Chapter 11 Mktg Research

Establish the need for research: Identify underlying motivations for conducting research.
Define the problem: Clearly articulate the problem to be studied.
Establish research objectives: Set specific aims to achieve through the research.
Determine research design: Choose the method (qualitative/quantitative) for conducting the research.
Identify information types and sources: Decide what data is necessary and where it can be obtained.
Design data collection forms: Create tools for gathering information from respondents.
Determine sample plan and size: Decide on how many and which individuals to include in the study.
Collect data: Execute the plan and gather responses.
Analyze data: Evaluate the collected data to derive insights.
Communicate insights: Report and present findings effectively.

Sampling Error: Error due to the size and selection of the sample.
Non-Sampling Error: All other errors that occur not related to the sample methodology, including:
- Nonresponse errors
- Data gathering errors
- Data handling errors
- Data analysis errors
- Interpretation errors

Fieldworker Errors: Mistakes made by those administering the questionnaires.
Respondent Errors: Mistakes made by the respondents themselves, which can be intentional or unintentional.

Intentional Errors:
- Cheating: Fieldworkers fabricating responses or misrepresenting data.
- Leading respondents: Influencing the answers given by respondents.
Unintentional Errors:
- Interviewer characteristics: Bias introduced by the fieldworker's attributes (e.g., accent, demeanor).
- Misunderstanding: Mistakes due to incorrect administration of the survey.
- Fatigue: Errors that arise when fieldworkers are tired.

Intentional Respondent Errors:
- Falsehoods: Deliberate inaccuracies in answers.
- Nonresponse: Decisions to skip questions or not participate.
- Speeding: Rushing through the survey, potentially leading to erroneous responses.
Unintentional Respondent Errors:
- Misunderstanding: Respondents not comprehending the questions.
- Guessing: Providing answers when unsure.
- Attention loss and fatigue: Not paying full attention or becoming tired of the survey process.

Supervision: Overseeing fieldwork to ensure compliance with data collection protocols.
Validation: Confirming interviewer activity through checks and reviews.
Training: Conducting orientation and role-play to prepare interviewers.
Anonymity and confidentiality assurances: Providing guarantees to respondents about data privacy to reduce inaccuracies.
Use of incentives: Encouraging participation through cash or gifts.
Validation checks and third-person techniques: Techniques to ensure truthful responses while maintaining respondent comfort.

Definition: Nonresponse refers to situations where prospective respondents do not participate in a survey or fail to answer specific questions.
Types of Nonresponses:
- Refusal: Direct decision not to participate.
- Break-off: Stopping participation partway through the survey.
- Item Omission: Skipping a question but responding to others.

The industry standard for calculating the survey response rate includes distinguishing between eligible respondents, completions, and nonrespondents (CASRO Response Rate).
Various formulas can quantify response rates by considering different levels of response and completion.

Incomplete Responses: Identifying incomplete surveys that signify break-offs.
Yea-saying and Nay-saying: Detecting response patterns where participants consistently agree or disagree, which can skew results.
Middle-of-the-road Responses: Noting excessive neutral or no-opinion responses which could indicate disengagement or indecision.

Dataset: Arrangement of data points in rows and columns for analysis.
Data Coding: Assigning codes to responses for ease of analyzing and interpreting results through a coded system.
Data Codebook: A document that defines the datasets, variable names, and the coding scheme associated with survey questions.