Understanding ad hoc and research reports
Ad hoc and research reports are similar in some ways and opposite in others. They both answer questions directly, but one is short and sweet while the other is very thorough. Let’s just jump right in, and you will see.
Ad hoc reports
Ad hoc reporting is an important part of a data analyst’s job. Simply put, ad hoc reports are short, quick reports that answer a simple question. How often you will perform ad hoc reports depends heavily on the position and why it was created. Some positions will spend most of their time on ad hoc reports, while other positions will focus on other types of reports, such as recurring reports, and will hardly ever see an ad hoc report request. For example, healthcare analysts will often get questions from all over a hospital or set of hospitals about one thing or another. On the other hand, a business analyst may spend most of their time on recurring reports and seldom get a direct question. Even...