Business Admin Research Information Essay

1.1 Give reasons for agreeing objectives and deadlines for researching information Agreeing objectives is essential for a team or individual to know what they are focusing on to avoid wasting resources and time. Deadlines strongly affect what you research, for example, if a deadline of one week is agreed for writing a newspaper, you wouldn’t want to include today’s news as it would be very outdated by the time of publication. 1.2 Give reasons for identifying and agreeing sources of information It’s useful to identify and agree a source to use when researching information, as a standardised method means more uniform work. All information would be in a similar format when gathered from one source, but also, there is less room for error, as the agreed upon source is likely to be accurate and widely trusted. 1.3 Explain the purpose of recording and storing information researched Storing information is essential for many reasons; these include ease of access and readability, the level of detail you are able to store, the choice to have various copies of the information in case of loss and ease of transfer. 2.1 Agree aims, objectives and deadlines for the information search Agreeing aims and objectives helps me to do my work efficiently as they give me a clear idea of what I need to find and why. Deadlines are also very important to me as our customers and our reputation are negatively affected if don’t complete work in the required time so time limits help me estimate the time I have to spend on each one, otherwise, for example, I could spend too long researching one dental practice and affect another. 2.2 Identify sources of information Information can come from numerous sources, for example, other people such as colleagues or friends, online knowledge bases such as Wikipedia or books on the subject in question 2.3 Search for and obtain data I can search for information using the sources stated in the previous criteria, then to obtain the relevant data, I sift through all on offer then write down or type up what I require. If the information is copyrighted I would need to contact the author and request permission to use the data. 2.4 Check that data is suitable for the purpose of the research To ensure the data I find is suitable for the purpose of the research, I should agree guidelines for exactly what is needed and in what format with my manager or whoever set the task. 2.5 Record the data and store it securely I record information in various formats, such as documents onto my computer, memory stick or external hard drive, and onto websites such as Google Calendar and KashFlow. The majority of the information I deal with is confidential so I have to guarantee they are kept secure. I do this by setting strong passwords that only myself and any other required individuals know, and by keeping hardware on my person or locked away. 2.6 Make a record of information sources used It’s important to record all sources I use, as I often need to refer back to previously used documents, or find other information from a particular source. All records are kept organised and secure in our lockable store room. 2.7 Meet deadlines for completing research As previously mentioned, completing research in the set deadlines is important for me to present accurate data, and keep the strong relationship we have with our clients. To ensure I meet these deadlines, I have to carefully prioritise my workload and plan in advance how to tackle it, as I get a steady stream of new site notes every week and some are far more urgent than others.