MK473 Marketing Research: Evaluating Survey Data Collection Methods

Flashcards covering the advantages of surveys, various modes of survey administration, data collection methods, the use of panel companies, and considerations for selecting survey methods in marketing research.

What are the key advantages of using surveys for data collection?

Surveys provide standardization, gather large amounts of information efficiently, reveal subgroup differences, get 'beneath the surface' compared to observation, are easy to administer, and easy to analyze.

What does 'standardization' mean as an advantage of surveys?

All respondents react to questions worded identically and presented in the same order, and response options are also consistent.

What are the four main modes of survey administration?

The four main modes are person-administered, computer-assisted/person-administered, self-administered, and computer-administered surveys.

Describe a person-administered survey.

An interviewer reads questions and records the answers on paper, often in settings like in-home, mall-intercept, or in-office paper surveys.

Describe a computer-assisted, person-administered survey.

An interviewer reads the questions and uses computer technology to record answers or assist in the interview, such as in computer-assisted in-home, mall-intercept, in-office, or telephone surveys.

Describe a self-administered survey.

The respondent reads the questions on a page and responds by writing on the questionnaire, examples include group self-administered surveys, drop-off surveys, or mail surveys.

Describe a computer-administered survey.

A computer communicates the questions and records the respondent's answers, such as in fully automated interviews or online surveys.

What is an online survey?

Respondents answer a questionnaire that resides on the Internet.

What is a panel company in the context of marketing research?

A panel company recruits a large number of potential survey respondents who participate for compensation.

What are some advantages of working with panel companies for data collection?

Advantages include fast turnaround, high quality, access to database information, ability to target specific respondents, and integrated features like survey design and data analysis.

What are some disadvantages of working with panel companies?

Disadvantages include that samples may not be random, respondents can be overused leading to fatigue, and higher costs.

What key factors should a researcher consider when selecting a survey data collection method?

Researchers must consider the speed of data collection, the cost of data collection, and the quality of the data.

How do in-home interviews generally compare to online surveys in terms of speed, cost, and data quality?

In-home interviews are generally slow, high cost, and provide high data quality, while online surveys are fast, medium cost, and provide medium data quality.