Assignment

Name: Tasnuva Ahsan Mumu

ID : B3160B008

Subject : Marketing Research

Chapter 5

1) What are the primary differences between qualitative and quantitative research techniques ?
Ans = There are some primary differences between qualitative and quantitative data those are
given below :

1) Qualitative research is a method of inquiry that develops understanding on human and

social sciences, to find the way people think and feel. And quantitative research is called a
scientific and empirical research method that is used to generate numerical data, by
employing statistical, logical and mathematical technique.
2) Qualitative research is exploratory. As opposed to quantitative research which is conclusive.
3) Qualitative research is holistic in nature while quantitative research is particularistic.
4) Verbal data are collected in qualitative research. Conversely, in quantitative research
measurable data is gathered.
5) The reasoning used to synthesise data in qualitative research is inductive whereas in the
case of quantitative research the reasoning is deductive.
6) Inquiry in qualitative research is a process-oriented, which is not in the case of quantitative
research.
7) Qualitative Research develops the initial understanding whereas quantitative research
recommends a final course of action.

2) What is qualitative research and how is it conducted ?

Ans = The goal of qualitative data is to gather insights into your users’ behavior and determine the
reasons for it.  Peeking inside the mind of your customers allows you to tailor your site and content in a
manner which provides them the greatest value.

There are a variety of methods to collect qualitative data, such as:

 Customers surveys

 Interviews

 Usability tests
  Eye tracking and mouse tracking

 NPS scores

Customers survey : A survey is one of the most used methods for qualitative data collection
since it is cost-effective and easy to run.Surveys can reveal what convinced your current
customers to buy and what is drawing away potential customers. By learning directly from the
source, you can implement an optimization strategy based on the customers’ needs.

Surveys are generally conducted online through websites or emails, though you can also pick up
the phone and call customers up directly (works well in industries with older audiences).

Interviews : Usability testing is a method to evaluate how easy a website is to use. The test
involves real users and measures how usable or intuitive a website is in guiding users to their
goals.

Users are asked to complete tasks while being observed to determine where they encounter
problems and experience confusion. If many users happen to experience similar issues,
recommendations can be made to overcome these user issues.  

Usability tests : If you want access to insights about your customers’ innermost feelings, there is
no substitute for picking up the phone and talking.

Interviews represent a lot of investment in terms of time and energy, but they can reveal deep
insights into your site, product, and target audience. Interviews are about quality rather than
quantity. Even one interview can lead to campaign-changing test hypotheses.  

Eye tracking and mouse tracking : Heat maps are graphical representations of data where
individual values are contained as colors within a matrix.

Here, areas that get more attention are shaded in red while others are green. This can help you
understand what users are doing on a single page.

NPS scores : Surveys, usability testing, and interviews are all methods which serve to measure
customer satisfaction by means of direct inquiry with customers.
 3) Differentiate between qualitative direct and indirect research . Give an example of each.

Ans=

4) Why is the focus group the most popular qualitative research technique?

Ans : Marketing research personnel in the current business environment have more
research options available to them than ever before. Whether the decision is to use quantitative
or qualitative methodologies, there are constantly new approaches being introduced that seek to
generate market share by claiming to provide unique benefits not offered by any existing
technique.

Within the qualitative research community this is particularly true, as there is so much emphasis
on being able to explain the dynamics of consumer behavior, rather than just reporting “after the
fact” what has happened, as is the normal situation with quantitative research. We have seen
individual in-depth interviews rise and fall in popularity, motivational research rise, fall and then
rise again, and recently there has been a resurgence of ethnography as an important tool in the
qualitative research arsenal.

This methodology has evolved greatly from its beginnings during WWII when citizens were
exposed to propaganda advertising in small groups, and even during the 1960's and 70's when
groups were held in the living rooms of suburban America. However, the success of the
traditional focus group has led to it being copied, thus giving birth to the telephone focus group,
the Internet focus group and even the video conference focus group.

5) Why is the focus group moderator so important in obtaining quality results?

Ans = The moderator has a major impact on the data produced in focus groups. The quality of the
qualitative research results depends on the moderator. Causes of being important in obtaining results
are given below:

1. The focus group moderator is important in obtaining quality research because the
moderator must establish rapport with the participants, keep the discussion going in a
relevant direction, and probe the respondents to elicit deep insights. The moderator
may also play a central role in the analysis and interpretation of the data.
2. Some key qualifications of focus group moderators include kindness and firmness,
permissiveness, involvement, the ability to project incomplete understanding,
encouragement, flexibility, and sensitivity.
 3. One should safeguard against professional respondents because these people are
atypical due to their experience with past focus groups. For this reason, the ideas and
insights they provide may skew the responses of the group as a whole.
4. Two ways in which the focus groups can be misused is in “yes” groups, where they are
designed to get the focus group participants to say what the clients want to hear and in
decision groups where the marketing executives make decisions on the basis of focus
groups rather than use the technique as a preliminary research step.
5. The major advantages of depth interviews are that great depths of insights can be
uncovered, the responses can be directly associated with the respondent, and there is
no social pressure to conform to a group response.
6. In the word association technique, respondents are presented with a list of words, one
at a time. After each word they are asked to give the first word that comes to mind. The
underlying assumption is that by freely associating with certain words, respondents will
reveal their inner feelings about the topic of interest. Word association is frequently
used in testing brand names and occasionally for measuring attitudes about particular
products, brands, packages, or advertisements.
6) What are some key qualifications of focus group moderators?

Ans = Some key qualifications of focus group moderators are given below :

1. Kindness with fussiness: The moderator must combines disciplined detachment with
understanding empathy in order to generate the necessary interaction.
2. Permissiveness :The moderator must be permissive yet alert to signs that the group’s cordiality
or purpose is disintegrating. ‘
3. Involvement :The moderator must encourage and stimulate intense personal involvement.
4. Incomplete understanding :The encouragement respondents to be more specific about generalized
comments by exhibiting incomplete understanding.
5. Encouragement The moderator must encouragement expensive members to participate.
6. Flexibility :The moderator must be able to improvise and alter the planned out line amid the
distractions
of the group process.
7. Sensitivity :The moderator must be sensitive enough to guide the group discussion at an
intellectual as well as emotional.

7) Why should the researcher guard against the professional respondents?

Ans = In essence, confidentiality in the relationship between researcher and research subject is to be
regarded as an obligation for the researcher and a right for the research subject. Everyone has a right to
restrict the access of others to certain types of information about their person. Respect for the
individual must be borne in mind here, because personal data can be actively misused. Even in the
absence of such misuse, it can be both disagreeable and harmful if sensitive information goes astray.

In addition to this general respect for rights, special obligations regarding confidentiality arise in view of
the understanding that exists between researcher and research subject with regard to how the
information is to be used and who is to have access to it. This applies whether this relationship is based
on trust or a written agreement.
Respect for confidentiality is also important in the interests of the research. Breach of confidentiality
undermines the trust and credibility enjoyed by the research, and in a wider perspective will make it
difficult to engage in research in the future.

In addition to confidentiality in the relationship between researcher and research subject, there is also
another aspect to confidentiality in research. A researcher may, for example, be ordered not to
disseminate results that others have obtained and/or are working on. These results may also concern
information that is not related to an individual or a group.

8) Give two ways in which focus group can be misused?

Ans= The two ways that focus group can be misused are given below :

1) Do not think that you can count on what a roomful of people tell a moderator. Not even the
most honest people with the best intentions can accurately report, much less predict, their own
attitudes and behavior. People haven’t a clue as to how they’ll react to your ad campaign, what
products they use, how much they’d pay, how they feel about this or that, etc., etc. 

2) Do focus groups have worth? Sure. They are great for exploring contingencies. Every now and
then a focus group will raise an idea or point out a risk that hadn’t occurred to you. That can be
valuable. But for predicting the future, you might as well roll dice.

9) What is the difference between a duel moderator or a dueling moderator group ?

Ans= The difference between duel moderator or a dueling moderator is given below :

Dual-Moderator :
Two moderators are present, one which ensures the focus group session progresses smoothly and
one that makes sure that the topics in question are all covered. Dual-moderator focus groups
typically result in a more productive session.

Dueling-Moderator :

There are two moderators who play devil’s advocate. The purpose of the dueling-moderator
focus group is to facilitate new ideas by introducing new ways of thinking and varying
viewpoints.

10) What is the conference call technique? What are the advantages and dis advantages of this
technique?
 Ans = A conference call is a telephone call in which someone talks to several people at the same
time. And the way of making this call is known as conference calling technique.

List of Advantages of conference calling :

1) Telephones are widely accessible : A number of offices these days provide each
employee with a dedicated line. Apart from email and instant messaging, this is one of
the ways they can be contacted should their services be needed.
2) Multiple parties can participate in a discussion : Phone systems these days allow callers to call
more than one person. This becomes particularly useful when each person is located in
different places around the city, state or even the world. This kind of conversation is pretty
normal in businesses that have multiple locations.
3) It allows people to participate in conversation when they can’t physically make the meeting :
Suppose one member of the team fell ill and has to stay in bed, but it’s important that they be
part of the call because their knowledge is needed in brainstorming for a particular project.
Rather than have them come in when they physically not able to, why not have a conversation
with them over the phone? It allows them to impart their knowledge even when they are just at
home.

List of Disadvantages of Audio Conferencing

1) The kind of telephone used affects the quality of the call : While audio conferencing is indeed
a cost-saving communication option, those who desire crystal clear lines of communication will
have to invest in better equipment. Today, there are lots of telephone options in the market
that produce clear and intelligible audio. Picking the right one involves weighing different
factors.
2) Some find it a waste of time : A couple of businesses have brought up the question of “What is
the purpose of meetings?” For one, they feel meetings take up so much time which can be
used for making things happen for a company. A lot of things can be done in an hour or even 30
minutes, so why waste time with a lot of meetings?
3) It can cause inconvenience to some parties : This is particularly true when it comes to offices
with different locations around the world. When the time difference is 12 hours or more, this
would mean one party would have to make the call at night or do it very early in the morning.
Although some may label this as part of the job, some do find it an inconvenience because
instead of having a nice dinner, they have to be on call. For some, this also means having to
stay in the office until the audio conference starts.

11) What is a depth interview ? under what circumstance is it preferable to focus groups?

Ans= Depth or in-depth interview is a qualitative research technique which is used to conduct
intensive individual interviews where numbers of respondents are less and research is focused on a
specific product, technique, situation or objective.

In different circumstance depth interview is preferable are given below :

1) In-depth interviews can be used as part of a mixed method research strategy (e.g. as
complementary method to a survey); the same may be assumed about focus groups. Each one,
 however, can be used as a research method in its own right. Either way, interviews and focus
groups must follow certain basic rules. In fact, researchers have developed a range of
techniques and several strategies for working with groups of children and young people.
2) In a focus group design social interaction between participants is the core issue. The researcher
is asked to encourage and observe discussions between individuals. Being able to collect the
information you need while observing interaction among participants is an obvious benefit of
conducting a focus group.
3) As general rule, in-depth interviews are best when you are interested in individual information,
regarding several topics of interest that can be attained only through an informal conversation
alone with the child informant. On the other hand, focus groups are best when you want to
consider not only children's own accounts of reality but the way they negotiate these accounts
with others, therefore showing divergence or convergence between their views.
4) Observation may be a part of other methods (e.g. occurring during focus groups) or be
employed as an independent or alternative method. Participant observation of children's playing
falls into this last category. It may also be part of an experimental design, based on systematic
observation.
5) Focus groups can be used to examine children's preferences in the context of their peer-related
activities, thus uncovering meanings and feelings, specific topics that children of the same age
talk about and, more specifically, how they communicate about their media and internet
interests and experiences.

12) What are major advantages of depth interview?

Ans= The major advantages of depth interview are given below :

 Interviewers can establish rapport with participants to make them feel more comfortable,
which can generate more insightful responses – especially regarding sensitive topics.
 Interviewers have greater opportunity to ask follow-up questions, probe for additional
information, and circle back to key questions later on in the interview to generate a rich
understanding of attitudes, perceptions, motivations, etc.
 Interviewers can monitor changes in tone and word choice to gain a deeper
understanding.
 There is a higher quality of sampling compared to some other data collection methods.  
 Researchers need fewer participants to glean useful and relevant insights.
 There are none of the potential distractions or peer-pressure dynamics that can sometimes
emerge in focus groups.
 Because in-depth interviews can potentially be so insightful, it is possible to identify
highly valuable findings quickly.

13) What are projective techniques? What are the four types of projective techniques?

Ans= Projective Techniques are indirect and unstructured methods of investigation which have been
developed by the psychologists and use projection of respondents for inferring about underline motives,
urges or intentions which cannot be secure through direct questioning as the respondent either resists
to reveal them or is unable to figure out himself.

1. Word Association Test

2. Completion Test
3. Construction Test
4. Expression Techniques

Word Association Test: An individual is given a clue or hint and asked to respond to the first thing that
comes to mind. The association can take the shape of a picture or a word. There can be many
interpretations of the same thing. A list of words is given and you don’t know in which word they are
most interested. The interviewer records the responses which reveal the inner feeling of the
respondents. The frequency with which any word is given a response and the amount of time that
elapses before the response is given are important for the researcher. For eg: Out of 50 respondents 20
people associate the word “ Fair” with “Complexion”.

Completion Test: In this the respondents are asked to complete an incomplete sentence or story. The
completion will reflect their attitude and state of mind.

Construction Test: This is more or less like completion test. They can give you a picture and you are
asked to write a story about it. The initial structure is limited and not detailed like the completion test.
For eg: 2 cartoons are given and a dialogue is to written

Expression Techniques: In this the people are asked to express the feeling or attitude of other people.

14) Describe the term association technique. Give an example of a situation in which this technique
is specially useful?

Ans = Association is a technique used in psychoanalytic therapy to help patients learn more about
what they are thinking and feeling .Freud used free association to help his patients discover unconscious
thoughts and feelings that had been repressed or ignored.

Example : An example of an association is thinking of milk when you think of cookies. An association is a
group or organization to which you may belong. An example of an association is the American
Psychological Association. The definition of an association is a relationship with an individual, group or
organization.

15) When should projective be employed?

 Ans=

Chapter -6

1) Explain briefly how the topics covered in this chapter fit into the framework of the marketing
research process?

Ans =

2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of the structured direct survey method ?

Ans = Surveys are easy to develop, especially when using the advanced survey software solutions
available today. Many researchers are tempted to do much of their data collection online; however, it is
not always the preferred mode of data collection, especially if respondents are in hard-to-reach areas.
Whether a researcher uses an online survey, mobile survey, paper survey, or a combination of all
modes, the mode should depend on the type of study and the demographics of respondents.

The ability to reach respondents is one challenge of surveys. However, surveys have several advantages
and disadvantages. They are as follows:

Advantages

 Relatively easy to administer

 Can be developed in less time (compared to other data-collection methods)
 Cost-effective, but cost depends on survey mode
 Can be administered remotely via online, mobile devices, mail, email, kiosk, or
telephone.
 Conducted remotely can reduce or prevent geographical dependence
 Capable of collecting data from a large number of respondents
 Numerous questions can be asked about a subject, giving extensive flexibility in data
analysis
 With survey software, advanced statistical techniques can be utilized to analyze survey
data to determine validity, reliability, and statistical significance, including the ability to
analyze multiple variables
 A broad range of data can be collected (e.g., attitudes, opinions, beliefs, values, behavior,
factual).
 Standardized surveys are relatively free from several types of errors

Disadvantages

The reliability of survey data may depend on the following factors:

  Respondents may not feel encouraged to provide accurate, honest answers
 Respondents may not feel comfortable providing answers that present themselves in a
unfavorable manner.
 Respondents may not be fully aware of their reasons for any given answer because of
lack of memory on the subject, or even boredom.
 Surveys with closed-ended questions may have a lower validity rate than other question
types.
 Data errors due to question non-responses may exist. The number of respondents who
choose to respond to a survey question may be different from those who chose not to
respond, thus creating bias.
 Survey question answer options could lead to unclear data because certain answer options
may be interpreted differently by respondents. For example, the answer option
“somewhat agree” may represent different things to different subjects, and have its own
meaning to each individual respondent.  ‘Yes’ or ‘no’ answer options can also be
problematic. Respondents may answer “no” if the option “only once” is not available.
 Customized surveys can run the risk of containing certain types of errors

3) Name the major modes for obtaining information via a survey?

Ans = Name of the major modes obtaining via survey are given below :

Coverage error: Coverage error (also know as sampling frame bias) occurs when not all
members of a target population have an equal chance of being selected in the survey sample.
This type of error tends to be lower for surveys that are able to make use of more
comprehensive lists for sampling purposes. For all data collection modes, the availability of
comprehensive sampling frames depends on the population of interest and on the intended
mode of contact.
Non-response error : Nonresponse error refers to bias in the sample responding to the
survey, which results from differential response rates across different subgroups of the
population. Response rates vary with mode of contact and mode of data collection. In this
respect, face-to-face surveys have long been viewed as the ‘gold standard’ for their
effectiveness at securing high levels of participation.
Measurement error : Measurement error refers to bias in the actual responses recorded
in the survey. It can be attributed to two main sources: the ‘questions’ and the ‘actors’ involved
in the survey process (Groves, 1979) – that is, they typically result from either the design of the
questionnaire and the particular questions being asked, from the respondents themselves, or –
in the case of face-to-face and telephone interviewing – from the interviewer. Mode of data
collection can affect the quality of the measurements by determining the way in which
questions are asked or presented and by influencing the cognition and behaviour of the
respondent and interviewer.
 4) What are the relevant factors for evaluating which survey method is best suited to a particular
research project ?

Ans= There are various types of survey method, and each one of them has its own advantages and
disadvantages. The success of conducting a survey always involves choosing the most suitable survey
method by means of balancing the pros and cons and considering other factors related to the survey
methods. In order to choose the best survey method for a particular survey project, you need to
consider the following:

Population and Sampling : Before you choose a survey method, you need to point out the
characteristics of people who belong to your target population. Literacy levels, language issues,
geographic restrictions must be analyzed first. If the target population is composed of college students,
you may choose the online survey method. However, if the target population is comprised of homeless
people, online, telephone or mail surveys are not suitable, but a personal interview survey is.

Questions : The types of questions that will be asked matter in choosing the right survey method. A
survey that asks mostly closed-ended questions needs paper-and-pencil survey, online survey or
telephone survey, whereas a survey containing more open-ended questions requires a focus group
survey or a personal interview survey. The length and type of the response scales to be used are also
considered along with the question types.

Bias Issues

One of the bias issues that you need to look at is social desirability. Many respondents might
answer questions that make them look good even when their responses are not really true. Social
desirability is a serious concern when conducting a personal interview survey or a focus group
survey, but can also be present in self-administered online or mail surveys.

Resources

Other factors that you need to consider when choosing a survey method include the costs and
budget for the survey, the facilities and equipment needed to conduct and process the survey, the
time allotted, and the manpower the survey demands.
 5) What would be the most appropriate survey method for a project in which control of field force
and cost are critical factors ?

Ans= Any research is only as good as the data that drives it, so choosing the right technique of data
collection can make all the difference. In this article, we will look at four different data collection
techniques – Observation, Questionnaire, Interview and Focus Group Session – and evaluate their
suitability under different circumstances.

Observation is the most appropriate survey method for a project . Seeing is believing, they say. Making
direct observations of simplistic phenomena can be a very quick and effective way of collecting data
with minimal intrusion. Establishing the right mechanism for making the observation is all one need.

Advantages:

 Non-responsive sample subjects are a non-issue when you’re simply making direct
observation.
 If the observation is simple and doesn’t require interpretation (e.g. the number of cars
driving through an intersection per hour), this model doesn’t require a very extensive and
well-tailored training regime for the survey workforce.
 Infrastructure requirement and preparation time are minimal for simple observations.

6) Name the types of mechanical observation and explain how they work?

Ans = There are four types of observational research you can do, ranging from detached observation
with no participation on your part (complete observer) to immersing yourself completely in the
environment (complete participant).

1. Complete Observer : This is a detached observer where the researcher is neither seen nor
noticed by participants. It’s one way of minimizing the Hawthorne Effect as participants are
more likely to act natural when they don’t know they’re being observed.

2. Observer as Participant : Here the researcher is known and recognized by the participants
and in many cases, the participants know the research goals of the observer.

There is some interaction with the participants but the interaction is limited. The researcher’s aim
is to play a neutral role as much as possible.

3.Participant as Observer : Here the researcher is fully engaged with the participants. She is
more of a friend or colleague than a neutral third party. While there is full interaction with
participants, they still known that this is a researcher.

4. Complete Participant : This is a fully embedded researcher, almost like a spy. Here the
observer fully engages with the participants and partakes in their activities.
Participants aren’t aware that observation and research is being conducted, even though they
fully interact with the researcher. This has sometimes been referred to as “going native,” in
reference to performing indigenous fieldwork.

7) Explain how content analysis could be employed in the analysis of open-ended questions.
Comment on the relative advantages and disadvantages of using such a method ?

Ans= Content analysis is a research method for studying documents and communication
artifacts, which might be texts of various formats, pictures, audio or video. Social scientists use
content analysis to examine patterns in communication in a replicable and systematic manner.[1]
One of the key advantages of using content analysis to analyse social phenomena is its non-
invasive nature, in contrast to simulating social experiences or collecting survey answers.

Practices and philosophies of content analysis vary between academic disciplines. They all
involve systematic reading or observation of texts or artifacts which are assigned labels
(sometimes called codes) to indicate the presence of interesting, meaningful pieces of content.[2]
[3]
By systematically labeling the content of a set of texts, researchers can analyse patterns of
content quantitatively using statistical methods, or use qualitative methods to analyse meanings
of content within texts.

Computers are increasingly used in content analysis to automate the labeling (or coding) of
documents. Simple computational techniques can provide descriptive data such as word
frequencies and document lengths. Machine learning classifiers can greatly increase the number
of texts that can be labeled, but the scientific utility of doing so is a matter of debate.

8) Why is trace analysis used as a last resort?

Ans = Trace analysis can be a useful way to discover problems in a program under test. Rather than
writing a special purpose trace analysis tool, this paper proposes that traces can usefully be analysed by
checking them against a formal model using a standard model-checker or else an animator for
executable specifications. These techniques are illustrated using a Travel Agent case study implemented
in J2EE. We added trace beans to this code that write trace information to a database. The traces are
then extracted and converted into a form suitable for analysis by Spin, a popular model-checker, and
Pro-B, a model-checker and animator for the B notation. This illustrates the technique, and also the fact
that such a system can have a variety of models, in different notations, that capture different features.
These experiments have demonstrated that model-based trace-checking is feasible. Future work is
focussed on scaling up the approach to larger systems by increasing the level of automation.

9) What are the relative advantages or dis advantages of observation?

Ans = The relative advantages and disadvantages are given below :

Advantages of Observation
1. Very direct method for collecting data or information – best for the study of human behavior.
2. Data collected is very accurate in nature and also very reliable.
3. Improves precision of the research results.
4. Problem of depending on respondents is decreased.
5. Helps in understanding the verbal response more efficiently.
6. By using good and modern gadgets – observations can be made continuously and also for a
larger duration of time period.
7. Observation is less demanding in nature, which makes it less bias in working abilities.
8. By observation, one can identify a problem by making an in depth analysis of the problems.

Disadvantages of Observation
1. Problems of the past cannot be studied by means of observation.
2. Having no other option one has to depend on the documents available.
3. Observations like the controlled observations require some especial instruments or tools for
effective working, which are very much costly.
4. One cannot study opinions by this means.
5. Attitudes cannot be studied with the help of observations.
6. Sampling cannot be brought into use.
7. Observation involves a lot of time as one has to wait for an event to happen to study that
particular event.
8. The actual presence of the observer himself Vis a Vis the event to occur is almost unknown,
which acts as a major disadvantage of observation.
9. Complete answer to any problem or any issue cannot be obtained by observation alone.