Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T12:08:13.766Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

20 - Report Writing: Communicating Data Analysis Results

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Edward W. Frees
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Get access

Summary

Chapter Preview. Statistical reports should be accessible to different types of readers. Such reports inform managers who desire broad overviews in nontechnical language and analysts who require technical details to replicate the study. This chapter summarizes methods of writing and organizing statistical reports. To illustrate, we will consider a report of claims from third-party automobile insurance.

Overview

The last relationship has been explored, the last parameter has been estimated, the last forecast has been made, and now you are ready to share the results of your statistical analysis with the world. The medium of communication can come in many forms: you may simply recommend to a client to “buy low, sell high” or you may give an oral presentation to your peers. Most likely, however, you will need to summarize your findings in a written report.

Communicating technical information is difficult for a variety of reasons. First, in most data analyses, there is no one “right” answer that the author is trying to communicate to the reader. To establish a right answer, one need only position the pros and cons of an issue and weigh their relative merits. In statistical reports, the author is trying to communicate data features and the relationship of the data to more general patterns, a much more complex task. Second, most reports written are directed at a primary client or audience. In contrast, statistical reports are often read by many different readers whose knowledge of statistical concepts varies extensively; it is important to take into consideration the characteristics of this heterogeneous readership when judging the pace and order in which the material is presented.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×