Jamie Elis
Registered
Any suggestions on how I can use GTD and/or any tools to reduce the times demands of writing reports. I have to write one or two a week and each one is a little different. I am finding that it takes me twenty hours to write one of these 10 page reports.
If I dictate, I always have to rewrite like crazy.
When I type, I see the flaws in my thinking or grammar as I write and I end up re-writing and re-writing
My actual activities:
Data collection : takes 4 to 6 hours, sometimes spread over several days.
Scoring and categorization of the data through formula and indices: takes 2 hours; sometimes longer.
Analysis and proposition stage where I brainstorm my findings and make certain they logically follow from the hard data but are consistent with the more subjective aspects and the context (if they are at variance then explain why); explain the relationship between the propositions; draw conclusions, designate categories. Takes 1 to 2 hours.
I usually do a handwritten mind map. to keep track in the propostion and alaysis stage.
Then comes the actual writing and report preparation and this takes me another 8 to 10 hours:
The final report looks like this:
1. Statement of the problem.
2. Context and background.
3. How the data was obtained, why certain methods were used, anything that adds or detracts from the credibility of the findings. Sometimes this puts the problem into a clearer context.
4. Description of each data collection method and its applicability in genreal and in this situation.
5. Display of the data itself or selected portions of it.
6. Interpretation in general and to address the specific problems that the study was done for.
7. Recommendations in regard to the specific problems and anything else that seems warranted.
The whole process is killing me time wise.
If I dictate, I always have to rewrite like crazy.
When I type, I see the flaws in my thinking or grammar as I write and I end up re-writing and re-writing
My actual activities:
Data collection : takes 4 to 6 hours, sometimes spread over several days.
Scoring and categorization of the data through formula and indices: takes 2 hours; sometimes longer.
Analysis and proposition stage where I brainstorm my findings and make certain they logically follow from the hard data but are consistent with the more subjective aspects and the context (if they are at variance then explain why); explain the relationship between the propositions; draw conclusions, designate categories. Takes 1 to 2 hours.
I usually do a handwritten mind map. to keep track in the propostion and alaysis stage.
Then comes the actual writing and report preparation and this takes me another 8 to 10 hours:
The final report looks like this:
1. Statement of the problem.
2. Context and background.
3. How the data was obtained, why certain methods were used, anything that adds or detracts from the credibility of the findings. Sometimes this puts the problem into a clearer context.
4. Description of each data collection method and its applicability in genreal and in this situation.
5. Display of the data itself or selected portions of it.
6. Interpretation in general and to address the specific problems that the study was done for.
7. Recommendations in regard to the specific problems and anything else that seems warranted.
The whole process is killing me time wise.