© Prentice Hall, 200 5 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 10 - 1 Finding, Evaluating, Finding, Evaluating, and Processing and Processing Information Information
Feb 12, 2016
© 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