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BSBRES401 Analyse and Present Research Information: Present Information

Case Study

Northern Sydney Institute

Case Study

Bsbres401 Present Information Case Study V1

of 21 Revision date: 24/09/2016

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................. 2

Overview .............................................................................................................................................. 3

Scenario: Pelican Waters Council ........................................................................................................ 3

Step 1: What are the skills and knowledge which Toody’s requires? ................................................. 4

Step 2: How could Toody structure and format his research findings? .............................................. 7

Step 3: How could Toody report and distribute his research findings? ............................................ 15

Step 4: Why should Toody obtain feedback on the suitability and sufficiency of his research findings and recommendations? ....................................................................................................... 17

Summary ............................................................................................................................................ 21

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Overview

There are many reasons why organisations undertake research, but ultimately it is to improve decision making. Presenting research information is the last stage of the research process. The research plan has helped to keep you on track throughout the research process and you are now approaching the final stages in your research. You have set your research objectives, used effective research strategies to collect valid and reliable research information, analysed and interpreted the data using appropriate data analysis tools, made assumptions, drawn conclusions and made recommendations. It is important to ensure that this has been supported by the research evidence and is consistent with your business and research objectives.

You now need to determine how to present your research, whether in writing or verbally or both. It may be necessary to access your organisation’s policies and procedures for guidelines on how to structure and format your research report, your verbal presentation and to find out the organisation’s requirements for the distribution of your research findings. It is also important to obtain feedback on your research from key stakeholders so that you can make appropriate changes if required and to make sure that your research is suitable and sufficient to meet the needs of your organisation.

Scenario: Pelican Waters Council

One of the big problems in Pelican Waters is the limited access to high speed broadband internet coverage. This is a remote and very rural area where access is restricted to certain spots. Fortunately the council and its library are located in Boardwalk Pde which has access to broadband.

Sunita Nair, Manager of the Community and Library Services Department, is therefore very interested in researching the proposal to implement free wireless internet access (Wi-Fi___33) in Pelican Waters council library so that the community and visitors can quickly access the internet using their laptops. She has already seen how well Wi-Fi___33 works in Sydney libraries and believes that there are huge advantages to providing Wi-Fi___33 access to the residents and visitors of Pelican Waters. A new project initiative is being implemented to promote innovative projects which benefit the Pelican Waters community. The innovative practices project committee is responsible for approving all research requests.

Sunita nominated Toody Jones, the council’s research officer to undertake the proposed research and he has now completed most of his research except for the final stages which involve presenting the research information.

Toody regularly consults with Suzie de Lillo from Out Front Management Consultants, who has been contracted to provide assistance to council employees in preparing their research project reports for the innovative practices projects committee. She has already provided useful advice including assisting Toody in putting together a research plan which has been a great guide throughout this research process.

Toody has followed this research plan and has adhered to the research objectives, used the nominated research strategies to collect information about Wi-Fi___33 and the community’s opinions on implementing it in the library, analysed the data, made conclusions and

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recommendations. Toody is now up to the final stages of this research plan, the Presentation of Research to the Innovative Practices Project Committee stage

At the initial meeting to discuss the presentation of the research, Suzie advised Toody to think about his skills and how these can be applied to helping him present his findings. She suggested using a range of business technology software to put together a written presentation and also for creating visual aids for his verbal presentation. Toody will present his presentation directly to the committee and is also prepared to present by video conference at a later stage if any members miss the original presentation.

The innovative practices project committee will be looking for research projects that benefit the residents, visitors and businesses within Pelican Waters. It is therefore critical that the research presentation reflect this.

Suzie will help Toody to consolidate all of his research information and to professionally present it to the committee in line with the requirements of Pelican Waters council

Step 1: What are the skills and knowledge which Toody’s requires?

In order to effectively present the research information to the committee, Toody needs the following skills:

technology skills to select and use technology appropriate to presenting information

literacy skills to read, write and understand a variety of texts, and to edit and proofread

problem-solving skills to deal with information which is contradictory, ambiguous, inconsistent or inadequate

research skills to identify and access information

communication skills to develop a rapport with the committee and to effectively persuade them to implement his recommendations

collaboration skills to effectively consult with key stakeholders and action feedback

planning and organising skills to plan and organise the presentation.

Toody also needs a broad range of knowledge including an understanding of:

Pelican Waters mission statement, goals and objectives

Policies and procedures relating to the distribution of workplace information, and legal and ethical obligations

key provisions of relevant legislation from all levels of government that may affect aspects of business operations at Pelican Waters council such as:

anti-discrimination legislation

ethical principles

codes of practice

privacy laws

work health and safety (WHS)

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organisational record keeping/filing systems, security procedures and safe recording practices

research processes and strategies to identify new sources (online and print) of information and to use them most efficiently and effectively.

How could Toody’s business technology skills assist in presenting the research findings and recommendations to the innovative practices projects committee?

Business technology can enhance both the written and verbal research presentations. The use of integrated software packages which have word processing, spreadsheet and database functions can assist Toody in structuring and formatting a professional report with appropriate charts and graphics which can be used to present complex numerical data in a user friendly and interesting way. The use of colour can also enhance the appeal for the committee. In using integrated packages, Toody will access the council’s policies and procedures to determine if there are standard templates which should be used or if he needs to follow particular style guidelines in relation to typefaces, type size, fonts, use of headings, sub-headings etc.

Business technology software packages enhance the research presentation and enables Toody to:

Use a thesaurus, spell check or grammar check

Generate an automatic table of contents which can be easily updated to reflect changes in the document

Use an add-in statistical analysis package which can store, record and professionally present the results of data analysis

Apply a variety of page layouts, headings, subheadings, headers, footers, typefaces and type sizes to explain complex information in an engaging way

Use automatic word count

Automatically search for particular words and/or phrases

Use tabulation including special features for laying out tables and charts

Use automatic references which allow Toody to insert endnotes, footnotes, citations, index add bibliography etc.

Generate graphs and maps

Use presentation software to make the verbal presentation more appealing

Use a Smartboard to create more interactivity and link to the internet or video footage of the research

Use online facilities to present research such as web or video conferencing.

The internet has a large number of reputable websites which can also assist in collating and presenting the research findings.

What methods can Toody use to present this research to this committee?

Toody’s research findings can be presented in a variety of ways and may include a verbal presentation, a video or web conference, a short memo report, an in-depth complex report or a

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combination of these. Suzie has advised Toody to present his research as a professional formal report and a face to face verbal presentation as this is a requirement of the council. She has also suggested that he provides the option of presenting via a video conference or web conference at a later date for committee members who are not able to attend the face to face presentation.

According to the council’s policies and procedures, all research proposals require a very formal in-depth and structured approach to reporting and must be professional, appropriate to the level of the audience and clearly address the research purpose. There are style guidelines which must be adhered to in the writing of the report. The verbal presentation must also be in line with the requirements of the council and the committee.

What should Toody know about his audience, the innovative practices projects committee?

The innovative practices projects committee have not had any involvement in Toody’s research into implementing free Wi-Fi___33 in the library. This means that it is very important that the presentation and report are clear, precise and logical with recommendations that address the research objectives and benefit Pelican Waters.

Suzie has advised Toody to find out about the audience before the presentation and to think about the following:

What is the purpose of this committee and what will the members be looking for in the research proposal?

How many members will attend the verbal presentation or read the written report?

What is the background of these committee members and could this influence what they are looking for in the research proposal?

Does the committee know anything about the implementation of free Wi-Fi___33 in a library environment and how interested are they in the use of this technology?

What are the key research findings that the committee need to know about?

Could the education level or age of the committee members influence their attitudes to the implementation of Wi-Fi___33 and the use of the internet?

Look at the presentation from the committee’s perspective – what questions may they need answered? This should help Toody to anticipate questions in advance of the presentation

Different members of the committee may receive and process information differently – some may be verbal (take more information in by listening), others may be visual (take more information in by seeing graphs and diagrams, or doing (some may actually need to try out some of the ideas)

Suzie has advised Toody to remain calm during the verbal presentation and keep focussed on the research objectives. The committee are known to ask difficult questions but anticipating some of their questions in advance should alleviate some of Toody’s anxiety.

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Step 2: How could Toody structure and format his research findings?

Toody needs to reference the council’s policies and procedures to determine the most appropriate methods of presenting both his written report and verbal presentation. He needs to present his research findings and recommendations in a clear, concise and systematic fashion. One of the purposes of his written report and verbal presentation is to gain consensus from the innovative practices project committee on whether to implement his research recommendations or whether adjustments are required or further research.

Toody wants to make the presentation of his research findings as effective as possible and he understands the importance of planning before launching into his written research report or presenting his research findings to the committee.

Stages in developing the written research report

Toody will develop his written research report as follows:

Plan the report

Reports need to be planned before detailed writing starts:

Toody needs to know the research report deadline and prioritise his report writing to achieve this deadline – the plan should include timeframes for when each part of the report is due

Clearly define the purpose for research report - what should the report accomplish?

Identify the audience, in this case the innovative practices project committee at Pelican Waters council:

o How much does the committee know about implementing Wi-Fi___33 in the library?

o Are they already ‘interested’ in this proposal or do they need to be ‘won over’ / persuaded?

o Does the committee have a technical background or will technical terms need to be explained?

o What does the committee need to know about this research proposal in order to decide whether or not to grant research approval?

Produce an outline of the report before writing it up. Work out the main headings and sub-headings and the order of headings so that the report flows logically, for example:

o Background

o Research design

o Main findings

o Conclusions

o Recommendations

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At the planning stage, Toody will decide what to include and omit from the research report. He knows how important it is to include relevant and valid information needed to make well-informed decisions in relation to the research objectives.

Write the report

Once Toody has planned his report, it will make writing much easier. The plan acts as a guide helping Toody in the writing process and it will also help him overcome writer’s block. Toody will tackle the areas of the report that he is most confident in first. The following are some tips which should help Toody in his writing:

Focus on the audience:

Toody will write with his audience in mind (the innovative practises projects committee) – Toody’s ‘style/voice’ varies depending on who he is writing for and the purpose of his writing

Toody will be required to write a formal report for the committee which needs to be impersonal and objective. He will therefore write this research report in the third person (e.g. The findings are XXXX) and not in the first person (e.g. I found XXX)

Language:

Toody will use inclusive language – he will not exclude particular groups on the basis of sex, age, ethnic group, religion, physical or mental abilities, sexual orientation

He will keep the report clear and concise, and use plain English such as using shorter sentences, shorter words, direct, shorter paragraphs specific words, direct positive statements and using examples to clarify points

Toody will pitch the level of the language used to the level of the innovative practices project committee members. He will avoid jargon whenever possible - any technical terms used will be explained in a glossary

Toody will use ‘formal’ language as this is required by the committee

Toody will use the active voice.

Organisation/layout:

Toody will follow a logical progression and use clear headings and a contents page in the report so the reader can easily dip into the sections that interest them (for example, introduction, background, current situation, recommendations for the future) and easily navigate the report.

He will capture ideas and put key points under appropriate headings:

o Toody will logically sequence ideas in sentences and paragraphs under these headings

o Toody will ensure that there is sufficient information under each heading

He will break up text through the use of bullets or numbering

He will use plenty of white space to make his report easier to skim and scan

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He will create a user friendly document that the committee will want to read and which will be directly relevant to the council’s needs.

Reports may be ordered:

Chronologically – start at the beginning of research and go to the end or start from the most recent and work backwards or

Indirect: In the indirect order, the conclusion and recommendations appear towards the end of the report or

Direct: In the direct order, the recommendations appear early in the report or

Problem solving: start with the issue or problem, then discuss options for solving the problem and end with recommended solution and the reasons.

Findings and recommendations:

Toody will clearly distinguish between verifiable facts and his own opinions and interpretations in the report

He will make recommendations to the committee for future action in regard to implementing Wi-Fi___33 in the council library and link his recommendations to the supporting facts and evidence

Toody will include supporting documents in the appendices/attachments section of his report.

For more tips on report writing, access this website: http://www.writinghelp-central.com/article-better-business-reports.html

Use of illustrations:

The use of illustrations such as graphs, tables, photographs, pictures or diagrams helps to break-up long reports and often simplifies complex information for the reader. Illustrations may help the reader to concentrate better on the report and make the report more engaging. Toody will cross-reference text to the illustrations he uses so that they are read in conjunction with one another. Toody will use illustrations for a number of reasons including:

Adding interest for the committee and making the report easier to understand

Variety – he will use a range of illustrations such as tables, charts, diagrams and photographs of customers using Wi-Fi___33

The following is an example of a Pie chart which Toody may include in his report. Pie charts are useful for expressing the information as a percentage of the total information. This pie chart shows the percentage of students who use the internet in different time periods:

http://www.writinghelp-central.com/article-better-business-reports.html

http://www.writinghelp-central.com/article-better-business-reports.html

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References and bibliography:

Toody knows that it is important to keep records of his sources, acknowledge others’ work and make sure all sources have been referenced in the research report. He keeps a diary of all key conversations and interviews.

Sources provide additional understanding on the requirements of implementing Wi-Fi___33 in the library and add weight to Toody’s research as it shows he has sought ideas from a number of sources. All textbook references are listed together with authors’ surnames in alphabetical order. Sources could be noted in footnotes and end notes (with added comments providing further information to the committee members who want to find out more information).

It is important to check the accuracy of the information in the report by looking at the sources used. If it is published in a book or journal, this is normally thoroughly checked prior to publication. Toody knows it is necessary to check the accuracy of information provided by interviewees to decide if they are presenting facts or opinions. He will do this by cross-checking the interviewees’ information against other sources such as information found in textbooks, journals or reputable websites.

What is the difference between references and a bibliography?

References – lists details of books, reports, journals actually used in research report

Bibliography – lists details of all books, articles etc. consulted during the research even if this hasn’t been directly referred to in the research report.

Pelican Waters council uses the Harvard system for referencing text and this is:

Author Surname, date, Title of book, publisher details, place of publication

Proofread and edit the report

In a perfect world, Toody would write his report once and then it would be finished. The reality however is that reports often have to be drafted and redrafted a few times before they achieve the required standard to meet the needs of the council. It may therefore be necessary to proofread and edit reports quite a few times.

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Toody will need to:

Check that there are no errors in grammar, spelling or punctuation - understand punctuation forms such as the colon (:), semi-colon (;) comma (,) full stop (.)

Check that his sentences are written in plain English, are short and do not begin with joining words such as ‘but’, ‘and’, ‘because’ etc.

Ensure that this research has a professional ‘tone’ and is unambiguous

Edit and rework his writing for example:

o If his report is too long, Toody may need to:

Remove redundant or repetitive information

Replace large amounts of text with illustrations instead

Remove non-essential information.

o If his report is too short, Toody may need to:

Access further sources to add more depth to his research

Include additional relevant information

Expand further on his methodology and findings and justify them in greater detail

Draft and redraft until the report reaches the required standard

Present the written report

Toody needs to refer to the council’s policy and procedures and style guidelines to determine the best way of presenting his written report. As this report needs to be put forward to a formal committee Toody will professionally bind it, include section dividers, print it in colour using good quality paper and make sure that he adheres to the council’s style guidelines.

Report length and structure

There are many different ways to format and present the research findings and these will vary depending on the organisation size, type of organisation and the reasons for presenting the report.

Two common categories of reports are the short report and the long report.

Short reports

As its name suggests, this report is short and may consist of the following sections (although these sections may vary depending on the organisation):

Title page

Table of contents

Abstract/executive summary/Issue:

o Provides an overview and summarises the research project, its context, the methods used and the major findings.

o May help the reader decide if it is worth reviewing the research report more closely

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Introduction (what you did and why)

Research Strategy

o Materials and methods (how you carried out your research)

o Resources: budget/time/staff allocated

o Consultations

Research findings - results (what you found out)

Analysis/discussion (what the results mean)

Conclusions/ recommendations

References/bibliography.

Long reports

A long report is often complex and in-depth. It may consist of the following sections (although these sections may vary depending on the organisation):

Title page

List of contents/table of contents

List of illustrations

Abstract/executive summary

Introduction and background

Research objectives

Research design/methodology

Statistical analysis

Results/key findings

Discussion, assumptions, conclusions

Recommendations

Glossary (if applicable)

References/bibliography

Appendices/

Index (if applicable).

Toody puts together a formal report for the innovative practises project committee

Toody has conducted in-depth research into the implementation of Wi-Fi___33 in the library. The innovative practices project committee requires that all of the research submitted is presented professionally and adheres to the council’s guidelines for long reports. Toody therefore structures his report to meet these guidelines.

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Toody puts together a verbal presentation for the innovative practices project committee

The verbal presentation is critical to getting action. The purpose of the verbal presentation isn't only to inform, but more importantly it's to convince and win over the committee. Toody is going to recommend that the council implement free Wi-Fi___33 access in the library for the Pelican Waters community and visitors. He understands that this request will involve implementing a number of changes such as training library staff, updating policies and procedures, providing technical infrastructure and support etc. It is therefore very important that he can justify these changes and persuade the council to grant approval for this proposal.

Toody will need to present the various costs to the council of introducing and maintaining free Wi-Fi___33 and it will therefore be critical that in his presentation he be able to demonstrate how the benefits from the service will out-weigh these costs. As the presentation date draws closer, Toody is getting more and more nervous.

Toody discusses this with Suzie and she advises him to carefully plan and prepare for this presentation. He has found out about the committee members in advance of the presentation and knows that they process information differently – some members are visual, some verbal and some doing (kinaesthetic). It is therefore important in planning to consider using a variety of presentation methods. Toody will get more confident once he is well prepared and has an opportunity to rehearse his presentation. Toody decides to:

Plan and prepare for the research presentation

Work out timings for the presentation. The rehearsal will give Toody an accurate estimate of timing and he will also include time for responding to questions. He also needs to ‘read’ the members’ cues and know when to stop! If possible Toody should deliver a trial presentation to someone who can give him constructive feedback on what works and what needs improving.

Understand the needs of the committee. Toody will prepare a variety of presentation methods including the use of visual aids, verbal discussion and giving the committee an opportunity to use Wi-Fi___33 and see how it works (he will bring in a laptop and get the committee to connect wirelessly to the internet – fortunately the presentation venue is in Boardwalk Pde, one of the few regions in Pelican Waters which has broadband coverage)

Clearly define the purpose of the verbal presentation which is to inform the committee about the research objectives and findings so that they can make an informed decision about whether to approve the proposal to implement free Wi-Fi___33 in the library

Prepare a detailed presentation outline following the order of the written research report – use this outline to ensure that key points are covered in a logical and organised manner at each stage of the presentation and to determine the length of the presentation

Keep up-to-date with any developments since the research report was written and reflect these in the verbal presentation – also update the written report

Fully understand the research content and know how to quickly address different sections of the research report if questioned on them during the presentation

Book the presentation venue for the date of the presentation - visit this venue and make sure equipment is working. Toody will rehearse his verbal presentation at the venue and

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check the seating arrangements, lighting, etc. Suzie has agreed to accompany him and give him advice if required

Forward the written research report to the committee well in advance of the presentation so that they can read and evaluate its contents beforehand.

Give the presentation

Toody will present his research in summary form to the committee and use clear speech and be professional throughout the presentation. He will divide his presentation into an introduction, body and conclusion and reference his presentation notes when required. Toody will also monitor the time to make sure the presentation is on track and will allow questions both during and at the conclusion of the presentation.

Introduction

At the beginning of the presentation Toody will:

Engage the committee by discussing anecdotes from his research and talking about the proposal from the perspective of the community rather than a purely academic perspective.

Summarise what is to be covered in his presentation and will:

o Give a brief description of what is involved in implementing Wi-Fi___33 in the library

o Discuss the research design and methodology that was employed during the research process

o Highlight the benefits for Pelican Waters residents and visitors and relate this to the experience and interests of the committee.

Body

During the body of the presentation, Toody will:

Present each part of the research process in detail and provide examples of the research methods used

Focus on the research findings and recommendations and justify how these recommendations fit in with the needs of the council and the community. He will discuss the implications and applications of this proposal to implement Wi-Fi___33 and highlight how the potential benefits out-weigh associated costs.

Use visual aids and distribute supporting material to the committee which links directly to his proposal. He will demonstrate the practical implementation of Wi-Fi___33 and give the committee members the opportunity to access the internet using Wi-Fi___33

Defend and promote his proposal while also acknowledging its deficiencies

Use quotes from research participants to provide valuable insight into how this proposal will impact them (Toody will make sure he has the participants’ permission before he uses these quotes)

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Show a video of a Sydney library which already uses free Wi-Fi___33 and show how customers are using it with their laptops (Toody will make sure he has the participants’ permission before he shows this video)

Relate to and involve the committee and allow sufficient time for questions and discussion. Discuss what actions are required if this proposal is approved.

Conclusion

At the end of the presentation, Toody will:

Summarise the key points of the presentation

Restate the benefits of this proposal for the community and visitors if Wi-Fi___33 is implemented in the library

Allow for further questions from the committee

Explain where to go to get more information on this proposal

End the presentation with something memorable

Thank the committee for their time, support and involvement.

Use of visual aids

Toody will use visual aids to highlight key points in the presentation. They will help the committee to remain focused on what is being said. Toody needs to make sure that all equipment is working and that the computers at the venue have the appropriate presentation software. He will access the venue to test the equipment and rehearse his presentation. Visual aids and equipment contribute to making the presentation more interesting and informative and can include:

A ‘Lite pro’ or a Smartboard

Use of presentation software

Use of flip charts, diagrams, photographs etc.

Equipment used for demonstration – Toody will use a laptop and demonstrate how to use Wi-Fi___33.

Step 3: How could Toody report and distribute his research findings?

Suzie De Lillo advised Toody to check with the innovative practices projects committee about the policy for distributing research findings at Pelican Waters Council. Toody found out that confidential research information must be stored securely (hard copies locked in a cabinet, soft copies password protected) and that confidential information should only be distributed to certain stakeholders involved in the research. The main way in which Toody plans to share his research is through the research written report and the verbal presentation. However if this research proposal is granted, he also wants to be able to promote the implementation of free Wi-Fi___33 to the community.

The type of research presented will therefore depend on the stakeholder, for example, the General Manager of Pelican Waters Council, Sarah Ortega, may only need to review the executive summary whilst Sunita Nair, Manager of the Community and Library Services Department and the

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librarian supervisor, Mia Booker will need to review the full research report. Elaine Long, Finance and Information Manager will be providing technical support if this research proposal is approved. It is therefore important that she also receive the full report.

Suzie De Lillo will advise Toody on the needs of the various stakeholders and will vet the research before it is issued to each stakeholder. Sunita Nair, the research sponsor, needs to also approve any information distributed to the internal staff at the council and the community.

Stakeholder research requirements

Note the Research executive summary document is contained within the full report. Stakeholders receiving the full report therefore do not need to receive the executive summary.

List of stakeholders

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Sarah Ortega, General Manager

Sunita Nair

Research Sponsor and Manager, Community Library Services

Suzie De Lillo Consultant

Innovative Practises Project committee members

Mia Booker - Librarian supervisor

Elaine Long -Finance and Information Manager

Library staff

Internal council staff

Tourist board

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How will Toody distribute these findings to the above stakeholders?

The nominated distribution method will depend on whether the information is confidential, in which case Toody needs to restrict who receives that part of the research and personally deliver it or password protect it and send it to the stakeholders personal email.

Some of Toody’s research is not confidential and needs to reach a wider group of stakeholders. He will distribute this part of his research through uploading it in an online newsletter to the council’s intranet and also advertise the ‘Availability of free Wi-Fi___33 in the Library’ if the proposal is approved.

General reporting needs

Toody also needs to consider some general reporting needs, for example the capabilities of Pelican Waters information systems to generate reports and inquiries. Access to such reporting systems would be restricted.

General reporting also covers:

Number of reports required by stakeholders

Can stakeholders define a default number of copies of each major report or sections of the report?

Can reports be easily diverted to a number of destinations?

Stakeholders generating their own reports:

What types of reports can stakeholders generate?

How easy is the report generation process?

What are the access restrictions?

Is there an ability to sort data on multiple fields, handle page breaks, totals and summary only information?

Is there more than one output medium i.e. screen, printer, disk, tape?

Step 4: Why should Toody obtain feedback on the suitability and sufficiency of his research findings and recommendations?

Toody should ask for feedback about his research findings at all stages of the research project as this will help to validate his findings. Toody will provide a draft version of his report to Suzie De

operators and visitors

Community research participants

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Lillo and Sunita Nair for review before forwarding the final written report to the innovative practices projects committee. He will incorporate any suggestions into the final report.

Toody finds it daunting sending out his draft. However he knows that it is important to send it out with an open attitude to the feedback and a willingness to discuss feedback further with others. Through this important part of the process, Toody’s research itself will be validated and enriched. He knows that he needs to try and move past the anxiety it might generate though! Toody is helped through this phase by appreciating it is much better that any problems or issues he has overlooked be identified now than having them picked up in the final distributed report.

Different stakeholders will offer different opinions on Toody’s research methodology, findings, and the interpretation of those findings. Toody should get feedback from the various stakeholders involved in this research proposal including:

Suzie De Lillo, the external consultant, and Sunita Nair, the research sponsor, who will review Toody’s research report before it is submitted to the innovative practices project committee. Toody will action any changes they suggest.

The participants will complete an evaluation questionnaire on the research findings and its recommendations. Where necessary the report may be modified to reflect changes required by participants.

Toody will also ask the internal council’s auditor to review his research report and his recommendations to make sure it meets the quality standards of the council

The innovative practices projects committee will write up an evaluation report on this research proposal and will decide either to approve Toody’s research proposal, reject it or ask for it to be further modified.

Feedback will also be obtained during the discussion of the findings at the verbal presentation and Toody may need to makes changes which result from this.

Toody has put together a feedback form for the written report

Research Report Feedback Form

Research: Toody Jones

Distributed to: Innovative Practises Projects Committee

Research Proposal: Investigate the viability of implementing free wireless access (Wi-Fi) at the council’s library

Research Sponsor: Sunita Nair, Manager, Community and Library Services

Note: If you answer no/unsure, please provide your reasons in the comments section and what should be improved. Please complete this form as decisions will be made on how to incorporate your feedback into this research proposal.

YES NO UNSURE COMMENTS

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Does the report title tell you what the report is about?

Is the executive summary concise?

Does the executive summary provide an informative summary of the research findings?

Are the research purpose and objectives clearly stated?

Is the research methodology well explained?

Are the data collection methods used justified?

Do you agree with the key findings?

Do the conclusions link to the research objectives?

Do the conclusions summarise the research findings?

Do the conclusions address the research implications?

Are the recommendations practical?

Are the recommendations supported with reasoning and/ or evidence?

Are all sources used acknowledged in a bibliography?

Does the supplementary information in the appendix add value to the research evidence?

Language YES NO UNSURE COMMENTS

Is the report written in the third person as this is a requirement of the council?

Is inclusive language used?

Is the language clear and concise?

Is the report written in plain English?

Have redundant expressions been removed?

Are technical terms explained in a glossary?

Case Study




Layout/Organisation YES NO UNSURE COMMENTS

Does the report adhere to the style guidelines for Pelican Waters council?

Is the report well organised, easy to follow and navigate?

Are suitable headings used which follow a logical progression?

Is there sufficient information under each heading?

Do page numbers on the contents page correspond with the relevant sections in the report?

Is plenty of white space used to make the report easy to skim and scan?

Are bullets used to break up the text?

Are illustrations (such as diagrams, charts or photographs) used to make this report more interesting and informative?

Please provide any further comments on this written research report:

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Toody will need to decide how he will incorporate any comments provided on these feedback forms into his research findings.

In reviewing the feedback, Toody should:

Welcome, accept and learn from the feedback

Evaluate the validity and implications of the feedback and how this may impact the research

Make a considered response to critical feedback

Use feedback as an opportunity to strengthen his research

Case Study



Summary

In this topic, we have seen why the research report and its presentation are important. The whole of your research effort could be undermined or even wasted entirely without a well-presented written report and effective verbal presentation. We’ve seen what a professional report may look like structurally. We’ve also learned the benefits of good preparation for the presentation of the report.

Specifically, we have looked at:

The skills and knowledge required to effectively present research information

The use of business technology to assist in presenting the research findings and recommendations

The needs of the audience

The importance of planning

The different stages in developing the written report

Ways to structure and format the research findings.

Putting together a written report

Putting together a verbal presentation

The research requirements of different stakeholders

Methods of distributing research findings

The importance of getting feedback on the research findings and ways of obtaining this feedback.

Sources

D Aaker, V Kumar and G Day (1995) Marketing Research, 5th edn, John & Wiley Sons, USA, p73 (types of research – exploratory, descriptive, causal)

N Benjamin & F Moore, (2002) Analyse and Present Research Information, Pearson Education Pty Ltd, p40.

D Davis (2000) Business Research for Decision Making,5th edn, Duxbury, USA, p 231.

N Benjamin & F Moore, (2002) Analyse and Present Research Information, Pearson Education Pty Ltd, p41

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