Chapter 12. Research and Business Proposals and Planning for Business Reports.

Personal biases sometimes cause a researcher to do which of the following?

- ask the wrong questions -interpret data incorrectly - collect only data that supports the researcher's biases.

which of the following are formatting guidelines for any kind of chart?

-avoid unusual fonts -make sure all text is horizontal -avoid using many bright colors

when collecting, analyzing, and presenting information for a business report, it is important to

-be respectful toward people who will be affected by the results of the report -present all the pertinent facts, even those that you dislike, -be mindful of ways the report could have a negative effect on the careers and morale of your colleagues

Cindy has to write research paper for a university class. which of the following actions should she take during the planning process?

-she should consider writing down three to five research topics she is interested in. -she should choose a topic that will help her in her academic program.

to develop primary research skills for business communication, you should study

-spreadsheet software -statistical and quantitative analysis

In general, a consumer research survey should

-take no longer than 5 minutes to complete -contain fewer than 5 or 6 questions

For analyzing statistical data, you can use either statistical software, such as SAS, or spreadsheet software.

True

which type of chart is the most useful for comparing amounts of various things?

a bar chart

when presenting an audience with charts and tables and other numerical information, which of the following should be your most important consideration?

emphasizing the message that you want the audience to remember

primary research is usually preferable in preparing a business report because

it can be customized to specific projects.

During the planning stage of a research paper, you should take a broad or vague topic and

make it specific and interesting

some surveys include leading questions, which

manipulate participants into responding in a preferred way.

which of the following is a type of numerical adjustment of data in a table that allows counts for survey questions that had different numbers of total participants to be compared quickly?

percentages

when a chart is being developed, the key component is

planning

the ultimate proof of a chart's effectiveness is when readers

remember its core message for some time after viewing it.

survey choices are said to be exhaustive when

respondents are presented with a range of all possible answers

which if the following statements are true for most surveys?

the survey should be short

When creating a chart, you should consider the five most important elements, including

- how easily a reader can process the information -the sufficiency of the information -the descriptiveness of the tittle

primary research is the analysis of data collected by

- colleagues under your direction -you -consultants under your direction

to ensure that a survey will produce useful results, the researcher should not include

leading questions

A survey would provide a relatively easy way to obtain information from which of the following groups?

- people who participate in an online forum created for artists - people who have purchased your product -people who work for the same company as you do

which of the following statements about lengthy surveys are true?

- respondents who are paid are more careful in completing them -they commonly are left incomplete by impatient respondents

which of the following statements about business presentations using numerical data are generally true?

- the main message in such presentations will likely not be numerical. -most audiences will not remember a lot of statistics

What online sources are likely to provide quality information for business research?

-business and industry websites. -online forums and discussions.

which of the following are resources for business research offered by most libraries?

-business periodicals -scholarly journals -online databases

which of the following are ways in which a confusing survey question can often be improved?

-by reducing the sentence length -by adding labels -by changing the formatting

what are the respective advantages of closed and open-ended questions?

-closed questions are easier to analyze and rank numerically -open-ended questions provide more in-depth knowledge.

Charts are useful for

-communicating numerical data. -presenting complex data en a simple format -presenting a memorable visual image

which of the followings are drawbacks of primary research?

-it often requires a significant amount of time. -it can be expensive -it can be skewed to reflect the researcher's biases

Industry publications are

-often available at business libraries -highly reliable -usually very expensive

when deciding how much information to convey in a chart, the designer should

-plan to use labels to help readers understand the data quickly. -include only what is needed.

Decision makers depend on business reports to

-recommend actions based on the date -analyze the information properly -provide the correct information

what are recommended practices for documenting your research sources?

-record documentation systematically to avoid providing an incorrect source. -make documentation source immediately rather than going back later to find sources again.

surveys should be worded so that participants will

-respond accurately to each question within a few seconds -read each question in 10 to 20 seconds

what are some advantages of online surveys?

-the data can be downloaded automatically into a spreadsheet -the survey can reach a very large number of respondents -they are generally readily available to survey responders

what is a chart's takeaway message?

-the essential meaning conveyed by everything in the chart -the key ideas that readers should remember after viewing the chart.

what is a char't takeaway message?

-the essential meaning conveyed by everything in the chart. -the key ideas that readers should remember after viewing the chart

labels and legends on a chart should indicate

-what is being measured -what units of measurement are depicted

which of the following statements about selecting a research topic and pacing your research are true?

-you should spend adequate time exploring options before selecting your research topic -you should pace your research and spend enough time collecting information

Researchers have been using surveys more often recently because

Surveys are now relatively easy to conduct online.

which is the best way in which the following survey questions could improved? "how would you rate your overall experience with our company's service on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being poor and 5 being good?"

The question should be shortened and have a scale below it to allow the respondent to answer quickly

which of the following guidelines for various types of charts is correct?

The slices in a pie chart should complete a whole (add up to 100%)

what is the main concern when using white papers in research?

They tend to be biased

which type of chart is the most effective for depicting various pieces within a whole?

a pie chart

if the title of chart does not convey enough information, the designer may need to

add a subtile

The planning stage of a business report should take

as long as necessary, sometimes months or years

why should the following survey question for the customer of a bank be rewritten? "how satisfied were you with our customer service and the interest rate we offer? (very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat unsatisfied, very unsatisfied)"

it is asking about more than one idea

Roya's research topic is about the latest advancements in breast-cancer treatment. The best and most relevant way for Roya to make her research effective would be

to compare the success rate of new techniques versus older techniques

in preparing a business report based on research, the first step is

to understand what the decision makers want the report to do

which of the following statements about analyzing data is true?

you should rely on others when you analyze your data