A Baseline Survey, How and Why?

Being commissioned for a Baseline Survey

Researchers these days are really on high demand. You won't believe how much organizations are spending in order to solve problems and gain knowledge through research. There is need to understand that as a researcher the learning process is continuous and you have to catch up with what is prevailing around you. When somebody knocks on your door in order to give you a job to do, as a researcher you have to take it seriously. Ever conducted a Baseline Survey? Ofcourse that word isn't really new to you but believe it or not, sometimes researchers may know a Baseline but when it comes to practice they are just horrible. Baseline Surveys are very, very important and there is no doubt that a properly done survey will really contribute significantly to an organizations knowledge. Lets briefly understand what a Baseline Survey is, how it is conducted and why it is conducted.

A Baseline Survey, The truth is out there

When an organization approaches you to conduct a baseline survey, please atleast pretend you know what it is even if it isn't 100% clear for you. Basically, you should at least have an idea. A Baseline Survey is about establishing benchmarks and understanding how a situation is prior to an intervention. For example, lets say that an organization has a project to build houses and boreholes for a community. When you are commissioned to conduct a Baseline Survey you are going to find out how many houses and boreholes are there prior to the projects commencing. But a Baseline Survey goes further than that, it explains what are the challenges and how the community is faring. So how and why should a Baseline Survey be conducted? Well follow through the next sub heading because it is simply straight forward.

A Baseline Survey, How and Why???

A Baseline Survey is one of those kinds of researches where you have to get it right the first time no matter what. You see, the whole idea in doing this research is to have a benchmark that you can use should you have an evaluation conducted after two or three years. That evaluation will be able to explain whether the objectives of a programme have been made whether good or bad. What an evaluation does is compare the current findings to the findings collected in the Baseline and then see whether progress has been made or not. Now how is a Baseline conducted in research? Well like all researches you first have to establish what kind of information you need to collect. You have to understand where you are going to collect the information and how.

If you are going to be conducting interviews with people you have to decide whether you will use structured questionnaires or unstructured questionnaires? So, basically how do you know what kind of information needs to be collected? As a researcher conducting a Baseline Survey, you must avail yourself to documents that explain much about the project or programme an organization is implementing. Don't just seat around waiting for things to happen, go out there and dig dipper. Ask the organization to provide you with all the relevant documents that explains what the organization is trying to achieve. Learn to ask questions so that you fully get to understand how things are done and so that your research report is really informative.

After you submit your Baseline Survey Report, be sure to hold a validation workshop with all relevant stakeholders in order to verify the findings collected. Be open to comments and criticism but remember to be composed and firm. More will be explained about the Baseline Survey in future but in the meantime all the Best in conducting your Baseline Survey!!!

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Preparation of a Research Questionnaire, Understanding the Issues

A Research Questionnaire, Making it happen

A research questionnaire is a valuable tool in collecting the necessary data for a successful research activity. In the world of research, communicating your findings well will depend on accuracy and relevance. You see, most of the times, many researchers will create a really bulky questionnaire which captures so much information while most of it is not even relevant. That can be a really big problem especially when it comes to coming up with a report that people can actually appreciate. There is need to understand that research has to be well thought out in order to answer the bigger questions such as the Why? How? When? Where? Once a research is well thought out and understood by the researcher, then will it be so much easier to create a questionnaire that speaks volumes. But then, how do you create a questionnaire and what are the certain kinds of data that should be collected?

Creating a questionnaire that's accurate and relevent

As a researcher always remember that a questionnaire is your tool not anybody else. You see, alot of times you may be influenced by what others say or what others have done in their researches but you should also remember that the research is really your own thing. You call the shots, you call the decisions you do the report writing. Ofcourse there is nothing wrong in comparing other peoples work and methodology to what you intend to do but the point is, your questionnaire should satisfy your information needs and other stakeholders as well.

When creating your questionnaire always remember the objectives for your research. Seat down one moment and take a notepad or notebook and begin recording the main ideas for the objectives. After  that realize what kind of questions should you ask and who should you interview. You need to also establish whether there is any need for interviews at all. So, first know the questions you should be asking in your research second, know who should answer those questions and how the data will be collected? Will you do it yourself or you will hire some assistants?

It is advisable for the questionnaire to be pilot tested at all cost in order to see whether there is need for any changes and just to be aware of the challenges involved in collecting the data. Remember your questionnaire should be accurate and relevant. Also establish whether quantitative data or qualitative data will be collected using the questionnaire.

Using the research Questionnaire in a proper way

After you have developed your research questionnaire and pilot tested it, then can you begin to actually use it for the real samples. But even an effectively developed questionnaire can fail if the administrator does not really know how to use it. Ofcourse, the developer of the questionnaire may be the researcher himself, but if the researcher uses assistants then there is need for an effective research training. Also, there is further need to discuss and brainstorm how and when the data should be entered. Analysis of the findings is highly important.

Make the research process a success!!

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Measuring Policy Change with Reseacrh, You need to try it

Capturing Policy change as it really is in Research

Research as we all know it today is an important part of our lives in unveiling some of the most important questions to do with society. Society dear friends is always dynamic, and things are not always what it seems until you do an in depth research to uncover the answers and mysteries behind what is and what may have been. One of the many things which affects us all is policy. Yes folks, policies implemented or past by the government of the day can shape the direction in which society may pass. Take for instance some policies to do with the tax bracket for different income levels of a countries citizens. Many times, you find mixed feelings about what kind of tax the rich folks should be paying and what the poor shouldn't. If you come to think of it, many will have their own personal justification as to why certain decisions mustn't be past while others shouldn't. However, you see the truth about policy is that usually a research can provide the necessary answers that society and state may be looking for. But how really is research used in research and how can it be used to measure change?

Research and Policy, how they tie

Policy at state level is about passing a guide or principle which should be followed by everyone....more like legislation. When government for instance decides to ban the export of a certain good out of the country, alot of economists will come out in the open explaining why government should and why they shouldnt. Here is how research can basically help.

1)Development of a policy proposal; Research can help develop a policy proposal. You see, before a policy can be developed there is need for adequate understanding of what could be the short-term, medium-term and long-term implications of passing such a certain decision. When a research is conducted the findings can help develop a policy position or proposal that can be submitted to the government with the hope that it can be adopted in future.

2) After adoption of a policy; After adoption of a policy proposal, there are still mixed feelings as to whether the policy enactment even achieved its intended purpose or left citizens of a country better off than before. A research can answer all those questions if approached in the right way and manner. The research recommendations can be useful in hopefully reversing such a decision in the long run.

Measuring policy change, the reality

Measuring the effects and impacts of policy is not an easy thing in research because usually policy takes time to really get to see the effects of a certain decision. However, research can really be useful in tracking any existing gaps and challenges with the existing implementation of a certain policy. More like monitoring or tracking the progress of a policy and the effects its having on society. Research can look at the following in an existing policy such as the following namely;

1) Research can identify gaps and challenges in the existing policy implementation
2) Research can help provide recommendations to government how a policy should be implemented.
3) Research can be useful in developing measurable and realistic policy indicators
4) Research can be useful in informing the public of the certain benefits to a certain decision made by the government.

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Increasing your intepretation of Research Findings, Dont ignore the Average

The Average can be your Best Friend

Whenever you are dealing with a mouth full of data there is always this thing of trying to understand what it really means. Imagine being a researcher who has to struggle with over a thousand entry's of data, how do you actually improve your understanding? When doing a data analysis, you can be sure that you are not alone in improving your understanding of research findings. However, it is disappointing sometimes that some researchers choose to ignore the use of a very fundamental approach in research and that is the finding of an average. Averages are indeed very important in the world of mathematics, physics, chemistry and even biology. You don't need to run to a very sophisticated methodology just to interpret very basic statistics. Simply find the average and play around with understanding what these figures mean. However it is first important that we understand what an average is and how it has helped researchers and others in this day and age. We will also understand the draw backs. Lets get started with the data analysis shall we.

Mean, Median and Mode; Different faces of the Average

Usually averages are defined as the mean and the mean as the average. So most people look at only one average which is the mean. The mean is widely used in science and it has really helped interpret research findings in a significant effective way. When you want to find the mean, you are not only looking for a numerical value but you simply want to come up with a single value for a set of values. Lets say you are doing a research on how much income people under the age of 30years earn. You are going to discover in your research that people earn a wide range of income from as high as $ 8000 to as low as $500. But in your data analysis and consequently reporting, you want people to have a general understanding of how much individuals earn because there are all these variations. Remember some may be earning $8000, while others may be earning $2000 or lower. In order to report one figure to the general audience, you have to report the average. Assuming you know this already, lets briefly define these different averages shall we.

1. Mean; Back to the example, you interview 5 different people who are earning 5 different incomes..how do you find the mean.
Individual A = $ 8000
Individual B = $ 5000
Individual C = $ 4500                                Mean= (8000+5000+4500+1000+500)/5 = $ 3800
Individual D = $ 1000
Individual E = $ 500

Answer: So on average people earn about $ 3800. However, in your research this may be a misleading statement at times because some people don't actually earn so high. You still have the Individuals D and E you see. But let not that bother you because as it is you are a researcher who must make sure that you emphasis in your report how much the lowest and the highest earn.

2. Median; The median is simply the middle value when the numbers are put in order. So lets put the various incomes in order shall we.

Incomes in order= $500 , $1000, $4500, $5000, $8000

What is the middle value here, you guessed well researcher it is $ 4500.

3. Mode; The number or set of number that occurs the most. Lets say you have a set of numbers 4, 5, 8, 20, 8, 76, 90, 5, 5, 8, 10 , 8. Which number occurs the most?? It is definitely 8. So 8 is your mode researcher.

Challenges of the Mean in Research

The mean definitely has a couple of challenges when you come to think of it especially when you as a researcher are doing your data analysis and want to make significant sense to it. Remember data analysis simply entails you bring out the information and you want to be smart too about it. One of the challenges with mean is that it doesn't really give a true picture. For example we saw that in the example above, on average people earn $ 3,800. But in reality no body even earns the figure $ 3,800. You have people earning as low as $500. In your Data analysis you will discover that the mean value can be tremendously affected by a slight change in the sample group, especially if it is small. Remember in the Income example our sample group only had 5 individuals, now lets say one of those individuals decided not to show up for the interview...How will the mean change. Lets say we remove individual A from the sample, in our data analysis our new mean will be $2750. So there has been a slight significant drop.

So as a Researcher or Data analyst you have to make sure that your sample group is large and its characteristics are representative of the general population. This was really an interesting article wast it guys but be sure to keep on reading more because next time we are going to look at research topics that only the real gurus like to here about.

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Satisfaction Score Rating, measuring perception in Research effectively

A Questionnaire that measures perception

Ever heard of a satisfaction score rating questionnaire? Well if you haven't then now is the right time to learn about how to measure perception using a tool which can really help you out in a research. When it comes to collecting data through a research activity you will find beyond reasonable doubt that collecting data isn't an easy task at all. Collecting quantitative data is usually a piece of cake but when it comes to collecting qualitative data, that can really be a nightmare. Why is that the case? measuring perception and opinions of others is such a difficult thing because human perception ladies and gentlemen is controlled by a number of factors. During a research most time people respond to perception questions due to a number of factors such as their personal mood during that day, whether they are in good health or not, or because of an experience they had in life whether good or bad. For instance, lets say you are doing a research on whether security has improved in a community or not and you choose a sample group who will either give you a yes or no answer. You are certainly going to get a lot of different responses even when it is crystal clear that security has generally improved. But you see, the satisfaction score rating questionnaire attempts to allocate a numerical value on perception of a sample group during a survey. Lets briefly understand the satisfaction score rating questionnaire in detail shall we.

Satisfaction score rating, measuring perception all the way

When you conduct a research in order to find out how people feel concerning a certain situation, you are going to receive a lot of funny responses. But measuring perception in research can be very difficult indeed. Now, referring to the example provided on the level of security in a community. People may give you a yes or no answer but you can go a step further to find out in detail to what extent security has either improved or declined. Here is how a satisfaction score rating questionnaire really works, hope you have your note book close by. Imagine you ask the question below;

Q: How would you rate the level of security in your community?

Responses
A) 1 = Non-Existent
B) 2 = Very Bad
C) 3 = Bad
D) 4 = Good
E) 5 = Very Good
F) 6 = Excellent

If you look closely on these research questions you will soon discover that it becomes relatively easy to attach a numerical value to a perception response. A respondent will have an option of choosing from A to F depending on how he individually feels. Now, imagine if you interviewed 10 people in your research and out of those, three respond that security is good, two responded that its excellent while the rest responded that its bad. How do you get to draw a conclusion? Watch and learn...

If Individual Z responded good then he scored = 4
   Individual X responded good then he scored =4
   Individual L responded excellent then he scored =6
   Individual S responded bad then he scored =3
   Individual M responded excellent then he scored=6
   Individual N responded bad then he scored=3
   Individual O responded bad then he scored =3
   Individual Y responded bad then he scored =3
   Individual W responded good then he scored=4
   Individual I responded bad then he scored=3

Now the total of all their scores is 39. The average is 3.9. Now this value (3.9) is very close to good on our responses scale. So as a researcher you may conclude that although there were mixed responses, security is quit good.

Making the satisfaction score sheet work for you

When doing a satisfaction score rating you may want to be careful how you interpret these findings. From the previous example it isn't just enough to say that security is quite good but you should also be able to get the reasoning's from respondents who felt that security was bad. As a researcher you will soon see how this tool is useful when doing some in depth research activities. Make sure to practice how its done, All the best!!

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Conducting an Evaluation, A Research that really needs some answers

An Evaluation of a Programme

Alright, you have successfully been commissioned to conduct a research evaluation for an organization that has been for the past decade been implementing a programme. Unfortunately no evaluation has really been done to really see whether there are any significant results. Now, you are researcher and as a researcher you know the rules very well, whatever the situation you have to use conventional methods of research to pull this off. Lets say that this organization has been implementing a project or programme to deal with reducing child mortality by supplying necessary medicines to a clinic and child care services, how do you evaluate this programme. To start with, what exactly is an evaluation? What are we talking about here?

Conducting a Research that Kills, Making the Evaluation Real!

When given an assignment of such a nature, as a researcher with great credentials you should already know how much is being spent on you. We don't need to hid the figures do we? What are we talking about here $ 50,000 or $ 100,000 net? But you see to really get to understand the seriousness of this venture you really need to understand that there are alot of stakeholders seeking for answers...GOT IT!!! Now, if you are going to really have to successfully conduct this evaluation, you have to get back to the drawing board. You have to think big, you have to be real and understand what an Evaluation is.

An Evaluation is an in depth assessment that aims to give structured interpretation and give meaning to whatever results have been achieved by a programme (in this case the programme). In short, what stakeholders are really looking for is to understand what has been achieved over the past decade? how has the programme fared in reducing child mortality over the past decade? You as an researcher or an Evaluator should answer that question without any big problems. Now how do you exactly prepare for an evaluation given that this kind of research needs alot of concentration.

Preparing yourself for the Evaluation, be the Best Researcher

Here are a few steps you mustn't ever forget when preparing yourself for an Evaluation that will really speak volumes to all your listeners and stakeholders.

1) Reading literature: Before embarking on the research, you have to have background knowledge of the programme and what it aimed to achieve over the decade. What better way to do this by reading programme documents and other strategic plans that have been documented by the organizations. You should be able to ask for reports done by the organizations. While you do your personal reading be sure to read about work done by other researchers all over the world to do with this kind of programme. Don't forget to understand some of the challenges and opportunities faced by these past similar programmes. Be sure to read through the terms of reference again.

2) Interviews: You have to conduct interviews and this is really the most important thing among all the steps. As a researcher you are supposed to carefully select the people you will interview who will most likely be the programme staff, programme beneficiaries and other stakeholders as well. Make sure as a researcher or Evaluator to structure your questions properly in order to capture all the information you are looking for.

3) Reporting: After you have completed your literature review and interviews, you can now report all your findings to the stakeholders. As an Evaluator you should present your findings during a validation meeting which will validate the findings you collected. All stakeholders must be invited to comment on the powerpoint presentation after which you will also hand them the draft evaluation report. The final version of the Evaluation report should be sent after you recieve and document all the comments.

 

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Data Analsis in Research, Bringing out the information you really need

Understanding Data Analysis for what it really is

What exactly is data analysis in research when you come to think of it? Who calls the shots in this area of research?Well simply put data analysis is about transforming data into information and information into insights according to one source. But you see, when it comes to data analysis you want to be able to tell a story out of your data analysis and be able to make decisions using simple approaches. Taking a simple approach such as in the case of data analysis can contribute to good assured results which really everybody really wants. You see dear researchers, data analysis is all about making life easy for your readers when they see all that data you have collected from whatever sources out there. When you collect data, figures or numerical values one of the first things you try to do is tabulate them. But human beings as we all know it dont want to spend too much time reading and figuring out what a long strain of figures means. It is much easier to understand such findings if they are well presented in tables or graphical format (especially this). Thats what data analysis tries to do, bring out the information from raw data.

Using the Smartest presentations of your Findings in Data Analysis

1. Tables; Imagine you are researching the poverty levels of a country, what do you collect, how do you do your data analysis? First things first the kind of information that could be relevant are the following namely income levels, gender, age , occupation, location e.t.c But you see when doing your data analysis you have understand exaclty why you are collecting this data. You may be the most experienced researcher in the whole world but you still need to get a few pointers on this one. Lets exactly undertsand why this information is important.

a) Income Levels; Income levels of your sample group is really the heart of all your research when it comes to poverty levels. But you see as a researcher, a proper analysis doesn't just mean stating the average income for all your participants. But it also means understanding who in sample have the highest and lowest incomes, how this income is earned, what this income can buy for a family e.t.c that's what a real data analysis should do. It should really tell a story.

b) Gender and Age; Gender and age is very, very important in research. Data analysis should inform the reader which gender earns more, which gender is more affected with poverty? ofcourse in most cases you will find that it is the women and for obvious reasons, most of the worlds resources don't reach women. Age is also important because you would like to know the age groups who are least affected and most affected. So, data analysis should bring out this information in a powerful way.

Now, once you have done your data analysis, you can begin to tabulate this information and tell a brief story about what all these means. A good way to tabulate your data analysis findings is by using means and ranges.

2. Graphs

Graphs are by far the best way to communicate your data analysis research findings. Whenever, people read your report what do you think they would like to see first....You answered correctly, they want to see graphs. Graphical representation in research is really a boost in making your report look attractive and interesting to read. It is also easy for a reader to remember a graphical representation than written texts. Data analysis at this stage will make you the best researcher in world...SERIOUSLY!! You can use a wide range of different graphs which indeed will make your research report a must read.

Data Analysis and You

You can always make data analysis so much interesting if it becomes a part of you when undertaking a research of any kind. It is true that data analysis can be really hectic, but don't worry about that sometimes to get the best you have to give the best. Make sure never to forget that!

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Random Sampling Surveys, Gettting the best answers through Sampling

Sampling shouldn't ever be ignored in Research

Whenever a researcher would like to conduct a research, there is always need to significantly take a realistic, persuasive approach to gathering your findings in research. It doesn't really matter what others will say, but if you are conducting a research that will require you to select a sample group...Please do not hesitate to select a reliable, impressive sample group. A sample survey or survey sample will help you accomplish your research in a realistic better approach. Sample surveys or survey samples are realistically what every researcher should have on their mind when conducting a research that will require interviewing your sample group in order to gather some data. But then, what exactly is sampling in research and why is it so important?

Random Sampling Research, the Sample size does matter

Imagine you have been commissioned to conduct a research on the levels of literacy among married couples in a certain country situated in Europe. It really isn't hard to realize soon that it is practically unrealistic to interview all the over five million couples in a country that is already heavily populated, where would you get the resources for such an exercise? But that's not the only problem, getting people to actually give you time to answer your questionnaire  in a city which is already so busy isn't practical at all in most cases. So what do you do as a researcher? You have to select a sample group. In short your research will now be a random sampling survey which will involve you selecting a sample group which is indeed a realistic approach. There are number of key points that you shouldn't ignore when selecting the sample group. Please take note below researcher;

1. Sample Size; The sample size is very important and highly noted for consideration. The sample size should be sizable enough that any researcher can conclusively say that when the analysis is completed, every researcher can agree that it is somehow similar to what could have been found had it been for the whole population.

2. Sample Representation; The sample size selected in every research should reflect the whole entire population..At least it should try to. In short the sample size should be reflective in the areas of certain characteristics that are deemed as being common to all couples in the country. Such common characteristics could be things like couples number of children, couples date of marriage e.t.c What is the common characteristics of couples in a country? As soon as you find the answer to that you select a sample size that contains the most common characteristics. That is the type of research you shouldn't throw away

3. Resources; This is by far the most important when undertaking a research depending on the kind of approach you will use. Resources could be human capital to collect the data or simply funds to undertake such an important research. For instance, if you will be conducting a research from door to door, there is need for money to cater for your allowances, for your fuel and travel and for other important staff. That's how expensive a research assignment can take. If for instance, you decide to mobilize a sample group to one location and make interviews far much easier, that will attract heavy spending. So that is why sometimes sample groups may be increased or decreased in number depending on the resources available.

The Random Sampling Questionnaire

A questionnaire used during random sampling should ensure that it covers all the needed questions to make the reporting process significantly easier. What are qualities of a good questionnaire, well in nut shell a good questionnaire shouldn't be lengthy, should be easy to understand, should capture all the necessary data or information for the research and finally shouldn't be offensive to the respondents. So what should you as a researcher do when developing a questionnaire? It is important to always review your questionnaire and compare it to your research proposal to ensure that it adequately captures all the information you want. Always review your questionnaire. More details of a questionnaire will be discussed soon but in the meantime make sure to enjoy your random sampling activities...Later!!!

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Conducting Research and Exploring all avenues

The world is changing and so should you. Online Market Research is the answer

There are many reasons why online market research could work for you as a market researcher. However you mustn't ignore this one truth that every researcher has the opportunity to use the internet to both disseminate and collect information. How can this be done? Well for starters you can simply create your own website and post reports of what you have significantly contributed in the world of research. Ofcourse when you have a website you have to find time to significantly write posts and review what others say about your work. Online Market research can be done in primarily three ways namely;

1. Using the internet to gather information; As a researcher you can simply go to google and type in what you are looking for. When you discover market research reports or other peoples work online and want to include it in your research report, make sure to put credit to others. Researchers must always do that at all costs.

2. Collect information through your website; You can collect information for Market Research by developing an online questionnaire. People who are interested can find time to answer your research questions and quickly provide a response. This method quit frankly is dicey because most people wouldn't have the time or interest to answer your questions. But if their was some kind of simple incentive for them to do it, can you and your market research company explore such opportunities? Crazy Example; If your questionnaire is targeted to students who are marketers, could you and your research company explore possibilities of developing a free e-book that can only be accessed if they complete your questionnaire...SEE!!

3. Email; You can use the email to send the soft copy of the questionnaire to especially people you contacted before....Or even better you can use the email to send a link to your online questionnaire.The market research can be very useful if you as a market researcher have informed your participants well in advance that you will send them a questionnaire.Even if you find that your Market Research isnt progressing as fast as you would have wanted, there is no need to significantly give up on your research. Use the email to contact institutions that are willing to provide you with the necessary information that you are looking for.

Juicy Advantages of Online Market Research

The benefits of online market research is that you as a researcher can reach out to a much wider audience within the shortest period of time. Online market research reduces significantly the cost of conducting this exercise and because its through the internet, it is easy and fast. Significantly, almost everybody knows how to use the internet and thus while doing online market research you can contact your participants or find information even from social media like Facebook, Twitter e.t.c

But beware, even as you are conducting your market research you don't want to spam other peoples mailbox because that would just make you a horrible spammer. Significantly you can improve the way you collect information by talking to other online market researchers out there by even contacting a blogging guru and asking him how he successfully networks with others.

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Do a Market Research Today

Do it yourself or Pay somebody to do it

Market researches are among the many researchers businessmen are spending huge sums of money on in order to get valuable information. Lets face it, the world is changing and we have to change with it because gone are the days when you just entered a business and started selling items which you understood little about. People these days dont just want to sell but would like to understand more about their market they operate in, the opportunities as well as the consumers and the list goes on.This post wont give you an academic definition of a market research but will just touch the surface leaving you to do the dirty work. You can do the research yourself or pay somebody to do it. Market researchers these days are plenty and if they are consultants and you are a business man they might just come knocking on your door. But what just is Market Research??

Defining Market Research so that you actually do one

Market research is a research undertaken to understand the market and also get an understanding of your customers. Imagine yourself as a businessman who has a brilliant idea of a certain kind of product you want to sell to the public. You have a passion for the product and personally invest a lot of resources to come up with this special product. However, you discover that when you launch the product into the market you discover that nobody even buys it, why? The reason is simple because they dont like it.....Sorry to be harsh but the truth is they may not find your product even relevent to their needs. Many businesses have suffered such a set back and many will continue to.

That's why its very important to perform a market research, a research that provides all the answers that you are looking for. When doing a market research you simply want to know what consumers are really looking for in a product and whether your product will actually do fabulously in the market. A market research can significantly improve your chances of making your product sell. When you are performing a market research you really want to delve into the consumers and ask yourself what is it consumers are really looking for. A good market research should tell you who really are your consumers at all. Are your consumers University Students or Construction Workers? As someone conducting a market research you are significantly trying to deliver the product that consumers really want. In fact some consumers may not even know what they are looking for but when the findings in the market research come out, you score As in all the way. Another thing market researches should do is bring out the opportunities for your product to sell and possibly even the legislation and possible challenges that the product may face competing. It is significantly important to know who your competitor are.......Very Important.

What next after a Market Research?

Congratulations you have done your Market Research and collected a whole lot of data from the Market...What Next??? Reporting, isn't that exciting. Putting the findings into a format that is really clear to understand can really boost ways of formulating better strategies to beat the market. As a researcher it would help alot to report your research and also provide recommendations that explains important aspects such as.

• Should a business take a chance or not on the product?
• How should a business package their product in terms of what consumers really want?
• How long will it take for the product to enter the market?

These are some of the important pointers but experts in research and marketing may have additional recipes to add  to this short list of recommendations. Why not try to undertake a market research yourself??? All the best!!

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Enhancing your Report Writing Skills

Communicating your Research Findings effectively

Writing a report after conducting an important research is an art in itself because you want to make sure by all means that the findings of your research are communicated effectively. That is totally true no matter where you go or where you live, reporting findings of a research requires adequate skill. Some people these days mess up alot when it comes to communicating the findings because they haven't really got to know their audiences. However, reporting of information shouldn't be difficult for any researcher because as it is you know exactly what you want to communicate. Here are a few tips that can help you and others write an effective report. Follow me, Follow me!!!

The Narrative Part

When writing the narrative part of the report make sure you put yourself in the shoes of the person reading and don't always assume they know exactly what you are talking about. Reporting research findings is like telling a story. What are so popular about stories, well a good story should have nice beginning and a good ending. Always try to connect the introduction of your research report to the conclusion of your research report. For example, if you are writing about the research topic "Do candies cause tooth decay?" your research introduction will be as follows;

Introduction; Candies have been present for decades with both adult and especially the young enjoying it. However, until recently young children between the ages of 5-12 have  been experiencing rapid tooth decay which has been attributed by some local doctors to be the candy they eat. But according to critics its believed it may not be the candy but actually may be something else.

Conclusion; Candies are responsible for the recent rapid tooth decay in children.

See how incredibly easy it is to have an introduction end with a conclusion that connects well in the research report. You will be amazed that some people wont even waste too much time reading the whole research report but will just read your introduction and then run straight to the conclusion. Thats why when writing your narrative make sure your reporting connects well with the intro and conclusion.

Other tips to improving your narrative component will be to edit your grammar, number your headings and sub headings effectively. Use the right font size and spacing and most of all when reporting your research findings be live.

Graphical representations are cool!!

When it comes to reporting it is always recommended to include at least a few graphs because it makes your work look neat and your report easy to read and interpret. Again believe it or not, some people wont even want to read your narrative but will only run to the graphs because some if not most feel that it easier to understand the findings of a research by paying attention to the graphs. Excel software produces quit a number of interesting graphs but then you can also use SPSS. More on graphs will be talked about in future posts but until then See Ya!!

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Research and Reporting, Killing two birds with one Stone

Writing a Report that Kills in Research

Whatever you do wherever you go, you cannot run away from reporting your research findings. Ofcourse some do it but they suffer serious consequences for that. However reporting ladies and gentlemen gives you an opportunity to significantly communicate your findings to a wide mass of different stakeholders and audiences, How fun can that be?? But the reality is that even professionals these days struggle so much in reporting their findings in research. Reporting can really kill a research so hard that the last word you hear from your superiors is "You better do the whole thing again." Now let us briefly understand why many researchers actually fail so hard in reporting their findings effectively. Please pay attention to this or be a victim yourselves.

Reporting Research Findings, Did you really do an Excellent Job?

Your Audience: Many researchers when communicating their research findings assume that there audience actually know what they are talking about. You wont believe it but some researchers are even tempted to include very academic language and terminologies to an audience that hasnt even tasted the University before. Rule number 1, you have to fine tune your reporting skills to a level which could be understood by everybody. Dont just assume things, make sure people understand what you are talking about. Make your reporting is easy to understand so that all your participants actually appreciate it.

Too lengthy: You know sometimes it is significantly not necessary to produce lengthy reports in your reporting of results. Why is that the case? Simple.....Most people don't actually have the time to read your reports. Trim it down a little, give your participants some breathing space. There are times however, when most of the information in your reporting is highly important, please maintain that information but dont make your participants sleep.

No creativity: When reporting your findings please be creative but at the same time maintain your level of professionalism. What does creativity really mean, well you figure it out. But the truth is in the world today there are many competitors and some of them have realized how vital it is to catch the attention of their participant in their reporting. So when somebody looks at your report, will they turn a blind eye to it or will they want to keep on reading. That's when you can tell whether you are creative. Be a dreamer sometimes.

Standards not followed; When reporting your findings please by all means follow the layed down standards. There is no universal standard when it comes to reporting but there are certain preferences out the you know. When reporting it is vital you know the right way to do it. Don't be afraid to ask whoever commissioned you to do the research. Keep on asking them then would you see significantly good results.

Drawing a Conclusion from your Findings

Some researchers are so bad in reporting the conclusion of their findings that you even ask yourself "Who is this Guy??????" You see whenever you are coming up with a conclusion, try to relate it to your objectives and problem statement. That's it!!! Now if you need help in doing this you can always consult other researchers work and see how they conclude a research. That is the definition of research.

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Using Statistical Software in Research, Speak Out

SPSS or STATA can contribute to a good Analysis

Whenever you are done collecting all the necessary data you wanted from the field or from the sampled group, your next stage is how to start analyzing your data. Analysis is key to bringing out the right kind of information that you will be able to communicate at reporting. However, analysis can be a really hectic exercise for any researcher because at this stage of the process you already know that if you don't get it right at this stage, then what you communicate to your audience will be a major challenge. There are so many software's that aid to give a better kind analysis but most times researhers these days talk about either STATA or SPSS. But Excel can do a pretty good job as well you know, lets dive into these two softwares shall we.

Researchers who Use SPSS, there feel of the programme

SPSS means statistical package for social sciences and is used on a wide range of researchers out there. Most researchers have appreciated this software from market researchers, health practitioners,government employees and alot more. SPSS software has not been only successful to researchers in carrying out an effective analysis but has also been usefull in data management and data documentation. However, as every researcher should know you need to have a strong mathematical component if you are going to use its functions to the full and appreciate the software to the full. But that shouldnt worry you at all because SPSS has a wide range of tutorials on and off the internet that you can easily learn from. So, if you are comfortable using it you can try it out.

Advantages

• Those with strong mathematical skills and know SPSS well appreciate it very much
• Highly recommended for descriptive statistics
• You can enter loads of data and automatically generate analysis reports or graphs.  
• Easy installation

Disadvantages

• Costly to a common researcher
• Takes a hell of a time to learn
• If you just know the basics of analysis, you are better off using excel

STATA software, lets begin to learn it

Quit honestly the real gurus in mathematics would recommend this programme to people who know whats its really worth. Whenever you are doing an analysis then preparing yourself for reporting, you may wish to go in depth with the way you interpreted the data you just collected. The words STATA is a combination of the words statistics and data. Personally haven't used this programme at length, but the few times it was used it proved pretty helpful especially in linear regression and other in depth mathematical procedures. However, it wouldn't be recommended for descriptive analysis because the first thing is that data entry is just a hell difficult and it just takes time. However, I think its something I should begin to learn to use. Any further comments about this statistical software will be much appreciated. Enjoy your researching and reporting always!!!

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Survey Questions, Using the Questionnaire at all Levels

Use the Questionnaire to ask the Right Questions

Whenever you are conducting a research most will feel tempted to use a questionnaire as a data collection tool for subsequently reporting.. Thats really were data collection should begin because a questionnaire can be a very usefull tool to collect data, at the same time it can be a very poor ally. Why is it that sometimes Research fails and subsequently failure on reporting? Well it all begins with the kind of data you are collecting in research which in turn begins with the kind of questionnaire you are using in research which in turn begins with the kind of questions you are asking. In short, you may create a fantastic super questionnaire for your research but if you are asking the wrong kind of questions and expecting the right kind of answers, then rethink your whole research methodology quickly friend. Lets understand what a questionnaire is shall we?

Questionnaire Definition, Make it work for reporting

The questionnaire must be the tool you use to ask questions and find the right answer....that's as easy as it gets when it comes to the questionnaire definition. You see people, don't complicate things. Many times you find researchers invest a lot of their valuable time developing a bulky questionnaire that is so bulky you wonder whether most of it is relevant. The challenge these days is that some researchers want to be reporting about even the most irrelevent things and at the end of the day you have no clue how to draw a conclusion. There is need to make sure you are asking the right questions, but how do you do that?

1. Read your Research Proposal; Assuming you wrote an award winning research proposal, read it again and understand the problem statement, the objectives and any other important things you may want to measure. Get into your Research Proposal so deep that you have mastered every piece of it so that at the end of the day you wont need to refer to the Research Proposal everywhere you go. In short, get to fully understand your mission.

2. Brainstorm; Keep thinking deeply about your ideas and make sure to put them together the right way. Some questions you may do well to ask yourself if you want to collect the right question and subsequently report well are 1) What exactly am I trying to measure????? 2) Why am I measuring it and why should this research matter to anybody? 3) How am I going to measure this? When you reach to the how stage then it is evident to start creating the right kind of questions.

3. Seek help through others; You don't necessarily have to always go to a researchers office and ask him to look at your work but you can make use of other researchers work that have been done related to your topic. Do not at all costs plagiarize anybodies work but make it your goal to just see how others have approached things. Usually at the back of the research report, you might be fortunate to find the kind of questionnaire they used when collecting the data they wanted.

 Reporting your Valuable Findings to a Valuable Audience.

When reporting your findings, always make sure to have your audience in mind. At the end of the day your goal is to communicate your research findings in a research friendly way. It is absolutely no use to load your audience with so much information that at the end of the day they dont seem to understand anything. When reporting your findings, make sure its done significantly only then would you have done a successful research. See YA!!

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The definition of reseach in a world that hungers for knowledge

Gathering Knowledge through Research

The definition of research, Knowledge is power, it is certainly a phrase you do hear a lot don't you? but on an even brighter side you will discover that knowledge does play a very crucial role in shaping the world we have today. Just imagine the many break throughs in science and technology which would never had been achieved if there hadn't been efffective methods of doing research. Research is all about gathering data and information with the aim of adding to the stock of knowledge. Yes folks, that's plainly what research is all about......Knowledge!! You need knowledge, we need knowledge and the whole world needs knowledge and more knowledge. You have to understand the reality folks, without research what can you really talk about. To begin with lets briefly get to understand who really does research and see the reality of how this important activity affects each one of us. Remember that the definition of research is not far off.

Research and the World around Us

Many people look at research purely as an academic exercise which they should do in order to walk out of school with a piece of academic qualification in their hand. However, thats not how it should be really because as it is, the world is changing and we have to change with it. You cant imagine the millions of dollars that governments today invest in today just in research in order to add to the stock of knowledge. People of all walks of life are constantly asking questions and seeking answers to those complicated questions. To start with, we all know that if it hadnt been for research there wouldnt even have been cures to any of these diseases we have to face each and every day. But ofcourse you knew that already, perhaps the question you may be asking or may want to know is how can I write an award winning research proposal that can add more money to my pocket and get me nominated for the nobel peace prize. Well thats the hard part and to tell you the truth you have to prepare a really good research proposal that will really add to the stock of knowledge. RESEARCH ROCKS BROTHER!!! However, what are qualities of a good research?

Marketing a Research Paper, Qualities that Rock! 

If you are lucky to have found the woman or man of your dreams you will agree that there are certain qualities you like about them. It doesn't have to be too extraordinary but all that matters is that it should be something you are looking for in a person, whether its fair or not. Believe it or not that's exactly what the world is looking for these days..........Knowledge. In a Research people want to know what kind of knowledge your research will add to the world. Will this knowledge make the life of people better, will it add significantly to our learning of the world around us and the Universe? Those are just a few questions people may ask. But most of all the research should be new, fresh and relevant. Now depending on why someone is conducting a research he may realize that what is relevant for him may not exactly be relevant to the other. Therefore it is important to know your audience well and appreciate that there are looking for one thing,...A possible solution to their problems. So defining research isn't a hard thing after all, but that was just the easy part. As you read through many articles of this blog you will soon realize how interesting and yet challenging research can actually be. TA!! TA!!

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