Chapter – 14 Notes Research Methods (KJAN) Summer Quarter 2014

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The Written Report and Its Purpose:

Reports could aim at different purposes and hence the form of the written report would vary

according to the situation. It is important to identify the purpose of the report, so that it can

be tailored accordingly. If the purpose is simply to offer details on some specific areas of

interest requested by a manager , the report can be very narrowly focused and provide the

desired information to the manager in a brief format. If, on the other hand, the report is

intended to ―sell an idea‖ to management, then it has to be more detailed and convincing

as to how the proposed idea is an improvement and should be adopted. Here the emphasis

would be directed on presenting all the relevant information backed by the necessary data, to

persuade the reader to ―buy into the idea. A different form of report will be prescribed in

some cases, where a manager asks for several alter native solutions or recommendations to

rectify a problem in a given situation.

Here the researcher provides the requested information and the manager chooses from among

the alternatives and makes the final decision. In this case, a more detailed report surveying

past studies, the methodology used for the present study, different perspectives generated from

interviews and current data analyses, and alternative solutions based on the conclusions

drawn there from will have to be provided. Yet another type of report might require the

researcher to identify the problem and provide the final solution as well. That is, the researcher

might be called in to study a situation, determine the nature of the problem, and offer a

report of the findings and recommendations. Such a report has to be very comprehensive,

following the format of a full-fledged study, as detailed later in this chapter .

THE WRITTEN REPORT

The written report enables the manager to weigh the facts and arguments presented therein,

and implement the acceptable recommendations, with a view to closing the gap between

the existing state of affairs and the desired state. To achieve its goal, the written report

has to focus on the issues discussed below.

Contents of the Research Report:

Title

o The title of the report should succinctly specify what the study is all about.

Table of Contents

o The table of contents with page references usually lists the important headings and

subheadings in the report. A separate list of tables and figures should also be listed in

the table of contents.

Executive Summary

o A brief account of the research study that provides an overview, and highlights the

following: the problem statement, sampling design, data collection methods used

Chapter – 14 Notes Research Methods (KJAN) Summer Quarter 2014

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results of data analysis, findings, and recommendations, with suggestions for their

implementation. The executive summary (or synopsis) will be brief—usually three

pages or less in length.

Introduction

o Problem Studied

o Background Information

o Research Goals

Research Design and Methodology

o Preliminary Data Gathering

o Literature Survey

o Problem Definition

o Theoretical Framework

o Hypothesis

Data Collection

o Sampling Design

o Data collection Methods

Data Analysis

o Hypothesis Testing

o Data Analysis techniques used

o Data Interpretation

Main Conclusions

o Hypothesis Substantiated/Unsubstantiated

o Limitations

Recommendations

o Based on data analysis

References

o Immediately after the acknowledgments, starting on a fresh page, a list of the

references cited in the literature review and at other places in the report will be

given. Footnotes, if any in the text, are referencedeither separately at the end of the

report, or at the bottom of the page where the footnote occurs.

o Tables

o Graphs

Appendices

o Secondary Data

o Questionnaires

o Other Supporting Data