General Considerations
1.
Due: final class session.
2.
The text of the written report is to be no longer than twenty pages double spaced pages , excluding figures, tables and appendices. Note that you may want to modify the figures/tables/exhibits you show in your oral presentation for inclusion in the written report. What works well to communicate a point rapidly to a large group is not necessarily the same as what works well in a hardcopy, written document. Typically, your tables/figures in the written report will contain more detail than those in your oral presentation.
Be sure the figures and tables are clearly labeled and numbered (i.e. Figure 1,
Figure 2, etc.).
If you are so inclined, you can embed figures and tables in the text. This will produce a more professional-looking report. The 20 page limit only applies to the text itself, not the figures/tables, so you may wind up with more than 20 pages if you embed figures and tables. This is OK.
3.
Margins should be one inch on all four sides.
4.
I am expecting a professional, thorough, well written, and interesting report. The appearance of your report counts heavily in my grading. Remember, this is likely to be the one thing your client sponsor will be seeing. Your client will depend on this report in order to use the information you collected in your project. The results in your written report should be results your client can actually use.
5.
Number all pages, beginning with the Managerial Summary.
6.
I prefer laser-printed copy using a proportionally spaced font. The final report must be bound in some manner. Do not turn in loose sheets that are clamped together.
7.
Make sure your client gets a copy of the written report. When you turn the copy in to me, immediately mail or deliver a copy to the client as well. Don't delay this! I also suggest that you leave a contact phone number with your client. If you're leaving town, leave a number where one or more people in the group can be reached in case the client has any questions so they can follow up. Send the client a professional cover letter thanking them for their assistance, and include the contact phone number in this letter.
8.
Please provide me with a diskette containing the SPSS for Windows data set for your project (this is Appendix D). I may possibly use your data to construct examples for instructional purposes in future marketing research classes.
9.
Turn in all filled in copies of the questionnaire to me with your report, unless you have cleared it with me in advance that your sponsor is to receive the questionnaires.

10.
Some additional guidelines: o All statements in your report must be backed up with hard numbers . That is, you should include tables reporting means, percentages, regression o coefficients, results of significance tests, and effect size measures. Do not make unsubstantiated statements that are not backed up by numbers.
It is better to put detailed numbers in tables rather than in the text. Don't overload the text with statistical information. It is appropriate to report pvalues for significant results in the text, but effect-size measures are o probably better placed in a table. When you report a p-value, keep it simple: the mean for men (4.31) was significantly different (p=.013) than the mean for women (3.71). Use discretion, however. With a clear summary table, it is often sufficient merely to say the results are significant in the text, and put the p- values in a table.
Two significant digits are usually plenty, three at most (for p-values, three o are better than two). Again, use discretion. Do not present numbers such as "the mean for men was 3.434342." This is plain silly!
Design of tables is very important. Think of a table as a data resource for your client that may answer questions you haven't answered in the text.
You should always give the client enough information in a table that they can independently evaluate the statement you make in your text. Thus, if you are comparing market segments, on a series of 20 rating scales, your text might have a summary discussion of important differences. However, this should be backed up by a table showing 1) means of all segments on all rating scales, 2) the p-value for a significance test, 3) an indication of the effect size, and 4) a summary of significant post-hoc comparisons.
A corollary of the above is that you need to provide clear instructions in your report about how the table is to be interpreted. Tell the client how to interpret an effect size measure, and how to interpret post-hoc tests. Be sure they will be able to use the information you are providing.
Tables should not display unnecessary "junk" - do not put in unneeded standard errors, sums-of-squares, etc. that SPSS prints but which are not fundamental to answering the questions 1) is it significant? 2) how big is it? and 3) what does it mean? o Attractive figures are also important. Figures can be substituted for detailed tables of means in many cases. We will discuss issue of data graphics in class - follow these design principles!

Format of Written Report:
Percentages are given below for relative allocation of grade by topic area. Note that even if you get 100% of these points, you may have additional points taken off if the style of your report does not conform to the guidelines listed above and below.
The following organization is strongly suggested:
1.
COVER PAGE - should include the following: o Title of your project
Course, section number and instructor o o o o
Names of all group members
The client's name
The date the project was completed o Disclaimer from the sponsor form
2.
TABLE OF CONTENTS - should list major and minor headings of the research report and the pages upon which they appear.
3.
MANAGERIAL SUMMARY - One page maximum. This usually comes off best if you write it last, after you know what you have to say!
4.
STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE (10%). Describe any secondary or qualitative exploratory research used to define this statement.
Provide a brief description of the background of the study. Then, clearly describe your research purpose (problems/opportunities to be studied; decision alternatives to be evaluated; users of the research results) and research objective (research questions; hypotheses; research boundaries). You may prefer to present much of the discussion in a table.
5.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY o Questionnaire design (5%) - Annotated Questionnaire should appear as
Appendix A. Describe your pre-testing. Justify the selection of questions on your questionnaire - how were they selected to address your research questions? o Sampling plan (5%) - Discuss the type of sampling method you chose and the rationale for this choice. Describe your sampling in enough detail that someone could replicate your survey. Identify any potential sources of o bias, such as systematic exclusion of people from the sample frame.
Data collection and data entry (5%). Describe how the data was actually collected (mail, phone, personal interview, etc.) and justify why it was done that way. What unexpected difficulties emerged (difficulty in obtaining cooperation, nonresponse, etc.) and how did you handle them?
How closely did you actually follow your sampling plan? What was response rate? How long did it take to collect all data? Is there likely to be bias from non-response? How would you expect nonresponse bias to work
- as an upward or downward bias?
6.
ANALYSIS RESULTS (40%) o General composition of the sample. Briefly characterize the sample using results of one-way frequency distributions and means.

o Answers to research questions. The best way to organize the analysis section is by your research questions. Research questions can form major headings and subheadings, and provide the most interesting way to organize your analysis. Frequencies, means, crosstabs, correlation,
ANOVA and regression analysis - as appropriate - should be used to answer your research questions.
Which statistical techniques should you use? I will be looking for whether the technique is appropriate, whether it is used correctly, and whether you are taking full advantage of all of the methods we have discussed.
As you address your research questions, note whether your initial hypotheses were confirmed or disconfirmed.
Graphs and tables should be used to present the results of your analysis.
Your text should clearly refer to these tables and figures by number. The set of tables and figures should appear at the end of the report, before the
Appendices. You can prepare graphs using SPSS or any PC business graphics program, such as Harvard Graphics. See section 8 below for discussion of format of tables and figures.
It is very important that you do not use unedited computer output as your tables. A complete collection of computer printouts is extremely cumbersome and require some effort in extracting the data. Your job as an analyst is to make the results as clear as possible to the client.
In addition, it is very important that your text does not consist of a string of numbers you rattle off. All numbers, except for very simple analyses
(such as a statement that 70% of the sample was female), should appear in tables or figures. The text should refer to a table or figure and briefly interpret it in order to address a particular research question.
7.
RECOMMENDATIONS (10%). Based upon the analyses you performed, and your interpretation of the results, which course of action (decision alternative) should the client pursue? Justify this choice based upon your results. Also include a summary of the limitations of your project, and include a brief discussion of things you would have done differently. (Note, I will not take off points for things you identify as problems with your project, so don't be afraid to mention problems. However, I will take off points if I can identify serious problems that you did not mention!) If further research is indicated, you may wish to outline the nature of this research in your recommendations.
8.
TABLES AND FIGURES (15%)- these should be clearly numbered (i.e., "Table
1," "Table 2," etc.), and referred to by these numbers in the text of the report. For tables, you can either a) retype the data from SPSS output so that it is in a clearer, easier-to-read format, or else b) cut and paste SPSS computer output (either electronically or manually). You will most likely be rewarded with a higher grade

for the former than the latter approach. Be sure the results can be easily understood by the client.
Besides Tables of numbers, you should also use Figures to graphically illustrate the results of key analyses. The old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words is equally true for business reports. A picture, (or graph or figure), can indeed be worth a thousand words when it is appropriate to the presentation and well designed. When inappropriate or poorly designed, such a figure may actually detract from the value of the report.
In a research report, a graph must be more than simply converting a set of numbers to a drawing. The picture must give the readers an accurate understanding of the comparisons or relationships that they would otherwise have to search for in the numbers in the report and perhaps fail to see. If well done, the graph will give the readers this understanding more quickly, more forcefully, more completely, and more accurately than could be done in any other way.
You should consider types of graphs discussed in class and in the SPSS manual - line charts, bar charts, scatterplots, boxplots, etc. You can use SPSS or any other business graphics package for preparing charts.
9.
APPENDICES (10%) o Appendix A - Annotated questionnaire. This should include information on cooperation rate, plus 1) names of variables used in SPSS, 2) percentage of the nonmissing values falling in each category, 3) number of o o o missing responses, 4) mean of nonmissing responses for numeric variables.
Appendix B - a statement which states that a copy of the report has been sent to the sponsor. Provide a name, phone, and address, for one contact person from your group who can be reached if there are any questions about expenses, or other aspects of your report.
Appendix C - a diskette containing your SPSS data set (do not provide this to the sponsor!)
Appendix D - (optional) Technical appendix containg additional tables, figures, or text. This contains material which is too technical or detailed for the main body of the report. Detailed results from qualitative or secondary research should also be placed in Appendix D.