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I HIGHLY recommend the latest release of The Product Marketing Handbook. It contains an entire section on market and competitive research.
Resources To Learn More About Market Research
Following is a list of books, seminars and other resources to help you understand qualitative, quantitative research and business intelligence.
TRAINING
The Burke Institute.
This organization runs workshops on marketing research. Courses include survey techniques, using focus group results, research planning, writing reports, etc. The workshops are very hands-on and practical. They offer the courses several times a year and in several locations. (Home is Cincinnati.)
Phone: 800/543-8635; Web site: http://www.BurkeInstitute.com
The Institute for International Research. This organization also runs workshops on marketing research. Courses focus on industry results with research, offering opportunities to hear how other major
corporations used research and the results they’ve had. They offer several different courses every month. Different courses meet in different major cities. (Home is New York City.)
Phone: 800/999-3123; Web site: http://www.iir-ny.com
RIVA Training Institute. RIVA is the leader in focus group moderation training. They also provide training in other qualitative research techniques. (Home is Bethesda, MD.)
Phone: 301/652-3632; Web site: http://www.RIVAinc.com
PERIODICALS
Quirk’s Marketing Research Review.
This monthly magazine contains articles on research methods and issues. Many of the issues have a focus (for example, October 2002 was Customer Satisfaction research). It also provides contacts for researchers and research organizations that specialize in various types of research. Cost: $70/year (11 issues)
Phone: 952/854-5101; Web site: http://www.quirks.com
Journal of Marketing Research.
The American Marketing Association publishes this quarterly periodical. It focuses on technical aspects of research as well as research projects completed by member companies. Cost: $88/year (4 issues)
Phone: 952/854-5101; Web site: http://www.marketingpower.com (Go to AMA Links/publications)
Marketing Research. This quarterly periodical is also published by the American Marketing Association.
It offers practical applications of research with articles from market researchers and detailed examples of research projects. Cost: $75/year (4 issues)
Phone: 952/854-5101; Web site: http://www.marketingpower.com (Go to AMA Links/publications)
BOOKS
Qualitative Research Methods – Focus Groups
Greenbaum, T.L. The Handbook of Focus Group Research, Second Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 1998. Greenbaum is one of the leading authorities on focus groups – recruiting, conducting, and interpreting.
Morgan, D.L. and R.A. Krueger (ed). The Focus Group Kit. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 1997. This kit deals very well with all aspects of focus groups through six paperback volumes.
- The Focus Group Guidebook by D.L. Morgan
- Planning Focus Groups D.L. Morgan
- Developing Questions for Focus Groups by R.A. Krueger
- Moderating Focus Groups by R.A. Krueger
- Involving Community Members in Focus Groups by R.A. Krueger and Jean A. King
- Analyzing and Reporting Focus Group Results by R.A Krueger
Stewart, D.W. and P.N. Shamdasani. Focus Group Theory and Practice. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 1990. This is a scholarly discussion of focus groups – why to use them, best practices, etc.
Quantitative Research Methods – Surveys
Alreck, Pamela L. and Robert B. Settle. The Survey Research Handbook,
Second Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Trade. This handbooks offers practical tips on conducting effective, timely, and cost-effective surveys.
Dillman, Don A. Mail and Internet Surveys, Second Edition.
New York: John Wiley & Sons. Dillman is an authority on surveying – and this updated volume contains tips on various survey methods, including online and voice-activated automated surveys.
The Tailored Design Method. Fink, Arlene
(ed). The Survey Kit. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 1995. This kit discusses all aspects of surveys in nine handbooks.
- The Survey Handbook by Arlene Fink
- How to Ask Survey Questions by Arlene Fink
- How to Construct Self-Administered and Mail Surveys by Arlene Fink
- How to Conduct Interviews By Telephone and In Person by James H. Frey and Sabine Mertens Oishi
- How to Design Surveys by Arlene Fink
- How to Sample in Surveys by Arlene Fink
- How to Measure Survey reliability and Validity by Mark S. Lifwin
- How to Analyze Survey Data by Arlene Fink
- How to Report on Surveys by Arlene Fink
Fowler, Floyd. J, Jr. Survey Research Methods,
Third Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. These essays discuss various aspects of surveying.
Rea, Louis M., Richard A. Parker, Alan Shrader. Designing and Constructing Survey Research: A Comprehensive Guide; Second Edition.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. This is a comprehensive guide of the philosophy, techniques, and issues in creating and conducting surveys.
Secondary Research
Garvin, A.P., with R. Berkman and H. Bermont. The Art of Being Well Informed.
Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing Groups Inc., 1993. This book contains some helpful tips on tracking down research studies and other library tasks.
LINKS
Infrasystems has a great “been there, done that” section that explains how to get product information from high-tech sources. It contains practical information on how to conduct customer surveys, setup user testing, councils and product advisory boards.
Additional Resources on Research
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