Question: Why is the context of questioning particularly

> 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?

> Evaluate the reasons why response rates to industrial surveys are declining.

> 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?

> 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?

> What are the two major disadvantages of non-hierarchical clustering procedures?

> Why is the average linkage method usually preferred to single linkage and complete linkage?

> For what purpose is the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of sampling adequacy used?

> Present a classification of clustering procedures.

> What is meant by the term ‘communality of a variable’?

> What hypothesis is examined by Bartlett’s test of sphericity? For what purpose is this test used?

> Explain the concept of uninformed consent.

> What is the major difference between principal components analysis and common factor analysis?

> For what purposes are MDS procedures used?

> Discuss the similarity and difference between cluster analysis and discriminant analysis.

> Summarise the threats presented by new technologies to the effectiveness of anonymization of participant data.

> What are the particular ethical challenges associated with the use of secondary data?

> How can researchers prevent adverse effects from occurring when carrying out focus groups?

> Describe the key concepts embedded in the ESOMAR code of conduct.

> Why is self-regulation viewed as important by professional bodies in marketing research?

> Why is participant anonymity so important in market research?

> Evaluate the reasons why gaining access to key participants may be so difficult. Why may gaining access grow more difficult over time?

> What is b2g marketing? What kinds of challenges might be associated with b2g marketing research?

> Upon what basis may a researcher decide which variables should be selected to formulate a clustering problem?

> What does ‘access’ mean in the context of b2b marketing research?

> Describe the sampling challenges that the b2b researcher faces.

> What are the five major differences between b2b and consumer marketing?

> How do the concepts of business networks and relationships relate to each other?

> What challenges do b2b marketers face in managing relationships?

> What characteristics distinguish b2b marketing from consumer marketing?

> What is competitive intelligence? How does this definition differ from notions of ‘conventional marketing research’?

> Describe the potential participant errors that may occur in b2b marketing research. What may be done to reduce these potential errors?

> What is meant by ‘interviewer credibility’? What may interviewers do to be seen as more credible in the eyes of target participants?

> Why is it important to ask the question ‘Is b2b marketing research significantly different from consumer marketing research?’

> Briefly define the following: eigenvalue, factor loadings, factor matrix and factor scores.

> What is a pie chart? For what type of information is it suitable? For what type of information is it not suitable?

> What is an infographic? Why can visual communication techniques sometimes be more effective than text at communicating research findings?

> Describe the guidelines for report writing.

> Discuss the importance of objectivity in writing a marketing research report.

> Why is the ‘limitations and caveats’ section included in the report?

> Describe a commonly used format for writing marketing research reports.

> What is the difference between dissemination and communication of research findings?