49) Every problem and research objective may not be unique. There are not usually enough
similarities among problems and objectives to allow researchers to make some decisions in
advance about the best research design to use to resolve the problem.
50) Once a researcher knows the basic research design, a series of advance decisions may or may
not be made to form a framework for the development of the research project.
51) Knowledge of the needed research design allows advance planning so that the project may be
conducted in less time and typically at a cost savings due to efficiencies gained in preplanning.
52) Research designs are classified into three traditional categories: exploratory, descriptive, and
causal.
53) The choice of the most appropriate design depends largely on the objectives, the budget, and
client preferences associated with the research.
54) There are common categories of objectives. One of these includes gaining background
information and developing hypotheses.
55) One common category of objective is to measure the state of a variable of interest for sale,
purchase, or investment (for example, level of brand loyalty).
56) There are common categories of objectives. One of these includes testing hypotheses that
specify the relationships between two or more variables (for example, level of advertising and
brand loyalty).
57) In the marketing research industry, ethical issues may arise in the potential for researchers to
take advantage of clients in the research design process including recommending a costlier
design than needed.
58) A researcher has no legal or ethical issues or obligation to notify a client when designing a
study in which data are collected for multiple clients.
59) Wrongfully gaining respondent cooperation to reduce costs; misrepresenting sampling
methods; using information obtained for a client in another research project; and over- or
underestimating data collection costs would be questionable ethical practices.
60) The choice of research design may depend on how much is already known about the problem
and research objective.
61) When not much is known about the problem or the research objective, it is best to use
descriptive research design.
62) Causal research should only be used when a fair amount is known about the problem and
when looking for causal relationships among variables associated with the problem or research
objectives.
63) Unstructured, informal research that is undertaken to gain background information about the
general nature of the research problem is called causal research.
64) Exploratory research does not have a predetermined set of procedures.
65) Ray Kroc, the milkshake machine salesman who created McDonald’s, observed that
restaurants in San Bernardino, California, run by the McDonald brothers were so busy they
burned up more milkshake machines than any of his other customers. Kroc took that observation
and turned it into the world-famous fast-food chain. This is an example of exploratory research.
66) Exploratory research does not allow the researcher to investigate whatever sources he or she
identifies to gain an understanding of the problem at hand.
67) Exploratory research can offer breakthrough ideas and fresh insights that lead to strategic
knowledge.
68) One of the shortcomings of exploratory research is that it cannot help to define terms and
concepts.
69) Descriptive research allows the researcher to define the problem more precisely and to
generate hypotheses for the upcoming study.
70) Secondary information is widespread and readily available; analyzing secondary data is
almost always an important part of a marketing research project.
71) Identification of the most useful data sources is another important step to social media data
analysis.
72) The most important user-generated data from social media is in the form of text.
73) Organization of the data from social media should be flexible and allow for diverse forms of
media.
74) Data collection costs are strongly influenced by the incidence rate (the percentage of the
population possessing the characteristics required to participate in a study).
75) Descriptive research is desirable when we wish to project a study’s findings to a larger
population.
76) Prior to important elections, many sample surveys ask likely voters: “If the election were
held today, which candidate would you vote for?” This type of sample survey represents a cross–
sectional study.
77) Because longitudinal studies involve multiple measurements, they can be described as
“movies” of the population, and are used by almost all small businesses that use marketing
research.
78) The alternative term for continuous panels is omnibus panels.
79) Firms are interested in using data from discontinuous panels because they can gain insight
into changes in consumers’ attitudes and behaviors.
80) When the ratio of negative to positive comments on social media about the new Diet Pepsi
was worse than is usually found with new products, PepsiCo conducted causal research to
understand their consumers’ behavior.
81) If you want to change your GPA (independent variable), you must change certain dependent
variables such as amount of time devoted to study, class attendance, reading your text, and
listening while in class.
82) A field experiment involves manipulating the independent variable and measuring the
dependent variable in a natural setting.
83) An extraneous experiment involves manipulating the independent variable and measuring the
dependent variable in an artificial setting contrived to control extraneous variables.
84) Laboratory experiments are desirable when the intent of the experiment is to achieve high
levels of internal validity.
85) Laboratory experiments allow the researcher to control the effects of extraneous variables,
which is the primary advantage of laboratory experiments.
86) The process that provides procedures for devising an experimental setting-such that a change
in a dependent variable may be attributed solely to the change in the independent variable–is
called experimental design.
87) The phrase commonly used to indicate an experiment, study, or test that is conducted in a
field setting is test marketing.
88) The disadvantages of test marketing are infallibility, cost, exposure of the product or service
to competition, and ethical issues.
89) Determining the sales potential for a new product or service is the only use of test markets.
90) Test marketing allows for the most accurate method of forecasting future sales, and it allows
firms the opportunity to pretest marketing-mix variables.
91) One of the major advantages to test marketing is the relative inexpensiveness since cost is
usually spread over several cities.
92) Competitors get the opportunity to examine product prototypes and to see the planned
marketing strategy for the new product via the test market.
93) Discuss research design as a master plan and also why knowledge of research design is
important.
94) Research designs are classified into three traditional categories: exploratory, descriptive, and
causal. Explain each type of these traditional research designs and list one example of each.
95) Discuss at least three of the six primary areas of potential ethical issues that may arise in the
potential for researchers to take advantage of clients in the research design process.
96) Discuss under which circumstances and conditions a researcher would choose exploratory
research versus using descriptive research.
97) Descriptive research is undertaken to collect data to examine the characteristics of consumers
and/or markets. Discuss the fundamental types of questions addressed by descriptive research
and the different types of descriptive research.
98) Discuss causal research and why studies of the “if-then” variety are considered to be causal
studies.
99) Define and discuss experimental design as well as the two types of experiments. Discuss the
advantages and disadvantages of both types.
100) Test markets can be classified into four types: standard, controlled, electronic, and
simulated. Define test marketing and discuss all four types and give an example of how each
type would be used.