Contents in brief PART 1: Setting the scene......................................... 1 Chapter 1: Introduction to marketing research................................ 2 Chapter 2: Types of market research projects................................ 42 Chapter 3: Designing a research project and writing a proposal................. 83 PART 2: Exploring the issues..................................... 113 Chapter 4: Secondary data.............................................. 114 Chapter 5: Focus groups................................................ 146 Chapter 6: Depth interviews............................................. 192 PART 3: Designing and conducting surveys........................ 217 Chapter 7: Survey data collection methods................................. 218 Chapter 8: Sampling.................................................... 265 Chapter 9: Measurement and scaling...................................... 310 Chapter 10: An introduction to questionnaire design......................... 360 Chapter 11: Question structure, pre-coding and pre-testing.................... 395 Chapter 12: Planning and managing fieldwork............................... 430 PART 4: Analysing and reporting................................. 467 Chapter 13: Preparing survey data for analysis............................... 468 Chapter 14: Understanding and analysing statistical data...................... 489 Chapter 15: Reporting research............................................ 519 PART 5: Ethics................................................. 559 Chapter 16: Ethical issues in market research................................ 560 Glossary............................................................ 584 Index............................................................ 592 Contents in brief v
Text at a glance...x e-student...xii e-instructor...xiii Preface...xiv About the author...xvi Acknowledgments...xvi PART 1: Setting the scene..... 1 Chapter 1: Introduction to marketing research...... 2 Learning objectives......................... 2 Introduction............................... 3 What is market research?.................... 3 The importance of market research........... 6 Major features of market research............ 7 How a market research project comes about............................. 11 Why organisations commission market research.......................... 13 How market research and its methods originated....................... 16 The development of market research in Australia.............................. 20 The Australian market research industry...... 23 The skills required in market research........ 28 Technological developments that have an impact on market research............... 29 The developing role of the Internet in market research.......................... 30 Australasians as research pioneers........... 30 The Market Research Society of Australia..... 31 Other market research and marketing associations..................... 33 Marketing information systems.............. 34 Chapter review........................... 37 Key terms................................ 38 Review questions......................... 38 Market research exercises................... 39 Appendix to chapter 1: Examples of MRSA members........................ 40 Chapter 2: Types of market research projects....... 42 Learning objectives........................ 42 Introduction.............................. 43 Exploratory research....................... 44 Differences between qualitative and quantitative research...................... 46 Primary and secondary data................. 48 Descriptive research....................... 49 Experimental research..................... 65 Syndicated research....................... 70 Omnibus research......................... 72 Standardised research services............... 74 Two specialised uses of market research....... 75 Chapter review........................... 79 Key terms................................ 80 Review questions......................... 80 Market research exercises................... 81 Chapter 3: Designing a research project and writing a proposal.............. 83 Learning objectives........................ 83 Introduction.............................. 84 A model of the research project process....... 86 The role of the research proposal............ 97 The persuasive and descriptive nature of the proposal........................... 98 Contents of the proposal................... 99 The qualities of an effective proposal........ 102 Appraising a proposal..................... 103 Briefing a researcher...................... 106 Chapter review.......................... 107 Key terms............................... 108 vi
Review questions........................ 108 Market research exercises.................. 109 PART 2: Exploring the issues. 113 Chapter 4: Secondary data....... 114 Learning objectives....................... 114 Introduction............................. 115 The roles of secondary data in research...... 116 Difference between internal and external data sources..................... 117 Internal sources of secondary data.......... 118 External sources of secondary data.......... 119 Advantages and disadvantages of secondary data.......................... 136 How to look for secondary data............ 140 Chapter review.......................... 143 Key terms............................... 143 Review questions........................ 143 Market research exercises.................. 144 Chapter 5: Focus groups.......... 146 Learning objectives....................... 146 Introduction............................. 147 Purposes of focus groups.................. 148 Some advantages of focus groups........... 150 Possible weaknesses of focus groups......... 154 Client attendance........................ 157 What kinds of people take part in focus groups?........................... 158 Location and setting for the focus group..... 160 Size and composition of a focus group....... 164 How groups are recruited................. 170 The group moderator..................... 171 The focus group discussion guide........... 176 Analysis of focus group findings............ 178 Reporting focus group findings............. 179 A focus group in action................... 180 Conducting focus groups via the Internet.... 181 Chapter review.......................... 185 Key terms............................... 185 Review questions........................ 185 Market research exercises.................. 187 Appendix to chapter 5: Focus group discussion transcript (extract)............... 188 Chapter 6: Depth interviews...... 192 Learning objectives....................... 192 Introduction............................. 193 How depth interviewing originated......... 193 Features of a depth interview.............. 194 Why depth interviews are used............. 197 Other aspects of depth interviews........... 198 Some advantages of depth interviews over focus groups........................ 199 Disadvantages of depth interviews.......... 201 Projective techniques..................... 204 Chapter review.......................... 209 Key terms............................... 210 Review questions........................ 210 Market research exercises.................. 211 Appendix to chapter 6: Depth interview verbatim transcript....................... 213 PART 3: Chapter 7: Designing and conducting surveys. 217 Survey data collection methods..... 218 Learning objectives....................... 218 Introduction............................. 219 How to select the best method............. 219 The most common data collection methods....................... 220 Face-to-face interviewing.................. 220 Telephone interviewing................... 231 vii
Self-completion questionnaires............. 241 Executive interviewing.................... 258 Chapter review.......................... 261 Key terms............................... 262 Review questions........................ 262 Market research exercises.................. 263 Chapter 8: Sampling............. 265 Learning objectives....................... 265 Introduction............................. 266 The sample design process................. 267 Sampling error.......................... 294 Deciding how large a sample should be...... 295 Opinion polls: some sampling problems...... 304 Sampling in Internet research.............. 305 Chapter review.......................... 306 Key terms............................... 306 Review questions........................ 307 Market research exercise.................. 308 Chapter 9: Measurement and scaling........... 310 Learning objectives....................... 310 Introduction............................. 311 The four broad kinds of measurement scales...................... 313 Using scales to measure people s attitudes.... 322 Measurement reliability and validity......... 352 Chapter review.......................... 356 Key terms............................... 356 Review questions........................ 357 Market research exercises.................. 358 Chapter 10: An introduction to questionnaire design... 360 Learning objectives....................... 360 Introduction............................. 361 Why we use questionnaires in surveys....... 361 Why a questionnaire should be well designed........................... 362 Guidelines for developing questionnaires.... 363 The ability of respondents to answer questions, and their willingness to answer.... 366 Designing a questionnaire................. 371 Types of questions used in questionnaires.... 380 Chapter review.......................... 392 Key terms............................... 392 Review questions........................ 392 Market research exercise.................. 393 Chapter 11: Question structure, pre-coding and pre-testing........... 395 Learning objectives....................... 395 Introduction............................. 396 Problem words in questions................ 396 Grammar and language style............... 399 Types of questions to avoid................ 400 Using scales............................. 405 Classification questions.................... 407 Pre-coding.............................. 414 Using visual aids and other stimuli.......... 416 Designing a printed questionnaire.......... 418 Pre-testing a questionnaire................ 420 A questionnaire checklist.................. 424 Chapter review.......................... 425 Key terms............................... 426 Review questions........................ 426 Market research exercises.................. 428 Chapter 12: Planning and managing fieldwork... 430 Learning objectives....................... 430 Introduction............................. 431 The fieldwork process..................... 432 Errors in fieldwork....................... 440 Offering incentives to respondents.......... 446 Chapter review.......................... 447 viii
Key terms............................... 448 Review questions........................ 448 Market research exercises.................. 449 PART 4: Analysing and reporting.......... 467 Chapter 13: Preparing survey data for analysis....... 468 Learning objectives....................... 468 Introduction............................. 469 The process of data preparation............ 469 Receiving the completed questionnaires..... 470 Validating the questionnaires.............. 470 Checking and editing the questionnaires..... 472 Coding open-ended responses.............. 475 Entering the data........................ 484 Verifying and cleaning the data............ 484 Chapter review.......................... 485 Key terms............................... 485 Review questions........................ 485 Market research exercise.................. 486 Chapter 14: Understanding and analysing statistical data........ 489 Learning objectives....................... 489 Introduction............................. 490 Reasons for analysing survey data........... 490 Options for analysing responses............ 491 Chapter review.......................... 515 Key terms............................... 515 Review questions........................ 515 Market research exercises.................. 517 Chapter 15: Reporting research..... 519 Learning objectives....................... 519 Introduction............................. 520 The purpose of a report................... 520 Characteristics of a successful report......... 521 Appearance and presentation of the report.............................. 521 Keeping the reader in mind................ 523 Content of the report..................... 525 Selecting an appropriate writing style....... 531 Tables and graphics....................... 533 Guidelines for readers of reports............ 545 Presenting the findings orally.............. 548 Publishing the report..................... 552 Chapter review.......................... 553 Key terms............................... 553 Review questions........................ 554 Market research exercises.................. 554 PART 5: Ethics............. 559 Chapter 16: Ethical issues in market research....... 560 Learning objectives....................... 560 Introduction............................. 561 What is ethics?......................... 562 Why questions of ethics arise in research..... 562 The role of ethics in research............... 563 Other ethical issues....................... 572 Australian privacy legislation............... 575 How can we decide what is ethically correct?......................... 576 Rules and codes of ethics.................. 578 Ethics and the law courts.................. 579 Ethics and Internet market research......... 579 Chapter review.......................... 581 Key terms............................... 581 Review questions........................ 581 Market research exercises.................. 583 Glossary...584 Index...592 ix