Question: How can we check, evaluate and priorities our findings?

Answer:

EVALUATING THE FINDINGS

There are two aspects to the evaluation:

a) How reliable are the findings?

b) How significant are the findings?

Consider each in turn.

a) How reliable are the findings?

There are four factors by which the reliability of information should be judged:

 Accuracy
 Objectivity
 Completeness
 Strength

Accuracy

Sometimes we can check the data supplied. For example are the mathematical calculations
accurate? If there are too many to check remember Pareto’s principle which states that eighty
percent of what is important is represented by twenty per cent of what exists. Concentrate on this
twenty per cent.

Information may also be inaccurate if it is out of date. In experimental work was current
equipment used? In legal matters has account been taken of any recent and relevant legislation or
case law?
Objectivity

When people have strongly held beliefs they will often see or hear things which support these
beliefs but they will not see or hear things which oppose them. For example self-deception may
cause results to be interpreted incorrectly. Going further it is not unknown for people to
perpetrate fraud either to hoax or to provide evidence to support preconceived ideas.

So ask yourself whether all the major or relevant points of view have been fairly represented. If
the subject is controversial the arguments for both (or all) cases should have been presented. At
the very least the person who provided the information should have made it clear that the views
expressed are his or her own and should then provide references to opposing viewpoints. Finally
be very wary of statements without supporting evidence.

Completeness

In computer science a ‘hash total’ is used to ensure the completeness of a batch of records.
However it is often extremely difficult to prove that information is complete or more accurately
that it is not incomplete. For example we know of many animals that once inhabited the world.
But how can we prove that they were the only ones? How can we prove that unicorns never
existed? What you must ask yourself therefore is whether all relevant information has been
provided and whether any attempt has been made to deceive or mislead by omission. Then look
at it from the other side is all the information provided relevant or is someone trying to ‘blind
you with science’?

Strength

Evidence is strong when:

 It can be verified or re-performed (for example a scientific experiment).

 Independent observers have all come to the same conclusion.
 There have been a large number of consistent observations.
 It is in agreement with the general body of knowledge.
Conversely evidence is weak when some or all of these conditions cannot be satisfied. Always
differentiate between fact and opinion and remember that the former provides the far stronger
evidence.

How significant are the findings?

For significance you must now step back and assess the implications of your findings. How
material are they? Many report writers simply list every piece of information they have gathered
without any consideration of its relative importance. This is a mistake because it implies that
each is of equal weight. It is important to recognize that there will be a variety of interconnected
causes for and consequences of an event and these will not be of equal importance.

PRIORITISING YOUR FINDINGS

What you must do is highlight your most significant findings and be prepared to explain
carefully why they are so important. You may find it useful to amend your skeletal framework so
that these key findings will not get lost somewhere within the main body of the report or in an
appendix. But do not overdo it the more things you highlight in the main body and summary the
less powerful each so called ‘highlight’ will become.

At the other extreme ask yourself whether everything you have found is worth recording in the
report. Perhaps some findings should merely be placed in an appendix as evidence of work
undertaken or perhaps they should be omitted entirely. If your readers dismiss any of your
findings as petty or irrelevant this can undermine the entire report and severely damage your
credibility. As you priorities your findings continually remind yourself that your aim will be to
tell your readers everything they need to know but not to waste their time with trivia.

CHECKING YOUR FINDINGS

Before you conclude your investigation or project you must be sure that:

 You have collected and handled all the information you will need to write the report.
 You are satisfied that all this information is accurate and reliable.
It is far better to fill in any gaps in your research now or perhaps re-perform an experiment or
refer to some further management statistics or confirm your understanding of the way a system
operates while you are still on site. Otherwise you may later have to rely on your memory or on
someone’s uncorroborated evidence over the phone or and worst of all trust to luck before you
can complete your draft report. So ask yourself, Could I confidently write the report now relying
only on the information I have collected and handled? The investigation should not be wound up
until the answer to this question is an unqualified ‘Yes’.