Lecture Week 3

1
Lecture Week 3

• Principles of research designs

2
Objectives

• The Research Process
• Formulating the Problem
• Determining Research Design
• Data Collection and Forms
• Designing sample and Formulating the Report
• Relationships between problems
• An example

3
The Research Process
Formulate Problem
Determine Research Design
Design Data Collection Method and Forms
Design Sample and Collect Data
Analyze and Interpret the Data
Prepare the Research Report
4
Formulate Problem

• What is the purpose of the study--to solve a
  problem?
• Identify an opportunity?
• Is additional background information necessary?
• What information is needed to make the decision?
  
• How will the information be utilized?
• Should research be conducted?

5
Determine Research Design

• How much is already known?
• Can a hypothesis be formulated?
• What types of questions need to be answered?
• What type of study will best address the research
  questions?

6
Determine Data Collection and Forms

• Can existing data be used to advantage?
• What is to be measured? How?
• What is the source of the data?
• Can objective answers be obtained by asking
  people?
• How should people be questioned?
• Should the questionnaires be administered in
  person, over the phone, or through the mail?

7
Determine Data Collection and Forms

• Should electronic or mechanical means be used to
  make the observations?
• What specific behaviors should the observers
  record?
• Should structure or unstructured items be used to
  collect the data?
• Should the purpose of the study be made known to
  the respondents?
• Should rating scales be used in the questionnaire?

8
Design Sample and Collect Data

• Who is the target population?
• Is a list of population elements available?
• Is a sample necessary?
• Is a probability sample desirable?
• How large should the sample be?
• How should the sample be selected?
• Who will gather the data?

9
Design Sample and Collect Data

• How long will the data gathering take?
• How much supervision is needed?
• What operational procedures will be followed?
• What methods will be used to ensure the quality
  of the data collected?

10
Analyze and Interpret the Data

• Who will handle the editing of the data?
• How will the data be coded?
• Who will supervise the coding?
• Will computer or hand tabulation be utilized?
• What tabulations are called for?
• What analysis techniques will be used?

11
Prepare the Research Report

• Who will read the report?
• What is their technical level of sophistication?
  
• Are managerial recommendations called for?
• What will be the format of the written report?
• Is an oral report necessary?
• How should the oral report be structured?

12
Relationship between problems
Decision Problems
Research Problems

• Develop package for a new product
• Increase store traffic
• Increase market penetration through the opening
  of new stores
• Decide which merchandise will be available for
  purchase over the Internet

• Evaluate alternative package designs
• Measure current image of the store
• Evaluate prospective locations
• Determine consumers confidence in purchasing
  different categories of products unseen

13

• Marketing Problem
• Brief description of general problem reason for
  conducting research
• Sum up preliminary discussions between researcher
  and manager demonstrate knowledge of situation
  particular information needs

Project TitleResearch on Your Consumersby
bidding Marketing Research Firm

• Purpose of Research Project
• State goals and objectives
• Describe scope of project
• Spell out specific questions to be answered
• Address possible limitations due to time or
  budget constraints

• Data Sources Methodology
• Describe the secondary data to be used
• Describe primary data to be gathered
• Keep methods descriptions nontechnical
• Describe sample and proposed size
• Include draft of questionnaire or focus group
  moderator outline

• Time and Personnel
• Provide time estimates for each phase of the
  research
• Specify personnel required rates of pay
• Calculate nonpersonnel costs

14

• Marketing Opportunity
• 27Billion U.S. beauty market
• 45 U.S. population Internet access
• Related Internet site (fashion) up running
• Manager concern that fragrances cannot be sampled
  electronically

Eau de InternetSelling Fragrances Onlineby
Marketing Researchers R Us

• Purpose of Research Project
• Objective to determine whether consumers will
  buy perfume online
• Focus on womens attitudes
• concerns?
• factors that might lower resistance?
• Client desires results in 3 months

• Data Sources Methodology
• Secondary data sales in beauty, perfume, online
  fashion apparel
• Primary data email contact directed to Internet
  surveys
• Analysis mostly averages and cross-tabs
• Sample size goal of 300 women

• Time and Personnel
• Preliminary phase, 3 weeks
• Survey pre-testing, debugging, 2 weeks
• Sample selection, solicitation, 2 weeks

• Time and Personnel, continued
• Administer survey, follow-up, 1 week
• Analyses, 1 month
• Discuss required staff ( salaries)
• Other costs minimal (online)