UNIVERSITY OF GUAYAQUIL

FACULTY OF ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES

ISSUE:

PRESENTATION OF RESULTS

STUDENT:
Jael Farfan

TEACHING:
Eng. Sofia Lovato Phd.

COURSE: ICM 6-1

ACADEMIC PERIOD: 2019-2020 CI

Content 2
Table of Figures 3
Aim 4
Justification 4
The presentation of the research. 4
Analysis of Figure 1. 6
Importance of reporting and presentation 7
Preparing the report 8
Report format 9
Melissa 9
Front page 9
Delivery letter 9
Authorization letter 9
table of Contents 10
Executive summary 10
Problem definition 10
Problem approach 11
Research design 11
Data analysis 11
Results 12
Limitations and warnings 12
Conclusions and recommendations 12
Report writing 12
Correct and professional appearance 13
Aim 13
Monica 13
Reinforce the text with tables and graphs 13
Brevity 14
Guidelines for tables 14
Title and number 14
Data organization 14
Example 15
Royal Research 15
Personal analysis 16
Literature 16
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Table of Figures

Figure 1: Report preparation and submission process

Sanmartin

Aim

Know the process that is carried out in the presentation of the results within an investigation

in order to achieve information effectiveness.

Justification

The presentation of the results within an investigation is a fundamental part since it allows the

collection of data, it also helps managers to make decisions, achieving an improvement in the

optimization of resources required to carry out a market study, in addition, they must be

presented in tables, graphs, etc., in this way the information obtained can be interpreted more

easily and it will be verified whether it is reliable or not.

Theoretical bases

The presentation of the research.

presents the specific research questions that were identified; describes the approach,

research design, and procedures used for data collection and analysis; and includes the

results and main findings. Findings should be presented in an understandable format

that makes it easy for management to use them in the decision-making process. In

addition, an oral presentation should be made for management, in which tables,

figures and graphs are used to improve its clarity and influence. (Fernandez, 2004, p.

60)
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“The presentation of the results of a research work must answer a series of questions”

(Baptista. P, Hernández.R, & Fernández.C, 2006):

1. What was intended to be done?

2. Why is the topic important?

3. What is already known about the topic?

4. What is the hypothesis of the work?

5. How was the research carried out?

6. What are the results obtained?

7. How are the results interpreted in relation to the hypothesis?

8. How does the interpretation of the results relate to knowledge on the topic? (p. 79)

John

The process of submitting the

Figure 1: Report preparation and

preparation
and reporting
Analysis of Figure 1.

According to

Malhotra (2008)

the process begins

with the

interpretation of

the results of the

data analysis in

the context of the

marketing research problem, the approach, the research design and the field work. Rather

than merely summarizing statistical results, the researcher should present the findings in

a way that can be used directly in decision making. Where appropriate, conclusions

should be drawn and actionable recommendations made.

Before writing the report, the researcher has to discuss the most important results,

conclusions and recommendations with the key decision-makers. These discussions play

an important role in ensuring that the report meets the client's needs and will ultimately

be accepted, and specific delivery dates for the written report and other details must be

confirmed.

The marketing research project should be summarized in its entirety in a single written

report, or in several reports addressed to different readers, after which the researcher

should take any follow-up actions that are required: helping the client understand the

report, putting the findings into practice, undertaking further research, and

retrospectively evaluating the research process. (p. 697)

Importance of reporting and presentation

“The report and its presentation are important parts of the marketing research project for

the following reasons.” (Malhotra, 2008):

• They are tangible products of research efforts. After the project is completed

and management makes its decisions, little documentary evidence of the project

remains other than the written report. The report serves as a historical record of

the project.

• Administrative decisions are guided by the report and its presentation. If the

first five steps of the project were carried out carefully, but adequate attention

was not given to the sixth, there will be a considerable decrease in its value to

management.
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• Many marketing managers' contact with the project is limited to the written

report and oral presentation. Managers evaluate the quality of the entire project

based on the quality of the report and its presentation.

• The managerial decision to conduct further marketing research, or to reuse the

services of a particular vendor, will depend largely on the perceived usefulness

of the report and its presentation. (p. 696)

Preparing the report

Researchers differ in the way they prepare the research report. The personality,

training, experience and responsibility of the researcher, as well as of the decision-

maker to whom the report is addressed, interact to give it a unique character.

However, there are

guidelines for formatting and writing reports and for the design of tables and graphs.

(Malhotra, 2008, p. 697)

Report format

According to Maholtra (2008), report formats may vary depending on the

researcher or market research company conducting the project, the client for whom

the project is being conducted, and the nature of the project itself. Therefore, the

following is intended to be a guide from which the researcher develops a format for

the research project he or she is carrying out. Most research reports include the

following elements:
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Melissa
Front page
The cover page should include the title of the report, information (name, address, and

telephone number) of the researcher or organization conducting the research, the name of the

client for whom the report was prepared, and the date of submission.

Delivery letter

A formal report typically contains a letter to deliver the report to the client and

summarize the researcher's overall experience with the project, without mentioning the

findings. The letter should also identify whether further action is required by the client,

such as implementing the findings or initiating further research.

Authorization letter

Before the researcher begins to work on the project, the client writes a letter authorizing

him to continue with the project, and specifies its scope and objectives.

terms of the contract. It is often sufficient to refer to the authorization letter in the delivery

letter. However, sometimes it is necessary to include a copy of the authorization letter in

the report.

table of Contents

This should list the topics covered and the page numbers where they appear. In most

reports, only the most important headings and subheadings are included. The table of

contents is followed by a list of tables, charts, appendices, and addenda.

Executive summary

It is a very important part of the report, because it is often the only part that executives

read. It should provide a concise description of the problem, approach and research design
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that was adopted. You should dedicate a section to the main results, conclusions and

recommendations. The executive summary needs to be written after the rest of the report is

completed.

Problem definition

This part of the report outlines the background to the problem, highlights discussions

with decision makers and industry experts, and also explains the secondary data analysis,

qualitative research conducted, and factors considered. Furthermore, it should contain a

clear statement of the decision problem for management and the marketing research

problem.

Problem approach

This section discusses the general approach taken to address the problem. It must also

contain a description of the theoretical foundations that guided the

research, any analytical models that were proposed, the research questions, the hypotheses,

and the factors that influenced the research design.

Research design

This section requires specifying the details of how the research was conducted, which

should include the nature of the research design adopted, the information required, the

collection of data from primary and secondary sources, scaling techniques, the preparation

of the questionnaire and the pre-test, sampling techniques and field work. These topics are

presented without technicalities and in a way that is easy to understand. Technical details

will be included in an appendix. This part of the report needs to justify the specific
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0
methods selected.

Carolina

Data analysis

This section describes the data analysis plan and justifies the strategy and techniques

used, which should be described in simple, non-technical terms.

Results

This is usually the longest part of a report and may include several chapters. Results are

often presented not only at the aggregate level, but also by subgroup (market segment,

geographic area, etc.). It is necessary that the results are organized in a logical and

coherent manner.

Limitations and warnings

All market research projects have time, budget, and other organizational constraints.

Furthermore, the research design adopted may be limited in terms of the different types of

errors, some of which may be serious enough to merit analysis.

Conclusions and recommendations

It is not enough to present a simple summary of the statistical results. The researcher

needs to interpret them in light of the problem addressed to reach important conclusions.

Based on the results and conclusions, the researcher makes recommendations to decision-

makers.

Report writing

The report should be written for a specific reader or readers: the marketing managers

who will use the results. The report should take into account the readers' technical
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knowledge and interest in the project, as well as the circumstances in which they will read

it and the use they will make of it. Easy to follow A report has to be easy to follow. Its

structure must be logical and its writing must be clear. The material, particularly the body

of the report, needs to be structured logically so that it is easy for the reader to see the

inherent connections and links. To obtain an excellent review of the clarity of a report, ask

two or three people who are not familiar with the project to read it and critique it.

Correct and professional appearance

The appearance of a report is important. It must be typed on high quality paper.

quality, as well as being professionally reproduced and bound. The typography has to be
varied. Variation in font size and skillful use of white space go a long way in improving the
appearance and readability of the report.

Aim

Objectivity is a virtue that should guide the writing of the report. Researchers may be so

fascinated with their project that they neglect their role as scientists. The report needs to

accurately state the project's methodology, results, and conclusions without biasing the

findings to fit management expectations.

Monica
Reinforce the text with tables and graphs

It is important to reinforce important information in the text with tables, graphs,

photographs, maps and other visual aids. Visual aids facilitate communication and increase

the clarity and impact of the report. Guidelines for presenting tables and graphs are

reviewed below.

Brevity

A report has to be short and concise. Any unnecessary questions should be omitted. If

too much information is included, important matters may be missed. Avoid lengthy
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discussions of common procedures. However, brevity should not be achieved at the

expense of the integrity of the text.

Guidelines for tables

Statistical tables form a vital part of the report and deserve special attention. To

illustrate the guidelines for the tables, data on automobile sales in the United States,

presented in Table 22.1, are used. Numbers in parentheses in the following sections refer

to the numbered sections of the table.

Title and number

All tables must have a number (1a) and a title (1b). The title is required to be brief but

clearly describe the information provided. Arabic numerals are used to identify tables and

to refer to them in the text.

Data organization

The organization of data in the table should emphasize its most important aspects.

Therefore, when the data concerns time, the elements must be organized according to the

appropriate period. When order by magnitude is more important, the data have to be

organized accordingly (pp. 698 - 702).

Example

Royal Research

People Writing for Focus Group Moderators May Be Misleading Clients Thomas

Greenbaum, president of a market research firm focused on qualitative research, warns

of a worrying trend seen in recent years in the focus group services industry.

Greenbaum, of Groups Plus, Inc., in Wilton, CT, claims that some group session
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facilitators misrepresent their work to clients because their reports were actually written

by writers who did not participate in the group sessions. According to Greenbaum, more

than half of moderators may use other people to write their reports for clients. Reports

are often written by young researchers learning the job or by part-time employees.

Greenbaum criticizes this practice because individuals who only listen to audiotapes or

review videotapes of group sessions are unable to accurately report on participants'

nonverbal reactions or group synergy. Greenbaum asks moderators to be honest with

clients about the authorship of group session reports, and asks clients to be more

demanding of hired research teams. “While some in the industry advocate having

reports written by third parties, arguing that they always review the reports before

sending them to the client or even write some important sections, clients who use focus

group research should be very vigilant about this practice,” Greenbaum says. “If clients

know in advance that their reports will be written by a third party, it is clearly less of a

problem, but they still do not receive the best effort from their research advisors.”

Greenbaum warns that in addition to the potential for distorting the report, the third-

party redaction system delays delivery of the final report. “Moderators who write their

own reports aim to finish them within a week or 10 days of the last group, so the

information is still fresh in their minds as they write,” Greenbaud says. “However, most

moderators (who use writers) do not provide the final report to their clients until three

or four weeks after the last group, due to the process they use with the

editors.”
Personal analysis

The final report is a very important document, as it serves to communicate the results of

the research, in which the data obtained through qualitative, quantitative, and other methods

are detailed. This presentation makes recommendations based on the analysis of the

information obtained.
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However, this report must be developed and validated by experts who, at the time of

writing, must use understandable words depending on the type of people to whom it is

addressed. In conclusion, it is an important tool that serves as a basis for all types of

research.

Literature
Baptista, P., Hernández, R., & Fernández, C. (2006). Research Methodology (Vol.
Fifth Edition). Mexico, Mexico: Mc Graw-Hill.
Fernandez, A. (2004). Market research and techniques (Vol. Second Edition). Madrid, Spain:
ESIC.
Malhotra, N. (2008). Market Research (Vol. Fifth edition). Mexico, Mexico: Pearson.