Research Report Writing

By Rama Krishna Kompella

The Marketing Research Report

• Marketing research report: a factual message that transmits research – results, – vital recommendations, – conclusions, and – other important information – To aid in decision making on the content of the

report

Objectives of Marketing Research Reports

• To effectively communicate findings of the marketing research project

• To provide interpretations of the findings in the form of sound and logical recommendations

• To illustrate credibility of the research project• To serve as a future reference document for

strategic or tactical decisions

Topics to IncludeResearch objectives

Research questions

Literature review

Research methods

Findings

Interpretation and summary

Conclusion and recommendations

Enhancing Credibility

Accuracy BelievableProfessionally

organized

Levels of Readers

• Readers who will read only the executive summary

• Readers who will read the summary and the findings

• Readers who will read the entire report and appendix

Preparation Hints

• Make an outline of all major points–support with details in their proper position

• Use short, concise sentences and paragraphs• Say exactly what you intend to say–do not leave the

reader “grasping” for more information• Select working that is consistent with the

background and knowledge of the reader• Rewrite and rewrite–this will force you to remove

clutter and critically evaluate the document for errors

Components of the Methods and Procedures Section• The research design used (exploratory,

descriptive and/or causal)• Types of secondary data included in the

study• Data collection procedures and

administration• Sampling and sampling processes

A Simple Readable Results of Frequencies

A Simple Bar Chart

A Pie Chart

A Bar Chart Displaying Multiple Thematically Related Means

Bar Chart Portraying a Crosstab

Correlations of Item Ratings

Displaying Regression Findings

Illustration of Conclusions

Illustration of Recommendations

Common Problems in Preparing Report

• Lack of data interpretation• Unnecessary use of multivariate statistics• Emphasis on packaging instead of quality• Lack of relevance• Placing too much emphasis on a few statistics

Guidelines for Preparing Visual Presentation

• Begin with a slide showing 1) title of presentation, 2) speaker’s name, 3) client identity, 4) research firm

• Include slides that explain research objectives, question, methods, and sample description

• Highlight the research findings• Conclude with recommendations, conclusions,

and research implications

Organizing the Written Report

• Abstract/executive summary: skeleton of your report

• Body: bulk of the report, including introduction, explanation of method, discussion of results, statement of limitations, and a list of recommendations and conclusions

Organizing the Written Report

• Method describes in detail how the research was conducted, who (or what) the subjects were, and what methods were used to achieve the objectives

• Methodology refers to the science of determining appropriate methods to conduct research.

• Method refers to the tools used in a scientific investigation.

• Use method, not methodology!

Organizing the Written Report

• Results present the findings of the research.

• Limitations may focus on, but not limited to, time, money, personnel, and size of population.

Organizing the Written Report

• Conclusions are the outcomes and decisions you have reached based on your research results.

• Recommendations are suggestions for how to proceed based on the conclusions.

• The end matter contains information that the reader may need to refer to for further reading but that is not essential to reporting the data.

Following Guidelines and Principles for the Written Report

• Headings indicate the topic of each section.• Subheadings should divide that information

into segments.• Visuals are tables, figures, charts, diagrams,

graphs, and other graphic aids.

A Tip to Make You a Better Writer…Use Subheadings!

• TITLE• FIRST-LEVEL HEADING• Second-Level Heading• Third-Level Heading• Fourth-Level Heading.• Fifth-Level Heading – part of the sentence

Style

• Stylistic devices can make the difference in whether or not your reader gets the message as you intended it.– Examples:

• A good paragraph has one main idea…• Capitalize on white space.

Plagiarism

• Plagiarism refers to presenting the work of others as your own and is a serious offense.– If you are in doubt, document!

Format for Marketing Research Reports

• Title page• Table of contents• Executive summary

– Research objectives– Statement of method– Key findings– Conclusion/

recommendations• Introduction

• Research methods and procedures

• Data analysis and findings

• Conclusions and recommendations

• Limitations• Appendices

Questions?