DATA GATHERING - PRIMARY DATA

Commentary
Since each marketing research study addresses a unique decision problem, secondary data
often provides a less than ideal solution to the Marketing Manager’s needs for information.
In the discussion that follows, we examine the types of primary data that can be collected,
assess the advantages and disadvantages of collecting that data by observation and
communication, and consider the trade-offs associated with choices about structure,
disguise, setting, and method of administration.

Learning objectives include to:

1. contrast communication and observation as a means for collecting primary data and
to identify the advantages and disadvantages or each approach;

2. summarize the key decisions that have to be made when collecting data by
communication and observation;

3. distinguish between structured and unstructured and disguised and un-disguised

questions;

4. identify four methods of administering a questionnaire; and

5. introduce the concepts of information, sampling and administrative control and

assess how personal and telephone interviews and mail and internet surveys differ
in terms of these three types of control.

PRIMARY DATA (defined …)

Data that are gathered specifically for the Decision Problem at hand

ALTERNATIVE MEANS for COLLECTING PRIMARY DATA

COMMUNICATION (defined …)
Oral or written questioning of Respondents to obtain information

OBSERVATION (defined …)
Systematic witnessing and recording of behavioral patterns of people/objects/events
without direct communication to obtain information
 KEY DECISIONS for COLLECTING PRIMARY DATA

Structure
Disguise
Observation Natural/Contrived Setting
Method

Primary Data
Structure
Communication Disguise
Method of Administration

COMPARING OBSERVATION and COMMUNICATION

Observation is more Objective/Accurate

Data can be obtained independently of Respondent’s ability or willingness to

provide the information

Actual behavior rather than self-reports is measured (demand and memory do not
distort reporting)

Certain types of data can only be collected by observation (behaviors that

Respondent is unaware of, cannot communicate)

Mechanical observation greatly increases amount/accuracy of primary data

Accuracy even higher if observation is unobtrusive

Communication is more Versatile, Quicker & Cheaper

Versatility

Variety of available data is greater …

> Internal states (emotions, attitudes, motivation) that are not directly
observable
> Individual characteristics (e.g., income/education) that are difficult to
observe
> Complex behaviors that are difficult to observe
> Past behavior/future intentions

Time & Cost

Researcher has more control over data gathering activities

Information about past or future events can be communicated, whereas

an event must occur to be observed
 COLLECTING PRIMARY DATA by OBSERVATION

What is Observed?

Physical Actions (e.g., how much time is spent in a retail store? how many
brands are examined while shopping?)

Expressive Behaviors

Verbal Behaviors

Physiological Reactions (i.e., galvanic skin response, EKG, voice pitch

analysis, pupil dilation, respiration/blood pressure etc.)

Spatial Relationships and Locations

Physical Objects (i.e., how many brands of soft drinks, cereal, shampoo etc.
are kept in the home?)
KEY DECISIONS WHEN COLLECTING PRIMARY DATA by OBSERVATION

STRUCTURE Degree to which Researcher clearly defines events/behaviors to be

observed, methods by which they will be measured

STRUCTURED versus UNSTRUCTURED

DISGUISE Are Respondents aware that they are being observed?

DISGUISED versus UNDISGUISED

SETTING Does the observation take place in the environment where the event
naturally occurs?

NATURAL versus CONTRIVED

METHOD How is the phenomenon observed, measurements recorded?

Personal Researcher observes the event/behavior as it occurs,

records measurements (e.g., mystery shoppers)

Mechanical Mechanical device records the phenomenon being observed

> AC Neilsen Audimeter/Peoplemeter

> UPC optical scanners
> Psychogalvinometers/EKGs

Audit Researcher observes physical records, measures based on

counts of objects/events/behaviors

> Pantry Audit (inventory of brands, units, package sizes)

Content Analysis Observation of content of ads, newspaper articles, tv/radio programs

> Words, characters, themes/length, duration

Trace Analysis Observation of physical traces as indicators of past behavior

> Fingerprints to determine ‘pass on’ magazine readership

> Click stream data to capture web browsing
 KEY DECISIONS for COLLECTING PRIMARY DATA
by COMMUNICATION

STRUCTURE Degree to which questions to be asked and response categories are

pre-determined

All Respondents answer the same questions in exactly the same way
by checking a box, circling a number etc.

DISGUISE Degree to which the intent of the study or a particular question is

known to Respondents

STRUCTURE

Structured Unstructured

All respondents answer the Interviewer probes as required

same questions, same way Respondents answer in own
words …
Undisguised Dicotomous Questions
Multicotomous Questions How do you feel about …?

DISGUISE

… knowledge predicts motivational research

attitude sensitive attitudes/behaviors
Disguised
word association thematic apperception test
sentence completion
METHOD OF ADMINISTRATION How is data obtained from the Respondent?

PERSONAL INTERVIEW

Personal in Home CAPI uses face-to-face interviews in Respondents’

homes

Mall Intercepts Respondents are intercepted while shopping, answer

interviewer’s questions in an on-site facility

TELEPHONE INTERVIEW CATI uses computerized questions administered to

Respondents over the telephone

MAIL

Mail Questionnaires Questionnaires are mailed to selected Respondents

who answer questions and return questionnaire by
mail

Mail Panels Large, nationally representative samples of

Households who respond to periodic mail
questionnaires

ELECTRONIC

Email Questionnaire is distributed as part of an email,

completed and returned electronically

Internet Questionnaire is posted on the web, completed

and returned electronically

Internet Panels Large representative samples of households respond

to periodic internet questionnaires
 COMPARING METHODS of ADMINISTRATION

SAMPLING CONTROL Getting the Questionnaire into the Right Hands, Motivating
Response

Directing the Inquiry

Obtaining Cooperation

INFORMATION CONTROL Amount, Type and Quality of Information that can be Collected

Amount of Data
Time Commitment by Respondent
Number of Questions
Number of Response Categories per Question
Respondent Convenience (e.g., time/place, self-pacing)

Variety of Information
Question Format
Probing
Visual Stimuli (e.g., ads, new product demonstrations, multi-media etc.)
Sensitive Information

ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL Time and Cost to Collect Data

Response Rate
Time to Respond
Fixed versus Variable Costs
Cost per Completed Observation
 COMPARING METHODS of ADMINISTRATION

SAMPLING INFORMATION ADMINISTRATIVE

CONTROL CONTROL CONTROL

Moderate/High
TELEPHONE Moderate/High Low/Moderate Low time Cost
INTERVIEW Screen for Participant Short Time $ 15-25
Little Time Required Simple Questions per Completed Obs.

PERSONAL High High High

INTERVIEW Qualify Participants Explain Questions Time Consuming
Motivate Response Probe, Follow-Up $ 100 and up
Physical Stimuli OK per Completed Obs.

Low Low/Moderate Moderate

MAIL SURVEY Difficult to Direct Can’t Explain Time Unrelated to
Low Response Rate Can’t Follow-Up Sample Size
but Representative Confidential Info + < $ 5 Completed Obs
Moderate Moderate/High High
WEB-BASED Sampling Frames Multi-Media Immediate Response
SURVEY Currently Inferior is Possible Low/Zero Cost
Anonymity - Confidentiality can
be Problematic

Commentary
What’s apparent from this summary is that you pay for greater sampling and information
control with greater time and higher costs. Telephone interviews represent a compromise
between the very strong sampling and information control of personal interviews and the
relative time and cost advantages (especially for large sample) of mail surveys.

Web-based administration, as we saw with the MBA survey, has the capacity to re-write
conventional wisdom about how primary data should be collected by communication. The
savings in time (more than half of web-based respondents typically reply within 24 hours)
and especially costs (costs to distribute and collect primary data are essentially zero) are
potentially huge, and don’t change with the size of the sample. As internet penetration
increases and web-based sampling frames and panels are developed, current limitations
with respect to sampling control will diminish for web-based surveys