商务英语课程课件Unit2.ppt

3) Gather Your Information With a clear understanding of the purpose and scope of your report and who you are writing to, be ready to gather your information.???  Two types of information : Secondary and Primary. Secondary is information gathered and recorded by others. Primary is information you gather and record yourself. Sources Caution Secondary Books, internet, reports, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, and journals Information may be inaccurate, out of date, or biased Primary Questionnaires, surveys, observation, experiments, historical information, and raw data Information must be gathered carefully to ensure it is accurate and bias free. At this point you should be doing your research. Think WHERE you are going to find your information. If the purpose of your report requires purchase information, you might want to check with vendors and distributors for features and pricing information. For certain types of information you might be checking out the library (books, magazines, journals, or newspapers). Another good source of information is the internet. Conduct a search using key words to find what information that might be useful to you in cyberspace. As you are gathering your information, create a way to manage your information. Massive information is difficult to sort through if it is not organized. One idea is to place different piece of information on note cards (with the source on that card). By separating pieces of information on cards, the information later can be rearranged and sorted when you are determining your plan of presentation. 4) Analyze Your Information The purpose of the analysis is to make sense, objectively, out of the information you have gathered. You will not want personal bias of any kind to enter into the analysis. Information is compared and contrasted in an effort to try to find new ideas or the best ideas. Separate facts and figures need to be interpreted by explaining what they mean--what significance they have