Task 1- Types of research

Primary Research

 

Primary research is experiments, investigations, or tests carried out to collect together data first-hand, rather than being gathered from published sources. This is a skill that students must learn as it is useful for all different types of work and is a great technique to know.

An example of primary research is, face to face. Face to face to face are interviews will take place between an interviewer and the respondent in their home, a location chosen by the interviewer or a public place such as a shopping centre. The interviewer will ask the interviewee questions and record their responses. Interviews can also be carried out on the telephone, for telephone interviews the researcher will ring the person they would like to interview or make a number of random telephone calls so that they have a varied selection of respondents. An advantage of this would be that it's their own opinion. A disadvantage of this would be time consuming.

Another example of primary research is Experiments and Trials. This involves using a new approach, new strategy or new product at a small selection of sites for a set period of time. The results are closely monitored and used to design future strategy and products. An advantage of this would be that you can try some things to see if it works. A disadvantage of this would be the cost or resources and time. Another example of primary research is Postal Surveys. These are forms containing questions designed to find out people's opinion about a particular subject are posted to a group of people. Completed forms are analyses to draw out the information required. An advantage of this would be that you wont have to send people out to ask people questions, you could just send them through post. A disadvantage of this would be that it may take time for the surveys to be sent back, this could cost you time that you may need.

Another example of primary research is focus Groups. These are groups of people are invited to join a discussion about a particular subject. The chairperson  will introduce the discussion topics and ensure everybody has a chance to express their opinions. The group will be usually be allocated a set time to discuss each topic. The aim of the focus group is to produce qualitative data, opinions and attitudes on the topic being discussed. An advantage of this could be that an idea given could be built upon, making it stronger. A disadvantage of this could be that people may talk over people not getting much feedback from it so it could become a waste of time.

An advert would use this kind of research because it will be easier for them to find out the information that they will need.
 

Secondary Research

Secondary research is a way of collecting data that has already been gathered by someone other than yourself. This technique is used for performing marketing research. This type of research is useful because it allows the researcher to identify a new topic other that one that has already been researched.  

An example of this is published statistics. this is where someone else has got the information and has created their own statics. An advantage of this would be that it would save time instead of you having to gather the information and then creating your own statistics. A disadvantage of this would be that you may like more of a range, so this could limit your answers.  

Another example of this is books. This is someone else's research that is written into a book for someone else to use their research or information. an advantage of this would be that that the information would be there. a disadvantage would be that the research may not be that accurate

Quantitative Research

This is when you ask people for their own opinions about something in a structured way in order to produce facts and statistics. to get reliable results its better to do the survey in large numbers and make sure they are a representative sample of your target market.

An example of this would be surveys. This is when you gather information from people. Surveys have a variety of purposes, and can be coordinated in many ways. Surveys may be put together to gather information through a printed questionnaire, over the telephone, by mail, in person, or on the web. An advantage of this would be that the researcher could gather a huge range of different answers. A disadvantage of this would be that it would cost a bit if they are printed also it would use up some time which some researchers may need. 

Another example of Quantitative research is a discussion. This is where you talk about a subject and give your own opinions. The advantages of this is that you get to hear a wide range of opinions which will give the researcher a wider range of ideas. A disadvantage of this would be that it would take up a lot of time.

 

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is about finding out what and why people think about this subject. allowing people to talk about their opinions so you can understand their motivations and feelings. Using face-to-face interviews and group discussions are an ideal way to get feedback. Qualitative research can be valuable when you are developing new products or coming up with new marketing initiatives and you want to test reactions and refine your approach. 

An example of this would be observations. In observation, the researcher observes the research , This method is used when the researcher wants to examine a subject in its natural environment or study naturally occurring behaviours. In this method, as with other forms of qualitative research, the researcher has to be very careful to not introduce personal bias into his observations. An advantage of observation is that often the person who is being observed is unaware that they are being observed, allowing their behaviour to be observed naturally. A disadvantage of this would be that its time consuming. 

Another example of this would be a focus group. In a focus group, many people are interviewed at once to gain their opinions on a subject or item. Researchers may create the focus groups by interviewing them or by observing the groups talking about an issue. This method could be used to find out what people think about a product or an advertisement. an advantage of this would be that it would give a wider a range of information. a disadvantage of this would be that there is a wrong mix within the  group which could cause problems and may not work correctly.