STEP1? --- DEFINE THE PROBLEM:? SPEAK TO?MANAGEMENT AND THEN USE THE QUESTION?HIERARCHY.
STEP 2 --- SPECIFY THE VALUE OF THE INFORMATION:? THAT IS...HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY TO OBTAIN THE? INFORMATION.? REMEMBER:? n= Z2P(1-P)/E2
n=sample size ? ? Z2=confidence level ? ? P=portion ? ? E2=error
STEP 3 --- SELECT THE DATA COLLECTION
APPROACH:
1. Secondary Data: Is data collected for some purpose other than solving the current problem at hand..such as government publications; trade association data; syndicated services (Neilsen, SAMI); also data internal to the firm inclusive of salesperson call reports; accounting and sales records; old research reports.
2. Primary Data: Is data specifically collected to solve the problem at hand.
CHOOSE BETWEEN:
A)? Survey research: a systematic? collection of information? directly from respondents…?One may use telephone interviews, mail interviews? or personal?interviews.
b) Experimental research: The? experimenter manipulates one? or more variables in such a way? that its effect on one or more? other variables can be measured.? This can be done in? the lab or in the field.
research category:
a) Exploratory:? used to:
-formulate a problem and? hypotheses for more precise?investigation
-establish priorities for future? research
-increase familiarity with the? problem
b) Descriptive:?used for
-consumer profiles
-product usage studies
-market potential studies
-attitude surveys (cross-?sectional or longitudinal)
c) Causal: ?used to measure cause and effect?between two variables (in?marketing..typically advertising?versus sales).
STEP 4 --- SELECT THE MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE:
Options include:
- the questionnaire
- observation
- projective techniques and depth?interviews? (Tecate Beer)
STEP 5 --- SELECT THE SAMPLE:
Consider:
- the population
-sampling frame (a list of?population members)
- sampling unit
- sampling method (probability?or non-probability)
- sample size
- sample plan
STEP 6 --- SELECT THE ANALYTICAL METHOD: Analysis is a function of the nature of the sampling process, measurement instrument, data collection method).
STEP 7 --- PREPARE THE RESEARCH REPORT:
this report should include the following?sections:
- executive summary
- background and objectives of the?research
- methodology
- detailed findings
- implications & conclusions
- future research
