Overview of Research Designs

1. Overview of Research Designs

2. The Marketing Research Process Figure 1.4 The Marketing Research Process Step 1: Defining the Problem Step 2: Developing an Approach to the Problem Step 3: Formulating a Research Design Step 4: Doing Field Work or Collecting Data Step 5: Preparing and Analyzing Data Step 6: Preparing and Presenting the Report

3. Research Design • A master plan that specifies the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing needed information.

4. Figure 3.8 Tasks Involved in a Research Design Tasks Involved In a Research Design Define the Information Needed Design the Exploratory, Descriptive, and/or Causal Phases of the Research Today’s Topic Specify the Measurement and Scaling Procedures Construct a Questionnaire Specify the Sampling Process and the Sample Size Develop a Plan of Data Analysis

5. A Classification of Market Research Designs Research Design Exploratory Research Conclusive Research Secondary Data Experience Surveys Pilot Studies Case Studies See next slide

6. A Classification of Market Research Designs Research Design Exploratory Research Conclusive Research See previous slide Cross-sectional Study Descriptive Design Causal Design Longitudinal Study Experiment Secondary Data Study Survey Observation

7. Exploratory Research • Usually conducted during the initial stage of the research process • Purposes • To narrow the scope of the research topic, and • To transform ambiguous problems into well-defined ones

8. Exploratory Research Techniques • Secondary Data Analysis • Secondary data are data previously collected & assembled for some project other than the one at hand • Pilot Studies • A collective term for any small-scale exploratory research technique that uses sampling but does not apply rigorous standards • Includes • Focus Group Interviews • Unstructured, free-flowing interview with a small group of people • Projective Techniques • Indirect means of questioning that enables a respondent to project beliefs and feelings onto a third party or an inanimate object • Word association tests, sentence completion tests, role playing

9. Exploratory Research Techniques • Case Studies • Intensively investigate one or a few situations similar to the problem situation • Experience Surveys • Individuals who are knowledge about a particular research problem are questioned

10. Conclusive Research • Provide specific information that aids the decision maker in evaluating alternative courses of action • Sound statistical methods & formal research methodologies are used to increase the reliability of the information • Data sought tends to be specific & decisive • Also more structured & formal than exploratory data

11. Types of Conclusive Research • Descriptive Research • Describes attitudes, perceptions, characteristics, activities and situations. • Examines who, what, when, where, why, & how questions • Causal Research • Provides evidence that a cause-and-effect relationship exists or does not exist. • Premise is that something (and independent variable) directly influences the behavior of something else (the dependent variable).

12. Common Characteristics of Descriptive Studies • Build on previous information • Show relationships between variables • Representative samples required • Structured research plans • Require substantial resources • Conclusive findings

13. Figure 3.5 Major Types of Descriptive Studies Consumer Perception And Behavior Studies • Image • Product Usage • Advertising • Pricing Market Characteristic Studies • Distribution • Competitive Analysis Sales Studies • Market Potential • Market Share • Sales Analysis Major Types of Descriptive Studies Descriptive Studies

14. Figure 3.6 Cross Sectional vs. Longitudinal Designs T1 T2 Cross Sectional vs. Longitudinal Designs Sample Surveyed at T1 Cross Sectional Design Same Sample also Surveyed at T2 Sample Surveyed at T1 Longitudinal Design Time

15. Cross-Sectional vs. Longitudinal Designs

16. Figure 3.7 Some Alternative Research Designs Some Alternative Research Designs Exploratory Research • Secondary Data Analysis • Focus Groups Conclusive Research • Descriptive/Causal (a) Conclusive Research • Descriptive/Causal (b) Exploratory Research • Secondary Data Analysis • Focus Groups Conclusive Research • Descriptive/Causal (c)

17. Common Characteristics of Causal Studies • Logical Time Sequence • For causality to exist, the cause must either precede or occur simultaneously with the effect • Concomitant Variation • Extent to which the cause and effect vary together as hypothesized • Control for Other Possible Causal Factors

18. How Descriptive & Causal Designs Differ • Relationship between the variables • Descriptive designs determine degree of association • Causal designs infer whether one or more variables influence another variable • Degree of environmental control • Descriptive designs enjoy lesser degrees of control • Order of the variables • In descriptive designs, variables are not logically ordered

19. Comparison of Research Designs

20. Basic Research Methods • Secondary Data Analysis • Historical analysis • Surveys • Asking; self-reported • Experiments • Testing in controlled environments • Observation • Watching & recording

21. Which is the “Best” Research Design & Method? • “You cannot put the same shoe on every foot.” • Publilius Syrus • It depends on the • problem of interest, • level of information needed, • resources, • researcher’s experience, etc.