descriptive research design: survey, observation and internet

1- 1 Malhotra Hall Shaw Oppenheim Essentials of Marketing Research © Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Australia

PART TWO

Chapter 5

Descriptive Research

Design: Survey,

Observation and Internet

5-2 Malhotra Hall Shaw Oppenheim Essentials of Marketing Research © Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Australia

Chapter Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

Discuss and classify quantitative survey methods and describe the various personal, telephone, mail and electronic interviewing techniques.

Identify the criteria for evaluating survey methods.

Compare the strengths and weaknesses of different survey methods.

Appreciate that multiple research methods may need to be used to collect the required information.

Classify and describe the different observation methods used by marketing researchers.

Discuss the use of the Internet and WWW for surveys and observational methods.


Survey Methods

Respondents are asked questions regarding their

behaviour, intentions, attitudes, awareness,

motivations, and demographics and lifestyle

characteristics


Advantages of Surveys

Standardisation

Ease of administration

Ability to tap the ‘unseen’

Large sample

Low cost

Increases geographic flexibility

Suitable for tabulations and statistical analysis

Generalisability

Sensitivity to subgroup differences


Disadvantages of Survey

Difficult developing questionnaires

Need to develop constructs, scale

measurements, questionnaire design

Respondents may be unable/unwilling to provide

the desired information

Structured and fixed responses

Difficult to probe


Classification of Survey Methods

Nature of survey interaction

Person to person

Computer assistance

Self-completion

Mode of administration

Personal interviews

Telephone interviews

Mail interviews

Electronic


Figure 5.2 Classification by Mode of Administration


Personal Methods

Personal face-face in-home interviews

Interview conducted at the respondent’s home

Advantages

When personal contact is essential

Conducive environment to questioning process


Personal Methods cont.

Central location personal interviews

Interview conducted in shopping centres

Advantages

Travel costs are eliminated

Interviewer can interact with respondents

Disadvantages

Non-representative sample

Uncomfortable environment


Personal Methods cont.

Computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI)

Direct entry of research information into a

computerised database


Telephone Methods

Traditional hard-copy telephone interviews

Phoning a sample of respondents and asking them a series of

questions.

Interviewer records answers on hardcopy of questionnaire.

Advantages

Inexpensive

Yields a very high quality sample

Quick

Disadvantages

Inability of respondents to see questions

Inability to observe respondents

Limitations on information quality and quantity

Growing use of answering machines

People associate surveys with telemarketing


Telephone Methods cont.

Computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI)

Computerised questionnaire administered to respondents

over the telephone

Advantages

Inexpensive

Computer dials phone number Computer skips questions

Can customise questions

No editing required Analysis can be done at any stage

Cost savings

Quality control

Time savings

Minimises

research errors


Telephone Methods cont.

Computer automated telephone systems (CATS)

Computer-synthesised voices are used to ask

questions over the phone

Respondents select numbers on the telephone

keypad to answer questions

Voice recognition is likely to be used in the future to

record and count responses


Mail Methods

Mail interviews

Questionnaire is developed and mailed to pre-

selected respondents who return the completed

surveys by mail

Mail interview package consists of the outgoing

envelope, cover letter, questionnaire, return

envelope


Mail Methods cont.

Advantages

No interviewers to recruit, train, monitor and

compensate

Inexpensive to implement

Can reach many people

Disadvantages

Low response rate

Self-selection bias

Slow form of collection

Possible misunderstanding of skipped questions


Mail Methods cont.

Methods used to increase response rate

Preliminary notification

Foot-in-the-door

Personaliation

Anonymity

Response deadline

Appeals

Sponsorship

Incentives

Questionnaire length

Questionnaire size, reproduction, and colour

Type of postage (outgoing)

Type of postage (return envelopes)

Follow-ups

Source: Connant, J., Smart, D., and Walker, B., 1990 ‘Mail Survey Facilitation Techniques: An Assessment

and Proposal Regarding Reporting Practices’, Journal of Market Research Society, 32(4), pp.569 – 580.


Mail Methods cont.

Mail Panels

Large representative sample of households that have agreed to

participate in periodic mail questionnaires, product tests and

telephone survey

Advantages

Panel can be tested prior to the survey to obtain a

representative sample

Produces a higher response compared with direct mail

Allows for longitudinal research

Disadvantage

May not be a representative sample


Example: Roy Morgan Single Source

Roy Morgan research company surveys over 50, 000 Australians each year on a range of topics which forms their Single Source Data

Lifestyle and attitudes

Media consumption habits

Brand and product usage

Purchase intentions

Service provider preferences

Financial information

Recreation and leisure activities

Source: www.roymorgan.com


Electronic Methods

E-mail interviews

A survey using plain text which is e-mailed

for the respondent to read, complete and

return


Electronic Methods cont.

Internet interviews

Use HTML to write the questionnaire.

Survey can be found on the web or emailed to a

potential respondent

Can contribute to higher quality data


Figure 5.3 Electronic Research Methods


Table 5.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of

Internet surveys

Advantages

Higher response rates

Greater response accuracy

More enjoyable

More aesthetically pleasing

Less expensive

Faster turnaround

Trend-leader population

Instantaneous global reach

Customised surveys

Ability to find highly specific

research targets

Disadvantages

Self-selection

Unrepresentative population

Anonymity bias by Internet

users

Respect for multicultural

responses

Anxiety in divulging

information

Shorter attention span

Lack of interpersonal

nuances

Possibility for multiple and

repeated polling

Novelty bias will diminish


Table 5.3 A Comparative Evaluation of Survey Methods


Observation Methods

Recording the behaviour of people, objects and

events in a systematic manner to obtain

information relevant to the problem

Can be classed as a qualitative or quantitative

research technique

Observational methods include:

Structured vs unstructured

Disguised vs undisguised

Natural vs contrived


Structured

Researcher specifies what is to be observed and

how the measurement will be recorded

Reduces potential for observer bias and

enhances the reliability of the data

Appropriate when problem has been clearly

defined and the information needed has been

specified

Suitable for conclusive research


Unstructured

Observer monitors all aspects of the

phenomenon that seems relevant to the problem

at hand

Appropriate when the problem has yet to be

formulated precisely and flexibility is needed in

observing to identify key components of the

problem and to develop hypotheses

Observer bias is high

Suitable for exploratory research


Disguised

Respondents are unaware that they are being

observed

Respondents behave naturally

Props include one-way mirrors, hidden cameras

or inconspicuous mechanical device


Undisguised

Respondent are aware that they are under

observation

May bias behaviour patterns


Natural

Observation takes place in the environment

[supermarket]

Observed behaviour will more accurately reflect

true behaviour


Contrived

Respondent's behaviour is observed in an

artificial environment

Do not need to wait for behaviour to occur in a

natural environment


Figure 5.4 A Classification of Observation Methods

Observation methods

Personal

observation

Mechanical

observation Audit

Content

analysis

Trace

analysis


Personal Observation

Researcher observes and records actual

behaviour as it occurs


Mechanical Observation

Direct mechanical devices

Eye-tracking monitors

Pupilometres

Psychogalvanometers

Voice pitch analysers

Devices measuring response latency

Brainwave measurement


Mechanical Observation cont.

Indirect mechanical devices include

Audimeters/ peoplemeters

Turnstiles

Traffic counters

Cameras

Scanners


Audit

Researcher collects data by examining physical

records or performing inventory analysis

Data is collected personally by the researcher

Data are based upon counts


Content Analysis

Appropriate when observing communication,

rather than behaviour

Examples

Observing words used in newspapers

How woman are portrayed in advertising over

the years

Identifying themes from in-depth interviews


Trace Analysis

Data collection is based on physical traces, or

evidence, of past behaviour

Examples

Erosion of tiles or carpet to measure traffic patterns

Fingerprints on magazine to gauge ad popularity

Internet users leave traces of websites visited


Case: Recycling Behaviour

A municipal council in Australia examined

household rubbish to identify whether

households were disposing of rubbish

appropriately, in particular, if they were recycling

most recyclable items. Although surveys

indicated that households were recycling, trace

analysis was deemed the best method in

obtaining information on actual behaviour.

Is this ethical? Would you like it if someone went through

your rubbish?


Figure 5.5 A comparative Evaluation of

Observation Methods

Criteria

Personal

Observation

Mechanical

Observation

Audit

Content

Analysis

Trace

Analysis

Degree of

Structure

Low

Low to High

High

High

Moderate

Degree of

Disguise

Moderate

Low to High

Low

High

High

Ability to

Observe in

Natural Setting

High

Low to High

High

Moderate

Low

Observation

Bias

High

Low

Low

Moderate

Moderate

Analysis Bias

High

Low to

Moderate

Low

Low

Moderate

Overall

Most flexible

Can be

intrusive

Expensive

Limited to

communica

tions

Method of

last resort


Comparison of Survey and

Observation Methods

Relative Advantages of Observation

Measures actual behaviour

No interviewer bias

Useful when respondent is unaware/unable to

communicate feelings

Relative Disadvantages of Observation

Little is known about the underlying motives, beliefs,

attitudes, and preferences

Time consuming and expensive

Borders on being unethical

descriptive research design: survey, observation and internet

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