Information source is the supplier of information for a certain individual, i.e. anything that might inform a person about something or provide knowledge to somebody. Information is a prerequisite when writing reports because reports must be objective and factual in their content.
2.2 SOURCES OF INFORMATION (SO 3, AC 3)
The main sources of information are;
- Primary and
- Secondary source
These two sources of information provide useful information when writing reports.
2.2.1 PRIMARY INFORMATION
Primary information is the data that originates as a result of that particular investigation. Jankowicz (1995) asserts that data are mainly primary if they have been gathered according to your own rationale, and interpreted by yourself, to make a point which is important to your own argument: in other words, if they are relatively original. Primary information is pertinent in reports as a was of substantiating it. The following are the common sources of primary data;
- Questionnaires
This is the structured technique of collecting primary data. Questionnaires are an inexpensive way to gather data from a potentially large number of respondents. Often they are the only feasible way to reach a number of reviewers large enough to allow statistically analysis of the results.
A questionnaire has the following advantages:
- It allows free style of investigation and pursuing particular issues in greater detail.
- It is quick to collect information using a questionnaire.
- Allows potential information to be collected from a large portion of a group.
Questionnaires make use of open and closed ended questions;
- Open format questions are those that ask for unprompted opinions. In other words, there are no predetermined set of responses, and the participant is free to answer however he chooses. Open format questions are good for soliciting subjective data or when the range of responses is not tightly defined. An obvious advantage is that the variety of responses should be wider and more truly reflect the opinions of the respondents.
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WHEN TO USE A QUESTIONNAIRE? There is no all encompassing rule for when to use a questionnaire. The choice will be made based on a variety of factors including the type of information to be gathered and the available resources for the experiment. A questionnaire should be considered in the following circumstances.
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- Closed ended questions are those questions that offer limited response and in most case a yes or no answer. Closed format questions offer many advantages in time and money. By restricting the answer set, it is easy to calculate percentages and other hard statistical data over the whole group or over any subgroup of participants.
- Observation
Observation is a primary method of collecting data by human, mechanical, electrical or electronics means with direct or indirect contact. As per Langley P, “Observations involve looking and listening very carefully. We all watch other people sometimes but we do not usually watch them in order to discover particular information about their behaviour. This is what observation in social science involves.”
There are many types of observation, direct or indirect, participant or non-participant, obtrusive or non-obtrusive, structured or non-structured. The observation is important and actual behaviour of people is observed and not what people say they did or feel.
- Obtrusive mean visible, thrusting out or evident. It is like class monitor, traffic warden or inspector.
- Unobtrusive mean hidden, camouflaged or low-key. In such method, the researcher is not required to intrude
- participative observation, the observers becomes a participant in the program or culture or context being observed
- Interview
In-depth interviews, also called as one-to-one interviews, are expensive in term of time and money but are good for exploring several factors. Problems identified in an interview may be a symptom of a serious problem.
The interviews may be conducted face to face or through telephone or these could be computer assisted interviews. Nowadays, television interviews have become more common.
But interviews are fraught with bias from three sources,
- the interviewer,
- the interviewee and the
- Interview setting.
The interviewer may misinterpret the response or distort it while writing down. He may unintentionally encourage certain responses though gestures and facial impressions. The interviewee may not give his or her true opinion or avoid difficult questions. The setting may be good or bad creating comfort or discomfort. It may be open or in presence of some colleagues or senior or level of trust may be inadequate.
In order to minimize bias, the interviewer should have knowledge, skill and confidence. Rapport and trust should be established in the interview.
2.2.1 SECONDARY INFORMATION
Secondary data is data which has been collected by individuals or agencies for purposes other than those of our particular report. Secondary data is the data that have been already collected by and readily available from other sources. Such data are cheaper and more quickly obtainable than the primary data and also may be available when primary data can not be obtained at all.
Secondary data can further be divided into two parts.
- Qualitative data includes biographies, personal letters, diaries, records, documents, published material, computer database, policy statements, etc.
- Quantitative data would have market research, census, and Economic documents, planning documents or specimens.
| Secondary information in an organisation can include;
· Other reports · Policy manuals · Letters · Minutes of meetings · Agenda · Contracts · Profiles · Curriculum vitae · Employee registers. · Bank reports · Financial statements · Website · Publications · TV · Newspaper |
Assume you are writing an incident report, the following information sources can be used;
| INFORMATION SOURCE | INFORMATION THAT IT PROVIDES |
| Interviews with eyewitness | This can provide information on what, how, when an incident occurred. In addition, it can also provide information on who was affected. |
| Observation | By observing the scene, one can know the extent of the damage caused by the accident. If the reporter also witnessed the incident information about what, how, when an incident occurred can be collected. |
| Past incident reports | These can give the report writer information on ways of preventing the accident from happening in the future. |
| Brainstorming | Provide recommendations for prevent future occurrence of the same incident. |
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LEARNING ACTIVITY
Assume you have been tasked to write a business trip report. I. List the information sources that you would consult II. Explain how the information sources can assist you when writing the report (i.e what information does each source give you. |
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