Lecture 10
Finding, Evaluating, and
Processing Information
The Research Process
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Plan your research
Locate data and information
Process data and information
Apply your findings
Manage information
Plan Your Research
• Learn about the subject
• Identify information gaps
• Prioritize research needs
Ethics and Etiquette in
Business Research
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Don’t skew results
Respect privacy of participants
Document sources
Respect intellectual property
Don’t misquote
Learn About the Subject
• Industry publications
• Competitor’s websites
• Interviews with Experts
Information Gap Analysis
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Clarify the decision or conclusion
Identify subquestions
Clarify information requirements
Locate existing information
Assess the information gap
Data and Information
• Secondary research
• Primary research
Evaluating Sources
Honesty and
Reliability
Potential
Bias
Purpose of
the Material
The Author
Data Collection
Methods
Independent
Verification
Completeness
Logic and
Good Sense
Timeliness
Secondary Research
• A specific company
• An entire industry
• Statistics and trends
• Business issues
Finding Information
at the Library
Business
Books
Directories
Electronic
Databases
Newspapers
Periodicals
Almanacs
Statistical
Resources
Government
Publications
Online Information
• Internet public library
• Company websites
Internet Search Tools
• Search engines
– Web directories
– Online databases
– Meta-search engines
Search Techniques
• Keywords
• Boolean operators
• Natural language
• Forms-based
Fine Tune Search Methods
• Read instructions
• Review your options
• Adjust search scope
• Understand details
• Vary search terms
• Employ search agents
Documenting Sources
• Credit sources
• Build credibility
• Help your readers
Primary Information
• Surveys
• Interviews
• Experiments
• observations
Survey Questions
• Ask easy-to-analyze questions
• Avoid leading questions
• Ask one question at a time
• Pretest all questionnaires
Effective Interviews
• Purpose
– Collect information
– Make decisions
– Clarify issues
• Structure
– Overall length
– Stylistic issues
– Organization
Types of Questions
• Close-ended
• Restatement
• Direct open-ended
• Open-ended
Preparing Questions
• Think about sequence
• Rate the questions
• Ask smart questions
• Mix types of questions
• Limit the number
• Edit questions
Processing
Interview Information
• Quoting
• Paraphrasing
• Summarizing
Analyzing the Data
• Mean, median, and mode
• Overall trends
• Cause and correlation
• Cross-tabulation
Minimize Mistakes and
Misinterpretations
• Avoid faulty comparisons
• Don’t push research results
• Avoid misleading presentations
Applying Your Findings
• Unbiased summary
• Logical conclusion
• Feasible recommendations
Knowledge Management
• Information
• Insights
• Experiences
• Research