chapter 4

experimental research

gathering primary data by selecting matched groups of subjects, giving them different treatments, controlling related factors, and checking for differences in group responses

primary data

information collected for the specific purpose at hand

descriptive research

marketing research to better describe marketing problems, situations, or markets, such as the market potential for a product or the demographics and attitudes of consumers

Exploratory Research

marketing research to gather preliminary information that will help define problems and suggest hypotheses

Casual Research

Marketing research to test hypotheses about cause-and-effect relationships

ethnographic research

a form of observational research that involves sending trained observers to watch and interact with consumers in their "natural environments"

internal database

electronic collections of consumer and market information obtained from data sources within the company network

simple random sample

every member of the population has a known and equal chance of selection

Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research

outlines researcher responsibilities to respondents, including confidentiality, privacy, and avoidance of harassment.

Marketing Information System

people and procedures dedicated to assessing information needs, developing the needed information, and helping decision makers to use the information to generate and validate actionable customer and market insights

quota sample

refers to a prescribed number of people in each of several categories who are identified and interviewed by the researcher.

Samples

segments of the population selected for marketing research to represent the population as a whole

stratified random sample

the population is divided into mutually exclusive groups and random samples are drawn from each group

cluster sample

the population is divided into mutually exclusive groups and the researcher draws a sample of the groups to interview

competitive marketing intelligence

the systematic collection and analysis of publicly available information about consumers, competitors, and developments in the marketing environment

Marketing Research

the systematic design, collection, analysis, and reporting of data relevant to a specific marketing situation facing an organization

secondary data

information that already exists somewhere, having been collected for another purpose

customer insights

fresh understandings of customers and the marketplace derived from marketing information that become the basis for creating customer value and relationships

survey research

gathering primary data by asking people questions about their knowledge, attitudes, preferences, and buying behavior

observational research

gathering primary data by observing relevant people, actions, and situations