Analysis of Data and Report Writing

By Naresh Singh
Coverage:

 Proposal of the Study

 Types of Reports
 Writing / Preparing a Report
 Presenting the Report
 Proposal of the Study
 Descriptive title of the study
 Names of authors and their background
 Nature of study which covers: (i. Problem to be examined,
ii. Significance and need for the study, iii. Background
information available, iv. Scope of the study – extent and
limitation and v. To whom it will be useful)
 Hypothesis, if any, to be tested
 Data which covers: (i. Sources, ii. Collection procedure
and iii. Methodology for analysis
 Equipments and facilities required
 Timeframe action plan which covers: (i. For library
research, ii. Primary research, iii. Data organization and
analysis, iv. Outlining the report, v. First draft, vi. Final
draft
 Tentative chapter plan
 Budget estimates
 Bibliography
 Types of Project Report

 Information / Description Oriented Report

 Decision Oriented Report

 Research Oriented Report

 Types of Project Report
Information / Description Oriented Report
 First step of a project study is to understand the
existing situation
 Seven Questions (6 Ws + 1H) help to convey a
comprehensive picture of such project
 Subject / Object Action Reason

Who? What? Why?

Whom? When?
Where?
How?
 WHO does WHAT to WHOM, WHEN, WHERE, HOW
and WHY?
 Types of Project Report: Decision Oriented Report
 After understanding the existing situation, decision report is the second
stage of a project study to understand the problems of an organisation
(Company) or programme (HRM) or both.
 It is an analysis and synthesis of an integrated decision or
recommendation or both.
 It is not a form filling exercise which can result a superficial analysis and
a report. An attractive package does not necessarily mean a good
product.
 A concrete report will only help the executive, administrator or manager
be able to solve the problem of organisation / programme.
 Decision report adopts the following six steps of the problem solving
approach in a sequence.
 1) Identifying the problem
 2) Constructing the criteria
 3) Generating and evaluating the options
 4) Making a decision
 5) Drawing up an action plan
 6) Working out a contingency plan
 1. Identifying the Problem
 Problem is the beginning and end of a decision making. If
you start with a wrong problem you will only solve a non-
existing problem or create a new problem. In defining the
problem identify the following elements:
i) What is the situation and what should it be? This
question sets the overall objective for the problem.

 ii) What are symptoms and what are the causes?

 iii) What is the central issue and what are the sub-
ordinate issues?

iv) What are the decision areas and what needs to be

done immediately, in the short-term, medium-term or
long-term?
 2. Constructing the Criteria
 Criteria link the problem definition with the option generation
and evaluation. In constructing the criteria, SWOT analysis
is useful which in turn help in evaluating the options against
the feasibility of implementation. While constructing the
criteria, ensure and explicitly clarify the following:
 i) The criteria arise out of the problem definition and are
not independent of it.
 ii) They are measurable or observable as much as
possible. However, non-quantifiable criteria are not ignored
merely because they cannot be quantified.
 iii) They are prioritized and tradeoffs are recognized.
 iv) They encompass a holistic view – economics, personal,
organizational, and societal considerations.
V) They are not loaded or one-sided. Both pro and con
aspects are considered.
 3. Generating and Evaluating Options
 Sometimes options are obvious, but most of the time
creativity is required.
 Generate the options, shortlist them, ranked by
priority / probability of meeting the objectives that are
identified in the problem definition.
 Then options are evaluated against the criteria and
possible implications in implementation without losing
track of the main objective of what the situation
should be. Evaluation process demands logical and
critical thinking.
 Finally, presentation of evaluation is structured by
criteria or options depending upon which structure is
easy to understand.
 4. Making a Decision

 The decision or recommendation flows out of the

evaluation of the options.

 The recommendation should be an adequate

response to the problem and implementable.
 5. Drawing up an Action Plan

 The action steps and their consequences should be

visualized to avoid being caught unawares.

 Be clear of who does what, when, where and how

(futuristic scenario of problem solving steps).
 6. Working Out a Contingency Plan

 The contingency plan must emerge from the action

plan.

 There is a need to think of how to achieve the second

best objective if the first one is not feasible.
Types of Project Report: Research Oriented Report
 It is used for the growth of discipline. It paves the way for new
information, significant hypotheses and innovative / rigorous
methods of research and measurement. Research report has
the following components:

 1) Literature survey to find gaps in knowledge

 2) Nature and scope of the study, hypothesis to be tested / its
significance and utility of the study
 3) Methodology for collecting data, conducting the experiment and
analysing the data
 4) Description and analysis of the experiment and data
 5) Findings
 6) Conclusion
 7) Recommendations
 8) Suggestions for further research
 9) Backup evidence and data
 Some Points to Understand for Preparing Project
Report
 Forward

Written by someone other than the author. Must be an

authority on the subject or the sponsor of the project

 Preface

Written by the author to indicate how the subject was

chosen, its importance and need, focus of the report
contents, purpose and audience. At the end of the Preface
the author’s name should be given on the right side. On the
left side, address / place of writing the preface and date
appear. Name, address, place and date are put in Italics.
 Some Points to Understand for Preparing Project
Report
 Acknowledgements

Acknowledge the name of your sponsor, Course Director,

Stream Director, Institute’s Director / Faculty Members /
other staff, your colleague / parents / children / friend and
finally your supervisor’s name. Don’t mention unnecessary
name. Author’s name appears in Italics in the right-hand
corner.

 Abbreviations / Acronyms

Put in alphabetical order, only one in each line. Followings

are the example.
AMT Achievement Motivation Training
ICFAI Institute of Chartered and Financial Analysts of India
 Some Points to Understand for Preparing Project
Report
 Executive Summary of the Report

A report should be with an abstract or an executive summary to

help the busy Researcher or Executive to get gist of the report.
The summary should highlight the following essential
information.

 a) What is the study about?

 b) What is the extent and limitation of the coverage?
 c) What is the significance and need for the study?
 d) What kind of data has been used?
 e) What research methodology has been used?
 f) What are the findings and conclusions?
 g) What are the incidental findings, if any?
 h) How can the conclusions be used and by whom
 i) What are the recommendations and the suggested action
plan?
 Some Points to Understand for Preparing Project
Report
 Quotations

Double quotation marks “……..” are used for Direct Narration.

Single quotations within the double quotations are used for
directly quoted passage or words / phrase or to emphasis the
things. Quotation should be original in wording, spelling and
punctuation. Quotations up to three typewritten lines are run
into the text otherwise there should be in separate paragraph.
Quotation can be used with Omission (… three dots for some
words, a line of dots for whole paragraph). Quotation must
give author’s surname in bracket alone with the year of
publication and pages numbers.
 Some Points to Understand for Preparing Project
Report
 Footnotes

Either indicate the source of reference or provide an

explanation. Numbering in serial. 1, 2, 3, etc. Footnotes
may be at the bottom of the page or end of the text
(Endnotes)

 Exhibits

Drawing, pictures, case-lets etc. are put in exhibits.

 Some Points to Understand for Preparing Project
Report
 Appendices
Original data, long tables, long quotations, supportive legal
decisions, laws, legal documents, illustrative material,
extensive computations, questionnaire / letters, schedule or
forms used in collecting data, case studies, / histories and
transcripts of interviews go to the appendices. These can be
numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. These can be referred in the text
(see Appendix 1).
 Glossary
English usage of local terminology used in the report.
Followings are the example.
Jajmani System: A type of barter system in India used for
exchange of goods & services among the socio-
economically higher castes and lower castes.
Onam: Paddy harvesting festival celebrated in Kerala State
in India
 Bibliography
 Must be in alphabetical orders with the surname of the first author.
Where there is no author Name of the Publishing Organization
should come first (United Nations Development Programme, World
Bank etc.) Styles are follows:
 Adams, Dale W. and Von J.D. Pischke (1992). Micro-Enterprise
Credit Programs. World Development, 20 (10), Pp. 1463-1470.
(Article Published in Journal)
 Aiyar, Shahnaz Anklesaria (1997). Women and Micro Credit: Can a
Mantra Deliver Empowerment? Times of India, 26 February. (Article
Published in Newspaper)
 Asian Development Bank (1985). Improving Domestic Resource
Mobilisation through Financial Development. Manila, Asian
Development Bank. (Study sponsor by Organisation)
 Bailey, F.G. (1963). Capital, Saving and Credit in Highland Orissa
India. in Raymond Firth and B.S. Yamey (eds.) Capital Saving and
Credit in Peasant Societies. London, George Allen and Unwin Ltd.
(Article published in edited book)
 Bouman, F. J. A. (1989). Small, Short and Unsecured: Informal
Rural Finance in India. New Delhi, Oxford University Press. (Book)
 Format of a Project Report
Cover and the Title Page
Introductory Pages
 Table of Contents
 Forward
 Preface
 Acknowledgement
 List of Tables, Illustrations and figures
 Abbreviations / Acronyms
 Executive Summary of the Report
Text
 Headings
 Quotations
 Footnotes
 Exhibits
Reference Section
 Appendices
 Bibliography
 Glossary
 Presenting the Report
 Purpose (Informing, Selling, Exploring,
Decision Making, Persuading, Changing
Perception)
 Audience
 Media (Sound, Sight and Body language)
 Message (Emotional as well as Logical
Meaning)
 Time
 Place (Room Dimension, Seating, Number of
People, Space for Presentation, AV
Equipments)
 Cost
 Audio-Visual Aids (Black Board, Bulleting
Board, Flip Charts, Felt Board, OHP,
Epidiascope, Slides, Film Strips, Films etc.)