experiences• Research