Research Problems and Approaches

• There are different kinds of research problems, designs and approaches across qualitative and quantitative methods

Exploratory Research

• Generates ideas and understanding using both qualitative and quantitative methods
• Features a flexible process with tentative findings

Descriptive Research

• Focuses on defining and measuring variables
• Answers "what" questions

Causal Research

• Attempts to find a causal link, such as, "do taxes on tobacco have an impact on smoking"
• Tests hypotheses and relationships between variables using large quantitative samples
• Provides statistically conclusive findings

Defining a Research Problem

• Asking the right questions is important in defining a research probelm such as:
  • What motivates children to eat fruit?
  • What are they currently eating for lunch?
  • How do they make their food choices?
• It is also important to define the Scope of the Problem

Scope of the Problem

• Too narrow scope limits action strategies and ignores key decision factors
• Too broad scope lacks clear guidelines and is hard to manage in research

The Research Process

• Problem formulation
• Research design (exploratory, descriptive, causal)
• Data collection (measurement, questionnaire design)
• Sample Design (sampling methods, sample size)
• Data Analysis and Interpretation
• Final report and decision making

Primary Data

• Data that is collected specifically for the research problem
  • More accurate and relevant
  • Expensive and time-consuming
• Sources of primary data include:
  • Observation (e.g., eye tracking, shopper behavior)
  • Ethnography (immersive research in specific communities)
  • Focus groups (small, moderated discussions)
  • Interviews (structured/unstructured, face-to-face or online)
  • Surveys (structured questionnaires)
  • Experiments (controlled testing of variables)

Secondary Data

• Data that was previously collected for another purpose
  • Quick and cost-effective
  • May not fully match the research needs and may be inaccurate or poorly obtained

Consumer Behavior & Market Research Techniques

• Eye tracking measures attention patterns using optical devices

Retail Strategies

• Essential items such as milk and bread are placed at the back to encourages impulse purchases
• Shopping cart size influences amount bought
• Store brand placement (right of name brands) cater to right-handed shoppers
• High-profit items positioned strategically along consumer traffic flow
• Children’s eye-level shelves stocked with sweets to influence purchasing decisions

Qualitative Research Techniques

• Used to capture and explore unknown phenomena with flexible and creative data collection
• Exploratory and does not provide conclusive proff or data that is representative

Key Qualitative Research Techniques

• Focus Groups are conducted by trained moderators in small groups with unstructured discussion, key moderator skills include:
  • Being kind and encouraging
  • Allowing topic expansion while staying on track
  • Engaging silent participants
  • Avoiding bias and misrepresentation
• Downsides of focus groups:
  • Not conclusive
  • Unstructured data is hard to analyse
  • Researcher bias

Projective Techniques

• Uses an indirect question to uncover deep motivations
• Used in psychoanalysis (Freud: Id, Ego, Super-ego)
• Types include:
  • Rorschach Test (inkblot interpretations)
  • Thematic Apperception Test (storytelling from images)
  • Word/sentence completion (filling in the blanks)
  • Stimulus Association (responding to prompts)

The Observer Effect (Hawthorne Effect)

• People change behavior when they know they are being observed
• Important to minimise observer influence in qualitative research

Coding & Data Interpretation

• Coding assigns labels (codes) to qualitative data and helps organise, summarise, and interpret responses
  • In Vivo Coding (direct quotes from respondents)
  • Descriptive coding (summarising themes)
  • Values ​​coding (highlight emotions and attitudes)
• Researcher bias affect interpretation
• Stop when new codes no longer add meaning

Introduction to Marketing Research Skills for Public Policy

• Marketing seeks to:
  • Understand the marketplace & customer needs/wants
  • Design a customer-driven marketing strategy
  • Construct an integrated marketing program that delivers superior value
  • Build profitable relationships with satisfied costumes
• Customer touch points are ways in which the customer can communicate with a company (e.g., websites, stores, calling customer service, chatbots)
• Customer Lifetime Value is from recruitment to when they leave the company, and the aim is to ensure the relationship lasts as long as possible (longer relationship → more money)
• Public policy marketing translates:
  • Brands with political parties
  • Products with policies

Types of marketing research:

• Problem Identification Research is trying to find out the problem
• Problem Solving Research has previously identified the problem and is trying to find the most effective avenues of a solution

Overview of different research problems, designs, and approaches in qualitative and quantitative methods. Includes exploratory, descriptive, and causal research. Covers defining a research problem and determining the scope of the problem.