11-1
Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
Part II: Chapter-by-Chapter Lecture Notes & Exercises
Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
Teaching Suggestions
In teaching this chapter we suggest that you use a combination of techniques. Lecture is good to
review the text contents. You can supplement your lecture with the slides. After you have covered the
subject matter, or perhaps as you cover it, you can use critical thinking exercises, such as those
presented at the chapter end. Solutions to these exercises are provided.
Note that Presentation Capture is a good tool available in Connect for oral presentation delivery (either
online or face-to–face). McGraw-Hill’s Presentation Capture software gives instructors the ability to
evaluate presentations and allows students the freedom to practice their presentations anytime,
Learning Objectives
LO 11-1 Write clear problem and purpose statements.
LO 11-2 List the likely factors involved in a problem.
LO 11-3 Explain the difference between primary and secondary research.
LO 11-4 Use Internet search engines to gather information.
LO 11-5 Use other web resources to gather information.
LO 11-6 Evaluate websites for reliability.
LO 11-7 Use social networking sites to gather information.
LO 11-8 Use the library to gather information.
LO 11-9 Use sampling to conduct a survey.
LO 11-10 Construct a questionnaire and conduct a survey.
LO 11-11 Design an observational study for a business problem.
LO 11-12 Conduct an experiment for a business problem.
LO 11-13 Explain the uses of focus groups and personal interviews.
LO 11-14 Discuss important ethical guidelines for research.
LO 11-15 Interpret your findings accurately.
LO 11-16 Organize information in outline form using time, place, quantity, factors, or a
combination of these patterns.
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Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
LO 11-17 Turn an outline into a table of contents whose format and wording are logical and
meaningful.
LO 11-18 Write reports that are focused, objective, consistent in time viewpoint, smoothly
connected, and interesting.
LO 11-19 Prepare reports collaboratively.
Key Terms
report
problem
report purpose
problem statement
purpose statement
factors
primary research
secondary research
search engine
Boolean logic
metasearch engine
specialized search engine
Wikipedia
blogs
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds
hashtags
listservs
Keyword
Subject
database
survey
sample
probability
nonprobability sampling
simple random sampling
stratified random sampling
systematic sampling
area or cluster sampling
convenience sampling
purposeful sampling
referral sampling
questionnaire
reliable
valid
leading question
double-barreled questions
scaling
ranking
rating
survey channel
survey plan
pilot study
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Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
observations
experiments
user testing
usability testing
before–after design
controlled before–after design
qualitative research
focus group
closed-ended questions
open-ended questions
confidential
anonymous
plagiarism
correlated
inferential statistics
descriptive statistics
outline
grouping
ordering
hierarchy
conventional outlining system
decimal outlining system
time-based pattern
place-based pattern
quantity-based pattern
factors-based pattern
parallel
credibility
impersonal writing
personal writing
consistent time viewpoint
past-time viewpoint
present-time viewpoint
ground rules
email subscriptions to websites and blogs
focus groups
personal interviews
Text Summary, Lecture Outline
Slides 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, 11-4, 11-5
While the number and length of reports you will write on the job vary with the size and nature of the
Problem-Solving Challenge
11-4
Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
Defining Reports
Slide 11-6
As you cover this definition, call attention to and define these key words:
orderly—prepared with care; organized
Determining the Report Problem and Purpose
Slide 11-7
Reports can take many forms and are used both inside and outside of the business setting.
Ask students if they’ve ever had to organize a lunch order for a group of people, or if they’ve ever
been asked to find out what the best venue would be for a party. Have they ever been asked to tell
about a movie they just saw or to review some materials and “bring their thoughts” to an upcoming
Slides 11-8, 11-9
Slide 11-8 emphasizes getting the problem in mind, conducting an informal investigation, and stating
the problem in writing.
Reports begin with a need for information. Someone in a position of authority recognizes this need.
This person will authorize the report—in writing or orally.
After being authorized to do the report, you should take these steps:
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Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
Direct students to look at the Communication Matters feature on “How Far Should Your Report Go?”
and talk about the different kinds of needs reports may meet. Why is it important to understand what
your report is supposed to do? What’s wrong with providing more than what’s needed?
While the ways to state a problem are as unlimited as report-writing situations, your students can find
these three forms helpful.
Sample problem: Determining why sales are decreasing at Company X.
Infinitive Phrase: To determine the causes of decreasing sales at Company X.
Question: What are the causes of decreasing sales at Company X?
Determining the Factors
Slides 11-10, 11-11, 11-12, 11-13
Slide 11-10 introduces the student to different ways to determine the factors of reports based on the
nature of the report problem.
Factors are usually of three types:
1. Subtopics—cover the important topic areas in informational and some analytical reports.
Subtopics—cover the important topic areas in informational and some analytical reports.
Sample purpose statement: To review operations of Company X from January 1 through March 31.
Subtopics:
1. Production
2. Sales and promotion
3. Financial status
4. Computer systems
5. Product development
6. Human resources
Hypotheses—explore possible explanations or solutions in problem-solving situations.
Purpose statement: To find out why sales at Company X have declined.
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Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
Let students work together (or on their own online) to come up with four possible causes for the
decline in sales.
Hypotheses:
• Activities of the competition have caused the decline.
• Changes in the economy of the area have caused the decline.
• Merchandising deficiencies have caused the decline.
• Changes in the environment (population shifts, political actions, etc.) have caused the
decline.
Bases of comparison—used to evaluate alternatives using common criteria.
Purpose statement: To determine whether Y Company’s new plant should be built in City A, City B,
or City C.
Comparison bases:
• Availability of skilled workers
• Tax structure
After you determine the initial factors for a problem, you might need to divide each one into
subfactors or even sub-subfactors. Ask students to come up with some sub-subfactors of these bases.
Connect Assignment 11-1: Using Strong Report-Writing Strategies
Summary: The goal of this click-and-drag exercise is to demonstrate students’ understanding of
various aspects of successful research and report writing.
Learning Objectives: 11-01, 11-02, 11-15, 11-16, 11-18
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Analyze
Gathering the Information
Slide 11-14
You can use this slide both to show the ways to gather facts for a report and to explain the difference
between primary and secondary research.
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Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
Techniques for gathering and documenting these sources are discussed later in this chapter and in
Reference Chapter B. Keep these three guidelines in mind:
• Gather more information than you will use.
• Be resourceful.
• Keep accurate notes.
Connect Assignment 11-2 (a-e): Staying Fit at Sierra Publishing Company
11-2a, 11-2b
Learning Objective: 11-01
Difficulty: Hard
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Blooms: Evaluate
11-2c
Learning Objective: 11-02
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Blooms: Analyze
11-2d
Learning Objective: 11-15
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Blooms: Evaluate
11-2e
Learning Objective: 11-16
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Blooms: Evaluate
Follow-Up Activity: Students can describe a helpful way to organize the information about the five
restaurants and come up with a visual to go with this section of the report.
Slide 11-15
Use this slide to discuss the different ways to search for information via search engines and other web-
based resources. Ask students to share their experiences with finding information online—what tips
can they offer? What’s worked well for them in the past?
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Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
Discuss your results. Who was able to find complete information the fastest? How do they know their
information is reliable?
Also discuss non-web-based resources and how those can be valuable for finding solid information.
Point students to Exhibit 11-19, “List of Resources by Research Question.”
Connect Assignment 11-4: Choosing the Best Resource for Secondary Research
Summary: Students can use the click-and-drag exercise to identify secondary research sources.
Learning Objectives: 11-04, 11-05, 11-07, 11-08
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Blooms: Understand
Slide 11-16
Surveys are one of the most popular primary research tools. Ask students: Why do you think that is?
Surveys can provide demographic information as well as information about people’s opinions,
behaviors, and beliefs. Surveys can be a step toward organizing experiments and making observations.
Constructing and delivering a survey involves making many decisions. Discuss the different kinds of
sampling techniques and the strengths or weaknesses of each:
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified random sampling
• Systematic sampling
Slide 11-17
Use this slide to launch a discussion of other types of primary research: observations, experiments,
focus groups, and interviews. Ask students: What is the difference between quantitative research and
qualitative research? What are the benefits of doing qualitative research, such as conducting focus
groups and interviews?
Connect Assignment 11-5: Matching the Research Strategy to Its Definition
Summary: Students will demonstrate their ability to understand definitions of various research
strategies as they complete this click-and-drag exercise.
11-9
Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
Learning Objectives: 11-09, 11-10, 11-11, 11-12, 11-13
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Blooms: Understand
Ethical Research
Slide 11-18
Talk with students about the importance of gathering and presenting information in a responsible and
ethical way. Besides having the potential to skew results, unethical reporting can have the effect of
damaging your reputation and that of your company.
Interpreting the Findings
Slide 11-19
When you examine facts and relate them to the report problem, you are interpreting the facts. To make
your interpretations as valid as possible, follow the advice found in the book.
Advice for Avoiding Human Error
Report the facts as they are—be aware of the tendency to exaggerate, to seek attention.
Do not think that conclusions are always necessary—no conclusions or modified conclusions are often
desirable.
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Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
Beware of unreliable and unrepresentative data—be alert for errors in data; methodology, sample
design, and such are essential for reliable and representative facts.
Organizing the Report Information
Slide 11-20
Organizing is a process that allows you to present the information to your reader in a structured,
patterned way. Thus, for virtually every report, you will need to think carefully about organizing your
information.
This slide identifies the purposes that outlining and organizing the report serve.
Another outlining form is the decimal system. You may want to run a brief demo of how to use the
outline feature of word processing software to create these outlines easily. You could videotape this
demo to post it online for the students to review later as well.
Connect Assignment 11-3 (a-e): Reporting on a Fundraising Opportunity for Youth4Tomorrow
Summary: Students will read the report-writing scenario and then answer questions to demonstrate
their understanding of selecting factors to investigate, conducting research, organizing information,
and using clear, correct wording.
11-3a
Learning Objective: 11-02
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Blooms: Analyze
11-3b
Learning Objective: 11-03
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Knowledge Application
Blooms: Understand
11–11
Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
11-3c
Learning Objective: 11-16
Difficulty: Hard
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Apply
11-3d
Learning Objective: 11-17
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Evaluate
11-3e
Learning Objective: 11-18
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Analyze
Slide 11-21
This overview slide presents various ways a writer might divide up a report based on the primary
relationship among the data. Examples of each of these strategies follow.
To divide data into equal parts, you will need to determine the common bases of the data. There are
essentially four types:
Slides 11-22, 11-23
You can use slide 11-22 to demonstrate three different grammatical forms for making equal-level
headings parallel.
11–12
Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
Writing the Report
Slides 11-24, 11-25, 11-26, 11-27, 11-28, 11-29, 11-30
Slide 11-24 points out a few of the major strategies a report writer should employ when writing a
report. Examples of some of these strategies follow.
Beginnings and Endings
You can use slide 11-25 to discuss generally what these two important report parts need to
accomplish.
Impersonal and Personal
Slide 11-26 shows examples of impersonal and personal styles.
The goal of a report writer is to seek the best information and the most reasonable interpretations. To
achieve this goal, the report writer must keep an open mind and maintain a judicial attitude. These
qualities should make the report as objective as possible.
Consistency with Time
Examples of logic (and illogic) and consistency (and inconsistency) in handling time viewpoints are
Or they can use the present tense if that is when the events are happening.
Variety of Expression
You can use slide 11-30 to demonstrate how variety of expression not only prevents monotony but
also helps build the reader’s interest.
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Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
Writing Reports Collaboratively
Slides 11-31, 11-32
You are likely to participate in numerous team projects on the job. The shift from hierarchical to
flatter, more flexible organizations over the last few decades has generated a more collaborative
workplace.
Create ground rules. These can range from rules about interpersonal interactions to rules governing
more logistical issues, such as how to inform each other when problems arise.
Choose the means for collaboration. The bulk of the work may take place via email or online
collaborative writing tools (see the From the Tech Desk feature in this section). But ideally you should
have at least two face-to-face meetings.
Make a plan. Clearly outline the steps of the project, structure the tasks, and organize a timeline.
Divide up the tasks. Be detailed in thinking through all the steps of the project and decide at the
beginning who is going to be in charge of what steps.
You Make the Call
Use this slide to wrap up your discussion of writing reports collaboratively. Emphasize that in most
cases, working together on a report will be a benefit to all, if the proper steps are taken to keep the
work organized and fairly divided, and if good communication occurs between the members of the
team.
Connect Assignment 11-6 (a-e): Planning a Student Survey
11-6a
Learning Objective: 11-19
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Teamwork
Blooms: Apply
11-6b
Learning Objectives: 11-03, 11-09, 11-10
Difficulty: Hard
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Blooms: Evaluate
11-6c
Learning Objective: 11-09
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Knowledge Application
11–14
Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
Blooms: Understand
11-6d
Learning Objective: 11-10
Difficulty: Medium
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Evaluate
11-6e
Learning Objectives: 11-14, 11-19
Difficulty: Easy
AACSB: Ethics
Blooms: Evaluate
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Chapter 11: Researching and Writing Reports
Power Charge Your Professionalism: Avoid Faulty Parallelism
Catch and correct the faulty parallelism in the following examples (some may be correct).
(Corrections are marked in bold.)
1. This report will first examine the causes of the problem and then outline ways to address
them.
2. The patient-information pamphlet needs these additional components:
3. [These are the main headings in the body of a report evaluating a company website:]
Visual Appeal
Information Structure
4. The survey explored how many students give blood, why they give blood, and how student
donations could increase.
5. The client asked us to gauge the demand for a new events facility by assessing the competition
and the potential users in the area.
6. We compared the three applications on the following criteria:
• How well do they meet the company’s needs?
7. The Japanese tend to value indirectness, long-term relationships, and gift-giving.