978-0073403267 Chapter 22 Key Lecture Points, Teaching Tips, and In-Class Exercises

Type

Quiz

Book Title

Business Communication: Building Critical Skills 6th Edition

ISBN 13

978-0073403267

April 6, 2019

Module 22 - Finding, Analyzing, and Documenting Information

Module 22

Finding, Analyzing, and Documenting Information

LO 22-1 Apply strategies for print and online information searches.

LO 22-2 Apply strategies for web page evaluation.

LO 22-3 Apply strategies for survey and interview question use.

LO 22-4 Identify respondents for surveys and interviews.

LO 22-5 Analyze information from research.

LO 22-6 Practice common citation styles for research documentation.

Module Overview

As students know, we live in the “Information Age.” However, how we locate and document

information—and assess its quality—may not be as familiar to students. While they should have

learned research skills in composition courses, the sources students used there may differ from

those in business communication. Module 22 introduces students to typical methods of finding,

analyzing, and documenting information in business.

Students today have a wealth of information literally at their fingertips. The Internet has made it

possible to tap into large databases, view company records online, and contact organizations

around the globe. Twenty-four-hour cable and satellite channels broadcast up-to-the-minute

news and images. Traditional print sources haven’t gone away (even if some students wish they

would), so libraries, both college and private, are still rich sources of information, too. In many

cases, traditional print sources are more credible than others because they are scrutinized by an

editorial board and clearly indicate who published them.

In-Class Exercise: Have students list on the board as many sources of information

they use daily as possible. Then have them identify which are sources of news

versus which are sources of entertainment. Which qualify as “research”? Why?

Which sources would be useful for business? Why? What additional sources can

they name?

This module should not be viewed as the “end all” to discussions on research. What we’ve tried

to do is give students the salient information they require as writers. For additional information,

students should seek advanced discussion in other courses or texts on statistics or research

methodologies.

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Module 22 - Finding, Analyzing, and Documenting Information

As PP 22-4 shows, research comes in two basic forms:

Primary

Secondary

 Teaching Tip: Many students are already familiar with

secondary sources, such as books, journals, and annual

reports, but some students may have experience with primary research, too. Have

those students share their experiences—perhaps working with a focus group or on an

experiment at college. What amount of effort does it take to conduct primary

research? Resources? Time? If no students have experience, share any experiences

you may have with primary research.

Faulty research can lead to faulty conclusions. Repercussions in the business world include lost

revenue, poor business decisions, missed opportunities, and damage to reputations.

While Kitty and Steve have done their best to minimize jargon in BCS, doing research requires

students to learn very specific terms integral to the process. Therefore, students should pay

particular attention to the terms used throughout this module. You should use these terms

throughout your lectures on research to help them learn.

 Teaching Tip: Students interested in advanced research techniques should take

courses in statistics and research methodologies at their college or university. Many

business programs require such courses, but students in other areas, including

journalism, technical writing, public relations, and advertising, will also find these

courses indispensable for their work. Help them by providing a list of appropriate

courses your institution offers.

What’s in This Supplement

This supplement is organized around the major questions posed in Module 22. It covers

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Module 22 - Finding, Analyzing, and Documenting Information

Part 1: Key Lecture Points, Teaching Tips, and In-Class Exercises Page 359

Part 2: Answers to Textbook Assignments Page 374

Part 3: Appendixes of Handouts/Transparency Masters Page 376

PowerPoint presentations can be found at our Web page at www.mhhe.com/bcs6e.

Questions (with answers) suitable for quizzes are in the Instructor’s Test Bank. For student

practice quizzes with answers, see our Web page.

Part 1: Key Lecture Points, Teaching Tips, and In-Class Exercises

How can I find information online and in print? LO 22-1

Learn how to do keyword searches.

Figures 22.2 through 22.4 (pp. 361-362) list a few of the numerous

information sources online and in print that can help students while doing

research.

In-Class Exercise: Use PP 22-5 through PP 22-8 to share

these sources with students. If you are in a

computer-equipped classroom, give students 10-15 minutes

to access some of the Internet sites listed. Then let students

give short oral reports on what they found, how up-to-date

the sites are, and how useful the sites may be. If you are in a

traditional classroom, have students complete this assignment

as homework and report their findings the next class period

or in a 1- to 2-page memo to you.

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Module 22 - Finding, Analyzing, and Documenting Information

 Teaching Tip: Have students review the principles in the Building a Critical Skill

box (p. 363) on using the Internet for research.

Keywords—the terms that the computer searches for—help in online searches. Many students

are already familiar with using keywords while surfing the web. Keywords in business may not

be as familiar, though.

In-Class Exercise: Have students in groups of 3-5 brainstorm for 10-15 minutes

keywords in each of the following business topics: accounting, administration,

advertising, finance, human resources, marketing, purchasing, and

transportation and logistics. If you are in a computer-equipped classroom, have

students test their keywords to see what sites come up. Let them share what they’ve

found. If you are in a traditional classroom, have students complete this assignment

as homework and report their findings the next class period or in a 1- to 2-page

memo to you.

 Teaching Tip: Schedule a visit with a reference librarian at your school’s

business or general library. Chances are, he or she will have a significant

amount of information that will help students in their research. Ask the

appropriate person at your school’s data center if he or she would be willing

to share tips with your students on doing Internet research.

Using the Internet for research LO 22-2

The Internet offers a great deal of opportunity to find good research. Unfortunately, it also offers

a great deal of questionable information. Therefore, researchers should take care in both how

they approach using the Internet for research and in evaluating the quality of the research that

they can find.

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Module 22 - Finding, Analyzing, and Documenting Information

As PP 22-9 and PP 22-10 show,

 To find web pages.

Use root words to find variations.

Use quotation marks for exact terms.

Uncapitalize words.

 To evaluate web pages.

Use reputable sources.

Look for an author.

Check the date and source.

Compare the information with other sources.

 Teaching Tip: Many students who’ve grown up using

computers may see traditional sources, such as those in print, as passé. To

help them understand the value of traditional sources, send them to the

campus library and have them locate several articles from academic journals

that you have located ahead of time. Then ask them to find the same articles

online using a search engine. How successful were they in locating those

articles? In accessing them? How easy was it to “thumb through” a printed

journal as opposed to the online source? What might their experiences

suggest about the continued value of the traditional resources?

How do I write questions for surveys and interviews? LO 22-3

Test your questions to make sure they’re neutral and clear.

As PP 22-11 and PP 22-12 show, students can use several tools to gather

primary research:

Surveys

Questionnaires

Interviews

Good research questions avoid biasing the response and making

assumptions about the subjects. Writers should carefully analyze their

audiences to make sure the language the writers use means the same thing

to the audience members.

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Module 22 - Finding, Analyzing, and Documenting Information

 Teaching Tip: Use Appendix 22-A to show students the difference between

questions that are vaguely or inappropriately worded and those that are not. Ask

students to explain what specific words or terms are problematic in the inappropriate

examples. What makes the solutions better? Could the solution statements still be

worded better? How? Why?

 Teaching Tip: Have students review the principles of asking specific and polite

questions in the Module 23 Building a Critical Skill box (p. 386).

Closed questions limit the number of possible responses, while open

questions have limitless possible responses. Figure 22.6 (p. 365) shows

examples of both types of questions “in action.” Branching questions

direct different respondents to different parts of the questionnaire based

on their answers to earlier questions (PP 22-13 through PP 22-15).

 Teaching Tip: Use PP 22-14 to show students the difference

between open and closed questions. Ask students to share

when one type of question might be better than the other.

Why? How do they know?

 Teaching Tip: Restaurants usually use “customer response”

cards to survey customers on the service and quality of food.

Ask students working in restaurants to bring response cards to class. Have the class

critique them. Do they rely on open or closed questions? Can the questions be

worded better? What assumptions might they make? If there are branching

questions, how appropriate are they? Ask the students if they would be motivated to

fill out such a card. Why or why not?

In-Class Exercise: In groups of 3-5 students each, have students spend 10-15

minutes analyzing the survey in Figure 22.5 (p. 364) for strengths and weaknesses.

What would they add or change about the survey questions? Do any questions

suggest bias? How might they be reworded? Could branching questions be added?

Which? For homework, have the students individually create a new survey based on

their group’s findings. Have them share their results with the rest of the class the

next time you meet.

In-Class Exercise: As a class, have students review the job interview questions on

pp. 496-500 in Module 29. Are they open or closed questions? Is any bias present?

If so, what kinds of bias? Ask students if they can think of any branching questions

that might be developed from some of the interview questions or interviewee

answers.

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Module 22 - Finding, Analyzing, and Documenting Information

How do I decide whom to survey or interview? LO 22-4

Use a random sample for surveys, if funds permit.

Use a judgment sample for interviews.

The population is the group researchers want to make statements about.

Because it’s unlikely researchers can poll everyone in the population

they want, they use a sample, or portion of the population (PP 22-16).

As PP 22-17 shows, there are three basic types of samples:

Random

Convenience

Judgment

Random samples are often used in market research—particularly in

testing products or services prior to their widespread release—and in

many academic studies. Chances are students may have been part of a

convenience sample at a shopping mall or on campus, when various

companies set up booths and ask students to fill our brief surveys.

Members of a professional organization may be asked to fill out

questionnaires as part of a judgment sample.

In-Class Exercise: Arrange students in three groups and assign one of the three

types of samples to each. Have the students brainstorm for 10 minutes about when

using their type of sample would be most appropriate. Have them identify specific

situations, as well as types of organizations that would find their sample type

appropriate (e.g., a marketing firm might choose to use a random sample in Ohio to

gather data on selling a product to Midwesterners). Have each group explain their

sample type, as well as share the results of their brainstorms.

 Teaching Tip: Ask an instructor who teaches statistics or research methodology to

visit your class and give a short lecture on basic techniques. Alternatively, ask

someone who works for a marketing research firm to visit your class and share with

your students what his or her daily work involves.

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Module 22 - Finding, Analyzing, and Documenting Information

 Teaching Tip: Some of your students may work for telemarketing or market research

firms that conduct surveys by phone. Ask them to find out what types of sampling

procedures their organization uses, and if possible, to share what kinds of surveys

they conduct and for whom. How doe the organization determine the appropriate

sample size and methodology for selecting respondents? How accurate do they

maintain the results are?

How should I analyze the information I’ve collected? LO 22-5

Look for answers to your research questions, patterns, and interesting nuggets.

While sifting through data, researchers should pay attention to stories that may be of use in the

narrative of reports, as well as “hard” facts and numerical conclusions. What comments or ideas

have respondents expressed that point to additional issues of concern?

Gathering research is not enough. Once the research is collected, researchers must review it for

quality and accuracy. Faulty research can lead to faulty conclusions—problems which impact

the business world daily.

 Teaching Tip: Some students may be aware of the significant amount of market

research that goes into entertainment products. The ideas for many commercial

films, for instance, are researched heavily for audience appeal before the cameras

ever roll, and once films are complete, many are screened before test audiences for

adjustments before widespread release. Yet, the overwhelming majority of films fail

to make a profit. Ask students to consider what may be at fault here—shouldn’t

millions of dollars in research yield better results? Where might the research be

going wrong? Consider having students research how the film industry conducts its

research. What tips might the students be able to offer for achieving better results?

As PP 22-18 shows, researchers should also

Understand the source of the data.

Analyze numbers.

Analyze words.

Check your logic.

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Module 22 - Finding, Analyzing, and Documenting Information

 Teaching Tip: Students often use the most convenient sources of research in their

assignments, with little regard for the veracity or soundness of that research. In

particular, they rely on Internet sources, some of which are of dubious origin. Make

sure students read this module’s Building a Critical Skill box (p. 363) prior to using

the Internet for assignment research. If you assign a report, consider limiting the

number of sources that are from the Internet—perhaps a minimum of ten sources

total, of which only three can be from the Internet.

How should I document sources? LO 22-6

Use MLA or APA format.

Proper documentation is integral to the research process: not only does

it negate accusations of plagiarism, but documentation helps other

researchers to locate sources, as well as review the research foundation

of others (PP 22-23).

Though there are many forms of documentation available, MLA and

APA are the two writers are most likely to encounter on the job. Students should already be

familiar with MLA from composition courses; chances are they’ve used APA in science or social

science courses. Bear in mind that MLA changed format, especially for web publications,

starting in 2009. Examples in BCS6e use the 2009 format, but examples included in the IRM

appendixes use the older version.

However, as many instructors know, students’ memory retention about either format may be

fleeting at best. Some students are also intimidated by the documentation process—the attention

to minutiae that seems simple and straightforward to some is daunting and oppressive to others.

Even instructors may disagree on exact formats. Like any skill, though, documentation can be

learned.

 Teaching Tip: Ask students to share for 10-15 minutes their success stories using

MLA or APA, as well as some of the challenges they may have faced. Where did

they learn either format? What resources did students use? For those who

succeeded, what advice can they give to others?

 Teaching Tip: Split students into two groups, one to discuss MLA, the other APA.

Give them 15-20 minutes to brainstorm similarities and differences between the two

formats. Have them list each on the board. Afterward, have each group give a

mini-lesson on using MLA or APA format.

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Module 22 - Finding, Analyzing, and Documenting Information

In-Class Exercise: Have students retype all or a portion of the citation examples in

Figure 22.7 (p. 371). By doing so, students can familiarize themselves with the

differences in style, as well as practice typing. If you are in a computer-equipped

classroom, give them 20-30 minutes. Otherwise, use this assignment as homework.

If you assign reports or research in class, specify which documentation style you want students to

use. Avoid leaving the decision up to students—by creating a class standard, students will have

clarity about which is appropriate. Tell students early in the term what your documentation

standard will be so they will have time to seek assistance if necessary.

 Teaching Tip: Many college or university writing centers offer help with

documentation. In addition, both the MLA and APA have web pages that may be of

assistance. Contact MLA at www.mla.org and APA at www.apa.org. Another great

site is the Purdue University OWL site at http://owl.english.purdue.edu.

Last Word: Doing research properly is critical in both the academic and business

worlds. Companies today rely heavily on research—and researchers, particularly

those in statistical fields, are among the higher paid employees in the business world.

Whatever students can learn about the research process now undoubtedly will help

them transfer skills to the business world. Help them to learn the proper skills for

using research.

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