Author Question: A business report writer should always carefully document report data for four reasons. List and ... (Read 183 times)

Caiter2013 · **on:** Jun 23, 2018

A business report writer should always carefully document report data for four reasons. List and explain these reasons. Then describe five types of information that must be documented.

Question 2

Business researchers use both primary and secondary data when preparing business reports. Compare these two types of data, describing each source and explaining when each would be used. Then give three examples of each type of data.

AngeliqueG · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 23, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Four reasons for documenting data:
1 ) To strengthen your argument: Including good data from reputable sources will convince readers of your credibility and the logic of your reasoning.
2 ) To protect yourself against charges of plagiarism: Acknowledging your sources keeps you honest. Plagiarism, which is illegal and unethical, is the act of using others' ideas without proper documentation.
3 ) To instruct the reader: Citing references enables readers to pursue a topic further and to make use of the information themselves.
4 )
To save time: The world of business moves so quickly that words and ideas must often be borrowed-which is very acceptable when you give credit to your sources.

Types of information to document:

1 ) Another person's ideas, opinions, examples, or theories
2 ) Any facts, statistics, graphs, and drawings that are not common knowledge
3 ) Quotations of another's actual spoken or written words
4 ) Paraphrases of another person's spoken or written words
5 ) Visuals, images, and any kind of electronic media

Answer to Question 2

Secondary Data: Secondary data come from reading what others have experienced and observed. Secondary data are easier and cheaper to develop than primary data; therefore, nearly every research project should begin with collecting secondary data.

Examples: books, periodicals (print and Web-based), indexes, research databases, Web

Primary Data: Primary data result from firsthand experience and observation. Business reports that solve specific current problems typically rely on primary, firsthand data.

Examples: surveys, interviews, observations, experiments