1 Marketing Research: Introduction, Application of research in managerial decision making,
Aims, roles, functions and sources of research, Client-user interface – role conflict and
resolution
2 Research Process: Steps in planning – research purpose and objectives, Converting a
manager’s problem to a researcher’s problem, Problem formulation, research design, data
collection, analysis, report presentation, Preparation of the research proposal
3 Research Design: Types of research - exploratory studies, descriptive studies, causal studies,
Types of information needed - behavioural and non-behavioural correlates
4 Sources of Data: Primary and secondary source (govt., non-govt. and syndicated research),
Errors in data collection
5 Primary Source – Methods of Data Collection: Focus groups, Observations, Case histories;
Surveys – survey methods - structured and unstructured, direct and indirect methods, in-depth
interviews, panels, interview media: personal, telephone, internet & mail, questionnaire
construction & pre-testing, qualitative research - projective techniques (word association,
sentence completion, thematic apperception test, third person technique), Experimentation -
types of causation, inferring causal relationships, natural & controlled experiments,
experimental designs
6 Measurement & Scaling: Types of scales (data/levels of measurements), nominal, ordinal,
interval, ratio scales, Attitude measurement methods - variability methods (paired comparison,
ranking, rating, ordered category sorting), Quantitative judgement methods - verbal, numerical,
graphical scales, factorization, constant sum method scales, Multi-item scales - Semantic
differential scale, Likert scale, Thurstone scale (equal-appearing, case V), Stapel,
considerations in developing scales, reliability and validity of scales
7 Sampling: Census vs. sample, Steps in sampling process, Definition of population, frame, unit,
and element, Types of sampling: Probability sampling techniques - simple random sampling,
systematic random sampling, stratified sampling, cluster sampling, area sampling, Nonprobability
sampling techniques - convenience sampling, quota sampling, judgment sampling,
snowball sampling, Determination of sample size
8 Analysis of Data: Compilation, tabulation & classification of data, Analytical techniques –
univariate analysis, hypothesis testing- parametric and non-parametric tests, bivariate analysis.
Overview of some multivariate analysis techniques like multiple regression, discriminant
analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis, multi - dimensional scaling and conjoint analysis,
forecasting methods (application and interpretation only)
9 Application Areas: Advertising research, Motivation research, Sales analysis & forecasting
research
10 Case Studies