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Marketing Research

• Internet—The Internet can provide links to many
Steps in the marketing research process sources of information, quickly and easily. Searching
the Web or visiting a business library’s Web site are
ways to become familiar with the types of resources
Need Research available. Two Web sites that are useful in evaluating
for Research Design & Data
Information Objectives Data Sources Collection potential research resources are the New York Public
Library’s Science, Industry, and Business Library
(http://www.nypl.org/research/sibl/index.html) and
Data Presentation
Sample Processing of the University of Michigan’s Documents Center
Design (http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs).
& Analysis Results
• Government—The federal government is by far the
largest source of marketing data. Although the data
Figure 1
are available at a very low price, if any, once they are
located there is often a cost and time commitment
in obtaining the data. Some government publica-
the data-collection procedures. Although there are many tions are highly specialized, referring to specific
different ways to classify designs, one that gives a clear studies of products. Other data are more general in
overview of the various procedures is based on three meth- nature. State and local governments also provide
ods of generating primary data: experimentation, observa- information. Data such as birth and death records
tion, and survey.
and information on real estate sales and assessed val-
Experimentation involves establishing a controlled ues are public information and can be obtained
experiment or model that simulates the real-world mar-
from the specific state or local agency.
keting situation being investigated. In the observation
method, the primary data result from observing the • Associations—Trade, business, and professional asso-
respondents doing something. The survey method ciations also have general data on the various activi-
involves collecting the primary data by questioning a cer- ties and sales of their constituency. For example, the
tain number of people. Survey questioning may be done National Kitchen & Bath Association has general
in-person, over the phone, through the mail, or online. information on kitchen and bath design profession-
To determine the data sources for the research proj- als, research design strategies, and remodeling.
ect, an assessment must first be made of the amount and Although such data will not be company-specific,
type of data currently available. These data are called sec- they are useful in gaining an overall perspective on
ondary data—data already gathered and available, having the industry. Address and membership information
been accumulated previously for a different purpose. for all associations can be found in the Encyclopedia
Although these data are assembled quickly and often at a of Associations, updated annually.
low cost, sometimes they do not satisfy the research objec- • Media—Most magazines, newspapers, and radio and
tives. television stations have marketing data available on
There are two types of secondary data: internal (data their audience. Also, media perform periodic market
originating within the firm) and external (published data surveys of buying patterns and demographic infor-
originating outside the firm). Internal secondary data are mation in their market area. For example, the
all the data originating within the firm that were collected Boston Globe does a demographic study of its readers
for some purpose other than the objective currently being in order to give advertisers a better understanding of
addressed. Two of the most important types of internal the marketing potential of their area.
data are sales and cost data.
• Trade journals—Trade journals also provide a wide
After the internal secondary data have been exam-
variety of marketing and sales data on the areas they
ined, additional information can be obtained from pub- cover. For example, if market research were needed
lished external secondary data. The main sources of
in the area of computers, then trade journals such as
external data are the Internet; the government; trade,
Computerworld, InfoWorld, and ZDNet should be
business, and professional associations; the media; trade checked for any pertinent information.
journals; universities and foundations; corporate annual
reports; and commercial data services. Information • Universities and foundations—Universities and foun-
obtained from any of these sources must be examined dations perform a variety of research projects. In
carefully to make sure that it fits the particular needs of addition to special studies supported by grants from
the researcher. the government, universities publish general research

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE, SECOND EDITION 505