BRUCE OBENIN (6095) And SUPRIYA.

S (6003)

1. With the help of a diagram explain the “Marketing Research

Process”.

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 Define the following terms with relevant examples used in
research.
i. Variables- A variable is something that can be changed, such
as a characteristic or value. Variables are generally used in
psychology experiments to determine if changes to one thing
result in changes to another.
That factor which is measured, manipulated, or selected by the
experimenter to determine its relationship to an observed
phenomenon.
For example, in a research study on the relationship between
mosquitoes and mosquito bites, the number of mosquitoes per
acre of ground would be an independent variable
ii. Concept- A general idea derived or inferred from specific
instances or occurrences. A concept is usually an idea that has a
bit more substance to it than just an 'aha' kind of moment. It
will usually have a little work and some detail, including the
ramifications of the initial idea.
iii. Construct- It should define one specific thing (be uni
dimensional) to be measured. For example, a definition of
construct homophobia (fear of gays or lesbians) should not
include content related to construct sexual orientation
(identification as heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual).
The definition should be inclusive of the entire domain of
content of the construct. It should cover (but not necessarily
name) every event associated with the occurrence of the
construct.
It should be specific enough that other constructs would clearly
not be covered by the definition. For example, a definition of
assertive behavior should be worded in such a way that
instances of aggressive behavior or submissive behavior would
not be covered by the definition.
iv. Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a tentative statement about the relationship

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 between two or more variables. A hypothesis is a specific,
testable prediction about what you expect to happen in your
study. For example, a study designed to look at the relationship
between sleep deprivation and test performance might have a
hypothesis that states, "This study is designed to assess the
hypothesis that sleep deprived people will perform worse on a
test than individuals who are not sleep deprived."
v. Operational definitions
An operational definition identifies one or more specific
observable conditions or events and then tells the researcher
how to measure that event. Typically, there are several
operational definition possibilities for variables and values. The
operation chosen will often have an immediate impact on the
course of the research, especially the findings.
Before we can measure a variable, we need to know exactly
what it is. For example, if we wish to examine the relationship
between grade point average and library use, we must be able
to define "grade point average" and "library use."

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 KANCHAN BELLIAPPA – 7001 (AMC)

3. Distinguish between Exploratory, descriptive and Causal

research with examples.

Exploratory Descriptive Causal

Exploratory research is Descriptive research is To understand the

done when the done when specific causes of the effects
research problem number and size of observed then the
requires a better market segments are ability to predict and
understanding to be known control such events
is increased.
This can be done only
after an exploratory
research

Eg Eg Eg

RSS feeds efficiently finding the most If a clothing

supply researchers frequent disease that company currently
with up-to-date affects the children of sells blue denim
information a town jeans, causal
research can
measure the impact
of the company
changing the
product design to
the colour white

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 4. What are the primary differences between qualitative and

quantitative research techniques?

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 Qualitative Methods Quantitative Methods

Methods include focus groups, in- Surveys, structured interviews &

depth interviews, and reviews of observations, and reviews of records
documents for types of themes or documents for numeric
information

Primarily inductive process used to Primarily deductive process used to

formulate theory or hypotheses test pre-specified concepts,
constructs, and hypotheses that
make up a theory

More subjective: describes a More objective: provides observed

problem or condition from the point effects (interpreted by researchers)
of view of those experiencing it of a program on a problem or
condition

Text-based Number-based

More in-depth information on a few Less in-depth but more breadth of

cases information across a large number
of cases

Unstructured or semi-structured Fixed response options

response options

No statistical tests Statistical tests are used for analysis

Can be valid and reliable: largely Can be valid and reliable: largely
depends on skill and rigor of the depends on the measurement device
researcher or instrument used

Time expenditure lighter on the Time expenditure heavier on the

planning end and heavier during planning phase and lighter on the
the analysis phase analysis phase

Less generalizable More generalizable

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 5. Which are different types of research? Explain with examples.

1. Descriptive research
Describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being
studied
Eg- population of the old aged people in a city.

2. Exploratory- study in detail for knowledge before being descriptive

Eg- getting information about the city as a whole

3. Causal- to understand the causes and to overcome a problem with a solution

Eg- what can be done to help the old aged
4. Applied
Applied research is designed to solve practical problems of the modern world
eg- improve agricultural crop production
5. Analytical
Deals with exploration and evaluation

6. Fundamental
To study how organs tissues work
Eg- studying about how birds fly

7. Qualitative is a method of inquiry employed in many different academic

disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and
further contexts.

8. Quantitative refers to the systematic empirical investigation of quantitative

properties and phenomena and their relationships.

9. Empirical
is a way of gaining knowledge by means of direct observation or experience.

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 10. Conceptual is used in research to outline possible courses of action or to
present a preferred approach to an idea or thought.
Eg- the philosopher Isaiah Berlin used this approach

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 RANJANI.M- 6033 (M&E)

6. What is the relationship between exploratory, descriptive and

causal research?

DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH: The focus of descriptive research is to provide an

accurate description for something that is occurring. For example, what age group is
buying a particular brand, a product’s market share within a certain industry, how
many competitors a company faces, etc. This type of research is by far the most
popular form of market research. It is used extensively when the research purpose is
to explain, monitor and test hypotheses, and can also be used to a lesser extent to help
make predictions and for discovery.
Marketers routinely conduct basic descriptive research using informal means. For
instance, the head of marketing for a clothing company may email a retailer to see
how the products are selling. But informal descriptive research, while widely
undertaken, often fails to meet the tests of research validity and reliability and,
consequently, the information should not be used as an important component in
marketing decisions. Rather, to be useful, descriptive research must be conducted in a
way that adheres to a strict set of research requirements to capture relevant results.
This often means that care must be taken to develop a structured research plan. Under
most circumstances this requires researchers have a good grasp of research methods
including knowledge of data analysis.

EXPLORATORY RESEARCH: The exploratory approach attempts to discover

general information about a topic that is not well understood by the marketer. For
instance, a marketer has heard news reports about a new Internet technology that is
helping competitors but the marketer is not familiar with the technology and needs to
do research to learn more. When gaining insight (i.e., discovery) on an issue is the
primary goal, exploratory research is used.
The basic difference between exploratory and descriptive research is the research
design. Exploratory research follows a format that is less structured and more flexible
than descriptive research. This approach works well when the marketer doesn’t have
an understanding of the topic or the topic is new and it is hard to pinpoint the research

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direction. The downside, however, is that results may not be as useful in aiding a
marketing decision. So why use this method? In addition to offering the marketer
basic information on a topic, exploratory research may also provide direction for a
more formal research effort. For instance, exploratory research may indicate who the
key decision makers are in a particular market thus enabling a more structured
descriptive study targeted to this group.

CAUSAL RESEARCH: In this form of research the marketer tries to determine if

the manipulation of one variable, called the independent variable, affects another
variable, called the dependent variable. In essence, the marketer is conducting an
experiment. To be effective the design of causal research is highly structured and
controlled so that other factors do not affect those being studied.
Marketers use this approach primarily for purposes of prediction and to test
hypotheses, though it can also be used to a lesser extent for discovery and explanatory
purposes. In marketing, causal research is used for many types of research including
testing marketing scenarios, such as what might happen to product sales if changes
are made to a product’s design or if advertising is changed. If causal research is
performed well marketers may be able to use results for forecasting what might
happen if the changes are made.

The following table showcases the differences between exploratory, descriptive and
causal research.

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 7. List the six W’s of descriptive research and give example for
each.

• Who- In this, we research on whom the research would be conducted on. The
target audience or the focus group of the research. Furthermore, this will help
in understanding the details. For example, a coca cola research has to target
youngsters, as they are the product users.
• Where- The location of the research, the demographics has to be understood.
For example, if the product is being marketed to people living in mountains, it
has to be done differently.
• What- The topic of research has to be obviously understood. The premise of
research for example: Why a certain product is not selling, or how can the
market for a product expand, etc.
• Why - All researchers must understand the purpose of research.
• When- The time and season of research must be taken into consideration. The
research for bikini design has to be done during winter and not summer when
the product would sell.
• Way (How)- The research design being used must be rightly chosen. A wrong
decision can mess things up.

8. Explain the exploratory research tools with examples.

Exploratory research is a type of research conducted for a problem that has not been
clearly defined. Exploratory research helps determine the best research design, data
collection method and selection of subjects. It should draw definitive conclusions
only with extreme caution. Given its fundamental nature, exploratory research often
concludes that a perceived problem does not actually exist.
Exploratory research often relies on secondary research such as reviewing available
literature and/or data, or qualitative approaches such as informal discussions with
consumers, employees, management or competitors, and more formal approaches
through in-depth interviews, focus groups, projective methods, case studies or pilot
studies. The Internet allows for research methods that are more interactive in nature.

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For example, RSS feeds efficiently supply researchers with up-to-date information;
major search engine search results may be sent by email to researchers by services
such as Google Alerts; comprehensive search results are tracked over lengthy periods
of time by services such as Google Trends; and websites may be created to attract
worldwide feedback on any subject.
The results of exploratory research are not usually useful for decision-making by
themselves, but they can provide significant insight into a given situation. Although
the results of qualitative research can give some indication as to the "why", "how" and
"when" something occurs, it cannot tell us "how often" or "how many".
The commonly used exploratory research tools are, Depth interviews and focus group
interviews.
DEPTH INTERVIEWS

• Interview is conducted one-on-one, and lasts between 30 and 60 minutes

• Best method for in-depth probing of personal opinions, beliefs, and values
• Very rich depth of information
• Very flexible
• Probing is very useful at uncovering hidden issues
• They are unstructured (or loosely structured)- this differentiates them
from survey interviews in which the same questions are asked to all
respondents
• Can be time consuming and responses can be difficult to interpret
• Requires skilled interviewers - expensive - interviewer bias can easily be
introduced
• There is no social pressure on respondents to conform and no group dynamics
• Start with general questions and rapport establishing questions, then proceed
to more purposive questions
• Laddering is a technique used by depth interviewers in which you start with
questions about external objects and external social phenomena, then proceed
to internal attitudes and feelings
• Hidden issue questioning is a technique used by depth interviewers in which
they concentrate on deeply felt personal concerns and pet peeves
• Symbolic analysis is a technique used by depth interviewers in which deeper
symbolic meanings are probed by asking questions about their opposites

FOCUS GROUPS
 An interactive group discussion led by a moderator

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  Unstructured (or loosely structured) discussion where the moderator
encourages the free flow of ideas
 Usually 8 to 12 members in the group who fit the profile of the target
group or consumer but may consist of two interviewees (a dyad) or three
interviewees (a triad) or a lesser number of participants (known as a mini-
group)
 Usually last for 1 to 2 hours
 Usually recorded on video/DVD
 May be streamed via a closed streaming service for remote viewing of
the proceedings
 The room usually has a large window with one-way glass - participants
cannot see out, but the researchers can see in
 Inexpensive and fast
 Can use computer and Internet technology for on-line focus groups
 Respondents feel a group pressure to conform
 Group dynamics is useful in developing new streams of thought and
covering an issue thoroughly

PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES
o These are unstructured prompts or stimulus that encourage the
respondent to project their underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes, or
feelings onto an ambiguous situation. They are all indirect techniques that
attempt to disguise the purpose of the research

 Examples of projective techniques include:

o Word association - say the first word that comes to mind after hearing
a word - only some of the words in the list are test words that the
researcher is interested in, the rest are fillers - is useful in testing brand
names - variants include chain word association and controlled word
association
o Sentence completion - respondents are given incomplete sentences
and asked to complete them
o Story completion - respondents are given part of a story and are asked
to complete it
o Cartoon tests - pictures of cartoon characters are shown in a specific
situation and with dialogue balloons - one of the dialogue balloons is
empty and the respondent is asked to fill it in
o Thematic apperception tests - respondents are shown a picture (or

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 series of pictures) and asked to make up a story about the picture(s)
o Role-playing - respondents are asked to play the role of someone else
- researchers assume that subjects will project their own feelings or
behaviors into the role
o Third-person technique - a verbal or visual representation of an
individual and his/her situation is presented to the respondent - the
respondent is asked to relate the attitudes or feelings of that person -
researchers assume that talking in the third person will minimize the
social pressure to give standard or politically correct responses

RANDOM PROBABILITY SAMPLING

 This type of qualitative research conducts random interviews within a

defined universe, e.g. a city- to understand consumer behavior beyond
basic age-gender variables.
 Examples of random sample interviewing include telephone
interviewing, mailing-questionnaire's/booklets, personal interviewing,
 Consumer response for this type of qualitative research could be
product usage; personal opinion, events and activities consumers
participate in.
 One key benefit of the random probability sampling technique is the
ability to project your results as they are reflected back to or
representative of your universe. For example how many consumers in
a city is republican, democrat, independent, or indifferent.

Newer methods include:

a. Observational & Ethnographic Research

b. Psychological Research

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 BRUCE OBENIN (6095) And SUPRIYA.S (6003)

9. A film researcher would like to study on the topic, “Depiction

of gender in Science fiction Films.” Help him to develop a
research proposal.

A helpless, screaming woman was the initial depiction of women in early

science fiction films and for most of the early 20th century; this depiction
resonated with men and women alike. To inject an independent, heroic woman
on screen at the time seemed a totally alien concept in the science fiction genre
or any movie genre for that matter, but especially it resonated because it seem
an alien concept to the prescribed gender roles in society. The depiction of
women in early science fiction films were, therefore, acceptable according to
the tides of the time and never gained widespread criticism as it did towards
the dawn of the 21st century.

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