1 MARKETING RESEARCH Week 3 Session B IBMS Term 2,

2 Today: Lecture: Surveys & Data Collection (Ch 9) Class Activity: Review Questions & Case

Survey-Data Collection Methods

4 Surveys A survey involves interviews with a large number of respondents using a predesigned questionnaire. Four basic survey methods: –Person-administered surveys –Computer-assisted surveys –Self-administered surveys –Mixed-mode (hybrid) surveys

5 Advantages of Surveys Standardization Ease of administration Ability to tap the “unseen” Suitability to tabulation and statistical analysis Sensitivity to subgroup differences

6 Four Alternative Data Collection Modes Person-administered Computer-administered Self-administered Mixed Mode

7 Person-Administered Surveys (Without Computer Assistance) A person-administered survey = interviewer reads questions, either face-to-face or over the telephone, to the respondent and records his or her answers. a)In-Home Interviews b)Mall Intercept Interviews c)In-Office Interviews d)Central Location Telephone Interview

8 Person-Administered Surveys a) In-Home Interview Key Advantages: –Conducted in the home, which facilitates interviewer-respondent rapport Key Disadvantages: –Cost per interview can be high –Interviewers must travel to respondent’s home Comment: Often much information per interview is gathered

9 Person-Administered Surveys b) Mall-Intercept Interview Key Advantage: –Fast and convenient data collection method Key Disadvantages: –Only mall patrons are interviewed –Respondents may feel uncomfortable answering the questions in the mall Comment: –Mall-intercept company often has exclusive interview rights for that mall

10 Person-Administered Surveys c) In-Office Interview Key Advantage: –Useful for interviewing busy executives Key Disadvantages: –Relatively high cost per interview –Gaining access is sometimes difficult Comment: –Useful when respondents must examine prototypes or samples of products

11 Person-Administered Surveys d) Central Location Telephone Interview Key Advantages: –Fast turnaround –Good quality control –Reasonable cost Key Disadvantage: –Restricted to telephone communication Comment: –Long-distance calling is not a problem

12 Computer-Administered Surveys A computer-assisted survey is one in which computer technology plays an essential role in the interview work. a)CATI b)Fully Computerized c)Online/Internet Interviews

13 Computer-Administered Surveys a) CATI Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview Key Advantages: –Eliminates interviewer error –Simultaneous data input –Good quality control Key Disadvantage: –Setup costs can be high Comment: –Losing ground to online surveys and panels

14 Computer-Administered Surveys b) Fully Computerized Surveys Key Advantages: –Respondent responds at his or her own pace –Computer data file results Key Disadvantage: –Respondent must have access to a computer or be computer literate Comment: –Many variations and an emerging data collection method with exciting prospects

15 Computer-Administered Surveys c) Online Questionnaire Key Advantages: –Ease of creating and posting –Fast turnaround –Computer data file results Key Disadvantage: –Respondent must have access to the Internet Comment: –Fastest growing data collection method; very flexible; online; analysis available

16 Self-Administered Surveys A self-administered survey is one in which the respondent completes the survey on his or her own. Traditional “paper & pencil” survey 1.Group Self-Administered 2.Drop-Off 3.Mail Survey

17 Self-Administered Surveys a) Group Self-Administered Survey Key Advantages: Cost of interviewer eliminated –Economical to work with groups Key Disadvantage: –Must find groups and secure permission to conduct the survey Comment: –Good for pretests or pilot tests

18 Self-Administered Surveys b) Drop-Off Survey Key Advantages: –Cost of interviewer eliminated –Appropriate for local market surveys Key Disadvantage: –Generally not appropriate for large- scale national survey Comment: –Many variations exist with respect to logistics and applications

19 Self-Administered Surveys c) Mail Survey Key Disadvantages: –Low response rates –Self-selection bias –Slow Comment: –Many strategies to increase response rate exist

20 Self-Administered Surveys Advantages: –Reduced cost –Respondents control pace at which they answer –No interview-evaluation apprehension

21 Self-Administered Surveys Disadvantages: –Respondent controls the survey; do not send in on time, do not send in! –Lack of monitoring: no one to explain or encourage respondents –High questionnaire requirements…it must be perfect!

22 Mixed-Mode (Hybrid) Surveys Mixed-mode surveys use multiple data collection methods. Example: May use online surveys to quickly reach portion of population with Internet access and may use telephone calling to reach those without Internet access.

23 Ways to Gather Data

24 Choice of Survey Method In selecting a data collection mode, the researcher balances quality against: –Time available –Resources –Budget

25 Bias Nonresponse bias = questionnaires that are not returned. –i.e. 53 out of 400 surveys are not returned. Therefore the results have a 13.25% nonresponse bias. Self-selection bias = people that do complete are not representative of the original sample –A researcher sending out the survey only to friends of theirs, rather than a random selection method

26 Self Selection Bias Instructions. You pick up your mail, and you find a mail survey in it. How likely would you be to take 15 minutes to fill out the questionnaire and return it if it concerned each of the following topics? Would you fill out the survey and send it back? Topic Definitely Would Definitely Would Unsure Not Automobile maintenance_________ __________ ____ ___ Dental hygiene_________ __________ ____ __ Personal safety on campus_________ __________ ____ ___ Baby care _________ __________ ___ ___ Recycling _________ __________ ____ ___ Foreign trade with Chile _________ __________ __ _ ___

27 Review Questions Group 1 Group 2