Every new or established business or organization has an ongoing need for research and for written reports based on this research. With public interest groups or governmental entities, many of the questions to be asked and answered are generally communal and public issues such as “How should the problem of homelessness be managed or resolved?” or “How adequate are the services currently being provided for abused or abandoned children?” In the corporate or business sector, research on the products or services and their reception in the marketplace would be in order.
But for all organizations, a variety of issues related to its internal functioning also arise, such as “How can the communication between the marketing and sales departments be improved?” or “What communication and technical competencies does this job require?” And because all organizations need to function well and be effective, their needs for good organizational communication and excellent research exist whatever their mission and whatever their designation as public, not-for-profit, or private.
With research and report writing, the initial step is a determination that an important problem or issue exists and needs to be addressed. And once this step has been taken, it suggests that others will follow, with a general process that includes the following:
- The problem or issue needs to be not only identified but clarified so that its nature, extent, and scope are fully described and it can become the basis for further work;
- An analysis of the problem or issue needs to be done which determines its type and severity, and whether it is a single problem or part of a more complex whole;
- A tentative solution is proposed which links the problem or issue with several appropriate and feasible solutions, one of which will be chosen for implementation and beta-testing;
- The tentative solution needs to be evaluated and either accepted or rejected, and
- A solution is chosen that seems most suitable given current circumstances, resources, and the urgency of the problem or issue.
This overview presents an approach to research and report writing that encompasses a number of subordinate questions, which will fall under one or more of these five areas of the process. The questions are many, but some of the important ones include:
- What problems or issues are apparent or have been identified? What are the examples used?
- What assumptions underlie these problems or issues?
- What efforts have already been tried to address these problems or issues?
- What other organizations or communities have confronted these same or similar problems and issues?
- Were these organizations or communities successful, somewhat successful, or unsuccessful in managing or resolving these problems or issues?
- Might these strategies or efforts be adapted or incorporated in our organization or community?
- What resources of time, money, and people exist to tackle these problems or issues?
Having a rubric that can organize these – and other — questions, analyze the data that is generated, and accomplish the assessment and evaluation needed are often critical to removing organizational roadblocks or understanding a variety of problems or issues that are internal or external to the organization itself. The following four questions can help start a process that can make a huge difference in your workplace:
- What are the problems and issues you or your organization or community need to address?
- Why are they becoming apparent now?
- What solutions would move your organization forward?
- And — perhaps most importantly — how would you like to work on them?
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