DATA Processing - editing, coding of data

Processed and analyzed in accordance with the laid down for the purpose at the time of developing the research plan.

Data Collection and Preparation

Data Analysis and Interpretation

Editing
Detects errors and omissions, corrects them when possible, and certifies athat maximum data quality standards are achieved The editors Accurate Purpose is Consistent (intent of the question and other info.) To guarantee Uniformly entered that data are Complete & Well arranged (to facilitate / simplify coding & tabulations) Field editing: review of the reporting forms by the investigator for completing (translating/rewriting) what the latter has written in abbreviated and/or illegible form at the time of recording the respondents responses. Central editing: This type of editing implies that all forms of schedules should get a through editing by a single editor in a small study and by team of editors of large inquiry.

Coding
It is the process of assigning numerals or other symbols to answers so that responses can be put into a limited number of categories or classes. Categorization is the process of using rules to petition a body of data. Both closed and free-response questions must be coded. E.g. male / female, 0 / 1 Codebook construction: A codebook, or coding scheme, contains each variable in the study and specifies the application of coding rules to the variables. e.g. Housing 1-own, 2-Rent, 3-Provided, 9-Missing Pre-coding is assigning codebook codes to variables in a study and recording them on the questionnaire, thus eliminating a separate coding sheet. Coding Free-Response Questions (open-ended questions)

Insufficient information or lack of a hypothesis may prohibit preparing response categories in advance. Measure sensitive or disapproved behaviour, discover salience or importance, or encourage natural mode of expression. e.g. What prompted you to purchase you ;most recent life insurance policy Variable No. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Code Description ought home birth of child death of relative /friend promoted changed job / career paid college expenses acquire assests retired changed marital status started business parents influence contacted by agent other Variable Name HOME BIRTHCHD DEATH PROMO CHGJOB COLLEXP ASSETS RETIRED CHGMAR STARTBUS PARENT AGENT OTHER

Coding Rules Appropriate to the research problem and purpose (testing hypothesis-age grouped-Fox TV used for making an advertising buy) Exhaustive (large no. of other responses to be minimized) Mutually exclusive (professional, sales, managerial) Derived from one classification principle (single dimension, unemployed salesperson Current employment & status) Classification It is the process of arranging data in groups or classes on the basis of common characteristics. i. classification according to attributes: descriptive (literacy, honesty, sex) or numerical (weight, height, income) qualitative and quantitative data ii. classification according to class interval: 15-35, 35-50, 50-60 Tabulation Tabulation is the process of summarizing raw data and displaying the same in compact form for further analysis. Reasons: conserves spaces and reduces explanatory and descriptive statement facilitates the process of comparison summation of items and the detection of errors and omissions. Principles: clear, concise and adequate, without referring to the text clear headings explanatory footnotes sources of data properly aligned logical.

Data entry
It converts information gathered by secondary or primary methods to a medium for viewing and manipulation. Keyboarding remains a mainstay for researchers who need to create a data file immediately and store it in a minimal space on a variety of media.

However, researchers have profited form more efficient ways of speeding up the research character and mark recognition.

Qualitative Vs Quantitative Data Analysis

Qualitative Data Analysis Human analysis followed computer or human coding; primary nonquantitative. It forces the researcher to see the contextual framework of the phenomenon being measured; distinction between facts and judgment less clear. Always organizes during the project. General strategies Analytic induction seeks universal explanation Grounded theory as per the research process More on coding Secondary data analysis similar use of qualitative data Quantitative Data Analysis It is computerized analysis; a statistical and mathematical method dominates, maintains clear distinction between facts and judgments. Analysis may be ongoing during the project. A small research report missing data Types of variables Univariate analyses Frequency tables, diagram Measures of central tendency & dispersion Bivariate analyses Relationships not causality Contingency tables Pearsons r Spearmans r Comparing means and eta Multiivariate analyses Could the relationship be spurious? Could these be an intervening variable? Could a 3rd variable moderate relationship? Statistical significance The chi-square test Correlation and statistical significance Comparing means and statistical significance

Executive summary preparation Appendix, Bibilography

The Research Report Introduction
Report writing is an integral part of a research process. Research reports are written to communicate to the world at large the results of the research, field work, and other activities. Research report is a concrete outcome of the research work undertaken. The quality of the research is judged by the quality of the writing and how well the importance of the findings is conveyed

Purpose of business reports:

The business reports are prepared for the following purposes: Report enables the management to monitor the operations undertaken at various levels and control the same The written report acts as a guideline for future course of action. It enables to plan and organize things in an effective manner. The feed back regarding the various aspects, controls and processes implemented in the organization can be obtained through the reports. The information regarding specific problems or issues can be obtained by way of report. This report may be narrowly focused and provide the desired information to the management in a brief format. Information provided in the reports enables decision making. 6 Report may also be prepared to convince the reader or to sell an idea. The report in this case would be more detailed and convincing as to how the proposed idea could add to the organizations value or the justification as to why it should be adopted. Report may also be prepared to provide several alternative solutions or recommendations so as to compare the pros and cons and select a best course of action. A detailed discussion of methodology, criteria for comparison, data analysis etc should be provided Reports may be prepared to provide an insight into the problem and may also provide a final solution to the same. Types of reports: Reports can be classified on the basis of purpose, source, frequency, target audience, length, subject dealt, function performed and intention. 1. Source Source refers to the person/persons who initiated the report. Voluntary reports are prepared on own initiative and they require more detail. The background of the subject should be more carefully planned. The authorized reports are those which are prepared as a response to a request made. 2. Frequency Routine or periodic reports are submitted on a recurring basis which may be weekly, monthly, daily etc. Some routine reports may be prepared in preprinted computerized form. Due to the routine nature of report, it requires only less introduction then the special reports. Special reports are nonrecurring in nature and they present the results of specific, one time studies or investigations. 3. Length A short report differs from a long report in scope, research and duration. A long report examines the problem in detail and requires more extensive time and effort in preparation. On the contrary a short report may discuss only a module of a problem. A summary is a short report which gives a concise overview of a situation. It highlights the important details but

does not include background material, examples or specific details. A short report is suitable when the problem is well defined, is of limited scope and has a simple methodology. It normally runs to five pages. 4. Intent Informal reports focuses on the facts and explains or educates the readers. Analytical report is designed to solve a problem by convincing readers that the conclusions and recommendations reached are justified based on the data collected, analysis and interpretation. Information provided plays a supporting role in convincing the reader. 5. Function The reports may be classified as informative and interpretative on the basis of function performed. Informative reports present facts pertinent to the issue or situation. Common types of informational reports include those for monitoring and controlling operations, statements of policies and procedures, compliance reports and progress reports. It may take the form of an operating or a periodic report. Operating reports provide managers with detailed information regarding all activities like sales, inventory, costs etc., 6. Subject dealt The reports may be categorized as problem determining, fact finding, performance report, technical report etc. The problem determining report focuses on underlying a problem or to ascertain whether a problem actually exists. Technical reports are concerned with presenting data on a specialized subject with or without comments. 7. Legal reports Reports may be prepared to meet the government regulations. For eg., A compliance report explains what a company is doing to conform to the government regulations. It may be prepared on annual basis like the income tax returns, annual share holders report etc.

Different types of Research Report

(A) Technical Report Main emphasis on (i) methods employed (ii) assumption made in the course of the study (iii) the detailed presentation of the findings including their limitations and supporting data. A general outline of a report can be as follows 1. Summary of results 2. Nature of Study 3. Methods employed 4. Data 5. Analysis of data & presentation of data & presentation of findings 6. Conclusions 7. Bibliography 8. Technical appendices 9. Index (B) Popular Report It gives emphasis on simplicity, attractiveness and clear writing minimization of technical, particularly mathematical liberal use of charts and diagrams. Attractive layout along with large print, many subheadings, even an occasional cartoon given on practical policy implications A general outline of a report can be as follows 1. The findings and their implications 2. Recommendation for action 3. Objective of the study 4. Methods employed

5. Results 6. Technical appendices (C) Survey-based Research Report The main body of the report for the survey-based research contains the following 1. Problem definition 2. Objectives of the research 3. Research Methodology 4. Data analysis 5. Interpretation of results and suggestion 6. Conclusions (D) Algorithmic Research Report There are problems, viz., production scheduling, JIT, supply chain management, line balancing, layout design, portfolio management, etc., exist in reality. The solution for each of the above problems can be obtained through algorithms. So, the researcher should come out with newer algorithms or improved algorithms for such problems. For a combinatorial problem, the researcher should attempt to develop an efficient heuristic. The algorithmic research report can be classified into the following categories. Algorithmic research report for combinatorial problem Exact algorithmic research report for polynomial problem Algorithmic research report with modeling for combinatorial problem The main body of this type of research report will contain the following: 1. Problem definition 2. Literature review 3. Objectives of the research 4. Development of mathematical model 5. Design of algorithm (heuristic) 6. Experimentation and comparison of the algorithm with the model in terms of solution accuracy 7. Experimentation and comparison of the algorithm with the best existing algorithm (heuristic) in terms of solution accuracy 8. Case study 9. Conclusions Exact algorithmic research report for polynomial problem The main body of this type of research report will contain the following: 1. Problem definition 2. Literature review 3. Objectives of the research 4. Design of exact algorithm 5. Experimentation and comparison of the exact algorithm with the best existing exact algorithm in terms of computational time 6. Case study 7. Conclusions

Structure of the research proposal

The research proposal may include the following modules. The modules are flexible. The contents and length can be altered to suit the requirement of the researcher and the sponsoring agents. A brief overview of the contents is dealt below: Executive summary

Executive summary enables the sponsors to understand the core of the research proposal within a short time. The goal of the summary is to secure a positive evaluation by the sponsors who will authorize the research work. It should include a brief background of the research work proposed, its importance, the objectives, the proposed research design, the deliverables and the implication of conducting the research work. It should highlight the benefits of conducting the proposed research. Problem statement This section should provide the background of the problem, consequences and the implication of the same to the management or the sponsor. The importance of the finding answer to the research question should be asserted. It should also specify the boundary line of the problem and the issues which may not be addressed. The problem statement should be clear to the management to make the decision regarding its significance and the future action required to solve the same. Research objectives This section highlights the purpose of conducting the research. It should give specific, concrete and achievable goals. The objectives should be listed in the order of importance or it can be specified in a general term. Later on specific objectives could be highlighted. It is the core of the proposed research work and also for the final research report. Review of literature This module examines and presents the recent research studies, industry reports etc that supports the proposed study. Unnecessary information should be avoided. A brief review of the information of interest should be highlighted. The objectives, methodology, results and conclusions of the similar studies should be presented. The researcher should discuss how the literature applies to the proposed study and the gap which will be addressed by conducting the study. Benefits of the study The explicit benefits that can be gained by conducting the study should be highlighted. The importance of doing the study is emphasized. This section gains more importance if the proposal is submitted to an external body, particularly if it is an unsolicited proposal. This section should be geared to convince the sponsor that their needs will be met by the conduct of the study. Research design The design module describes the technical issues involved in conducting the study. What is going to be done is described in technical terms. It can be divided into many subsection viz., type of study, sampling design, data collection method tools for analysis , scope of the study and limitations. The justification as to why the particular method of sampling or data collection is opted should also be discussed.

Contents of a research report / Integral parts of a report

Research report has a set of identifiable components. The components of report should be decided keeping in mind the needs of the audience. The headings and side headings should also focus on the requirements of the audience and the problem identified for the study. Generally, a research report consists of three parts; the preliminaries, the text and the reference materials. Each of the main parts may consist of several subsections as shown below: A. The preliminaries The preliminaries do not make a direct contribution to the identified research problem. However, it assists the reader in using the research report. The subsections in preliminaries are discussed below:

Letter of transmittal Title page Preface Acknowledgment Executive summary An executive summary is a brief account of the research study. It is a report in miniature covering all aspects in the body of the report but in a brief manner. It provides an overview of the research problem identified and highlights the important information such as the sampling design, data collection method used, results of data analysis, findings and recommendation. The length of the executive summary will normally be two to three pages. Table of contents The table of contents includes the major divisions of the report. It indicates in outline form the topics included in the report. The purpose of a table of contents is to provide an analytical overview of the topics included in the report together with the sequence of presentation. Depending on the length and complexity of the report, the content page may show only the top two or three levels of headings or only the first-level headings. The page is titled as Table of Contents or Contents. The name of each section should be worded and formatted as it appears in the text. The table of contents should not be underlined as they may overwhelm the words. Use only the page number on which the section starts. The margins should be set such that the page numbers align on the right. Not more than three levels of headings should be given. The leaders, a series of dots can be used to connect the words to page numbers List of Tables The researcher should prepare a list of tables compiled under the heading LIST OF TABLES. It should be centered on a separate page by itself. Two spaces below the headings Table number, Title, and Page number should be given. Table number should be aligned to the left, page number should be aligned at the right and the title should be centered. List of Illustrations The list of figures should be prepared in the same form as the list of tables. The page is headed as LIST OF FIGURES. The list includes the Figure number, title of the figure and page number. Normally arabic numerals are used for numbering. B. The Text The text is the most important part of a report as it is in this section that the writer presents the facts. The researcher should devote the greater part of attention to the careful organization and presentation of his findings or arguments. The text may be organized as introduction, methodology and as many chapters as required for presenting the report. Introduction The introduction prepares the reader for the report by describing the various parts; background, problem statement and research objectives. Background The background information provides a prelude to the reader of the research report. It may be the preliminary results of exploration the survey or any other source. The secondary data from the literature review could also be highlighted. Previous research, theory or situations that led to the research issue can be discussed. Problem statement The problem statement contains the need for the research project. The problem is usually represented by a management question. It is followed by a more detailed set of objectives.

The guidelines are given below: It gives basic facts about the problem. It specify the causes or origin of the problem. It explains the significance of the problem. Research objectives The research objectives provide the purpose of the research. The objectives may be research questions and associated investigative questions. In correlational study, the hypothesis statements are included. Hypothesis are declarative statements describing the relationship between two or more variables. They state clearly the variables of concern, the relationships among them, and the target group being studied. Operational definitions of variables should be included. Methodology The methodology contains the following sections: The type of the study viz., descriptive, exploratory should be mentioned in the methodology. The sampling design explains the sample method and sample size. The data collection method is described in the report. The tools used for analysis of data should be explained. Findings and Conclusions The findings section is generally the longest section of the report. The objective is to explain the data. Wherever needed the data should be supplemented with charts, and graphs. The conclusion serves the important function of tying together the whole thesis or assignment. The recommendations of the study are also presented in this section. It provides idea about the corrective actions. In academic research, the suggestions broaden the understanding of the subject area. In applied research, the recommendation includes the guidelines for further managerial actions. Several alternatives may be provided with further justifications. The conclusion should leave the reader with the impression of completeness and of positive gain. C. Reference material The reference material includes, bibliography, appendix and index.

Bibliography
The bibliography follows the main body of the text and is a separate but integral part of a thesis, preceded by a division sheet or introduced by a centered capitalized heading BIBLIOGRAPHY. A bibliography is a list of secondary sources consulted while preparing the report. In a proper sense bibliography differs from the reference list. A bibliography is the listing of the work that is relevant to the main topic of research interest arranged in the alphabetical order of the last names of the authors. A reference list is a subset of bibliography. It includes details of all the citations used in the literature survey and elsewhere in the research report, arranged in the alphabetical order of the last names of the author. For books the order may be as under: Name of the author, last name first Title of the book in italics Place of publication and the publisher Year of publication Example: Peeru Mohamed et.al, Customer Relationship Management, Delhi, Vikas publishing house, 2002. References for articles in journals could be cited as under: Name of the author, last name first title of article in quotation marks Name of periodical, in italics

The volume or volume and number. The date of the issue The pagination Example Chitra.K, " In search of Green Consumer: A Perceptual Study", Journal of Services Research, Volume 7, No.1, April-September, 2007, pp.173-191. The above examples are just samples for bibliography entries. There are many other acceptable forms which can be used. However, a researcher should follow a consistent style of reference throughout the report. Appendix The appendix contains information of a subordinate, supplementary or highly technical nature that the researcher does not want to place in the body of the report. Each appendix should be clearly separated from the other and should be listed in the table of contents. The guidelines for preparing appendix are: Each appendix item should be referred in the appropriate place in the body of the report. In short reports, the page number numbers may be continued in sequence from the last page of the body. In long reports, a separate pagination system can be followed as the appendixes are often identified as Appendix A, Appendix B, and so on. The page numbers can be given along with the appropriate letter: A-1, A-2, B-1, B-2. Index The index should be included after bibliography and the appendix. It acts as a good guide to the reader. Index may be prepared both as subject index and author index. The subject index gives the names of the subject-topics or concepts along with the number of pages on which they have appeared or discussed in the report. The author index gives similar information regarding the names of the authors. The index should always be arranged alphabetically. An index is not required for an unpublished thesis or a report. If the finding in the report is subsequently published as a book, monograph or bulletin, an index is necessary.

Chapterization
The text of the report should be divided into different chapters depending on the types of research. In case a survey based research, the different chapters are as follows. 1. Introduction 2. Literature Review 3. Objectives and Hypotheses 4. Research Methodology] 5. Data Analysis 6. Conclusion

Table of contents (of chapters)

Research Proposal Letter of Authorization Introduction Problem studied Background information Research goals Preliminary Details Unstructured and Structured Interviews Literature survey Theoretical framework

Hypotheses Formulation Research design Type and nature of study Sampling design Data collection methods Data analytic technique used Results of Data analysis Hypothesis substantiated or unsubstantiated Conclusions Recommendations Limitations of study Acknowledgements References Tables Graphs Appendices

Report Writing - significance

Research report is considered a major component of the research study for the research task remains incomplete till the report has presented and / or written. As a matter of fact even the most brilliant hypothesis, highly well designed and conducted research study, and most striking generalizations and findings are of little value unless they are effectively communicated other.

Steps in writing report

Logical analysis of the subject matter Preparation of the final outline Preparation of the rough draft Rewriting and polishing of the rough draft Preparation of the final bibliography

Characteristics of well-written reports

The important features of well-written reports are: 1. clarity 2. conciseness ( giving a lot of information with clarity) 3. coherence 4. the right emphasis on important aspects 5. meaningful organization of paragraphs 6. smooth transition from one topic to the next 7. apt choice of words Avoid technical or statistical jargons, unless it is required. Check for grammatical and spelling errors. Explain the assumptions, if any, made in the report. Ensure good appearance of the report. You must give appropriate headings and sub-headings and organize the report in a logical manner. This will help the reader to follow the transition (change of topics) easily. Use double space typed report with a wide margins on all sides, help the reader to make notes/comments while reading the report.

Report Format
The outcomes of research works are to be conveyed to end-users or recorded for future use. The research efforts will be useful to the end-users only when they are documented in the form of reports. So, a standardized format for the report will help researchers present their contributions and findings more systematically.

The different items of a research report are as follows.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Cover page introductory page vita acknowledgement abstract table of contents list of tables list of figures list of variables Text Chapters Main sections Subsections Footnotes Conclusions Bibliography Appendices

Cover page / Title page

The cover page gives the title of the research, department / faculty to which the thesis / report is submitted, degree for which it is submitted, name of the researcher, name of the supervisor (if applicable), university / organization and its address, month and hear of submission. A sample cover page is shown are as follows.

A STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF MARKETING STRATEGIES OF CONSUMER DURABLES

Project report in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of
MASTER OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
By

KARUNYA T
(Enrolment No.3510910336)

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

G.Venugopalan
Assistant Professor,

SRM UNIVERSITY SRM SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

KATTANKULATHUR, CHENNAI JULY-2011