What is the Final Market Research Report?
The Final Report is the last step in the investigation process. It is a written document that has the purpose of making something known: presenting facts and data obtained and elaborated, their analysis and interpretation, indicating the procedures used and reaching certain conclusions and recommendations.
Its objective is to communicate the results of an investigation.
Report Types
In general, four (04) types of reports are usually distinguished, considering the recipients and purposes of the research as classification criteria:
A. Scientific Reports:
They are intended for men of science, consequently competent in the subject of research; In this case, the language is rigorous and there are no limitations in the use of technicalities; these reports belong to the category of "scientific memoirs".
B. Technical Reports:
Intended for public or private organizations that have commissioned the study or research; in this case, while maintaining the utmost rigor, it will be ensured that the report is accessible to the addressees, who do not always master all the "jargon" typical of sociology, anthropology, social psychology, etc.
C. Disclosure Reports:
These are studies intended for the general public; therefore, they must be written in a language accessible to a person of average culture.
D. Mixed Reports:
They are usually intended for an organization, at the same time that they are made known to the general public.
Guidelines for preparing written reports
Researchers who are effective at reporting agree that there are a number of guidelines that must be followed.
- Take into account the audience.
Make a clear report; use only words familiar to readers and define technical terms. For easy number comparisons, use percentages, rounded figures, rankings, or proportions; put the exact data in a table within the text or in the appendix.
- Refer to Information Needs.
Remember that the research report is designed to communicate information to the decision makers. Make sure you clearly link the research findings to management's objectives.
- Be Concise but Complete.
Most managers will not want to read about the details of the research project. It is a difficult task to know what should be included and what should be left out. It is up to you, the investigator, to take into account the information needs of the decision maker at the time of writing your report.
- Be objective.
You will probably have to face at least one situation in which you know that the results will not be readily accepted by the client. The results may conflict with the experience and judgment of the decision maker, or they may unfavorably reflect the wisdom of previous decisions. In these circumstances there is a strong temptation to misrepresent the report, making the results appear more acceptable to management. However, a professional researcher will present the research results in an objective (ie, unbiased) manner and will defend their validity, if it is contested by the client.
- Style
Writing style is a topic for a Spanish or communications course, but there are certain points that will help you write a report that is easy to read.
- Write in short business language Use short words and phrases Be concise Take appearance into account Blanks (parts of pages that are blank) make a long report easier to read. Graphs and charts, used primarily to visually exemplify statistical ideas, are also useful for creating blank spaces. Avoid cliches. Write in the present tense. Use the active voice. Quoting certain respondents' comments makes reporting be more interesting and readable, and can provide a better idea or spark new ideas.
Report Format or Structure
There is no specific format that is suitable for all situations. An investigative work is not concluded until the report has been written. The brightest hypothesis, the most carefully prepared and conducted study, the most surprising results are of little value unless they are communicated to others. Many social scientists seem to view report writing as an annoying minutia that appears at the end of the research process, but is not actually an inherent part of it.
Through the research process, data are obtained to be able to express them in an adequate way for the purposes of the research, taking into account what it is aimed at, for this reason the reports are presented under the modality of writing the report.
The following guide is generally accepted as the basic format for most research projects.
1.- Cover
2.- Table of Contents
3.- Table of Contents (or figures, graphs, etc.)
4.- Managerial Summary
a.- Objectives
b.- Results
c.- Conclusions
d.- Recommendations
5.- Body
a.- Introduction
b.- Results
c.- Limitations
6.- Conclusions and Recommendations
7.- Appendix
a.- Sample Plan
b.- Data Collection Formats
c.- Support tables not included in the body
Structure of the Reports
Regarding the structure of the reports, it has a logical sequence that, in general terms, explains what it is about, what was done, how it was done and what the conclusions are. Whatever the length or nature of the reports, they have certain common elements that constitute their basic structure. One way of doing it more or less universally accepted is the following:
| Preliminary Section | 1. Foreword |
| 2. Content or General | |
| 3. Introduction | |
| to. Problem Statement | |
| b. Meaning of the Problem or History of the Concept | |
| c. Explanation as precise as possible of the Object of the Investigation: what is done and why it is done. | |
| 4. Theoretical Reference Framework | |
| Working definitions used | |
| 5. Review of the Bibliography related to the subject and with Research already carried out on the same or similar question. | |
| 6. Research Outline: | |
| Body
of the Report |
to. Brief Reference to Research Design |
| b. Description of Methods and Techniques used | |
| 7. Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Facts: | |
| to. The facts | |
| b. Analysis of the Facts | |
| c. The Interpretation of Facts | |
| 8. Summaries and Conclusions | |
| to. Main findings; conclusions that follow from the results. | |
| b. Suggestions for further research, and / or | |
| c. Diagnosis (when it is an investigation to carry out a social action program | |
| Section
of References |
9. Bibliography |
| 10. Annexes and Appendices: | |
| to. Graphics & Illustrations | |
| b. Statistical data | |
| c. Supplementary material |
Cover page
The cover should contain a title that summarizes the essence of the study, date, name of the organization that is presenting the report of the organization to whom it is addressed, and report. If the report is confidential, the individuals who will receive it should be listed on this page.
Tables of Contents
The table of contents sequentially lists the topics covered in the report, along with their page references. Its purpose is to help readers find specific sections of the report that are of most interest to them.
Table index
This index lists the titles and page numbers of all visual aids. This table can be located on the same page as the table of contents or on a separate page.
Managerial Summary
The management summary is a concise and accurate presentation of the fundamental aspects of the report. This one or two page synopsis should be done for most research reports. Since many executives read only the management summary, it is important that this section is accurate and that it is written properly.
The management summary is not a miniature of the main report, it provides the decision maker with the research results that have the greatest impact on the decision to be made, this summary should include:
- Objectives of the research project Nature of the decision problem Key results Conclusions (opinions and interpretations based on research) Recommendations for action
Body of the Report
Details of the research project are in the body of the report. This section includes: Introduction, methodology, results and limitations.
Introduction
The purpose of the introduction is to provide the reader with the basic information necessary to understand the rest of the report. The nature of the introduction is conditioned by the diversity of the audience and their familiarity with the research project. The more diverse the audience, the more extensive the introduction.
The introduction should clearly explain the nature of the decision problem and the object of the investigation. The basic information should relate to the product or service involved, and the circumstances surrounding the decision problem. The nature of any investigation prior to the problem should be reviewed.
Methodology
The purpose of the methodology section is to describe the nature of the research design, sample plan, and data collection and analysis procedures. This is a very difficult section to write. Sufficient detail should be given so that the reader can appreciate the nature of the methodology used, but the presentation should not be excessive or monotonous. The use of technical jargon should be avoided.
The methodology section should tell the reader whether the design was exploratory or conclusive. The data sources, secondary or primary, must be explained. The nature of the method of data collection, communication and observation should be specified. The reader needs to know who was included in the sample, sample size, and nature of the sampling procedure.
This section is designed to summarize the technical aspects of the research project in a style that is understandable by a non-technical person; You must develop confidence in the quality of the procedures used. Technical details should be minimized and placed in an appendix for those who want a more detailed methodological analysis.
Results
The body of the report is composed of the results of the investigation, which should be organized around the objectives of the investigation and the information needs. This presentation should include a logical exposition of the information, as if a story were to be told. The report of the findings should have a definitive point of view and fit within something logical; it is not simply the presentation of an endless series of tables. Rather, the organization of data in a logical flow of information is required for decision-making purposes.
Limitations
Each research project has limitations that need to be communicated in a clear and concise way. In this process, the researcher should avoid commenting on minor weaknesses in the study. The purpose of this section is not to lower the quality of the research project, but to allow the reader to make a judgment about the validity of the study results.
Limitations in a market research project generally involve sampling inaccuracies and non-response, methodologies weaknesses. The wording of the conclusions and recommendations section is affected by the recognized and accepted limitations of the study. It is the professional responsibility of the researcher to clearly inform the reader of these limitations.
Conclusions and recommendations
The conclusions and recommendations should flow in a logical way from the presentation of the results. The conclusions should clearly relate the research findings with the information needs and based on this relationship make recommendations for action.
The investigator's recommendations should be more reason, based on the research findings.
Regarding the researcher's point of view, he must focus on the decision problem and think in terms of action, he must appreciate the managerial aspects and the role of research in the decision-making process and can identify recommendations not yet considered by who makes decisions.
In the final analysis, the action taken is the responsibility of the decision maker and the recommendations given by the investigation report may or may not be followed.
Appendix
The appendix provides a space for non-essential material in the body of the report. This material is more specialized and complex than the material presented in the main report and is intended to meet the needs of the reader. Often, it will contain copies of the data collection forms, sampling plan details, estimates of statistical error, instructions for the interviewer, and detailed statistical tables associated with the data analysis process.
Presentation of the Data
When it comes time to present research reports, the two most commonly used aids are tables and figures. These make the report less complex and easier to read and understand. Graphic aids enhance physical appearance.
General Guidelines for the Presentation of Graphic Aids
Consistently, it is best to use an illustration within the text if the reader needs to refer to it while reading the report. If the information is supplementary or too long it can be placed in an appendix.
- Always introduce the illustration before presenting it to the reader.
- Do not analyze minute details of the illustration, readers will find it complex and redundant.
All graphic aids must include the following elements:
- Table or Figure Number Titles: Indicates the content of the table or figure Labels: The heading contains the legends or statements of the columns in a table, while the margins contain the labels of the rows.
The data can be presented in Tabular (Tables) or Graphical form.
* Example of Data in Tabular Form
Table 1. Quarterly Student Income by Zone
| Trimester | This | West | North |
| one | 20100 | 30000 | 45000 |
| two | 25000 | 38010 | 47000 |
| 3 | 90000 | 32221 | 44000 |
| 4 | 20102 | 30200 | 43000 |
The graphical form involves presenting the data in terms of visually interpreted sizes. Charts can enhance a presentation by focusing on important points that cannot be clearly explained in tables. They are fast and attractive means of presenting numbers, trends and relationships.
Pie, Bar and Line Graphs are the most frequently used formats.
Pie Chart
It is one of the simplest and most effective ways to represent proportional relationships.
Pie Chart
Beware of putting excessive information on a single pie chart. Keep 5-6 segments and segment groups that represent small percentages, generally less than 5%.
An elegant technique that has become very popular in business presentations is to separate segments of the graph.
Bar Graph
If you use more than four (04) graphs of this type, you should consider using a Bar Graph.
A Bar Graph presents the magnitudes of the data according to the length of several bars that are positioned with respect to a horizontal or vertical scale.
These graphs are best for illustrating multiple comparisons and complex relationships.
To compare different data sets on a single graph, use a Cluster Bar Graph. They group the general topics together and then divide the information into specific categories.
Bar Graph by Cluster
Since usually, there is not enough room for all of these classifications, draw each bar with a different pattern and / or color and describe the bar in a legend below the graph.
Line Graph
Line Charts effectively show trends over a period of time.
In the following situations, a line plot is preferred:
- When the data cover a long period of time When different series are compared in the same diagram When the emphasis is on movement and not on the actual quantity When trends in the frequency distribution are presented When a multiple quantity scale is used When forecasts are to be presented
Line Graph
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