In recent years, the political research department of Hanzhong City has actively investigated the overall situation of reform, development and stability, and formed a number of high-quality research results. However, there are still some problems in some investigations, such as inaccurate topic selection, lack of in-depth research, vague report content, and unrealistic and hard measures and suggestions. Now, based on my own practical experience, I will talk about some superficial understandings on how to do a good job in research and write a good research report.
First, adhere to the "three threes" and strive for the foundation.
Investigation and research is a complex systematic project, which requires high quality and ability of researchers. To do a good job in investigation and research, we must constantly strengthen our learning and growth skills, temper our minds and enhance our realm.
(1) Strengthen internal strength and achieve "three understandings". First, understand the policy. The purpose of investigation and study is to put forward ideas and methods to solve problems. Only by mastering the party’s new ideas, theories and policies skillfully can we ensure the directionality, accuracy and timeliness of investigation and research, and ensure that the proposed countermeasures are "pawn" rather than "Monday morning quarterback". The second is to understand people. Investigation and research need to deal with people of different classes and different thoughts, psychology and personalities. If you want to know what you need, you must know all kinds of people, master the skills of communicating with people, know all kinds of professional knowledge, who to meet and what to say. The third is to know how to write. Investigation report is a special style, which is also difficult to write. It has special requirements and formats, which requires that the writer should have a certain writing level, be able to sort out and summarize information, summarize and refine opinions, analyze research problems and express them accurately and vividly.
(2) Go in and establish the "three spirits". The first is to establish the spirit of seeking truth. Seeking truth from facts is the essential attribute of investigation and research. To do a good job in research, it is necessary to keep an objective and calm mind and not be covered by secular popularity and subjective assumptions; It is also necessary to pay attention to absorbing different opinions and viewpoints, and to verify the specious things, so as to truly understand the facts, understand the truth and find the essence. The second is to establish the spirit of innovation. We should emancipate our minds, boldly innovate, explore new creations, new practices and new experiences of the grassroots and the masses with an inclusive mind, study deep-seated common problems with a developmental perspective, put forward our own unique views and innovative measures, and strive to "see what people have not seen, and make a difference." The third is to establish a spirit of hardship. Research is very hard work, so we must be calm and calm, and use hard work and hard work. In particular, writing a high-quality research report requires more vigil and meditation. Without dedication and hard work, it is impossible.
(3) Sink and achieve "three depths". First, in-depth work. Pay attention to the close combination of investigation and research with the work of the region and the department to prevent "two skins" and make the investigation meaningless; Regularly go deep into the front-line investigation of work, participate in the whole process of work, keep abreast of the work dynamics, effects and models, and put forward suggestions for improvement and perfection. The second is to go deep into the masses. We must persist in coming from the masses and going to the masses, listen to the opinions of cadres and the masses extensively at the grassroots level, sum up experience and absorb wisdom, so as to achieve the purpose of listening to the truth, examining the facts, gaining true knowledge and collecting practical results. The third is in-depth practice. Only by putting yourself in the spot and going deep into the scene can we have more sensibility, rationality, understanding and spirituality, and we can have more ideas and methods. Research should be based on solving practical problems, not just for writing an article.
Second, highlight the "four points" and select topics with high precision
The purpose of conducting research by the political research department is to serve the decision-making of the party Committee, solve the development problems, and manage the masses well. Therefore, we must base ourselves on the duty and mission and select the research topics accurately.
(1) Selecting topics around strategic priorities. In order to give full play to the role of supporting politics with literature, the political research department must focus on the overall situation, plan the overall situation and serve the overall situation, adhere to the direction of the party Committee’s decision-making as the direction of research work, and carry out forward-looking, overall and institutional research closely around the planning of the city’s major development strategies, key ideas and important plans, so as to effectively seek for the party Committee’s decision-making. It is necessary to pay close attention to the whereabouts, words and instructions of leaders, so as to resonate with the party Committee in thinking, coincide in timing, converge in intention and be close in demand, and ensure that the selected topics are highly compatible with the overall situation of the city. For example, we have carried out several investigations around the major arrangements such as "supporting Hanzhong to build a regional central city" and "building three cities" by the municipal party Committee, which have been well received by the leaders, and the opinions and suggestions put forward have been adopted by the leaders, and some have been transformed into important documents of the municipal party Committee and municipal government.
(2) Targeting at the development difficulties and selecting topics. The purpose of investigation and study is to find problems, study countermeasures and promote development. Research topics should adhere to the problem-oriented and goal-oriented, aim at the outstanding problems that affect and restrict the local reform and development, conduct in-depth research and brainstorm, and find out the ideas and countermeasures to effectively solve the problems. Last year, we conducted research on the realization of a well-off society in an all-round way in Hanzhong, and the research report was fully affirmed by the leaders of the municipal party committee. We not only made a special report and exchange at the Standing Committee of the municipal party committee, but also included the nine short-board and weak indicators proposed in the annual target responsibility assessment of the whole city. In March this year, we conducted timely research on the impact of COVID-19 epidemic on economic development, and put forward countermeasures and suggestions to resume work and production as soon as possible, which was highly valued by the leaders.
(3) Focus on social hot topics. We should adhere to the people-centered thinking, focus on the hot spots and pain points that the masses are concerned about, focus on the hot spots that are widely concerned by public opinion, matters of great interest to the masses, and issues with loud opinions from the masses, understand their "expectations, anxieties, worries, grievances and demands", and put forward relevant solutions to the party Committee, government and relevant departments in a timely manner. For example, in recent years, we have conducted in-depth research on topics such as the balanced allocation of educational resources, the reform of the township management system, and the impact of the epidemic on the economy. Some of the targeted, operational and practical measures put forward by the research have been adopted by relevant departments, and some have been translated into policy documents.
(four) close to the highlights of the work. "People are the creators of history", and many of our experiences are created by the grassroots and the masses. Cadres in the political research reform system should pay close attention to and be good at discovering innovative practices of the grassroots and the masses, conduct timely and in-depth research, summarize and refine them, reflect them to the party committees and governments, and promote them to the society. In recent years, we have selected topics in deepening reform and tackling poverty, and conducted research to form a number of research results. For example, summarizing, refining and publicizing the reform and innovation measures of various departments in counties and districts, and carrying out the selection activities of "Top Ten Most Influential Reforms" and "Top Ten Innovative Reforms" have mobilized the enthusiasm of all aspects of reform. Last year, we investigated and summarized the innovative practices of industrial poverty alleviation in various places, and compiled the Typical Cases of Industrial Poverty Alleviation in Hanzhong, which was printed and distributed to all departments in counties and districts for learning and reference, and was well received by all parties.
In practice, I feel that we should do "three taboos" when choosing a good topic through investigation and research: First, avoid too large a topic. The topic is too big and wide, just like a tiger can’t eat the sky, so it is difficult to go deep into the research, and the research report will be lengthy and the focus will not be prominent. Second, avoid the topic is too empty. The topic selection is too theoretical, which often leads to empty content, unable to effectively guide practice and lack of operability. Three taboos are too old. Some topics are outdated, and the research content and proposed measures can’t keep up with the new situation, so the research results have no practical value.
Third, to achieve "four in" and high-efficiency research
The investigation and study focus on "body entry" and "heart-to-heart". "Being in the body" means going deep into the grassroots to investigate and hear on the spot and get first-hand information; "Heart-to-heart" means to carefully analyze the situation, study problems, think deeply, put forward ideas and measures, combine the two, and strive to make "investigation" and "research" touch the spark of truth.
(A) grasp the "three-headed", so as to "know first". Sun Tzu’s Art of War has a saying, "Those who count in the temple without fighting have to count more; Without a war, the temple is not a winner, and it is less, which emphasizes the importance of collecting intelligence before the war. The same is true for conducting research. It is necessary to find out the situation in advance and accurately grasp the "three heads" to avoid a sense of strangeness and distance during research. The first is to grasp the "top". Understand and master the party’s principles and policies and national laws and regulations at this stage, and prevent your own opinions and suggestions from violating policies and regulations and lagging behind the policy system. The second is to grasp the "head down". According to the research topic, collect and understand the grassroots situation, existing problems, typical cases, innovative practices, etc. through multiple channels, so as to be aware of it. The third is to grasp the "outside", understand the relevant dynamic information in the field, especially the new practices, new experiences and failure lessons, broaden our horizons and guide the investigation.
(two) to formulate plans, so as to "plan ahead". Go up and fight, go down and fight. Only by planning ahead and figuring out why and how to investigate? Research can be carried out in a targeted and orderly manner. Therefore, before the investigation, it is necessary to make a scientific plan, make clear the purpose, task, key content, place, object and method of the investigation, so that the comrades and objects at the grassroots level can understand what to do and make corresponding preparations in advance, so as to get what they want in a limited time. Before and during the investigation, the outline of the investigation report can also be listed in advance in order to collect useful information more effectively.
(3) Select the optimal method, so as to "check the facts". To improve the efficiency of research, we need to choose the correct research methods. The commonly used research methods include discussion survey, interview survey, questionnaire survey and statistical survey. With the development of modern information technology, new methods such as online survey have emerged, which have the advantages of obtaining information and data comprehensively, reliably and quickly, making the investigation and research content more supportive and convincing. In the specific investigation, we should select the appropriate investigation methods according to the purpose, content and object of the investigation, so as to improve the quality and efficiency of the investigation. For example, the investigation of the masses should be based on interviews, and the investigation of the market should use a variety of methods such as interviews, statistical surveys, and online surveys.
(D) Careful thinking, so as to "study in depth". The process of investigation and research is actually a process of thinking deeply about problems. It is necessary to think through the whole process of research topic selection, scheme formulation, field visit, demonstration analysis and report writing, and constantly systematize, theorize and deepen the scattered, perceptual and superficial understanding. It is necessary to conduct repeated research and thinking on unsolved, incomprehensible and newly discovered problems, and strive to find out the relevant points of things, the breakthrough points of problems and the solution points of contradictions, and put forward measures to solve the problems. We must adhere to the principle of originating from practice and returning to practice, asking questions from the people, asking questions from the people, and consulting the grassroots in time to ensure that it can stand the test of history and the people.
Fourth, grasp the "seven essentials" and write with high quality
The research report is the reflection and embodiment of the research results, and the transformation of the research results needs people to promote the implementation. Therefore, when writing a report, we should adhere to the people-oriented principle, closely focus on "easy to understand, attractive, easy to operate and easy to popularize" to make the report grounded, popular and steaming.
(1) The theme should be clear. First, it is necessary to unify the research and report, keep the original intention of the research highly consistent with the theme of the report, and ensure the smooth realization of the expected purpose. Second, it is necessary to unify the theme and materials, and ensure that the report theme can command the materials and the materials can support the theme. Third, it is necessary to unify viewpoints and arguments, take a clear-cut stand on what is in favor and what is against, and why the arguments for and how to approve should be made by hit the floor, so as to synchronize themes, viewpoints and contents, and ensure "blood, flesh and soul".
(2) Be ambitious. We should have the overall situation, carry out research from the height of policies, superiors and the masses, look at the macro and micro, unify the overall situation and focus on the key points, take care of the present and think about the long term. It is necessary to have the flavor of the times, focus on keeping pace with reality and the times, put forward novel and creative ideas, and sing "military songs loud and clear" from "old tunes" to make readers feel refreshed and resonate. We should have deep connotation and be good at understanding the essence of things with materialist dialectics. We can make a big deal out of a molehill, or make a big deal out of a molehill, and strive to dig out deeper meanings in a comprehensive, systematic, connected and varied way.
(3) Planning articles should be exquisite. A good report should have the characteristics of clear thinking, rigorous structure, clear organization and prominent focus, pay more attention to integrity, have information, research, countermeasures, opinions, analysis and conclusions; Pay more attention to logic, reasonable paragraph arrangement, clear hierarchy, smooth connection, proper transition and care, etc. Pay more attention to balance, and the length of each block and paragraph should be reasonable to avoid the situation of paying attention to one thing and losing the other and being top-heavy; Pay more attention to flexibility, the text is not fixed, and the form is not eclectic, as long as it is easy to understand and explain the problem; Pay more attention to connectivity, and the situation, strategy and measures are interconnected and interact with each other.
(4) Material selection should be accurate. In the process of choosing materials, we should stick to the theme, hold the bull’s nose, choose materials that make the theme concentrated, distinctive and prominent, and resolutely abandon materials that have nothing to do with the theme, and never damage the theme because of preference. Only materials that are authentic, practical, reasonable and scientific can be convincing. We should pay attention to typical examples, which can set off and highlight viewpoints better than ordinary materials, and achieve the unity of viewpoints and materials. To use data, statistical data has strong generalization and expressive force, and a large number of accurate statistical analysis of data can enhance the scientific, accurate and persuasive nature of the report.
(5) The argument should be thorough. Three precautions should be paid attention to in doing a good argument: first, the viewpoint is not clear, the materials are piled up, only the discussion is not discussed, and the viewpoint is not summarized from the materials; Second, the air defense argument is insufficient in materials, lack of factual basis, and lack of analysis and research; The viewpoint of three defenses is divorced from the material, and the material can’t explain the viewpoint.
(6) the text should be refined. The language expression requirements of the research report: the expression should be direct, hit the nail on the head, express one’s intentions directly, say one thing, say two things, and fully show the position and viewpoint of the writer; Words should be used accurately, whatever they mean, without euphemism, cover-up, ambiguity and flavor; Language should be concise, cherish words like gold, don’t talk nonsense, express accurately with the least number of words, and try to be plain and expressive. A research masterpiece can’t be made in one stroke. It is always carefully scrutinized, carefully polished and repeatedly revised before it is eloquent and powerful.
(7) the transformation should be timely. The transformation of research results is the "last mile" of the whole research activity. Only by transforming the research results into practical results can such research be meaningful and reflect its value. It is necessary to seize the opportunity, and the research report should be "born at the right time" in order to "make use of it" and provide valuable reference for leadership decision-making. Otherwise, today is a treasure and tomorrow may become a grass. It is necessary to publicize and promote the research results in a timely manner through leaders’ reference, newspaper publication, online publication, work exchange, cadre training, and grassroots publicity, so as to promote the realization of "blooming everywhere" and "results everywhere". (The author is the director of the Political Research Office and Reform Office of Hanzhong Municipal Committee)
