1. Research Process and Problem Formulation
Jeremy Kees, Ph.D.

2. Tonight’s Agenda Guest Speaker Research Process Andreasen Article
Problem Formulation
Secondary Research (Hank’s Project)

3. Review from last week…
Marketing research is the marketer’s link to understanding the consumer and the external environment
The SOLE purpose of marketing research is to inform decisions
Every research project is different...

4. Research Process: Problem Formulation
Perhaps the most important step in the research process
Drives decisions related to research design, measurement, sampling, analysis, etc.

5. Research Process: Problem Formulation
Stage in the Process
Typical Questions
Formulate problem
What is the purpose of the study (i.e., to solve a problem? Identify an opportunity?)
Is additional background information necessary?
What are specific research questions and what information is needed to make the decision?
How will the information be utilized?
Has a decision already been made?
Should research be conducted?

6. Research Process: Problem Formulation
“Attacking the Obesity Epidemic: An Examination of the Potential Health Benefits of Nutrition Information Provision in Restaurants,” American Journal for Public Health (forthcoming)
Formulate Problem
Obesity is the 2nd leading cause of preventable death in the US
What can be done?
Can the provision of nutrition information help consumers make better (healthier) food consumption decisions? (decision problem)
How good (accurate) are consumers at estimating the nutritional content of restaurant foods? and Can providing objective nutrient information improve food evaluation and choice (research problems)
State hypotheses to be tested based on theory
Based on Expectancy disconfirmation theory:
H3a: When objective nutrition information is less favorable than consumers’ expect, nutrition information provision will have a greater negative influence on product attitudes and purchase intentions and a greater positive influence on perceived likelihood of weight gain and heart disease.

7. Research Process: Determine Research Design
Dictated by the problem or research question
Exploratory Research
Descriptive Research
Causal Research

8. Research Process: Determine Research Design
Stage in the Process
Typical Questions
Determine research design
How much is already known?
Can a hypothesis be formulated?
What types of questions need to be answered?
What type of study will best address the research questions?

9. Research Process: Determine Research Design
“Attacking the Obesity Epidemic: An Examination of the Potential Health Benefits of Nutrition Information Provision in Restaurants,” American Journal for Public Health (forthcoming)
Determine Research Design
Two research problems (questions) require two designs
How good (accurate) are consumers at estimating the nutritional content of restaurant foods?
Simple survey that asks participants to estimate nutritional content of common restaurant foods
Can providing objective nutrient information improve food evaluation and choice
Between-subjects experiment

10. Research Process: Design Data Collection & Forms
Secondary research – not necessary
Survey Research
Lots of ways to collect data
Measurement
Constructs / Variables

11. Research Process: Design Data Collection & Forms
Stage in the Process
Typical Questions
Determine data collection method and forms
Can existing data be used to advantage?
What is to be measured? How?
What is the source of the data?
Can objective answers be obtained by asking people?
How should people be questioned?
Should the questionnaires be administered in person, over the phone, or through the mail?
Should electronic or mechanical means be used to make the observations?
Should structure or unstructured items be used to collect the data?
Should the purpose of the study be made known to the respondents?
Should rating scales be used in the questionnaire?

12. Research Process: Design Data Collection & Forms
“Attacking the Obesity Epidemic: An Examination of the Potential Health Benefits of Nutrition Information Provision in Restaurants,” American Journal for Public Health (forthcoming)
Design Data Collection and Forms
Quantitative data needed
Questionnaires with estimations, multi-item attitudinal/risk/intentions variables

13. Research Process: Design Sample and Collect Data
Determine your “target market”
Determine necessary sample size
Sampling Methodology
Logistics
Cost
Ethics

14. Research Process: Design Sample and Collect Data
Stage in the Process
Typical Questions
Design sample and collect the data
Who is the target population?
Is a list of population elements available?
Is a sample necessary?
Is a probability sample desirable?
How large should the sample be?
How should the sample be selected?
Who will gather the data?
How much supervision is needed?
What operational procedures will be followed?
What methods will be used to ensure the quality of the data collected?

15. Research Process: Design Sample and Collect Data
“Attacking the Obesity Epidemic: An Examination of the Potential Health Benefits of Nutrition Information Provision in Restaurants,” American Journal for Public Health (forthcoming)
Design Sample and Collect Data
Adult Sample
Recruited by undergrads
Mail panel

16. Research Process: Analyze and Interpret the Data
Edit / clean / code the data
Analyze
Interpret

17. Research Process: Analyze and Interpret the Data
Stage in the Process
Typical Questions
Analyze and interpret the data
Who will handle the editing of the data?
How will the data be coded?
Who will supervise the coding and keypunching?
What tabulations / statistical tests / analysis techniques will be used?

18. Research Process: Analyze and Interpret the Data
“Attacking the Obesity Epidemic: An Examination of the Potential Health Benefits of Nutrition Information Provision in Restaurants,” American Journal for Public Health (forthcoming)
Analyze and interpret the data
Crosstabs and other simple computations
ANOVA / MANOVA / Chi-Square
Results show that most consumers are unaware of high levels of calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium found in many menu items. Provision of nutrition information on restaurant menus could potentially have a positive impact on public health by reducing the consumption of less healthful foods

19. Research Process: Prepare Research Report
Know your audience
Sell your findings

20. Research Process: Prepare Research Report
Stage in the Process
Typical Questions
Prepare the research report
Who will read the report?
What is their technical level of sophistication?
Are managerial recommendations called for?
What will be the format of the written report?
Is an oral report necessary?
How should the oral report be structured?

21. Research Process: Prepare Research Report
“Attacking the Obesity Epidemic: An Examination of the Potential Health Benefits of Nutrition Information Provision in Restaurants,” American Journal for Public Health (forthcoming)
Prepare Research Report
Manuscript prepared for journal submission

22. Form Groups and…
Contrast the process we have just talked about with that of Andreasen

23. Problem Formulation
A well-defined study begins with a clearly defined objective
“The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution” - Albert Einstein
Problems versus Opportunities
Planned Change
Unplanned Change
Serendipity
The problem is rarely clear-cut
Slight variations in research questions can lead to substantial changes in the research process (so be careful)

24. Problem Formulation
Differentiate between a decision problem and a research problem
Try to get beyond an “info request”

25. Problem Formulation Decision Problems Research Problems
Develop package for a new product
Evaluate alternative package designs
Increase store traffic
Measure current image of the store
Increase market penetration through the opening of new stores
Evaluate prospective locations
Decide which merchandise will be available for purchase over the Internet
Determine consumers’ confidence in purchasing different categories of products unseen

26. Problem Formulation (as discussed in Andreasen)
“Actionable marketing research”
Identify the intended action FIRST; avoid “these are the things that would be nice to know”
Exceptions: basic, exploratory research that lays the groundwork for future investigation and methodological research
Close and consistent collaboration between researcher and client (decision maker)

27. Problem Formulation (as discussed in Andreasen)
“Backward Approach”
How will the research results be implemented? (i.e., what action will be taken)
Determine what information will make up the final report
Specify analyses that will need to be done to “fill in the blanks” in the report
Determine what kind (format) of data is needed to run the particular analyses (simple as possible)
Does this data already exist?
If primary data is needed, design sampling strategy and instruments
Collect data
Fill in the blanks from above

28. Problem Formulation (as discussed in Andreasen)
Try to avoid “interesting” or “nice to know” questions at all costs
Lay out the action alternatives on the front end
What key information in the final report will be used to make decisions one way or another?
Present the client with hypothetical scenarios to ensure that the information is actionable
This often leads to more questions that the client hadn’t thought of previously
It also helps the client:
commit to the research
deepen their understanding of the nature of the research
minimize surprises
recognize limitations

29. Andreasan (1985) Take-Aways
This “backward” process helps us avoid research that does not lead to action (or directly benefit decision making)
The emphasis on close collaboration with the client helps to ensure maximum usefulness and minimum surprises

30. How can we apply what we’ve learned this week to Hank’s. (i. e
How can we apply what we’ve learned this week to Hank’s? (i.e., homework)

31. Hank’s Applications
Use Andreasen’s framework to get at the root of the problem (or be well-prepared to get at the root of the problem next Wednesday)
Try to acutely identify the problem at hand (and avoid “nice to know” questions)
What information is necessary in order to make a decision?
Start answering questions
Determine what course(s) of action will result from our findings
If we find A, what will you do?
What about if we find B?
Make all alternative courses of action explicit

33. Stages in the Research Process (Researchers Perspective)
Formulate Problem
Stages
in the
Research
Process
(Researchers
Perspective)
Determine Research Design
Design Data Collection
Method and Forms
Design Sample and Collect Data
Analyze and Interpret the Data
Prepare the Research Report