Quantitative Research Asks pre-set questions on a large enough sample of people to provide statistically valid data 3 key aspects: Sampling Making sure questionnaire is unbiased & meets research objectives Assessing the validity of the results

Key issues are: sampling method sample size

Random Sampling Selecting respondents to ensure that everyone in the population has an equal chance of being interviewed Pick names at random from electoral register Send interviewer to address Visit up to twice more if person is out SLOW & EXPENSIVE

Quota Sample Selecting interviewees in proportion to the consumer profile within your target market

Stratified Sample Only interviewing those with a key characteristic required for the sample e.g Oil of Olay may decide to interview only women aged 30-45, the potential buyers of the future Within this stratum of the population, individuals could be found at random (stratified random sample) or by setting quotas based on factors such as social class or religion

Cluster Sample Sampling only within a specified area/areas e.g. in selected university towns or in seaside resorts Not a common form of sampling

Other types of sampling Convenience Systematic

Sample Size Most high –profile surveys in the UK are the opinion polls Quota samples of between 1,000 and 1,500 respondents are considered large enough to reflect the opinions of the electorate of 44 million How? Confidence levels

Confidence Levels 95% reliability is good enough A finding should be right 19 times out of 20 (95%) This is known as a 95% confidence level

Factors influencing choice of method Cost & availability of finance Time Importance of market segments Whether business is targeting a specific group of customers Firm’s understanding of its customer base