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Strengths of descriptive research


Strengths and Weaknesses — The Learning Scientists

There are a lot of different methods of conducting research, and each comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses. I've been thinking a lot about the various research approaches because I'm teaching a senior-level research methods class with a lab this spring. This has led me to think a lot about how these different research methodologies might work together. While most researchers are exposed to a variety of methodologies throughout graduate training, we tend to become engrossed with our own specialty. This makes sense, at least to me, as there are so many nuances that it can take years to become truly proficient in conducting research in our own areas. Specialization seems necessary; however, this is exactly why effective communication and collaboration is key. Given the strengths and weaknesses of different methodologies, a mixed method approach can be used to balance these strengths and weaknesses.

We have said many times before that "it takes a village" and open communication to solve large problems. When it comes to student learning, I feel strongly that it takes a diverse group of experts from different research backgrounds and various experiences teaching in schools. With the amount of time and dedication that it takes to become an expert researcher and an expert teacher, it would be hard for one person to become both! The same is true for research methodologies. There are pros and cons to each, and science is best served when we combine our efforts and tackle our questions from many different directions.

In this spirit, in today's blog I am writing about the general research methodologies that might be used to help us understand student learning. For each methodology, I describe what it is and how it might be used, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the approach. This blog is a bit longer than our typical blogs because I'm tackling some big topics, but hopefully you'll find the discussion of various research methodologies, together in one place, as important as I do!

Descriptive Research

The main purpose of descriptive research is exactly what it sounds like it should be: to describe what is going on. There are a lot of individual approaches that fall under the descriptive research umbrella. Here are a few:

Case studies are a very in-depth analysis of an individual person, small group of people, or even an event. A researcher might conduct a case study on an individual who has a specific learning disability, or on a classroom that is engaging in a particular mode of instruction. 

Observation research involves sitting back (so to speak) and watching how individuals interact in natural environments. A researcher might (with permission from the school and parents of the children, of course) watch a group of preschoolers through a 2-way mirror to see how the children interact with one another. There is also a special type of observation research called participatory observation. This method is used when it would be difficult or impossible to simply watch from a distance. You can think of this as going under cover, where the researcher joins a group to learn about the group. A classic example involves a researcher, Leon Festinger, who joined a cult who believed the world was going to be destroyed by a flood in the 1950s. From this work, Festinger proposed Cognitive Dissonance Theory (to read more, check out this page).

Survey research is considered descriptive research. In this work, the researcher compiles a set of questions and asks people to answer these questions. The types of questions can vary. Some surveys might people to rate their feelings or beliefs on a scale from 1-7 (also known as a "Likert" scale) or answer yes-no questions. Some surveys might ask more open-ended questions, and there are many that utilize a mix of these types of questions. If the researcher is asking a lot of open-ended questions, then we might call the research an interview, or a focus group if there are a few people discussing a topic and answering questions in a group. In this research, the participants may actually be guiding the direction of the research.

There is another important distinction to be made under the descriptive research umbrella: quantitative research vs. qualitative research. In quantitative research, data is collected in the forms of numbers. If a researcher asks a student to indicate on a scale from 1-10 how much they think they will remember from a lesson, then we are quantifying the student's perception of their own learning. In qualitative research, words are collected, and sometimes those words might be quantified in some way to use for statistical analysis. If a researcher asks a student to describe their learning process, or conducts in-depth interviews with teachers about classroom learning, then we are dealing with qualitative research.

Strengths:

Descriptive research can provide an in-depth view of any topic we might want to study, and the level of detail that we can find in descriptive research is extremely valuable. This is particularly true of descriptive research that is collected qualitatively. In this form of research, we may find information that we never even knew to look for! This type of research can be used to create new research questions, or form hypotheses about cause and effect relationships (though we cannot determine cause and effect from this research alone). Observation research has an added benefit of allowing us to see how things work in their natural environments. 

Weaknesses:

We cannot determine a cause and effect relationship from descriptive research. For example, if a student talks about engaging with a particular learning strategy, and then provides an in-depth account of why they think it helped them learn, we cannot conclude that this strategy actually did help the student learn.

We also have to be very careful of reactivity in this type of research. Sometimes, people (and animals too) change their behavior if they know they're being observed. Similarly, in surveys we have to worry about participants providing responses that are considered desirable or in line with social norms. (For example, if a parent is asked, "did you ever smoke while pregnant with your child?" we have to worry about parents saying "no, never" because that is the more desirable answer, or the one that aligns with social norms.)

Correlational Research

Correlational studies involve measuring two or more variables. For that reason, this research is inherently quantitative. The researchers can then look at how related to variables are to one another. If two variables are related, or correlated, then we can use one variable to predict the value of another variable. The greater the correlation, the greater accuracy our prediction will have. For example, correlational research might be able to tell us what factors at home are related to greater student learning in the classroom. These factors might include things like eating a healthy breakfast, getting enough sleep, having access to a lot of books, feeling safe, etc. 

I often have my students think about car insurance to explain correlational research. Car insurance companies measure a lot of different variables, and then try to do their best to predict which customers are likely to cost them the most money (e.g., cause a car accident, have their car damaged, etc.). They know that on average younger males are more likely to cost them money, and that drivers who have received speeding tickets are more likely to cost them money. They also know that people living in certain areas are more likely to get into car accidents due to dense populations, or to have their car damaged while parked. Does this mean that a 16-year old boy who got a speeding ticket and lives in the city is definitely going to cause a car accident? No, of course not. Does this mean that getting a speeding ticket specifically causes later car accidents? No. It just means that the car insurance company knows that this type of person is more likely to cause the car accident, for any number of reasons, and uses this information to determine premiums. 

Strengths:

Correlational research can help us understand the complex relationships between a lot of different variables. If we measure these variables in realistic settings, then we can learn more about how the world really works. This type of research allows us to make predictions, and can tell us if two variables are not related, and thus searching for a cause-effect relationship between the two is a huge waste of time.

Weaknesses:

Correlation is not the same as causation! Even if two variables are related to one another, that does not mean we can say for certain how the cause and effect relationship works. Take caffeine average consumption and average test. Lets say we find that the two are correlated, where increased caffeine is related to higher test performance. We cannot say that caffeine caused greater test performance, or that greater test performance caused greater caffeine consumption. In reality, either of those could work! For example, students may drink more caffeine and this might lead them to perform better on tests. Or, the students who perform better on tests are then more likely to drink more caffeine. A third variable could be related to both of these as well! It could be that students who are more concerned about their grades might study more and achieve better test performance, and might also drink more caffeine to help them stay awake to study! We just don't know from the correlation alone, but knowing that the two variables are in some way related can be very useful information.

True Experiments

True experiments involve manipulating (or changing) one variable and then measuring another. There are a few things that are required in order for research to be considered a true experiment. First, we need to randomly assign students to different groups. This random assignment helps create equivalent groups from the beginning. Second, we need to change something (for example, the type of learning strategy) across the two groups, holding everything else as constant as possible. The key here is to make sure to isolate the thing we are changing, so that it is the only difference between the groups. We also need to make sure at least one of the groups serves as a control group, or a group that serves as a comparison. We need to make sure that the only thing being systematically changed is our manipulation. (Note, sometimes we can systematically manipulate multiple things at once, but these are more complicated designs.) Finally, we then measure learning across the different groups. If we find that our manipulation led to greater learning compared to the control group, and we made sure to conduct the experiment properly with random assignment and appropriate controls, then we can say that our manipulation caused learning. Taking the example from the correlational section, if we want to know whether drinking coffee increases test performance, then we need to randomly assign some students drink coffee and other students to drink a non-caffeinated beverage (the control) and then measure test performance. And then, we repeat to be more confident in our conclusions! Usually, we're repeating experiments with little changes to continue obtaining new information.

Experiments can also be conducted in a “within-subjects” design. This means that each individual participating in the experiment is serving as their own control. In these experiments, each person participates in all of the conditions. To make sure that the order of conditions or materials are not affecting the results, the researcher randomizes the order of conditions and materials in a process called counterbalancing. The researcher then randomly assigns different participants to different versions of the experiment, with the conditions coming up in different orders. There are a number of ways to implement counterbalancing to maintain control in an experiment so that researchers can identify cause and effect relationships. The specifics of how to do this are not important for our purposes here. The important thing to note is that, even when participants are in within-subjects experiments and are participating in multiple learning conditions, in order to determine cause and effect we still need to maintain control and rule out alternate explanations for any findings (e. g., order or material effects).

Strengths:

This type of experiment allows us to determine cause and effect relationships! True experiments are often be designed based on descriptive research or correlational research to determine underlying causes. If we really want to know how to promote student learning in the classroom or at home, then we need to know what causes learning.

Weaknesses:

Of course, true experiments are not without weaknesses. True experiments require a lot of control so that we can isolate the variables that are causing changes to occur. The more control we have, the better measurement we have. However, at the same time, the more control we have, the more artificial the experiment becomes. Just because we that a learning strategy causes learning in one specific experiment, doesn't mean that it will work the same way with different types of students, or in live classroom settings. In other words, the effect might not be generalizable. The solution to this problem is to approach the question with a number of different experiments, and to include the other research approaches to get a better picture of what is going on. One way we've tried to do this in research about learning is to utilize the lab to classroom model.

Lab to Classroom Model:

What is one solution to the big weakness associated with true experiments? Do a bunch more experiments! Not just any experiments, of course, but experiments that, together, help combat the weaknesses described above. When we talk about the lab to classroom model*, we are talking primarily about true experiments. In the lab to classroom model, we start out with basic, highly controlled experiments in very artificial settings. This allows us to best determine cause and effect relationships. We then slowly work our way up to the more realistic setting. We lose control when we do this, and it is more difficult to determine cause and effect, but when we take all of the experimental evidence together we can be much more confident in our conclusions!

* If you're not familiar with the lab to classroom model, see this blog for a brief description, or listen to this podcast to hear Yana and I talk about the model.

BONUS -- A Design to Avoid: Pre-test Post-test designs

Finally, there is one design that you might see pop up here and there, and it has so many problems that it's worth mentioning explicitly. Pre-test post-test designs are exactly like what they sound like: you measure something before an intervention and after the intervention, and compare. This is not a true experiment, and does not allow us to determine cause and effect relationships.

For example, you might (unfortunately) see someone provide students with a pre-test to assess prior knowledge, then implement some sort of learning strategy, and then provide students with a post-test to see how much they have learned (compared to the pre-test). This design is extremely problematic! We truly have no idea whether the learning intervention caused any learning in this case. It could be that the students just got better over time, or that they learned from taking the pre-test, or that because they knew they were being tested before and after they were more likely to study at home! We cannot say the learning strategy did anything for certain. Using pre-tests and post-tests in research is acceptable, but only if there is a control group for comparison!

While not all methodologies discussed in this blog allow us to determine cause and effect, but they have other strengths that go along with them. This design does not allow us to infer causality, nor does it give us the in-depth, detailed information we get from descriptive research, nor does it tell us the relationships among many different variables!

Strengths & Weaknesses of Descriptive Research

JANINE MURPHY
25 JUN 2018
CLASS

Descriptive research is an innovative tool for researchers as it presents an opportunity to fuse both quantitative and qualitative data as a means to reconstruct the “what is” of a topic. However, descriptive research also has specific advantages and disadvantages. A skilled researcher can implement descriptive research designed to account for positive and negative variables while taking into account how those results may affect the research project’s objective. Some aspects of descriptive research which can be examined for advantages and disadvantages include data collection, life experiences, confidentiality, objectivity and error.

Explore this article

  • Data Collection
  • Life Experiences
  • Confidentiality
  • Objectivity and Error

1 Data Collection

Using a descriptive research design requires the use of specific forms of data collection related the process. These data collection forms can include case studies, observation or surveys. These techniques present several advantages as they provide a multifaceted approach for data collection that gives a broader view of the information. For example, a survey can provide statistics about an event while also illustrating how people experienced that event. A disadvantage of data collection can relate to human error in the collection of that data.

2 Life Experiences

Descriptive research designs also offer a unique means of data collection in the form of examining life experiences. Case studies can be based on various sources such as newspaper reports or personal accounts. These accounts provide insight into life experiences. An observational technique for data collection can be an organic means to study life experiences. It can also often remove the barriers of strict academic approaches as the researcher witnesses how others experience an event.

3 Confidentiality

Confidentiality is the primary weakness of descriptive research. Often subjects are not truthful as they feel the need to tell the researcher what they think the researcher might want to hear. This can be particularly difficult during in-person interviews. Participants may also refuse to provide answers to questions they view to be too personal. Further, the idea that someone is watching can turn an observation into an event where people are acting how they perceive they should act or speak.

4 Objectivity and Error

Descriptive research also presents the possibility for error and subjectivity. For example, when a researcher designs a questionnaire, questions are predetermined and prescriptive. Additionally, the study may contain errors as the researcher may record only what she wants to hear ignoring data that does not conform to the research project’s hypothesis. Overcoming a research bias is an extreme difficulty for descriptive research practitioners. Therefore, those who choose to use a descriptive research approach must be aware of their own influence on the outcome of the research.

references

  • 1 The Learning Scientists: Different Research Methods Strengths and Weaknesses

About the Author

Janine Murphy has worked since 2006 as a researcher, and editor for academic theses. She completed her Masters of Arts in cultural history in 2006 at Memorial University of Newfoundland and is one year away from completing her Ph.D. in 19th-Century German history at the University of Frankfurt, Germany.

Related Articles

Descriptive research: identifying respondents and drawing conclusions

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What is descriptive research?

It is evidence based, not exploratory in nature. This means that descriptive research collects quantifiable information that can be used to make statistical inferences about your target audience through data analysis. As a consequence, this type of research takes the form of closed questions, which limits its ability to discover unique results. However, when used correctly, it can help an organization better define and measure the significance of something for a group of respondents and the population it represents.

When it comes to online surveys, descriptive research is becoming the most commonly used form. Most often, organizations use it as a method to identify and measure the strength of the opinion, attitude or behavior of the target group in relation to a particular subject. But another common use of descriptive research is to study the demographics (age, income, marital status, gender, etc.) of a particular group. This information can then be explored as is, by examining trends over time, or for more sophisticated data analysis such as correlation, segmentation, benchmarking, and other statistical techniques.

How can descriptive research be used effectively?

The trick to doing any research is to get only valuable information. In the case of online surveys, the data collected should enable you to take action on a specific problem or opportunity your organization is facing. That's why it's important to set research goals before you start designing your survey. Research objectives define exactly what you want to discover in order to make informed decisions about the issues facing your organization. Let's say a website wants to collect visitor reviews. For this purpose, research can be divided based on different aspects of the site such as navigation, information quality, and aesthetics. With properly defined research objectives, you will be able to create a questionnaire whose results will give you a clear direction for action.

The next step to effective descriptive research is ensuring that your results are accurate. This stems from a restrictive bias in your survey design and research method. In sample surveys, errors are unrecoverable. However, it is important to control the margin of error and confidence level by properly setting the sample size for the survey.

Do you need an audience for descriptive research? Find out how SurveyMonkey Audience can help you get the right contact base for your survey.

3 ways to do descriptive research for the benefit of your organization

The ways in which descriptive research can be used are virtually endless. We already know that setting research goals by the time we start designing a survey is critical, but how do we know that our research design can provide useful information? To understand where your research goals should lead, let's look at three of the most common uses for descriptive research these days:

1.

Determining the characteristics of your respondents

All closed questions aim to better define some characteristic of your respondents. This could include insights into characteristics or behaviors, such as asking them to indicate their age group, or to indicate how many hours respondents spend online each week. They can also be used to ask respondents about opinions or attitudes, such as how satisfied they are with products or how much they agree with some political platform.

In fact, all this information can be used to make better decisions. For example, if a store finds that the majority of its customers browse the web before visiting the store, it will be possible to understand where to direct their promotional efforts.

2. Measuring Trends in Data

The statistical power of descriptive research makes it possible to measure trends over time. Consider a survey that asks customers to rate their satisfaction with a hotel on a scale from 0 to 10. The resulting value in itself is pretty random. What does an average score of 8.3 mean? However, if the hotel management makes some improvements to better meet the needs of its customers, it will be possible to conduct the same survey again later and see if the new average score has increased or decreased. This will effectively measure progress made in customer satisfaction over time and measure the impact of new initiatives and processes.

3. Comparison of groups and problems

Descriptive studies are also used to make comparisons between groups of respondents. For example, a shampoo company conducts a survey by asking the general public a few questions that find out attitudes towards products, advertising, and the company's image. In the same survey, different demographic questions can be asked, such as age, gender, income, and so on.

The company can then analyze the data to compare different groups of people and their attitudes. For example, it will be possible to statistically determine the difference in opinions for different sexes and age groups. Perhaps a statistically low opinion of the company's image among young adult males will be found. This may require the creation of a new line of products aimed at satisfying this group.

If your research goals fall into one of these three categories, you are on the right track. Now all you have to do is decide how the collected data will help your organization take action on a particular issue or opportunity. Remember, conducting a successful survey is only half the battle. It is what you do with the information you collect that creates value for your research project!

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Types of marketing research: various classifications

The article describes:

  1. Marketing research tasks
  2. Exploratory, descriptive and experimental studies
  3. Primary and secondary market research
  4. Desk and field marketing research
  5. Qualitative, quantitative and combined studies
  6. Types of marketing research on the subject of study
  7. Algorithm for selecting the type of marketing research

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All types of marketing research that exist today, by and large, are designed to solve the same problem - to help businesses make money. Another question is that this is done from different positions and by appropriate methods.

There are primary and secondary research, desk and field, qualitative and quantitative, exploratory, descriptive and experimental. Each of the tools works most effectively in a specific situation, and you can’t make a mistake with the choice here. Below we will talk about each marketing research and give an algorithm for choosing the right one.

Tasks of marketing research

Marketing research - activities that are used to collect, process and evaluate information about market features, competing organizations, product costs and company potential. They are carried out to eliminate uncertainties in the development of decisions in the field of marketing. As a result of various types of marketing research, the strategic directions of the company's activities are formed.

Tasks of marketing research

In the real work of enterprises, existing types of marketing research can be used to collect and analyze data that is necessary to make decisions on promotion in the market, choosing a business niche, to calculate planned sales volumes, etc.

Modern types of marketing market research should provide an effective solution to a number of business problems:

  • Making forecasts for actual and potential market capacity parameters . An enterprise can obtain an adequate assessment of its prospects in a particular market segment in order to prevent unjustified risks that can lead to significant losses.
  • Market share forecasting . Having received specific, proven scenarios, you can plan your business development more successfully.
  • Study of behavioral models of potential consumers . Survey results analytics is a tool for assessing the level of customer loyalty to the company and products. You can get a portrait of the consumer and study his motives.

Such information is useful for creating a competitive value, product refinement, finding the best promotion channels, developing a marketing company, increasing sales efficiency, etc. In other words, using a complex of various types of marketing research, you can adjust all elements of the company's trade and production policy.

  • Research and evaluation of competing firms with analysis of their offers . Knowing the intricacies of the success of the competitor's product and their marketing strategy, you can more accurately develop your own policy in the field of advertising, pricing, and development tactics. Ultimately, all this can become the foundation for defeating competitors.
  • Probing of product distribution channels . Their professional assessment will allow you to select the best directions and develop a concept that will provide for all stages of the optimal movement of goods to the buyer.

In reality, the system of types of marketing research is applicable to a wider range of tasks. The objects of its analysis can be a variety of aspects of the company's activities. At the same time, in most cases, depending on these currently relevant features of the company's work, classifications of types of marketing research are most often built. In this article we will talk about the most popular classifications.

Exploratory, descriptive and experimental research

Let's list the main types of marketing research depending on their goals:

  • Exploratory.

The task of exploratory (or in other words, exploratory, probing, exploratory) research is to collect preparatory data. This material is needed to accurately identify problems and formulate possible ideas and assumptions, as a result of which improved marketing results are expected.

There are several ways to carry out exploratory research: focus group activities, analysis of previous experience, the study of background information, evaluation of certain situations and cases.

  • Descriptive.

Research that aims to describe marketing situations, problems, markets and consumers. For example, the analysis of the position of the client to the product or service of a particular company, demographics, is called descriptive or descriptive. Such research is based on the questions "Who", "What", "Where", "When" and "How".

For example, there is a study of who buys a company's products. To obtain such information, secondary information is analyzed, or surveys and various experiments are conducted. The task of descriptive research is to describe the problem and different points of view on it. The goal is to capture the details of the problem, marketing situations, the market, etc.

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  • Experimental.

During casual (it is also experimental) research, assumptions about causal relationships are tested. The main task is to interpret the connections that appear in them. Why the attitude of the client to the company has changed, what market performance depends on, and much more - this is what marketers are trying to figure out.

The questions they ask start with Why. For example: “Why did the stock price soar after the ad campaign?” Experimental research uses experiments, analysis of factors that affect the result, logical-semantic modeling.

Primary and secondary marketing research

  • Primary.

These studies collect data that will help improve the quality of goods, services or industrial processes. In another way, primary research is called field research - it is carried out without any initial data that could be obtained from various resources.

Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used to collect information. Primary research is considered the most valuable and most widespread. In this analysis, irrelevant problems are filtered and answers to the questions posed are given.

In primary research, testing and experiments are most often used, observation and questioning of consumers are carried out, and focus groups are involved.

Primary marketing research
  • Secondary.

This category of research builds on existing information that has been collected from various sources. The data obtained from government bodies or other official resources, magazines, newspapers, articles on the Internet and many other materials are analyzed.

The information you need may be available free of charge or require financial costs. Secondary types of marketing research are much cheaper than primary ones and require less time. The data obtained from secondary studies are analyzed and sorted.

There are two types of sources for collecting information:

  • Internal sources . This includes information that the company has collected on its own, for example, reports on sales, profits, losses, and more. They will be useful for further work, for example, when developing a project or drawing up a sales plan.
  • External sources . In this case, information that has been collected by other companies is used. Not necessarily it will relate to marketing, it can be a completely different area. For example, government resources, universities and colleges, the Internet.

Desk and field marketing research

Marketing research by type of activity and technique can be desk and field:

  • Desk.

Data for such studies are taken from official printed sources. With their help, determine the development trends of specific sites. Desk research is relatively cheap and does not take long to produce results. A large amount of the required data has already been published elsewhere or can be taken from government reports or a computer database, etc.

rationality of entering any market and, for example, to build a vector of direction for work. With desk research, you can realistically get data such as consumer income and spending, segment trends, demographics, supply statistics, and more.

But it should be remembered that some of the analyzed information may no longer be relevant.

  • Field.

Marketing research of this type is carried out on the spot, "in the field". Their main advantage is that you can personally communicate with consumers, purchase samples of products that are in high demand, conduct testing, surveys, and more.

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These types of market research will cost more, but the information obtained will give an idea of ​​the real market demand and consumer requirements for products. These data can be used in the preparation of the company's strategy and market behavior plan, including the development of pricing policy, sales organization.

Qualitative, quantitative and combined research

Field types of consumer marketing research can be divided into the following groups: qualitative, quantitative and combined:

  • Qualitative types of marketing research.

In this study, the questions begin with the words "Why", "How", and "Why". Such developments are necessary for an accurate understanding of the positions, wishes and opinions of groups of people from the target audience. If you delve into this process, then you can find out what drives consumers, study their behavior, which may not be clear even to the client himself.

For example, you ask consumers the question: "What do you consider when buying a product?". The most popular answer would be "Price and quality". But what is the meaning of these words? What does one mean by "quality"? Are these criteria always important for the buyer?

With the help of qualitative research, you will analyze products from the customer's point of view, form assumptions and hypotheses, which will then be studied in quantitative research. Most often, in-depth interviews are used in the work, focus groups and neuromarketing are involved.

  • Quantitative types of research in marketing.

Helps to explore questions such as "Who" and "How much". This refers to the numerical and quantitative expression of the market situation, actions and reactions of buyers. The main advantage of this type of research is that you can find out the position of a large number of people, and therefore get the most accurate results and indicators. This information will be objective, it can be analyzed by statistical methods and the conclusions can be extended to similar situations, positions, similar groups of target audience, etc.

Quantitative types of marketing research

Quantitative types of marketing research used to help assess the size of markets in real and monetary terms, create a plan for promoting a new product, determine which market segment is best to use, analyze brand health, create a consumer image and more.

Questionnaires are used for quantitative research. The way questions are formulated, their number and the sequence in which they are asked affects the final result. These can be online surveys, personal interaction with the consumer, express telephone surveys, and much more.

  • Combined types of marketing research.

These surveys are a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods that are used when, for example, consumer preferences in a full sample have already been studied. Let's consider several similar events:

  • Hall tests is a study that is aimed at studying specific parameters, characteristics of a product or service. This requires personal contact of the test participant with the sample.
  • Home tests – Respondents study the product at home. This study is used if there is a need for long-term use.
  • Mystery shopper is a method used to evaluate the performance of staff with customers or to analyze competitors.

Types of marketing research on the subject of study

There are a large number of different groups of marketing research. And the development of digital technologies contributes to the emergence of new ones. Below we will talk about the most famous of them at the moment:

  • Research of market conditions.

Aimed at studying trends, mechanisms and market opportunities that will further influence decision making. Here is an assessment of the position of competitors and possible problems. As a result, the company can occupy a good niche and properly allocate its resources in this environment.

  • Macro market research.

There is a study of external conditions that affect the performance and performance of the company.

  • Customer research.

Necessary for competent segmentation of the target audience by gender, age, social status, income level, hobbies, education, purchasing preferences and other criteria. With the help of this analysis, you can identify consumer problems and help them solve them by offering a specific product or service.

  • Research of competing companies.

By identifying the strengths and weaknesses of competitors, you will be able to evaluate your capabilities in relation to other market participants, develop schemes for interacting with them and countering their behavior. The prices of competitors, their goods, ongoing advertising campaigns, marketing moves are studied and compared. After analyzing the information received, you will be able to refine your product and service, making it unique, and take a stable position in the market.

  • Product use study.

This research is necessary to refine the product and improve its qualities. Observe the behavior of consumers: what is their reaction to the product; analyze possible problems that may be encountered in the operation of products.

  • Study of value formation processes.

It compares prices for similar products, conducts a survey on how much the buyer is willing to pay for this product. The task of the study is to determine the price at which the firm will receive the greatest profit in a given stop.

  • Brand recognition research.

You will determine whether your brand the consumer knows what opinion about the company has developed. Based on the results of the analysis, it can be determined whether there is a need to change the positioning of the enterprise in the market.

  • Customer Satisfaction/Loyalty Survey.

Indicates how satisfied a customer is with a product or service. It reflects the degree to which the consumer's expectations correspond to the real state of affairs and shows all the shortcomings of the product. As a result, the firm will have data with which it can increase the level of customer loyalty. These studies will also help refine advertising campaigns.

Algorithm for selecting the type of marketing research

At the initial stage, it is necessary to clarify the objectives of the research and find out what marketing questions need to be answered. For example, the company decided to expand the assortment list with a new assortment item - glazed curds. Before marketing research will be the task to make an analysis of the market for these products.

If the company sells only in one city, then it is necessary to make adjustments for the geography of reports.

Next comes the process of setting goals for the event. This determines the size of the study and its cost. For example, the goal may be to refine existing studies or to conduct new ones.

Algorithm for selecting the type of marketing research

At the third stage, it is necessary to determine the method of conducting the analysis. Choose it based on goals and objectives. For example, a method such as a focus group survey or data analytics from available sources may be chosen.

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