Unit VIII: Communicating Research Results

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Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

Discuss the importance of research-based decision making in a company.

Examine the developmental components of a research study.

Describe the steps involved in putting together a research study.

Apply the use of a research study to a discipline.

Summarize how a company applies research methods to solve problems within

the organization.

Summarize research methods, including advantages and disadvantages

of each.

Discuss effective presentation methods of a research study.

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As the research study is compiled and completed, including the analysis and interpretations, the final step in the process is the communication of the results to all stakeholders.

They must be organized in such a way that they can be quickly interpreted in order to ensure that the research results will be actually used within the organization.

This is usually conveyed through the use of a research report, which is defined in the literature as an oral presentation or written summary of the research results. This includes interpretive commentary as well as strategic recommendations. Many companies have templates providing for consistency within their report submissions.

Most include the following:

• a title page;• a letter of transmittal, which is formal documentation of the submittal of the

finished research project;• a letter of authorization, which is formal documentation providing approval to

conduct the research project;

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• table of contents;• executive summary;• research design, which describes the design of the study;• research method, which describes the methods used in the study;• sample design, which describes the population and how the sample was derived;• data collection and fieldwork, which describes how the data was collected;• analysis, which describes the statistical analysis of the data;• results, which is the interpretation of the statistical analysis applied to the company;

and • conclusions and recommendations, which is the discussion of how the results impact

the organization and, specifically, the research study objectives (Babin & Zikmund, 2016).

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Oral presentations are also utilized in communicating results of a research study.

The primary reason for using oral presentations is to provide an overview of the research and to allow individuals the opportunity to ask questions.

This provides for clarification and a deeper understanding of the raw data as well as the interpretation as applied to the organization. Additionally, this will provide a venue in which to openly discuss application of the results to the problem or issue that initially drove the research study.

Oral presentations might follow this format:

• introduction,• purpose of research study,• research design,• research method,• sample design,• data collection and fieldwork,• analysis,

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• results and interpretation,• conclusion and recommendations, and• questions and discussion.

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With both the oral and written reports, graphic aids can greatly enhance the understanding and interpretation of the results. These visual depictions can be in the form of tables, charts, or graphs. They should be strategically placed within the text with explanatory details that clarify the visual.

Within the process of effectively communicating the results of the research study, Babin and Zikmund (2016) suggest the following:

Be clear and unambiguous in the presentation of the report. Utilize a tone and language that the audience easily understands.

Understand who the audience is with respect to who is reading or listening to the report.

Maintain good ethical standards with respect to visuals and verbiage, ensuring that they do not mislead or slant the results.

Utilize good technical writing skills and remember to edit the report before submitting. If it is an oral presentation, use a clear tone of voice and understandable slides.

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To summarize, no research study is complete until the research results have been clearly communicated. The typical way to do this is through a research report, but the information can also be shared in an oral presentation. Many companies have templates to use for research reports, and there are several best practices that should be observed when making an oral presentation.

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Check your knowledge! Take the short quiz on the next few slides to review the information presented in this unit.

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In this unit, you will be creating a PowerPoint presentation. CSU’s Success Center has created a presentation that covers best practices in creating PowerPoints. If you want to brush up on your PowerPoint skills, you are encouraged to click on this link and watch this presentation. Click play or the next button on the playbar to advance to the next screen once you have reviewed this resource.

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These resources were used in the creation of this lesson.

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You have completed the Unit VIII lesson. To exit this lesson, simply close your browser window. Or, if you would like to review any slides, click on the thumbnail of the slide you would like to view in the navigation menu to the right side of the presentation.

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