Evaluate the reasons why response rates to industrial surveys are declining.
> What are the reasons why participants may be (a) unable to answer and (b) unwilling to answer the question asked?
> How would you determine whether a specific question should be included in a questionnaire?
> Describe the factors that may affect the approach to a research problem.
> What does the researcher have to offer potential questionnaire participants? Why should this question be considered?
> What expectations does the researcher have of potential questionnaire participants – in terms of how they will react to the experience of completing a questionnaire?
> Describe the issues involved in pilot-testing a questionnaire.
> What guidelines are available for deciding on the form and layout of a questionnaire?
> What is the proper order for questions intended to obtain basic, classification and identification information?
> What is a leading question? Give an example.
> What are the guidelines available for deciding on question wording?
> What are the issues involved in designing multiple-choice questions?
> What is the purpose of a questionnaire?
> Describe the semantic differential scale and the Likert scale. For what purposes are these scales used?
> What are some differences between a marketing decision problem and a marketing research problem?
> Identify the type of scale (nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio) used in each of the following. Give reasons for your choice. a. I like to listen to the radio when I am revising for exams Disagree Agree 1 2 3 4 5 b. How old are you? _______________ c. Ra
> Describe the constant sum scale. How is it different from the other comparative rating scales?
> What is a paired comparison? What are the advantages and disadvantages of paired comparison scaling?
> What is a comparative rating scale?
> Describe and illustrate, with examples, the differences between a nominal and an ordinal scale.
> Highlight any marketing phenomena that you feel may be problematic in terms of assigning numbers to characteristics of those phenomena.
> How would you select a particular scaling technique?
> What is validity? What is criterion validity? How is it assessed?
> What is reliability? What are the differences between test–retest and alternative-forms reliability?
> How does the nature and degree of verbal description affect the response to itemised rating scales?
> What is the nature of the first step in conducting a marketing research project?
> Should an odd or even number of categories be used in an itemised rating scale?
> What are the major decisions involved in constructing an itemised rating scale? How many scale categories should be used in an itemised rating scale? Why?
> What is measurement?
> What advantages do statistical designs have over basic designs?
> How is a multiple time series design different from a basic time series design?
> What is a time series experiment? When is it used?
> List the steps involved in implementing the post-test-only control group design. Describe the design symbolically.
> What is the key characteristic that distinguishes true experimental designs from pre-experimental designs?
> Describe the various methods for controlling extraneous sources of variation.
> List any five extraneous variables and give an example to show how each can reduce internal validity.
> Is it necessary for every research project to have a set of hypotheses? Why or why not?
> Differentiate between internal and external validity.
> What is the main difference between a standard test market and a controlled test market?
> What is test marketing? What are the major types of test marketing?
> Should descriptive research be used for investigating causal relationships? Why or why not?
> Compare the characteristics of laboratory and field experimentation.
> What are the requirements for inferring a causal relationship between two variables?
> How may electronic observation techniques be used in supermarkets?
> How would you classify mystery shopping as an observation technique? Why would you classify it in this way?
> What are the distinct advantages of conducting a survey using CAPI technology compared with a traditional postal survey?
> What are the distinct advantages of conducting a survey using CAPI technology compared with a traditional postal survey?
> What are the differences between research questions and hypotheses?
> What are the relevant factors for evaluating which survey method is best suited to a particular research project?
> Why do interviewers need to probe participants in surveys? What distinguishes survey probing from probing conducted in qualitative interviews?
> Discuss the dilemma faced by the survey designer who wishes to develop a survey that is not prone to interviewer bias but also sees that interviewer rapport with participants is vital to the success of the survey.
> Describe a marketing research problem in which both survey and observation techniques could be used for obtaining the information needed.
> Describe the relative advantages and disadvantages of observation.
> What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative observation?
> Describe the criteria by which you would evaluate the relative benefits of different observation techniques.
> Explain, using examples, where trace analysis may be used.
> Given that survey researchers may impose their language and logic upon potential participants, what do you see as being the advantages and disadvantages of conducting surveys?
> What are the most common forms of analytical models?
> What advantages and disadvantages do you see in displaying qualitative data in a spreadsheet format?
> Evaluate the purpose of displaying qualitative data.
> What are the advantages and disadvantages of handing over recordings of qualitative interviews to a typist who has taken no part in the interviews?
> What does the word ‘coding’ mean in the context of qualitative data analysis? What problems do you see associated with the process of coding?
> What may be classified as ‘data’ when assembling data as part of the data analysis process?
> What should be recorded in a field notebook?
> Why should a qualitative researcher maintain a field notebook?
> What is the significance of a qualitative researcher having a theoretical and marketing understanding of the subject they are researching?
> Why does the interpretation of qualitative findings have ethical implications?
> Why is the researcher’s understanding of their social and cultural values particularly important in international marketing research?
> Summarise the nature of threats and opportunities that social media offer the researcher.
> Evaluate the main concerns that exist with the use of software in qualitative data analysis.
> How may different types of software help in the whole process of qualitative data gathering and analysis?
> How may theoretical sampling aid the process of verification?
> Evaluate ‘when’ the stage of data verification should occur.
> How may the social and cultural background of researchers affect the way they: a. gather qualitative data? b. interpret the whole array of qualitative data they have gathered?
> Describe the ‘word association’ technique. Give an example of a situation in which this technique is especially useful.
> What are projective techniques? In what circumstances should projective techniques be used?
> Choose any particular application of an in-depth interview and present a case for why you think the technique may work much better than a focus group.
> Evaluate the context and timing requirements that you think would be needed to make the repertory grid technique work.
> Describe the process of administering the repertory grid technique.
> What arguments would you use to make the case for greater investment in marketing research?
> Why may a structure be applied to the in-depth interview in the form of laddering or the repertory grid technique?
> What are the requirements of the researcher undertaking in-depth interviews? Why are these requirements particularly important when conducting interviews with managers?
> What are the major advantages of in-depth interviews?
> What limitations are there to conducting in-depth interviews online, compared with meeting participants face to face?
> Describe a projective technique that you feel would work particularly well online – without the use of webcams.
> Why may in-depth interviews or projective techniques upset or disturb participants?
> Why is the context of questioning particularly important when conducting indepth interviews in international marketing research?
> Describe the criteria by which researchers may evaluate the relative worth of qualitative techniques.
> Describe the ‘story completion’ technique. Give an example of the type of participant and the context in which such a technique would work.
> What is an in-depth interview? Summarise the process of administering an indepth interview.
> What kinds of new skills are increasingly being demanded from researchers?
> Describe the purpose of marketing research.
> Why does research into children create particular ethical challenges?
> What are the consequences of unethical behaviour by marketing researchers?
> How can you ensure you have properly gained informed consent when carrying out a survey?
> What are some of the additional variables used for profiling the clusters?
> When is it useful to calculate factor scores?
> Explain how eigenvalues are used to determine the number of factors.
> How do you assess the validity of a measurement model?
> What factors influence the choice of an MDS procedure?
> What is the most commonly used measure of similarity in cluster analysis?
