BS coursework

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BS coursework

• Primary research

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What can you do for Primary research?

• Observations look at pedestrian flow past
  potential site, observe/visit competitors to see
  how they work, set up etc
• Questionnaires on street, employees, existing
  customers
• Qualitative Quantitative questions
• In depth interviews with a few regular
  customers, experienced staff,
• Retailer research look at competitors to see
  what they do, sell, prices, brands, customers etc

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Qualitatitive research

• indepth research into motivations behind the
  attitudes buying habits of consumers. OPEN
  QUESTIONS e.g.
• why do people really buy an item?
• Who in the household really decides which brand
  of product is bought?
• What mood makes you feel like buying.ice-cream?
  Chocolate? When you buy a product how does it
  make you feel?

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Quantitative Research

• asks pre-set questions on a large sample of
  people to provide statistically valid data. More
  CLOSED QUESTIONS e.g.
• Which packaging do you prefer? A, B or C
• Have you heard of the brand X? Y/N
• How likely are you to buy this product?
  Definitely, possibly, possibly not, never.
• How many papers have you bought in the past 7
  days? 1, 2 , 3, more than 5?

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Your Primary research

• Must include
• SAMPLE typical of the whole population not
  just close friends family to meet a quota
• UNBIASED questions do they meet your research
  objectives?
• ANALYSE results tally, and written
  analysis.NO NEED for a chart for every Q!

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What type of primary research methods have you
used?

• SAMPLING METHODS
• Random pick names randomly (every 50th) from
  electoral register
• Quota look at consumer profile and look at fair
  from male/female age groups
• Stratified sample only interviewing those with
  KEY CHARACTERISTICS as consumers
• Cluster sample within a specific geographical
  area linked to your products. E.g. swimwear
  questionnaire at local swimming pool or seaside
  resort!

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Application mark scheme - requirements

• Research objectives are made explicit.
• Appropriate background data presented to put the
  project into context.
• Relevant primary and secondary research
  conducted, justifying the choice of techniques
  and showing understanding of the strengths and
  weaknesses of each.
• Clear explanation of how, where, why and with
  whom the research was conducted.
• Selectivity in applying the findings to the
  projects objectives.

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Application mark scheme
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Examiner hints from 2006!

• Candidates should be reminded that they do not
  need to include all copies of completed
  questionnaires but that a sample, of perhaps
  varying responses, can be useful and interesting
  to see.
• At the other extreme, some candidates should be
  reminded that it is essential to include at least
  one copy of a questionnaire, if used, in order to
  be able to assess the validity of the questions
  asked.

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So what now?

• Review your questionnaires, with hindsight
• Do they make sense?
• Do they ask sufficient questions?
• Do they have qualitatitive questions?
• What are your sample methods?
• Have you sufficient responses?
• Have you tallied results?

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Mark scheme requirements Analysis

• Appropriate use of theory to investigate a
  problem or situation.
• Identification of cause, effect and
  interrelationships.
• Breaking the material down to show underlying
  causes or problems.
• Use of appropriate techniques to analyse data.
• Interpreting individual findings within the
  context of the objectives of the project.

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Analysis mark scheme
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Primary research Analysis

• So what now?
• Explain your research methods. (use textbook to
  boost terminology!)
• Tally your results calculate s
• What are your key findings?
• Are your results as expected?
• Any surprises?

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Examiner hints on .

• Candidates should also be reminded that in order
  to gain marks in Level 4, for Application,
  students must offer some critical comment on the
  methods used and this should be more than pure
  textbook criticism such as people might not have
  been totally truthful when answering questions on
  a questionnaire..
• Candidates should look for drawbacks to their
  particular investigation rather than general
  theoretical criticisms.

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Survey Analysis example ..

• The main objective for my research is to find out
  whether people would shop in a boutique in
  Dorking and what they would expect it to sell. I
  decided to find this out by using Questionnaires
  as a form of primary research.
• I chose to carry out the data using a quota
  sample, I only asked females between the ages of
  14 and 24. I decided to use quota sampling
  because I thought that it would make the data
  more accurate. I opted to asked females only
  because I shall only be selling only womens
  clothing, then I decided to ask only 14-25 year
  olds because that is the age group that I think
  will most use the shop.
• I conducted the questionnaires on a one to one
  bases I gave them the questionnaire and then
  stayed with them while they filled it in. I feel
  that this would be a more accurate way of filling
  in the questionnaire as I am there if any
  miss-interpretations are made. The questionnaires
  were asked in a relaxed environment where they
  felt comfortable, I thought that this would be
  the best way to get true results from the
  questionnaire. However if I was to carry this
  survey out on a larger scale I would have asked a
  wider range of age groups because women do still
  by designer clothing after the age of 25, there
  could also be mothers buying clothes for their
  children and they might use the shop.

Whats good about this survey intro? Whats
missing? What else could be added? How could the
layout be changed?
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Another example

• Research Objective The aim of the research that
  I carried out was to find out whether there was
  much demand for a Male Clothing store in Dorking.
• (I chose an quota survey sampling as they are my
  target group from the demographic profile). I
  aimed for mainly male's, this being as the shop
  will be for men, therefore women's views may not
  be relevant and may shape results in a way which
  would not most suit the target audience. I had a
  slight biased to ask the younger male groups
  their opinions, however I did not ignore the
  views of the very young or the middle aged as I
  understand that I should meet all groups demands.
  I decided to do this as I believe that these are
  the people which would spend the most money when
  shopping and the sort of client which I would
  mostly be interested in supplying for.
• I chose a Tally chart method as I believed it to
  be the easiest way in which to attain data and
  easy record it, thus not wasting any time of the
  people who have given up there time kindly to
  help with my survey. However, this method means
  that its less specific and detailed then if I had
  l done an individual sheet for each person, which
  may have been useful to link certain
• Quota sampling may not be gd as it is based upon
  my assumption, therefore I may not have judged it
  properly and noyt gained vslueble data.

Whats good about this survey intro? Whats
missing? What else could be added? How could the
layout be changed?
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Secondary research
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Where to start???

• Newspapers
• Census data
• Statistics - www.statistics .gov.uk
• Statistical data folder
• Company data Carol.co.uk
• Websites
• Streetmap.co.uk
• STUDY CENTRE!
• TEXTBOOK!

• Bank of England
• EU reports
• CBI report
• Company annual reports Carol.co.uk
• Previous primary research!
• Keynote.co.uk go to customer home page
  visitor link and then REPORT GALLERY.
• www.tt100.biz for Times Case Studies links

Dont forget relevant business publications
Just Google it!
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Bibliography appendix examiner feedback

• it is good practice to append relevant sections
  of downloaded materials for example.
• Candidates are increasingly searching the
  internet for useful information and many of them
  will quote the websites used but a smaller number
  are actually appending the relevant sections from
  their search.
• Appendices of this kind can confirm to the reader
  the relevance of the source used as well as to
  appreciate more fully the authenticity of the
  information used.

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Examiner hints.

• There was evidence of some excellent use of
  secondary research that was used to great effect
  in conjunction with the primary research
  undertaken.
• Some candidates still deal with the two branches
  of research totally separately and do not appear
  to recognise any connection between the two types
  of information sources.
• Stronger candidates were, once again, able to
  draw their primary and secondary research
  together in a way that strengthened the arguments
  presented by using one source either to confirm
  or refute the findings from an alternative
  source.
• This was sometimes used effectively, for example,
  when local trends did not mirror national trends
  for a particular sector of the economy.

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Bibliography

• Start now.
• Keep a record of all resources used
• Texts
• Website pages
• News
• Bank info
• What-ever!

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