MGMT 197 – AGRIBUSINESS RESEARCH
METHODS colleagues or experts in the field and
TYPES OF RESEARCH
BASIC RESEARCH is done for the development of
theories or principles Ex. Biology
GOAL: to explore in order to come up w/principles
which will serve as the bases for further knowledge
and development
APPLIED RESEARCH aims to test theories and
concepts developed for verification, application,
development, support and their relationships to the
existing fond of knowledge. Ex. Animal Science
ACTION RESEARCH
 is simpler than basic and applied research.
The focus is on immediate solution of the
problem without necessarily using scientific
principles in order to find solutions to a
problem. In education, action research is
used to remedy common teaching and
learning problems.
 Is the process by which practitioners
attempt to study their problems scientifically
in order to guide, correct and evaluate their
decision and actions.
 It is the process for studying problem by
part-owners scientifically to take decision for
improving their current practices. Ex.
Research concerned with school problems
carried on by school personnel to improve
school practice.
FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS. RESEARCH
REPORTS SERVE MANY PURPOSES
1. To liberate the student in some measure
from the domination of a single text book
and viewpoint of one instructor.
2. To provide a beginning in independent
study
3. To inculcate inductive thinking and scientific
method
4. To promote the development logical habits
of thinking and organization
ESSENTIAL STEPS IN THE CONDUCT OF
RESEARCH FOR BEGINNERS
 Read widely to know the present or
existing knowledge in a field or
discipline and discover the gaps in this
knowledge
 Write a summary of initial library
 Discuss your readings or findings with
seek their advice on what to focus on.
 Formulate in writing tentative
explanations or hypothesis of natural
phenomena of interest.
 Prepare a research proposal following a
format in particular field of knowledge
with the help of an expert
 Access funding if possible
 Conduct the research according to the
methods specified in the proposal.
 Write a report according to the format of
the funding agency/office
 Write and rewrite the manuscript on
your findings following the format of your
choice
 Ask colleagues and friends to edit,
critique your manuscript including
illustrations
 Submit the completed manuscript to the
editor of the journal of your choice
 Wait for the editors comments and
instructions and reviews of referees, and
reply to these comments.
It takes some time (several months to a
year) for the processing of the manuscript
from submission to printing by an
internationally refereed journal and one has
to be patient.
Research therefore includes all the steps
mentioned from the choosing of the
research topic to the publication of the
research results in a variety of forms. The
research process is not complete if the last
step is not completed.
The paper published in journals become
public property and is accessible by other
researcher investigators without the need
for permission to cite, although some data
from such a paper when used for
publication that are sold must have
permission from the journal and the authors
because of the copyright law. Some
contracted research, however, stops at the
preparation of the final report, which is the
property of the funding organization.
QUALITIES NEEDED BY A
RESEARCHER
1. With eagerness and desire to secure
all evidence
2. With impartial viewpoint
3. Has passion for accuracy
 4. Industrious and persistent on the tail
of discovery
5. Questions authority at least in the
one line of his greatest achievement
6. With sound sense of logic
7. Keen observer of natural
phenomena
8. Dependent on observed facts
9. Inventive in the maters of techniques
10. Has good memory and mathematical
ability
KEY CONSIDERATIONS TO DESIGN
YOUR RESEARCH APPROACH
a) Collect the information you really
need
b) There should be proper timing
c) Know the best place and best
people to get the information
needed.
TYPES OF DATA
PRIMARY DATA originally collected from people,
customers, suppliers, competitors
SECONDARY DATA are compilation of reports,
statistical reports, library source. These are
collected by someone else.
PRIMARY RESOURCES people in the
organization, organization market place (potential
customers, suppliers, competitors)
SECONDARY RESOURCE Reports, Articles,
Statistics about people in your market place,
published documents
Selectively pick only the best from what is
available, use at least 2 good sources of
information for any decision and make sure that
different source agree with each other. Collection of
secondary data is straight forward. Just go to the
library or source and ask for information.
COLLECTION OF PRIMARY DATA
1. Through experimental research
2. Through surveys or census surveys
3. Through observation
4. Through direct communication or interview
5. Warranty cards, distributor audits, pantry
audits, consumer panels, mechanical
devices, projective techniques, in-depth
interviews, content analysis
WARRANTY CARDS usually postal cards used by
dealers of consumer durables to collect information
regarding their products.
DISTRIBUTOR or STORE AUDITS done through
their sales man at regular intervals; used the
information to estimate market size, market share,
seasonal purchasing pattern, so on.
PANTRY AUDITS estimate consumption of the
basket of goods at the consumer level. Collects
data on inventory of types, quantities and prices of
commodities consumed, brands, consumer’s
preferences.
CONSUMER PANELS an extension of pantry
audit: sample of consumers are interviewed
repeatedly over a period of time (before and after
basis), continuing (for radio and TV listenership).
USE OF MECHANICAL DEVICES camera,
pupilometric camera (for dilation),
psychogalvanometer (for body excitement), motion
picture camera, audiometer (fitted in TVs for
recording cahnages of channels).
PROJECTED TECHNIQUES developed by
psychologists to use projections of respondents for
inferring about underlying motives, urges or
intentions. Ex. Quizzes, tests, examinations, word
association tests.
DEPTH INTERVIEWS used in motivational
research to discover underlying motives and
desires.
CONTENT ANALYSIS analyzing the contents of
documentary materials such as books, magazines,
newspapers and verbal materials.
COLLECTION OF SECONDARY DATA
1. Publications of central, state and local
government
2. Publications of foreign govts. Or
international bodies
3. Technical and trade journals
4. Books, magazines and newspaper
5. Reports and publications of business and
industry, banks, PSE etc.
REPORTS internal reports, annual reports
RECORDS Production records, personnel data,
minutes of the meetings, emails, notes, publications
like journals, newspapers, etc.
NON-WRITTEN MATERIALS television/radio
programs, video tapes, films, historical artifacts etc.
SURVEY DATA Govt. census of population,
employment survey, household surveys, economic
data, market survey, sales
d) Know the resources you need to collect To loan money, unmet needs among customers,
information the need to polish an internal process, etc. the
shorter the time it will take you and ultimately the
less it cost you. For those starting out in research
PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION METHODS or who have very limited resources, they can use
various methods to get a good mix of breadth and
OBSERVATION and ETHNOGRAPHIC depth information.
RESEARCH trained observers and cameras will
capture how people behave in specific situations. OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH METHODS
Ex work, leisure, shopping.
It can be carried also on the telephone, by making
a number of random telephone calls (using CAT)
INTERVIEWS can be face to face interviews in
their home, a location chosen by interviewer, or
public place where questions are asked and
responses are recorded. It can be carried also on
the telephone (using CAT Technology), by making
a number of random telephone calls.
EXPERIMENTS and TRIALS it involves a new
approach, new strategy, or new product at a small
selection sites for a set period of time. The results
are closely monitored and used to design future
strategy and products.
POSTAL SURVEYS forms containing question
designed to find out people’s opinions about a
particular subject are posted to a group of people.
Completed forms are analyzed to draw out the
information required.
FOCUS GROUP a group of people are invited to
join a discussion about a particular subject. The
moderator will introduce the discussion topic to
ensure everybody has a chance to express their
opinions. A time is set to discuss each topic. It is
used to produce qualitative data (opinion, attitudes)
on the topic being discussed.
ON-LINE QUESTIONNAIRES and DIGITAL
RESEARCH questionnaires will pop up when the
people visit the firm’s website asking them for
feedback about the website and the firm. Firms also
email customers after they have purchased their
product and services asking them to provide
feedback about the product purchased and the
service provided by the firm.
e) Create a business research plan
PLANNING YOUR BUSINESS RESEARCH
Research plans depend on what information you
need to collect in order to make major decisions
about a product, service, program, etc. Major
decisions are faced due to e.g. ongoing complaints
from customers; need to convince funders/bankers