Chapter 3-4-5

Sampling

Involves any procedure that draws conclusions based on measurements of a portion of the population.

Empirical level

Level of knowledge that is verifiable by experience or observation.

Conditional causality

Means that a cause is necessary but not sufficient to bring about an effect.

Contributory causality

Means that a cause need be neither necessary nor sufficient to bring about an effect.

Manipulation

Means that the researcher alters the level of the variable in specific increments.

Absolute causality

Means the cause is necessary and sufficient to bring about the effect.

Unobtrusive methods

Methods in which research respondents do not have to be disturbed for data to be gathered.

Research program

Numerous related studies that come together to address multiple, related research objectives.

Symptoms

Observable cues that serve as a signal of a problem because they are caused by that problem.

Conflict of interest

Occurs when one researcher works for two competing companies.

Temporal sequence

One of three criteria for causality; deals with the time order of events—the cause must occur before the effect.

Nonspurious association

One of three criteria for causality; means any covariation between a cause and an effect is true and not simply due to some other variable.

Concomitant variation

One of three criteria for causality; occurs when two events "covary," meaning they vary systematically.

Ladder of abstraction

Organization of concepts in sequence from the most concrete and individual to the most general.

Moral standards

Principles that reflect beliefs about what is ethical and what is unethical.

Ethical dilemma

Refers to a situation in which one chooses from alternative courses of actions, each with different ethical implications.

Experimental variable

Represents the proposed cause and is controlled by the researcher by manipulating it.

Research assistants

Research employees who provide technical assistance with questionnaire design, data analyses, and similar activities.

In-house research

Research performed by employees of the company that will benefit from the research.

Custom research

Research projects that are tailored specifically to a client's unique needs.

Debriefing

Research subjects are fully informed and provided with a chance to ask any questions they may have about the experiment.

Advocacy research

Research undertaken to support a specific claim in a legal action or represent some advocacy group.

Do-not-call legislation

Restricts any telemarketing effort from calling consumers who either register with a no-call list or who request not to be called.

Diagnostic analysis

Seeks to diagnose reasons for business outcomes and focuses specifically on the beliefs and feelings consumers have about and toward competing products.

Sugging

Selling under the guise of research.

Spyware

Software placed on a computer without consent or knowledge of the user.

Propositions

Statements explaining the logical linkage among certain concepts by asserting a universal connection between concepts.

Push poll

Telemarketing under the guise of research.

Business ethics

The application of morals to behavior related to the exchange environment.

Data analysis

The application of reasoning to understand the data that have been gathered.

Research objectives

The goals to be achieved by conducting research.

Confidentiality

The information involved in a research study will not be shared with others.

Deductive reasoning

The logical process of deriving a conclusion about a specific instance based on a known general premise or something known to be true.

Inductive reasoning

The logical process of establishing a general proposition on the basis of observation of particular facts.

Decision making

The process of developing and deciding among alternative ways of resolving a problem or choosing from among alternative opportunities.

Operationalizing

The process of identifying the actual measurement scales to assess the variables of interest.

Deliverables

The term used often in consulting to describe research objectives to a research client.

Informed consent

When an individual understands what the researcher wants him or her to do and consents to the research study.

Experiment

A carefully controlled study in which the researcher manipulates a proposed cause and observes any corresponding change in the proposed effect.

Latent construct

A concept that is not directly observable or measurable, but can be estimated through proxy measures.

Causal inference

A conclusion that when one thing happens, another specific thing will follow.

Literature review

A directed search of published works, including periodicals and books, that discusses theory and presents empirical results that are relevant to the topic at hand.

Placebo

A false experimental effect used to create the perception that some effect has been administered.

Theory

A formal, logical explanation of some events that includes predictions of how things relate to one another.

Concept (or construct)

A generalized idea about a class of objects that has been given a name; an abstraction of reality that is the basic unit for theory development.

Research design

A master plan that specifies the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing the needed information.

Research analyst

A person responsible for client contact, project design, preparation of proposals, selection of research suppliers, and supervision of data collection, analysis, and reporting activities.

Syndicated service

A research supplier that provides standardized information for many clients in return for a fee.

Survey

A research technique in which a sample is interviewed in some form or the behavior of respondents is observed and described in some way.

Scientific method

A set of prescribed procedures for establishing and connecting theoretical statements about events, for analyzing empirical evidence, and for predicting events yet unknown; techniques or procedures used to analyze empirical evidence in an attempt to confirm or disprove prior conceptions.

Research project

A single study that addresses one or a small number of research objectives.

Business opportunity

A situation that makes some potential competitive advantage possible.

Business problem

A situation that makes some significant negative consequence more likely.

Focus group

A small group discussion about some research topic led by a moderator who guides discussion among the participants.

Pilot study

A small-scale research project that collects data from respondents similar to those to be used in the full study.

Pretest

A small-scale study in which the results are only preliminary and intended only to assist in design of a subsequent study.

Idealism

A term that reflects the degree to which one bases one's morality on moral standards.

Relativism

A term that reflects the degree to which one rejects moral standards in favor of the acceptability of some action. This way of thinking rejects absolute principles in favor of situation-based evaluations.

Causal research

Allows causal inferences to be made; seeks to identify cause-and-effect relationships.

Research generalist

An employee who serves as a link between management and research specialists. The research generalist acts as a problem definer, an educator, a liaison, a communicator, and a friendly ear.

Test-market

An experiment that is conducted within actual market conditions.

Outside agency

An independent research firm contracted by the company that actually will benefit from the research.

Variables

Anything that may assume different numerical values; the empirical assessment of a concept.

Human subjects review committee

Carefully reviews proposed research designs to try to make sure that no harm can come to any research participant.

Research suppliers

Commercial providers of research services.

Standardized research service

Companies that develop a unique methodology for investigating a business specialty area.

Pseudo-research

Conducted not to gather information for marketing decisions but to bolster a point of view and satisfy other needs.

Exploratory research

Conducted to clarify ambiguous situations or discover ideas that may be potential business opportunities.

Descriptive research

Describes characteristics of objects, people, groups, organizations, or environments; tries to "paint a picture" of a given situation.

Cross-functional teams

Employee teams composed of individuals from various functional areas such as engineering, production, finance, and marketing who share a common purpose.

Forecast analyst

Employee who provides technical assistance such as running computer programs and manipulating data to generate a sales forecast.

Manager of decision support systems

Employee who supervises the collection and analysis of sales, inventory, and other periodic customer relationship management (CRM) data.

Empirical testing

Examining a research hypothesis against reality using data.

Hypothesis

Formal statement of an unproven proposition that is empirically testable.

Frugging

Fund-raising under the guise of research.

Backward linkage

Implies that later steps influence earlier stages of the research process.

Forward linkage

Implies that the earlier stages of the research process influence the later stages.

Abstract level

In theory development, the level of knowledge expressing a concept that exists only as an idea or a quality apart from an object.