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518 19 Writing Recommendation Reports

options
criteria and Weight Ricoh Xerox Sharp
Criterion Weight Rating Score (1) Rating Score (1) Rating Score (1)
Pages/min. 1 9 9 6 6 3 3
Duplex 3 1 3 3 9 10 30
Color 4 10 40 1 4 10 40
total Score 52 19 73
(1) Score 5 weight 3 rating.
figure 19.3 a decision Matrix
Spreadsheet programs often contain templates for creating decision matrices.

it receives a high rating for pages per minute (9), receives only a modest score
of 9 (1 3 9 5 9). However, the criterion of color copying is quite important,
with a weight of 4. On this criterion, the Ricoh, with its rating of 10, achieves
a very high score (4 3 10 5 40).
But a decision matrix cannot stand on its own. You need to explain your
methods. That is, in the discussion or in footnotes to the matrix, you need to
explain the following decisions:
• Why you chose each criterion — or didn’t choose a criterion the reader might have
expected to see included. For instance, why did you choose duplexing but
not image storing?
• Why you assigned a particular weight to each criterion. For example, why is
the copier’s ability to do color copying four times more important than
its speed?
• Why you assigned a particular rating to each option. For example, why does
one copier receive only a rating of 1 on duplexing, whereas another re-
ceives a 3?
A decision matrix is helpful only if your readers understand your methods
and agree with the logic you used in choosing the criteria and assigning
weights and ratings for each option.
Although a decision matrix has its limitations, it is useful for both you
and your readers. For you as the writer, the main advantage is that it helps
you do a methodical analysis. For your readers, it makes your analysis easier
to follow because it clearly presents your methods and results.

draw conclusions about each option

Whether you use a decision matrix or a less-formal means of recording your
evaluations, the next step is to draw conclusions about the options you
studied — by interpreting your results and writing evaluative statements
about the options.

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