Marketing Research, 8e (Burns/Bush)
Chapter 16 Writing the Research Report
1) The importance of the marketing research report cannot be understated; even the best research
will not drive the appropriate action unless:
A) The audience understands the results and their meaning.
B) Top management reads the report in its entirety.
C) The statistics are properly presented and explained.
D) The marketing researcher is involved in presenting the results.
2) The time and effort expended in the research process are:
A) Always worth it if the client does follow-on studies.
B) Wasted if the report does not communicate effectively.
C) Wasted if the report does not result in increased revenue.
D) Worth it if the report results in increased corporate visibility.
3) If all aspects of the report are done well, the report will not only communicate properly, but
also it will serve:
A) To increase corporate visibility.
B) To help increase revenue.
C) To build credibility.
D) To support upper management’s objectives.
4) Marketing research reports are ________, and you must consider both in all phases of the
research process, including planning the report.
A) written for mid– and upper-level management
B) written for both paper and electronic presentations
C) primarily focused on communicating statistics and meaning of charts
D) tailored to specific audiences and purposes
5) Before a researcher begins writing, he or she must answer some questions. Which of the
following is NOT one of those basic questions?
A) What is the best and most suitable visualization tool that you need?
B) What message do you want to communicate?
C) What is your purpose?
D) Who is the audience?
6) Citing the work of others not only allows you to avoid charges of plagiarism but also:
A) Adds importance to your message.
B) Adds credibility to your message.
C) Enhances the details of the report.
D) Demonstrates that you have access to authoritative research.
7) There are several sections of a research report. Which of the following is NOT one of the
basic sections?
A) Front matter
B) Body
C) Graphs and charts
D) End matter
8) The Title Page is part of the “front matter” of a research report. Which of the following is
NOT one of the items included on the Title Page?
A) The title of the document
B) The organization/person(s) for whom the report was prepared
C) The date of submission
D) The reference to authorization
9) The primary purpose of the ________ is to orient the reader to the report and to build a
positive image of the report.
A) letter/memo of transmittal
B) review of the conditions of the authorization
C) suggestions for further research
D) brief identification of the nature of the research
10) What item is considered the “skeleton” of a research report and provides an overview of the
most useful information, including the conclusions and recommendations?
A) Letter/memo of transmittal
B) Abstract/executive summary
C) The body
D) The conclusions/recommendations
11) The ________ contains an introduction to the report, an explanation of research method, a
discussion of results, a statement of limitations, and a list of conclusions and recommendations.
A) letter/memo of transmittal
B) abstract/executive summary
C) body
D) conclusions/recommendations
12) The ________ should follow the statement of the problem.
A) letter/memo of transmittal
B) abstract/executive summary
C) conclusions/recommendations
D) listing of research objectives
13) The ________ should logically present the findings of your research and may be organized
around the research objectives for the study.
A) results section
B) method section
C) methodology section
D) abstract/executive summary
14) Reporting all important limitations can:
A) Actually add to the researcher’s chances of additional research assignments.
B) Actually add credibility to your research.
C) Help avoid legal consequences.
D) Help keep the client from making faulty decisions.
15) Which of the following is NOT a typical factor contained in the limitations section of a
research report?
A) Constraints of time
B) The size and composition of the sample
C) Availability and qualifications of the research team
D) Biases that may have been introduced into the research process
16) An emerging trend in the marketing research industry is the expectation that researchers are
increasingly expected to become knowledgeable about their clients’ businesses and offer
recommendations that have:
A) Tactical implications.
B) Revenue implications.
C) Shared risk.
D) Strategic value.
17) A well-organized report, with appropriate headings and subheadings, will:
A) Substantially improve readability.
B) Be more likely to help win additional business.
C) Gain more attention from top management.
D) Add credibility to the overall research effort.
18) Which of the following would NOT be within the general guidelines and recommendations
for headings?
A) Subheadings are topic sections under headings.
B) The heading does not have to relate directly to material following it.
C) Headings is in the form of a question.
D) Headings serve as visual signposts.
19) The systematic presentation of numerical data or words in columns and rows is referred to
as:
A) Figures.
B) Writing the Research Report.
C) A table.
D) A diagram.
20) Readers need to find specific information that serves to graphically portray what is being
said. This helpful information is referred to as:
A) A table of terms and definitions.
B) A list of appendices.
C) A list of tables.
D) A list of illustrations.
21) Visuals that translate numbers into visual displays so that relationships and trends become
comprehensible are referred to as:
A) Diagrams.
B) Charts.
C) Tables.
D) Figures.
22) There are guidelines for improving the style of a research report. Which of the following is
NOT among those guidelines?
A) Use jargon sparingly.
B) Use active voice versus passive voice.
C) Avoid changes in tense.
D) Avoid the use of strong verbs.
23) Which of the following is particularly useful for illustrating relative size or static
comparisons?
A) Pie charts
B) Flow diagrams
C) Bar charts
D) Tables
24) ________ are useful to compare items over time or show correlations among items.
A) Pie charts
B) Bar charts
C) Flow diagrams
D) Tables
25) When a researcher wants to introduce a set of topics and illustrate their relationships (useful
when the sequence of events or topics is important), which of the following would be the most
helpful visual?
A) Pie charts
B) Bar charts
C) Flow diagrams
D) Graphs
26) Clients often request top-two box, top box, and (sometimes) bottom-two box scores. They
find these:
A) More difficult to interpret than mean scores.
B) Easier to interpret than medians.
C) Easier to understand than ratios.
D) Easier to interpret than mean scores.
27) A marketing researcher should always provide visuals that:
A) Accurately demonstrate the data.
B) Are colorful and memorable.
C) Include lots of photography.
D) Include a mixture of graphs and charts.
28) When presenting data, a researcher should:
A) Use multiple types of audiovisual media.
B) Not misrepresent the data.
C) Avoid answering detailed questions.
D) Answer pre-submitted questions only.
29) A faulty or misleading visual:
A) Is embarrassing.
B) Can ruin opportunities for future work.
C) Discredits the researcher’s report and work.
D) Can be distracting.
30) Truncated graphs (having breaks in the scaled values on either axis) are:
A) An abbreviated way to present data accurately.
B) An interesting way to present difficult data.
C) Can be an acceptable way to present hard-to-understand concepts.
D) Acceptable only if the audience is familiar with the data.
31) Which of the following is NOT a suggested guideline for producing an appropriate visual?
A) Truncate complex data with which your audience is unfamiliar
B) Double and triple-check all labels, numbers, and visual shapes
C) Make sure all parts of the scale are represented
D) Report all data accurately and without misrepresentation
32) Which of the following is NOT one of the key elements for an oral presentation?
A) Practice the presentation
B) Identify and analyze the audience
C) Determine key points
D) Allow questions only at the conclusion
33) Which of the following is NOT true of presenting the results of the report orally?
A) You only need one of the key people for the presentation.
B) A key is to succinctly present the information.
C) The presentation may be very formal with a number of attendees.
D) It may be accomplished through a simple conference call with the client.
34) The first item that every market researcher should consider when preparing his or her
presentation is:
A) Determine key points the audience needs to hear.
B) Identify and analyze the audience.
C) Make sure visuals portray key points.
D) Plan a coherent ending that summarizes findings.
35) Alternative ways of presenting data can be helpful, but no matter what tools are used, it is:
A) Useless unless the data is in an attractive format.
B) Up to the researcher to present the data personally.
C) Up to the researcher to bring meaning to the data.
D) Useless unless the data is accompanied by an extensive bibliography.
36) Besides presenting compelling and immersive insights packaged inside a headline or two,
today’s information needs to reach a ________ while being accessible, consumable, and
memorable.
A) narrower corporate audience
B) more targeted corporate audience
C) specific market research audience
D) broader corporate audience
37) Many marketing research firms and advertising agencies supplement their written and oral
research reports with:
A) Videos.
B) Continuing mini-briefings.
C) Additional research at no-charge.
D) Focus groups.
38) What might replace a written and oral report?
A) Using charts and graphs only
B) A documentary-style video
C) Online reporting
D) A series of oral briefings
39) Video footage that is gathered through ________ can be used to illustrate key takeaways
from research studies.
A) socio-cultural methods
B) proprietary film databases
C) observation or ethnographic methods
D) live news broadcasts
40) ________ are visual reports designed to make key research results understood quickly and
easily.
A) Videos
B) Graphs
C) Charts
D) Infographics
41) ________ are part of a trend to keep results simple and actionable with written explanations
reduced to their essential meanings.
A) Infographics
B) Videos
C) Charts
D) Graphs
42) Results uncovered from a marketing research study will ultimately have little or no effect on
how a company conducts its business if not:
A) Presented to key managers.
B) Shared with the sales team.
C) Disseminated throughout the organization.
D) Printed in an attractive form.
43) Research updates can be disseminated on an ongoing basis to managers through regular
newsletters or through:
A) Public news stories.
B) Annual reports.
C) Updates to key managers.
D) Social media tools, such as Twitter.
44) ________ allow companies to gather and integrate data from several different sources and
then exhibit the data automatically with tables, graphs, and other numerical displays.
A) Infographics
B) Videos
C) Social media
D) Dashboards
45) Which of the following is best suited for allowing users to quickly and easily see information
that is presented in a simplified manner?
A) Dashboards
B) Infographics
C) Social media
D) Online research reports
46) What tool electronically distributes marketing research reports to selected managers in an
interactive format that allows users to conduct their own analyses?
A) Infographics
B) Online reporting software
C) E-marketing reports
D) Social media