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Business Communication: Building Critical Skills
Kitty O. Locker, Ohio State University
Steven Kyo Kaczmarek, Columbus State Community College
Kathryn Braun, Sheridan College
Finding, Analyzing and Documenting Information

E-Learning Session

  1. How can I find information online and in print? Learn how to do keyword searches.
    1. Use keywords when searching for information-terms that the computer searches for.
    2. Numerous sources exist where you can find information:
  2. How do I write questions for surveys and interviews? Test your questions to make sure they're neutral and clear.
    1. Before using questions, test them on people.
    2. After testing questions, use several tools to use questions to gather information.
      • Surveys
      • Questionnaires
      • Interview
    3. People who answer questions are called respondents.
    4. You can use these types of questions: POWERPOINT SLIDE
      • Closed
      • Open
      • Branching
        1. CONCEPT CHECK True or False: Use open questions most of the time, as they always provide more useful information that closed questions. CONCEPT CHECK
    5. Be specific when asking questions. TRANSPARENCY MASTER
  3. How do I decide whom to survey or interview? Use a random sample for surveys, if funds permit. Use a judgment sample for interviews.
    1. A population is the group you want to make statements about.
      • Defining your population carefully is crucial to getting useful information. TRANSPARENCY MASTER
    2. There are three kinds of samples. POWERPOINT SLIDE
  4. How should I analyze the information I've collected? Look for answers to your research questions, patterns, and interesting nuggets.
    1. Analyze your data carefully. POWERPOINT SLIDE
      • CONCEPT CHECK True or False: Information you discover through your analysis of the data can help you decide what to include later in reports and presentations. CONCEPT CHECK
  5. How should I document sources? Use APA or MLA format.
    1. Citation means attributing an idea or fact to its source in the body of the report.
    2. Documentation means providing the bibliographic information readers would need to go back to the original source.
  6. Go to the Self-Quizzes section if you would like to test your understanding of this module.




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