DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

Vinod praveen.D
Deepu.G
Venkat rao
Abhideep
Kamalesh.c.m
• The key to good descriptive research is
knowing exactly what you want to
measure and selecting a survey method in
which every respondent is willing to
cooperate of giving you complete and
accurate information efficiently.
 DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

• It involves observing and describing the

behavior of a subject like its characteristics or
functions without influencing it in anyway.

• it is mainly done by survey and observation .

 JAPANESE WAY

PROBLEM :Cannon cameras was losing market

share to Minolta it decided that its distributor
bell&howell,was not giving adequate support
observation: It relied mostly on personal
observation and sent three managers to
camera store, they observed how cameras
were displayed and clerks served customers.
 Findings from observation
• The dealers were not enthusiastic about
canon.
• It would not be advantageous for canon to use
drugstores and other discount outlets
RESULT:
• CANON opened its own subsidiary resulting in
increased sales and market share
Losing market share

observation method

Increased in market share

• Survey method :-
it is a method of obtaining information based
on the questioning of respondents.
• Questions can be based on their behavior,
intentions , attitudes, awareness, motivation.
Questions may be asked verbally ,written or
through the computer.
• The questioning are structured .
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
• ADVANTAGES:-
• questionnaire is simple to administer.
• Data obtained is reliable.
• Fixed response reduces the variability in the answers
that may be caused due to the differences between
the individual
• Coding ,analysis and interpretation of the data is
quite simple.
 DISADVANTAGES:-
• Respondents may be unwilling or unable to provide
the desired information.
Motivational factors .
Sensitive or personal factors.
• Structured questions and fixed response alternatives
may result in the loss of validity for certain types of
data i.e. beliefs and feelings .
• Wording questions are also not easy .
 SURVEY METHODS
SURVEY
METHODS

TELEPHONIC PERSONAL MAIL ELECTRONIC

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW INTERVIEW INTERVIEW

TRADITIONA COMP MAIL

L
IN HOME INTERNET
ASSISTED PANEL

COMPUTER MALL
INTERCEPT
MAIL E-MAIL
ASSISTED
 TELEPHONE METHODS
• It is mainly of two types :-
• Traditional telephonic interviews .
• Computer assisted telephonic interview.

Traditional telephonic interviews :-

• It involves calling a sample of respondents and asking
them a series of questions .
• Interviewer uses a paper questionnaire and jots
down the responses in the sheet
 Computer assisted telephonic interview
• Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) is
an interactive front-end computer system that aids
interviewers to ask questions over the telephone.
The answers are then keyed into the computer
system immediately by the interviewer. Originally
CATI would be employed centrally using a
minicomputer system..
• Each interviewer is sitting behind a terminal
and asks the questions that appear on the
screen.
• The respondent's answer is automatically fed
in the computers memory bank
 ADVANTAGES
• Interviewing time is reduced .
• Data quality is enhanced .
• Laborious steps in the data collection is reduced .
• Coding questionnaires and entering the data in the
computer are eliminated.
• Updates and interims reports on data collection or
results can be provided instantaneously .
 The hallmark of hallmark
• A nationwide telephonic interview was conducted
asking women aged 18 to 39 how they first become
acquainted with their Girlfriends how often they
kept in touch with their Girlfriends.

• The respondents are asked to react how likely or

unlikely they were to share their secrets, surprises,
disagreements and personal info with their Girl
Friends .
 RESULTS

• 45% of women liked to share with female

friends than male when there are ocassions.
• The results from the responses were very
positive.
• Based on this info hallmark launched a new
line of cards “ hallmark fresh ink” which was a
great success. which enabled women to keep
in touch with their girlfriends
 PERSONAL METHODS
• Personal interview methods are of 3 types :-
• In – home method .
• Mall intercept .
• Computer assisted .
PERSONAL IN HOME INTERVIEWS:-
Respondents are interviewed face to face in
their homes . The interviewer’s task is to
contact the respondents ask the Questions and
record the responses . Its popularity is declined
due to high cost .
 Mediamarks : Bench Marking U.S Household

• Mediamarks conducts a comprehensive study of the

adult population in the U.S called as national study .
• Respondents are selected on a very strict basis. The
sample is composed of three sections:
• Metropolitan
• Non-metropolitan
• 10 U.S major markets
• Fieldwork is done in every six months and consisting
of 13000 interviews
• Two different methods are used to questions the
respondents :-
• In home interviews
• At the end of the interview, the field worker leaves a
self completing questionnaire booklet.
• Field workers are highly trained in interview
techniques .
• Respondents are informed by mail beforehand .
• Up to six attempts are made to contact the
respondents that are difficult to contact .
• They interview takes 65 min at most and the
questionnaire booklet is given .
MALL INTERCEPT INTERVIEWS
A mall-intercept personal interview is a
survey whereby respondents are intercepted
in shopping in malls. The process involves
stopping the shoppers, screening them for
appropriateness, and either administering the
survey on the spot or inviting them to a
research facility located in the mall to
complete the interview.
It is less costly as the interviewer has not to
go to the respondents place
 Same Number New Number
• AT&T hired SE surveys to conduct a research about the
perception of the people towards the company .
• The researchers conducted 500 mall intercepts personal
interviews in 15 markets .
• The consumers are asked to identify the logo of the
company.
• The research survey shows that 75% recognized the logo
as being representatives of AT&T .
• 77% of the 18 to 24 yr old and 80% of the high value and
networkers recognized the logo .
• The results are very positive and the commercial is
made showing the bouncing globe which shows how
AT&T various services can help individual and business
Computer assisted personal
interview
 It is a form of personal interview in which the
respondent sits in front of a personal computer and
answers the questionnaire on a computer screen
with the help of a mouse or a keyboard .
 User friendly design packages are used.
 Help screens and courteous error messages are
given
 Colorful screens and on& off screen stimuli add to
the respondents interest and involvement .
 Used for collecting data at shopping malls, product
clinics, conferences and trade shows.
 TOUCH SCREEN: SURVEYS WITH THE TOUCH
OF THE SCREEN
• ETF(exhibition and trade fairs) has organized the
Melbourne and Sydney 2003 money expos.
• The data extracted gives specific information about
the types of visitors who attended the expo, how
they become aware of the expo ,what interest
factors attracted the visitors.
• one shop approach bringing different financial
solution under one roof attracts the visitors.
• Within 72 hours of the closing of expo the research
company presented a complete PDF file that
contained a well collated and comprehensive report
RESULTS:-

• ETF was able to provide valuable selling points when

speaking with potentials exhibitors and sponsors as
well planning and strategizing its marketing activities
and planning its visitor campaign .
 MAIL METHODS
There are mainly two types of mail methods :-
• Mail interviews
• Mail panel

MAIL INTERVIEWS:-
• Questionnaires are mailed to preselected potential
respondents. Respondents then complete the questionnaire
and return the questionnaires .There is no verbal
communication between the interviewer and the
respondent .
• A typical mail interview package consists of the outgoing
envelope, cover letter, questionnaire, return envelope and
possibly an incentive.
 MAIL PANELS
• It consists of a large, nationally representative
sample of households that have agreed to
participate in periodic mail questionnaire and
product test.
• The households are compensated with various
incentives .
• Mail panels are used to obtain information from the
same respondents repeatedly .Thus they can be used
to implement a longitudinal design.
 Electronic methods
Electronic surveys can be conducted by e-mail
on internet or web.
Email interview
• the survey is written within the body of the
e-mail message.
• The e-mail sent out over the internet
 Internet interviews
• In contrast to e-mail survey use HTML ,the
language of web, and are posed on website.
• Respondents may be recruited by
conventional method
 Sony: internet surveys capture music
download market shares
• Sony(www.sony.com) is conscious of this fact
And developed an innovative means to
determine the views of the lead users of the
internet to capture the pulses of this market.
• They share some of their results with
respondents, which often provide new insight.
• Sony asked its pool of loyal ps2 gamers,
"where do you go online to download music”.
Ans-itune:18.8
Napster:8.6
Music match:7.8
Etc.
• Naturally, Sony strategy is to promote legal
online downloading not illegal.
 Sample control
• The ability of survey mode to reach the unit
specified in sample effectively and efficiently.
sampling frame
• A representation of the elements of the
target population .
• it consists of a list or set directions for the
identifying the target population.
 Random digit dialing
• A technique used to overcome the bias of
unpublished and recent telephone numbers
by selecting all telephone number digits at
random.
 Random digit directory designs.
• A research design for telephone surveys in
which a sample of numbers is drawn from the
telephonic directory and modified to allow
unpublished numbers a chance of being
included the sample.
Control of data collection environment

• The degree of control a researcher has over

the environment in which the respondent
answers the questionnaire is another factor
that differentiates the various survey mode
Field force-
the field force is made up of both the actual
interview and the supervisors involved in data
collection.
Response rate-
the % of total attempted interviews that are
completed.
Nonresponse bias-
when actual respondents differ from those who
refuse to participate.
Critical request-
the target of behavior that is being researched.
 Personal in-home interviews
• In the department store project ,personal In
home interviews were utilized, for number of
reasons.
Because
Improve image of the sponsoring store
Change the product mix
Develop usp
Decide the location the store
 Observation method
 The recording of behavioral patterns of
people, objects and events in systematic
manner to obtain information about the
phenomenon of interest.
 Structured versus unstructured observation
 Observation Methods
Classification :-
1. Personal observation.
2. Mechanical observation.
3. Audit
4. Content Analysis
5. Trace Analysis
 Personal Observation
• A researcher observes actual behavior as it
occurs.
e.g.. Department store- more traffic counts
-can aid in designing in shelf location, displays,
individual departments .
 Mechanical Observation

• Requires mechanical devices, rather than

human observers for phenomenon being
observed.
• No direct participation of the respondents.
e.g. Audimeter in TV, traffic counters ,
turnstiles in buildings, on-site cameras in retail
stores.
 Classification Of M.O.
1. Eye tracking monitors :- how long tv adds are viewed- to asses the effectiveness of adds.
2. Pupilometers :- pupils looking towards the projected add and examining the interest and attitude
towards the add.
3. Psycho galvanometers :- measures changes in the electrical resistance of the skin. Respondents is
fitted with small electrodes that monitors – perspiration showing emotions towards add.
4. Voice pitch analyzers :- changes in relative vibration frequency of the human voice that accompany
emotional reaction are measured with audio-adapted computer equipment.
5. Devices measuring response latency :- time taken before answering a question by the respondents-
giving preference to which alternatives-shows his interests.
 Audit
• Researcher collects data by examining physical records
or performing inventory analyses.
• Features :-
1. data are collected personally by the researcher.
2. the data are based upon counts , usually of physical
objects.
• Survey focuses on Primary data
• Pantry audit- a type of audit where the researcher
inventories the brands, quantities, and packages sizes
of the products in a consumer’s home.
 Content Analyses
• Communication is observed rather than behavior or
physical objects.
• According to Dr. Klaus Krippendorff (1980 and 2004), six
questions must be addressed in every content analysis:
1. Which data are analyzed?
2. How are they defined?
3. What is the population from which they are drawn?
4. What is the context relative to which the data are
analyzed?
5. What are the boundaries of the analysis?
6. What is the target of the inferences?
• The objective, systematic, and quantitative description of the
manifest content of the communication.
• 2006- American and Japan magazines analyses was used to
compare the information content in their adds. Sports, men’s,
women’s, general, and entertainment were selected.1440
adds, 832 American magazines and 608 Japanese magazines
were analyzed.3 independent judges.
• criteria was the size of the add, and the product category
being advertised.
 Result
• Japanese magazine advertisement were found to be
consistently more informative than U.S.magazine
advertisement.
e.g. more than 85% of the Japanese ads analyzed
satisfied at least one criterion for information content
and thus were perceived to be more informative,
compared to only 75% of the American ads.
• This information can be useful for multinational
companies and advertising agencies including young &
Rubicam , Mc cann ericson worldwide etc. with global
operations conducting cross-cultural advertising
campaigns.
 Trace Analyses
• An Approach in which data collection is based on
physical traces, or evidence, of past behavior.
• These traces may be left intentionally or
unintentionally by the respondents.
e.g. the age and conditions of cars in parking lot
were used to assess the affluence of customers.
internet visitors leave traces that can be
analyzed to examine browsing and usage
behavior by using cookies(sophisticated means
by which a web site can collect information on
visitors).
 Advantages of observation methods
• The greatest advantage of observational methods is
that they permit measurements of actual behavior
rather than intended behavior.
• There is no reporting bias.
• Certain types of data can be collected only by
observation. Like behavior patterns that the
respondent is unaware of or unable to communicate.
Like baby toys- plays.
 Disadvantages
• The reason for the observed behavior may not be
determined because little is shown about the
underlying motives, beliefs, attitudes, and
preferences. E.g. cereal- for any purpose.
• Selective perception can be bias from researcher's
view.
• Time consuming, little bit expensive and some times
difficult in case to study the personal behavior.
 Ethnographic Research
• E.R. is the study of human in its natural
context and involves observation of behavior
and setting along with depth interviews.
• Some audio and visual recordings are also
obtained , combining both to understand the
behavior of consumers.
• for e.g. Portico Research
 Portico Research
• Specializes in observing individuals, questioning them
in depth interviews, recording them on videos, and
selling these tapes for tens off thousands of dollars to
its major clients , such as Honda, Delta, Lipton, P&G.
• Did survey for Lipton to find out people’s attitudes
towards tea.
where to invest more in advertising, develop new
flavors, or market more iced tea instead of hot tea.
• The findings showed that Americans don’t drink very
much hot tea, especially b’coz of the presence of
caffeinated coffee in the market place .
• Americans consumed iced tea.
• Lipton did a lot of creative developments in the area
of iced tea. They pushed the marketing of Brisk Iced
Tea in the can, which is now the number one selling
brand of ready-to-drink iced tea.
• These marketing efforts, guided by the findings of
PortiCo research, have resulted in increased sales
and marketing share for Lipton.
THANK YOU