Deck 9: Understanding the Report Process and Research Methods

Question 1

Fazer Technologies Inc. distributed copies of its annual report to its stockholders. Fazer's annual report is an example of an _____.

A)informal report
B)analytical report
C)external report
D)internal report

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The development of an effective survey instrument, such as a questionnaire or interview guide, is critical to obtaining reliable and valid data.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Referencing is optional when paraphrasing.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

At the end of every year, Trent Enterprises sends an annual report to its shareholders. This is an example of an analytical report.

Question 5

The main function of vertical reports is to contribute to management control.

Question 6

One advantage of secondary research is that it avoids needless duplication of costly research efforts.

Question 7

A report is presented before attempting to solve a problem.

Question 8

Which of the following is a characteristic of a formal report?

A)Formal reports are written in natural language.
B)Formal reports include personal pronouns.
C)Formal reports contain much detail.
D)Formal reports are subjective.

Question 9

Primary research relies on firsthand data, such as responses from pertinent individuals or observations of people or phenomena related to your study.

Question 10

The null hypothesis tends to be stated in a way that favors one possibility or is prejudiced toward a particular answer.

Question 11

Reliability refers to the degree to which data measures what it is intended to measure.

Question 12

The conclusion of a report consists of a suggested action based on research.

Question 13

A report that provides a written description of how an organization can meet the needs of another organization is known as a _____.

A)memo
B)proposal
C)hypothesis
D)recommendation

Question 14

Boundaries imposed outside the control of the researchers are called limitations.

Question 15

Many researchers prefer to state hypotheses in the null form because:

A)it favors a single possibility or outcome.
B)it is easier to describe than a regular hypothesis.
C)it is not prejudiced towards a particular answer.
D)it is almost always proved correct during experiments.

Question 16

When interpreting data, it is good for the researcher to assume the constancy of human behavior.

Question 17

Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else's ideas or words as your own.

Question 18

Bridgette, as head of the Mariot Bank's internal auditing division has prepared a report on current auditing procedures. The report presents a detailed list of suggested solutions to the bank's auditing problems. Bridgette's report is an example of a(n) _____.

A)informational report
B)analytical report
C)external report
D)informal report

Question 19

Correlation analysis might be used to determine whether a relationship existed between how respondents answered one item and how they answered another.

Question 20

Reports that examine the buying habits of a group of teenagers at three-month intervals are examples of a longitudinal study.

Question 21

Which of the following is an example of a recommendation?

A)The cost of the brick veneer will be seven percent more than aluminum siding.
B)Even though brick veneer is more expensive, we understand it will be more durable over the years.
C)Install brick veneer, because its slightly higher cost will be well offset by its durability.
D)Both brick veneer and aluminum siding have their advantages.

Question 22

In-text parenthetical citations prepared using the APA format direct the reader to a list of sources that is arranged alphabetically by the:

A)author's first name.
B)author's last name.
C)name of the publisher.
D)place of publication.

Question 23

Which of the following is a common error at the data-gathering stage?

A)Using large samples
B)Using samples which are not representative
C)Using information from unbiased sources
D)Gathering a lot of information

Question 24

Conducting a pilot test of a survey instrument on a small group of the population can:

A)correct problems in clarity and lead to better response and quality of answers.
B)serve to develop more complex questions for a larger sample group.
C)provide trends that may preclude the use of a larger sample group.
D)show misleading trends that may tamper with the validity of the study.

Question 25

Cindy is conducting a research on consumer buying habits in department stores. However, on looking at the enormous volume of data on the subject, she decides to limit the scope of the project. Which of the following measures would help Cindy achieve this?

A)Sticking to the maximum number of pages allowed
B)Using the what, why, when, where, and who questions
C)Using a single secondary source for all data
D)Gathering as much information from primary research as possible

Question 26

Explain the benefits of conducting secondary research.

Question 27

Darren was asked to document a research paper as part of his final examination. The assignment needed weeks of careful study and experimentation before submission. Having ignored the paper until the day before the submission, he felt that he had no choice but to lift material off another research article that he had found on the Internet. In other words, Darren is guilty of _____.

A)plagiarism
B)​libel
C)​slander
D)​defamation

Question 28

In the context of analyzing research data, which of the following best describes the role of the range?

A)The range assists the researcher in understanding the distribution of the scores.
B)​The range describes the average value of the distribution.
C)​The range might be used to determine whether a relationship existed between how respondents answered one item and how they answered another.
D)​The range reduces quantitative data such as numerous answers to questionnaire items.

Question 29

Alicia is conducting a study on consumer behavior. She needs to note the number of people who shop at a particular grocery store at a particular time during a weekday. She also needs to pay attention to their preferred brands of choice, the arrangement of items at the store, and the customer service they receive. This is an example of a(n) _____ study.

A)observational
B)normative
C)experimental
D)replication

Question 30

Which of the following is a common error that hinders the accurate interpretation of data?

A)Interpreting results from a large sampling
B)Tabulating a questionnaire with many items
C)Basing a conclusion on lack of evidence
D)Applying statistical analysis

Question 31

Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies a longitudinal study?

A)A study on post-recession unemployment rates.
B)A study on the health effects of the use of pesticides on vegetables before and after use.
C)A study on the development of babies a month after birth and again at age five.
D)A study on soil erosion rates during the 2015 Asian monsoon season.

Question 32

Brian is conducting a research on a certain topic. However, he soon recognizes certain limitations concerning his study. In this context, the limitations refer to:

A)Brian's own weaknesses or personal limitations.
B)inaccuracies in the final copy of Brian's research paper.
C)constraints that Brian himself has chosen to place on the research.
D)constraints on the research that are outside of Brian's control.

Question 33

In the context of referencing, which of the following is an accurate statement concerning the use of footnotes?

A)​Placing citations at the bottom of the page on which they are cited is the footnote citation.
B)Footnotes are used frequently in the MLA and APA styles of referencing.
C)Footnotes appear at the beginning of the document in the order in which they appeared in the document.
D)A list of footnotes at the end of a document is referred to as a bibliography.

Question 34

Which of the following is an accurate statement concerning the use of primary and secondary research methods?

A)Secondary research helps establish a point of departure for further research.
B)A researcher typically chooses either secondary or primary research and seldom uses both.
C)Primary research is the predominant research method selected for a study, with secondary research available as an option, if needed.
D)Secondary research includes observation, experimentation, and normative surveys unlike primary research which provides information that has already been created by others.

Question 35

In the context of analyzing research data, which of the following best describes the role of the mean, median, and mode?

A)They assist the researcher in understanding the distribution of the scores.
B)They are used to determine a possible relationship between answers to two different items.
C)They reduce quantitative data such as numerous answers to questionnaire items.
D)They are descriptions of the average value of the distribution.

Question 36

Which of the following is a source of primary data?

A)Journal articles
B)Surveys
C)Online government documents
D)A movie review

Question 37

A(n) _____ typically involves no contact with the human subjects under study.

A)Observational study
B)Experimental research
C)Normative survey
D)Longitudinal research

Question 38

A research firm wants to conduct research to determine what the U.S. population thinks of imported clothing at a given point in time. Describe three primary research options that are available for this type of research. Which option would you recommend that the research firm use
Why?

Question 39

Describe the four steps in finding a solution to a business problem.

Question 40

In a report on effective advertising to the next generation, researchers explain the small size of the selected sample and the use of three selected online databases. They are describing the ____ of the study.

A)delimitations
B)problem scope
C)limitations
D)hypotheses

Question 41

Explain the difference between a finding, a conclusion, and a recommendation.

Question 42

List the suggestions for developing an effective questionnaire.

Question 43

Technicorp Electronics, a chain of stores selling electronics in the north-east region of the United States, is interested in determining whether they are paying their sales representatives an appropriate salary. They have decided to conduct a survey across electronics stores all over the north-east region of the United States to determine how well they are paying their employees. Limit and define the scope of the issues by answering the five Ws and writing a statement of purpose.

Question 44

Sheena has been asked to conduct an observational study to determine the effect of customer service on customer shopping duration. She believes that customers' shopping duration will increase if of customer service is enhanced.​Required:​Outline the basic structure of the study including methodology, observations, findings, and a conclusion.

Question 45

List the seven common errors that seriously hinder the interpretation of data.

Question 46

Feasibility Report for New Office​Hasley's, a retail chain based in the Midwest, has offices in several locations throughout the U.S. Due to expanding markets, the company is researching the need to open a new location in the Southwest. You are a member of a team asked to write a report on the feasibility of an office at this new location. The team must define the scope of the report and develop a statement of purpose.​Required:​Identify five questions that need answering to help the team limit the scope of this report. Provide an answer to each question and write a Statement of Purpose for the report.

Question 47

Distinguish between formal and informal reports.

Question 48

Differentiate between periodic reports and functional reports.

Question 49

Improvement of Poor Questionnaire
Meacham Industries is a small company that wants to improve communications between supervisors and employees. A questionnaire has been developed for distribution to employees on their attitudes toward communication with supervisors. The following questions are in the form of a draft and need to be rewritten for clarity and easy tabulation.​Required:
Rewrite the above questions for clarity and easy tabulation of results.1.Do you work in the office, maintenance, assembly line, or shipping
.How long have you worked here
.Do you think most supervisors are approachable
.Do you feel that you can talk to your supervisor when needed
.Is your supervisor available to answer questions
.How do you prefer to communicate with your supervisor
.How does your supervisor usually communicate with you
.Does your supervisor give you feedback
.Does your supervisor give reprimands
How
0.Do you think an employee suggestion box would be useful?

Question 50

Identify four methods of collecting data through surveys, and list one advantage and one disadvantage of each method.