the dos and dont of writing a report gilles carbonnier, graduate institute of international and...
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The Dos and Don’t of Writing a Report
Gilles Carbonnier, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
ARS, Thursday 6th October 2011ARS, Thursday 6th October 2011ARS, General Sessions, Thursday 6th October 2011ARS, General Sessions, Thursday 6th October 2011
Dos and don’t
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The packaging is as important as content itself
• Your executive summary is a central part of your report, not an “add-on”
• Your report/product must be adapted to your audience
• Highlight your key findings and recommendations upfront!
Dos and don’t
ARS, General Sessions, Thursday 6th October 2011ARS, General Sessions, Thursday 6th October 2011
Do calibrate amount of references, bibliography & methodological details to the end-product (e.g don’t invest in a 10-page bibliography for a 2-page report)
Early on, do structure your literature review: e.g. background info, supporting arguments, opposing arguments
Do link arguments, findings and recommendations in a coherent frame. Walk the reader through your text, which is not (yet) an novel !
Dos and don’t
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Do stick to the ToR. Propose modifications if needed but don’t change your problematic unilaterally
Do differentiate literature-based inputs, evidence-based findings, and your personal personal assumptions and opinions, which must be made explicit
Your conclusion should highlight and summarize the main issues, but not to introduce brand new elements. Don’t underestimate conclusions’ importance
Dos and don’t
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Do proof-read carefully (check grammar and style). Don’t let poor form affect good contents.
No plagiarism… of course!
Additional advice
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See Barnett, M. and T. Weiss (eds). 2009. Humanitarianism in question : Politics, Power and Ethics. Cornell University Press. Ch. 11: “Humanitarianism and practitioners : Social science matters”
• Be aware: the questions you ask depends on where you sit: donor, NGOs, researchers, private firm, “victim”
• In facing ethical dilemmas, make explicit your moral judgments, assumptions and beliefs to avoid morally-laden outputs
• Social science research matters, don’t be shy !
The semi-directive interview: basic concepts
and tools Sergio Bianchi, Graduate Institute of International and
Development Studies
ARS, Thursday 6th October 2011ARS, Thursday 6th October 2011ARS, General Sessions, Thursday 6th October 2011ARS, General Sessions, Thursday 6th October 2011
What is a semi-directive interview?
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An exchange of information
depending on
A relationship between socially positioned individuals
Informative Interviews vs. Participant Objectivation
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Exchange dynamics Objectivation method
Informative interview
The set of data (mainly about organizational practices)
known by the interviewee is extracted through a set of
techniques and tactics by the interviewer.
Cross-check with other sources/interviewees and/or
methodologies
Participant objectivation
The interviewee provide the the interviewer with
representations concerning the researched topics. The
content of these representations depend on
the positions occupied in the interaction by both of them.
Contextualization of the information exchange into
the social structures constituing the living world of
the interviewee, and of the interviewer when necessary.
Interview basic checklist (1)
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Introductory phase: Present yourself and your research. Think about small details (negotiate recording and
anonymity when applicable, clothing, recorder, etc).
Exchange phase: Build carefully your interview guide drawing on
your research path (issue, topic, questions). Pay attention to the wording of questions and probes.
Define clearly what you are looking for in each interview and what are your expectations and adapt the interview guide to them.
Just listen, listen and listen more.
Interview basic checklist (2)
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Mind about the satisfaction of the interviewee. He is making an effort to answer and this deserves a reward.
Conclusive phase: Thank the interviewee for the time and for its
effort. Indeed, he did one. Prepare to answer to interviewees’ questions
about the use of the interview materials in your research.
If any document or paper has been mentioned during the interview, be sure to have access to it.
Bibliography
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• Beaud, S. (1996), 'L'usage de l'entretien en sciences sociales. Plaidoyer pour l'"entretien ethnographique"' Politix, 35 (9), 226-257.
• Beaud, S. and Weber, F. (eds.) (2010), Guide de l'enquête de terrain : produire et analyser des données ethnographiques (4e éd. augmentée edn., Grands Repères. Guides, Paris: La Découverte) 333.
• Bourdieu, P. (2003), 'Participant Objectivation' The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 9 (2), 281-294.
• Chamboredon, H., et al. (1994), 'S'imposer aux imposant. A propos de quelques obstacles rencontrés par des sociologues débutants dans la pratique et l'usage de l'entretien' Genèses, 16, 114-132.
• Cohen, S. (ed.), (1999), L'art d'interviewer les dirigeants (Politique d'aujourd'hui, Paris: PUF) VI, 277.
• Laurens, S. (2007), '"Pourquoi" et "comment" poser les questions qui fâchent? Réflexions sur les dilemmes récurrents que posent les entretien avec des "imposants"' Genèses, 69, 112-127.