Unit 4: Data analysis & report writing
Business Research Methods notes · PTU syllabus (BBA401-18)
On this page
Unit summary
Raw survey responses must be cleaned, coded and analysed before conclusions can be reported. This unit covers editing, coding and cross-tabulation, analysis in Excel, types of research reports, and guidelines for writing and evaluating a report.
After this unit you can
- Edit and code collected data
- Prepare cross-tabulations and use Excel for analysis
- Describe types of research reports
- Write and evaluate a research report
PTU syllabus topics
- Editing
- coding and cross-tabulation
- practices through Excel
- types of research reports
- guidelines for writing and evaluating a report
- 1Editing
Check for errors and gaps
- 2Coding
Give answers numeric codes
- 3Tabulation
Cross-tabs in Excel
- 4Analysis
Statistics and charts
- 5Report
Findings, conclusions, recommendations
Topic 1
Editing and coding
- Editing checks completed questionnaires for completeness, consistency, accuracy and legibility. Field editing happens soon after collection; central editing is done in the office.
- Coding assigns numbers to answers so they can be counted and analysed (Male = 1, Female = 2; Strongly agree = 5). A codebook records every code.
- Classification groups data into categories; tabulation arranges it in tables.
Topic 2
Cross-tabulation and analysis in Excel
Cross-tabulation shows the relationship between two or more variables in one table.
| Preferred brand | Age 18–25 | Age 26–40 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand A | 40 | 20 | 60 |
| Brand B | 25 | 35 | 60 |
| Total | 65 | 55 | 120 |
Excel tools: PivotTables for cross-tabs, COUNTIF/AVERAGEIF, charts, descriptive statistics and the Analysis ToolPak (t-test, correlation, regression).
Topic 3
Types of research reports
| Type | Audience and features |
|---|---|
| Technical report | Researchers; full methodology, data and analysis |
| Popular (management) report | Managers; simple language, key findings and recommendations |
| Short report / memo | Quick findings on a limited problem |
| Long report | Detailed study with all sections |
| Oral presentation | Slides with key points |
Topic 4
Writing and evaluating a report
- 1
Preliminary pages
Title, certificate, acknowledgement, contents, executive summary
- 2
Introduction
Problem, objectives, scope
- 3
Literature review
- 4
Research methodology
Design, sample, tools
- 5
Data analysis and interpretation
Tables, charts
- 6
Findings, conclusions and recommendations
- 7
Limitations and future research
- 8
References and appendices
Questionnaire, data
Guidelines: write clearly and objectively, use headings, tables and charts, support findings with data, avoid jargon, and cite sources. Evaluate a report on clarity of objectives, soundness of methods, validity of conclusions and usefulness of recommendations.
Key terms
- Editing
- Checking data for completeness and accuracy
- Coding
- Assigning numbers to responses
- Codebook
- A record of all codes used
- Cross-tabulation
- A table showing relationships between variables
- Executive summary
- A brief overview of a report's key findings
Quick revision
- Edit → code → classify → tabulate → analyse.
- PivotTables create cross-tabs in Excel.
- Technical vs popular reports.
- Report: preliminaries, introduction, literature, method, analysis, findings, recommendations, references.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.What is editing of data?
- Q2.What is coding? Give an example.
- Q3.What is cross-tabulation?
- Q4.Differentiate between a technical and a popular report.
- Q5.What is an executive summary?
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain the steps of data processing: editing, coding, classification and tabulation.
- Q2.Explain the types of research reports.
- Q3.Explain the structure and guidelines for writing a research report.
Stuck on this unit?
Message SBS on WhatsApp for help with Business Research Methods, or to ask about studying BBA at Synetic.