Deck 11: Report and Research Basics

Question 1

What is the purpose of business reports?

A) To convey information
B) To answer questions
C) To solve problems
D) To do all of these

Answer 1

C

Question 2

In which of the following situations should the direct pattern of organization be used for a business report?

A) When readers must be persuaded
B) When readers are unfamiliar with the problem
C) When readers may be disappointed or hostile toward the report's findings
D) When readers are familiar with the topic

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of a digital report?

A) A report prepared as a PDF document
B) A PowerPoint slide deck that is posted online
C) A Microsoft Word document that has hyperlinks to multimedia content
D) All of these choices are examples of digital reports.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following reports would most likely be written using an informal writing style?

A) A thesis submitted by a PhD student
B) A research report about consumer trends written by a consultant for her client
C) A summary report written to your supervisor about a conference you attended
D) A business proposal written to secure a contract with a governmental agency

Question 5

Which of the following statements about business reports is most accurate?

A) The larger an organization, the more vital the exchange and flow of information becomes.
B) Reports are prepared for internal readers, not external readers.
C) To be considered a business report, a document must be at least ten pages long.
D) Reports are more common in high-context cultures than in low-context cultures.

Question 6

Which of the following reports is an example of an informational report?

A) A report that recommends one of three candidates for a sales manager position
B) A report that compares four sites for a new bookstore location and recommends one
C) A report showing how a company has complied with SEC regulations
D) A report that presents several alternatives for decreasing employee absenteeism, including recommendations for the best solution

Question 7

Informal reports are written in a style that uses

A) contractions.
B) third-person pronouns, such as the researcher and the writer.
C) passive-voice verbs.
D) All of these choices

Question 8

Pamela will be writing a complex report about a research study she's conducting.Which of the following should she do?

A) Prepare a written purpose statement
B) Prepare written problem statement
C) Consider the needs of both primary and secondary readers
D) All of these choices

Question 9

You must write a business report for a client and want to use a formal writing style.Which of the following should you do?

A) Emphasize active-voice verbs.
B) Avoid including your own opinions and perceptions.
C) Use first-person pronouns.
D) Use contractions.

Question 10

A directly organized informational report might follow which outline?

A) Introduction/Background, Facts/Findings, Summary
B) Introduction/Problem, Facts/Findings, Discussion/Analysis, Conclusions/Recommendations
C) Introduction/Problem, Conclusions/Recommendations, Facts/Findings, Discussion/Analysis
D) Introduction/Problem, Conclusions/Recommendations, Discussion

Question 11

The issues or elements to be investigated in a research project are defined in the

A) significance of the study.
B) scope statement.
C) recommendations to be offered.
D) limitations of the study.

Question 12

An indirectly organized analytical report might follow which outline?

A) Introduction/Background, Facts/Findings, Summary
B) Introduction/Problem, Facts/Findings, Discussion/Analysis, Conclusions/Recommendations
C) Introduction/Problem, Conclusions/Recommendations, Facts/Findings, Discussion/Analysis
D) Introduction/Problem, Conclusions/Recommendations, Discussion/Analysis, Facts/Findings

Question 13

Which of the following is an effective statement of purpose for an informational report?

A) To inform the reader of the many different features offered on the Apple iPad
B) To analyze ways to offer our customers the best service possible
C) To solve the problem of employee turnover at the company's Chamblee location
D) To determine which of three computer systems to purchase for our Accounting Department staff

Question 14

Which of the following reports is an example of an analytical report?

A) A report giving the details about a training workshop attended
B) A report showing that a public company is in compliance with IRS regulations
C) A report describing the new company dress code
D) A report recommending one of four building alarm systems

Question 15

Which of the following types of reports would not be sent to someone outside the organization?

A) Manuscript format
B) Digital format
C) Letter format
D) Memo format

Question 16

In which of the following situations should the indirect pattern of organization be used for a business report?

A) When readers are familiar with the topic
B) When readers must be educated about the topic
C) When readers are supportive of the topic
D) The indirect method should be used in all of these cases.

Question 17

Long formal reports are usually printed on plain paper in

A) memo format.
B) manuscript format.
C) letter format.
D) handwritten format.

Question 18

Short (eight or fewer pages)informal reports addressed outside an organization are usually presented in

A) memo format.
B) manuscript format.
C) letter format.
D) handwritten format.

Question 19

The first step in writing a report is to

A) prepare a work plan.
B) implement your research strategy.
C) analyze the problem or assignment clearly.
D) compose the first draft.

Question 20

Which of the following constructions uses the best writing style for a formal report?

A) After checking several references, the company decided to hire the consulting firm of Anderson, Williams, and Pardee.
B) After considerable research, we have decided to order the Aptura computer from ISB for our office staff.
C) My research shows companies are recognizing the benefits of telecommuting.
D) Our findings support implementing the new tracking system at once.

Question 21

A collection of information stored electronically so that it can be accessed by computer and digitally searched is a(n)

A) periodical.
B) book.
C) electronic database.
D) card catalog.

Question 22

Lydia is anticipating the audience for a report she is writing.What question should she ask during this stage of the writing process?

A) What do my readers already know about my topic?
B) How will my readers react to the information in my report?
C) What sources will my readers trust?
D) Lydia should ask all these questions about her audience.

Question 23

Select the most accurate statement about the Web.

A) The Web can be accessed only from desktop and laptop computers.
B) The Web started as an exclusive network linking businesspeople.
C) Virtual communities are common for personal use but have no business applications.
D) The fastest-growing sector of the Web is social networking sites.

Question 24

The best question to include in a survey is

A) How do you feel about a flat-rate income tax?
B) Do you approve of a flat-rate income tax?
C) What benefits do you feel a flat-rate income tax will offer?
D) Why are you in favor of a flat-rate income tax?

Question 25

An expanded statement of purpose for a study includes three additional factors.What are they?

A) Scope, significance, and limitations
B) Scope, conclusions, and recommendations
C) Work plan, significance, and limitations
D) Findings, conclusions, and recommendations

Question 26

ABI/INFORM, Factiva, LexisNexis Academic, and Academic Search Elite (EBSCO)are

A) card catalogs.
B) online catalogs.
C) Web sites.
D) electronic databases.

Question 27

You should begin nearly every business report assignment by

A) generating primary data.
B) asking your colleagues for help.
C) evaluating the available secondary data.
D) selecting the type of paper on which you'll print the report.

Question 28

What type of data result from reading what others have experienced or observed and written down?

A) Primary data
B) Secondary data
C) Unreliable data
D) Sketchy data

Question 29

Which of the following situations would most likely require observation or scientific experimentation?

A) You want to find out what tools are available to protect your computer network from hackers.
B) You need to determine the average time it takes your line employees to produce a single piece of furniture.
C) You must find out which ten companies ranked highest for customer service in 2012.
D) You want to verify your supervisor's opinion on upgrading your department's accounting software.

Question 30

Google, Yahoo, Bing, About, and Ask are examples of

A) search tools.
B) Web browsers.
C) electronic databases.
D) spiders.

Question 31

Select the least accurate statement about the Web.

A) The Web is a highly organized collection of information from around the world.
B) The Web started as an exclusive network linking scientists, academics, military people, and technology experts.
C) The Web is an ever-expanding democratic medium where anyone can be a publisher.
D) The Web contains multimedia content ranging from digital sound files to vivid images and video files.

Question 32

Nadia is conducting research on the use of social networking sites by observing how her coworkers use these tools in the workplace.What type of data is she collecting?

A) Primary data
B) Secondary data
C) Online data
D) Questionable data

Question 33

Heidi is writing a report about ways to reduce the time it takes to process a customer return and is determining why the topic is worth investigating at this time.Heidi is looking at the

A) scope.
B) limitations.
C) significance.
D) purpose.

Question 34

Tarryn, a student who is researching forensic accounting, is preparing to interview an experienced accountant.To conduct an effective interview, Tarryn should

A) learn as much as possible about the forensic accounting field before conducting the interview.
B) try to do most of the talking during the interview to put the interviewee at ease.
C) ask as many yes-or-no questions as possible to make things easier for the interviewee.
D) engage the accountant in a debate to display Tarryn's knowledge.

Question 35

In planning his report, Darren breaks the major investigative problem into subproblems.This process is sometimes called

A) visualizing the problem.
B) focusing the problem.
C) factoring the problem.
D) expanding the problem.

Question 36

Which of the following is a useful guideline for preparing effective surveys?

A) Use questions that produce qualitative answers.
B) Include as many questions on your survey as necessary, even if you may not use the information in your final report.
C) Avoid leading or ambiguous questions.
D) Never offer survey participants compensation as this will skew the results.

Question 37

A good work plan for a business research project includes

A) a work schedule.
B) a research strategy.
C) a statement of the problem.
D) all of these choices.

Question 38

Which of the following is an effective question to use in a survey?

A) Don't you agree that teachers are extremely deserving of a 7 percent pay increase because of the valuable services they provide for our community?
B) Do teachers deserve a 7 percent pay increase?
C) Should teachers accept a 7 percent pay increase, or should they go on strike?
D) Do teachers, one of the hardest-working and least-respected segments of American society, deserve a 7 percent pay increase?

Question 39

Sources of primary information include

A) electronic databases.
B) periodicals and newspapers.
C) surveys and interviews.
D) information on the Web.

Question 40

Which of the following is the best advice for searching the Web?

A) Choose your favorite search tool and use it exclusively so that you can master it.
B) Use just one or two keywords when conducting a search.
C) Use quotation marks to search for phrases.
D) Include articles and prepositions to make your searches more accurate.

Question 41

Paraphrasing

A) involves accurately presenting ideas from another source in your own words and sentence structure.
B) involves presenting ideas from another source using the exact wording of the original source.
C) involves presenting ideas from another source without documentation.
D) requires the report writer to use the same grammatical structure as the original author when presenting another's ideas.

Question 42

All business reports have one or more of the following purposes: to convey information, to answer questions, and to solve problems.

Question 43

If readers are familiar with or supportive of the topic, the report should be organized directly.

Question 44

Brad started his report with a description of the problem.He followed this with his facts and findings.Finally, he ended his report with his conclusions and recommendations.Brad has used the direct pattern to write his report.

Question 45

Which of the following statements would need to be documented in a report?

A) The stock market can be volatile.
B) Many types of people invest in the stock market.
C) On May 6, 2010, the Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered a 998 point loss, which the media called the Flash Crash.
D) All of these choices

Question 46

Research reports prepared by consultants for their clients tend to be rather formal.

Question 47

Select the most accurate statement about sources found on the Web.

A) Information posted at most sites has undergone the same editing and scrutiny given to articles in scholarly publications.
B) Researchers can safely assume that the information posted on Web sites by individuals and companies is reputable.
C) Wikis, blogs, and discussion forum entries are short-lived and change constantly.
D) Wikipedia is reliable and should be used when conducting any scholarly research.

Question 48

Based on their function, most business reports fall into two broad categories: informational or analytical.

Question 49

Nadia will carefully document her sources in a report she must submit to her boss.Which of the following is a reason that Nadia should document her sources?

A) To strengthen her argument
B) To instruct her reader
C) To protect herself against charges of plagiarism
D) All of these choices are reasons for documenting report data.

Question 50

The best choice for showing changes in a company's monthly sales for Fiscal Year 2012 is a(n)

A) pie chart.
B) line chart.
C) flow chart.
D) organization chart.

Question 51

When incorporating a graphic in the body of your report, you should

A) use a good deal of color to improve readability.
B) manipulate the visual to make data look more dramatic.
C) include a reference to the graphic in the text.
D) assume that the reader will draw the same conclusions you did from the set of data.

Question 52

Readers usually find reports organized in an indirect pattern most rational because this organizational pattern follows the normal thought process.

Question 53

Knowledgeable report writers use direct quotations to

A) repeat identical phrasing of a source because of its precision and clarity.
B) provide objective background data and establish the severity of a problem.
C) duplicate the exact wording of a source before criticizing.
D) All of these choices.

Question 54

Trace needs to illustrate the percentage each expense represents of total company expenses.His best choice is a(n)

A) pie chart.
B) line chart.
C) illustration.
D) bar chart.

Question 55

Preprinted forms are useful for presenting repetitive data, such as monthly sales reports, performance reviews, and merchandise inventories.

Question 56

Everett's boss has asked him to research and recommend a new insurance provider for employees' health insurance.Everett should write an analytical report.

Question 57

Kayla has a large amount of quantitative data made up of exact figures to present in a report.Kayla should present this data using a(n)

A) pie chart.
B) line chart.
C) table.
D) organization chart.

Question 58

Michelle attended a professional conference and must submit a report to her supervisor.She should write an analytical report.

Question 59

Lydia should use a manuscript format for a long, formal report being sent to one of her company's clients.

Question 60

Derrick is evaluating the information he found on a Web site before he includes it in his business report.He asks, "When was this Web site last updated?" What is Derrick evaluating?

A) The currency of the Web site
B) The authority of the Web site
C) The content of the Web site
D) The accuracy of the Web site

Question 61

An example of a simple statement of purpose for a business report might be To recommend a new process for handling employee grievances.

Question 62

Nearly every research project should begin with a search of primary data.

Question 63

Primary data can be generated through surveys, interviews, observation, and experimentation.

Question 64

The two types of search tools are subject directories and search engines.

Question 65

Business researchers can safely assume that the great majority of Internet sources are reliable.

Question 66

Are you in favor of requiring seatbelts to save lives? is an example of a leading question.

Question 67

The ability to access information electronically has made using books for business research obsolete.

Question 68

Business report writers should anticipate primary audiences only.

Question 69

Companies rarely use social networking sites because of these sites lack formality.

Question 70

Documenting data presented in a research report strengthens your argument.

Question 71

An individual who is caught plagiarizing or using another's words or ideas without giving proper credit faces the possibility of losing his or her job.

Question 72

The best survey questions provide quantifiable data.

Question 73

If you find numerous errors as you evaluate a Web site, you should be alert that the data may be questionable.

Question 74

Formal experimentation produces data suggesting causes and effects.

Question 75

Yes-no questions produce the best results in an interview with an expert.

Question 76

The first step in the report-writing process is anticipating how the audience will react to the information in the report.

Question 77

A work plan gives a complete description of a research project, including how the investigator plans to generate or collect data.

Question 78

When little has been written on a research topic, some of the best information comes from interviews with experts in the field.

Question 79

You are reading an article in The Wall Street Journal that discusses the research findings of a Centers for Disease Control study on workplace hazards.This newspaper article is an example of primary data.

Question 80

An expanded statement of purpose includes three additional factors: the scope, significance, and limitations of the report.