Step 5 Organize, analyze, interpret, illustrate the
data.
Step 6 Compose the first draft.
Step 7 Revise, proofread, and evaluate.
Work Plan for a Formal Report
Statement of problem
Statement of purpose
Sources and methods of data collection
Tentative outline
Work schedule
Researching Report Data
Locating
secondary print data
Books
card catalog, online catalog
Periodicals
print indexes, CD-ROM indexes
Locating
secondary electronic data
Electronic
databases
The
Internet
World
Wide Web search tools
Google AltaVista
HotBot Yahoo!
Evaluating
Web sources
How
current is the information?
How
credible is the author or source?
What
is the purpose of the site?
Do
the facts seem reliable?
Tips
for searching the Web
Use
two or three search tools.
Understand
case sensitivity.
Prefer
uncommon words.
Omit
articles and prepositions.
Use
wild cards.
Know
your search tool.
Learn
basic Boolean search strategies.
Bookmark
the best pages.
Be
persistent.
Repeat
your search a week later.
Researching primary data
Surveys
Interviews
Observation
Experimentation
Illustrating Report Data
Functions
of graphics
To
clarify data
To
condense and simplify data
To
emphasize data
Forms
and objectives of graphics
Table
To show exact
figures and values
Bar
chart
To compare one
item with others
Line chart
To demonstrate changes in
quantitative data over time
Pie chart
To visualize a whole unit
and the proportion of its components
Flow chart
To display a
process or procedure
Organization chart
To define a
hierarchy of elements
Photograph, map, illustration
To create
authenticity, to spotlight a location, and to show an item in use
Pie Chart
Use
pie charts to show a whole and the proportion of its components.
Generally
begin at the 12 oclock position, drawing the largest wedge first. Computer
software programs, however, may vary in placement of wedges.
Include,
if possible, the actual percentage or absolute value for each wedge.
Use four to eight segments for
best results; if necessary, group small portions into one wedge called Other.
Distinguish
wedges with color, shading, or crosshatching.
Keep
all labels horizontal.
Bar Charts
Bar charts make visual comparisons. They can compare
related items, illustrate changes in data over time, and show segments as parts
of wholes.
Bar charts may be vertical, horizontal, grouped, or
segmented. Avoid showing too much information, thus producing clutter and
confusion.
The length of each bar and segment should be
proportional.
Dollar or percentage amounts should start at zero.
Documenting Data
Reasons
for crediting sources
Strengthens
your argument
Gives
you protection
Instructs
readers
Learning what to document
Another
person's ideas, opinions, examples, or theory
Any
facts, statistics, graphs, and drawings that are not common knowledge
Quotations
of another person's actual spoken or written
words
Paraphrases
of another person's spoken or written words
Manual notetaking suggestions
Record
all major ideas from various sources on separate note cards.
Include
all publication data along with precise quotations.
Consider
using one card color for direct quotes and a different color for your paraphrases and summaries.
Electronic notetaking suggestions
Begin
your research by setting up a folder on your hard-drive that will contain your data.
Create
separate subfolders for major topics, such as Introduction, Body, and Closing.
When
on the Web or in electronic databases you find information you may be able to use, highlight (i.e., drag with your mouse) the passages you want to save, copy them (using control-c), paste them (using control-v) into documents that you will save in appropriate subfolders.
Be sure to include all publication data.
Consider
archiving on a Zip disk the Web pages or articles used in your research in case the data must later be verified.
Learn to paraphrase
Read
the original material carefully so that you can comprehend its full meaning.
Write
your own version without looking at the original.
Do
not repeat the grammatical structure of the original, and do not merely replace words of the original with synonyms.
Reread
the original to be sure you covered the main points but did not borrow specific language.
Two Documentation Formats
Modern
Language Association
Authors name and page (Smith 100) placed in text;
complete references in Works Cited.
American
Psychological Association
Authors name, date of publication, and page number
placed near text reference (Jones, 2000, p. 99). Complete references listed at end of report.