Qks MR Glossary_A-E Flashcards
24-Hour Recall
24-Hour Recall: Also referred to as Day-After Recall. An advertising-testing technique that measures the percentage of people watching a given TV program who recall seeing or hearing a TV commercial 24 hours after its airing. Same definition applies to radio commercials.
3D Animation
3D Animation: A three-dimensional representation of images. Decision Analyst uses 3D animation in virtual shopping exercises and in product evaluations. Shelf Set Testing Services
80-Column Dump (Marginal Report)
80-Column Dump: A computer-generated frequency count of the number of people giving each answer to the questions in a questionnaire. Used primarily to double-check the results in cross-tabulations or to generate a topline report. Also called a Marginal or a Flash Report.
A Posteriori
The opposite of A Priori. A posteriori knowledge is established from the research after it has been conducted.
A Priori Segmentation
Market segmentation which is not empirically based. It involves segmenting markets on the basis of assumptions, custom or hunches.
[Per DA]
A Priori Segmentation: Market segmentation based on someone’s judgment, experience, or intuition.
A.C. Nielsen Retail Index
Audit of household items, food, personal products etc., at the retail level.
[Per DA]
A. C. Nielsen Retail Index: Historically, an in-store audit-based service to measure retail sales of food, household supplies, beauty aids, and related products sold through supermarkets and major retailers. Store audits were replaced over time by Scanner data and Panel data.
AAPOR
American Association of Public Opinion Research
[Per DA]
AAPOR: A professional organization of more than 2,000 public-opinion and survey-research professionals in the United States and from around the world, with members from academia, media, government, the non-profit sector, and private industry. AAPOR publishes three academic journals: Public Opinion Quarterly, Survey Practice, and the Journal for Survey Statistics and Methodology.
A&U, AAU (Attitude, Awareness and Usage) Study
A type of tracking study that monitors changes in consumer attitudes, awareness and usage levels for a product category or specific brand.
[Per DA: https://www.decisionanalyst.com/library/aglossary/]
A&U (Attitudes & Usage): Another name for AAU (Awareness, Attitude, & Usage) or ATU (Awareness, Trial, & Usage) studies. A quantitative survey to measure consumer awareness, trial, and usage for a product category and/or brand. These same measurements are often incorporated into tracking studies.
ACASI (Audio Computer Aided Self-Administered Interviewing)
Self-administered surveying in which the respondent listens to the questions over headphones. Responses are usually registered using a computer-based questionnaire. If responses are recorded on paper it is known as audio SAQ.
ACASI (Audio Computer-Aided Self-Administered Interviewing): Self-administered survey in which the respondent listens to the questions over headphones. Responses are usually registered using a computer-based questionnaire.
Acceptance
Acceptance: A decision by individuals to participate in a survey or study.
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance Rate: The percentage of the population that agrees to participate in a survey or study.
Access Panel
Access Panel: Also referred to as a Consumer Panel. A database of consumers who have agreed to take part in surveys. Typically, these consumers register and share information about their households; this information is then used in sample selection. American Consumer Opinion® Online is Decision Analyst’s worldwide consumer panel with several million members.
ACORN
A classification of residential neighborhoods; a marketing segmentation system that enables consumers to be classified according to the type of area they live.
ACORN (A Classification of Residential Neighborhoods): A classification system that groups U.S. households into many different lifestyle segments, broken down by small geographic areas.
ADI (Area of Dominant Influence)
A television market, as defined by Arbitron, a firm that measures TV audiences. Each ADI is assigned Arbitron’s three-digit numeric code.
ADI (Area of Dominant Influence): The geographic area dominated by the television or radio stations in a given market. The boundaries of these areas are defined by the points where 50% of television households are watching TV stations from the central market. Every county is assigned to an ADI.
AID (Automatic Interaction Detector)
A method of multivariate analysis often used in market segmentation studies.
ASCII (American Standard Code Of Information Interchange)
Widely used code for transmission of data from one database to another.
American Standard Code of Information Interchange (ASCII): Character encoding for the English alphabet. ASCII codes represent text in computers and databases.
Accompanied Shopping
An interviewer accompanies a consenting respondent as they go shopping in order to observe shopping behavior.
[Per DA]
Accompanied Shopping: A shopping trip during which an interviewer accompanies a respondent (with his or her agreement) as that person goes shopping. Sometimes called a Shop-along.
Accuracy
The degree of conformity of a sample statistic to the population.
[Per DA]
Accuracy: The degree to which a sample statistic estimates or predicts a population parameter.
Achieved Communality
Total amount of variance an original variable shares with all other variables included in the analysis. A variable’s communality must be estimated prior to performing a factor analysis.
[https://www.decisionanalyst.com/library/aglossary/]
Achieved Communality: A term used in factor analysis that represents the proportion of variance in an original variable accounted for by all the extracted factors. Each original variable will have an achieved communality value in the factor analysis output.
Acquiescence Bias
The tendency of respondents to agree with whatever is presented to them. Sometimes called ‘yea saying’ or ‘friendliness effect’.
Acquiescence Bias: A systematic bias caused by a tendency of some respondents to agree with whatever is presented to them. Such a bias is more likely to occur during telephone or in-person interviews.
Acquisition Studies
Research to determine if a business should expand its product offering by means other than internal development.
Action Devices
Items and techniques used to encourage positive response, e.g. tokens, stickers.
Active Buyer
A customer whose latest purchase was made within the last 12 months.
Active Buyer: A customer whose latest purchase was made recently (purchase cycle determines the definition of “recently”).
Active Panel Members
Active Panel Members: Panel members who have registered to join American Consumer Opinion® (Decision Analyst’s worldwide online panel), participate in surveys on a regular basis, and maintain their memberships in the panel. Online Research Capabilities
Active Server Pages (ASP)
Active Server Pages (ASP): A web technology used to create web pages on demand from data usually held in a database.
Ad Agency Marketing Research Departments
Ad Agency Marketing Research Departments: Groups within advertising agencies that conduct or subcontract marketing and advertising research for the ad agency’s clients (sometimes referred to as Planning Departments, Strategy and Insights Departments, or Consumer Insights Departments).
Ad Concept Testing
A qualitative or quantitative examination of the target audience’s reaction to alternative advertising approaches or preliminary ad concepts. Also simply called concept testing.
Ad Concept Testing: Survey research to measure reactions of target audience consumers to early-stage versions of proposed ads. Advertising Research Services
Ad Hoc Surveys
Questionnaires administered to the target audience with no prior contact by the researcher.
Ad Hoc Research: Also referred to as Custom Marketing Research. Research designed to address the specific needs or problems of a given client (i.e., research custom-designed to solve a specific problem).
Ad Hoc Study: A study designed to address a specific problem or issue.
Ad Recognition
Ad Recognition: An aided measure. An ad or commercial is shown to respondents, and they are asked if they have seen or heard that advertising in the past.
Ad Positioning Statement tests
Testing to determine reactions of the target audience to positioning statements that are being considered for use in advertisements.
Ad Positioning Test: Research to identify the best positioning for a brand to use in its advertising.
Ad Statements Test: Survey research to screen and evaluate many different advertising themes or messages. Advertising Research Services
Ad Tracking Research
Periodic measurements of the impact of advertisements over time.
Ad Tracking Research: Also called Advertising Tracking Research. Survey research to measure brand and advertising awareness, advertising message recall, and other variables relating to advertising over time. These surveys are conducted at points in time (“waves” or “dips”) or conducted continuously.
Additive Causal Relationship
A cause and effect relationship in which the effect of one variable does not counteract the effect of the a second variable on a third variable.
Address Coding Guide (CG)
List of beginning and ending house numbers, ZIP codes and other geographic codes for all city delivery service and streets served by 31,540 post offices located in 6,601 ZIP codes.
Address Coding Guide (ACG): A list of beginning and ending house numbers, ZIP codes, and other geographic codes for all addresses within a geographic area served by the USPS.
Advanced Analytics
Advanced Analytics: The application of advanced mathematical models to determine the solution of business and marketing problems. Marketing Science and Data Science are similar terms. Advanced Analytic Services
Advertising Awareness
Advertising Awareness, Aided (or Total): The percentage of respondents aware of a brand’s advertising on a prompted basis, which is typically measured by asking, “Which of the following brands, if any, have you seen or heard advertised in the past 30 days?” A traditional convention is to include Unaided Awareness in the Aided Awareness numbers. If these two types of awareness are combined, the Aided Awareness is the same as Total Awareness. Advertising Research Services
Advertising Awareness, Unaided: The percentage of respondents who spontaneously recall a specific brand when asked, “Have you seen or heard any advertising for [product category] in the past 30 days, or not?” (IF “YES”) “Which brands did you see or hear advertised?”
Advertising Claim Substantiation
Tests to reasonably prove product performance claims made in advertising communication
Advertising Effectiveness Research
Studies to determine the extent to which a specific advertisement or advertising campaign meets the goals and objectives of the campaign.
Advertising Impression Studies
Count of the people exposed to the media vehicle who are also exposed to its advertising.
Advertising Research
The category of research involving advertising and including research on ad concepts, design, exposure, recall, communication, persuasion, response and sales response.
Advertising Research: Also called Advertising Testing or Copy Testing. Qualitative or survey research designed to measure consumer reactions to advertising. Can be performed at every stage, from early-stage concept boards to the final commercials. Advertising Research Services
Advertising Research Foundation (ARF)
American based association. The principal mission of The ARF is to improve the practice of advertising, marketing and media research in pursuit of more effective marketing and advertising communications.
Advertising Response Model
Advertising Response Model: A mathematical model that predicts the effects of changes in media advertising spending, or changes in media mix and weights, on sales of a service or product. Decision Analyst evolves such models over time based on consistent copy testing, media measurement and tracking, sales tracking, and other modeling inputs.
Advertising Testing
Advertising Testing: Also called Advertising Research or Copy Testing. Survey research designed to measure consumer reactions to advertising. Early-stage concept boards to final finished commercials can be tested.
Advertising Tracking Research
Periodic measurements of the impact of advertisements over time.
Advertising Tracking Research: Online or telephone surveys to measure brand and advertising awareness, advertising message recall, and other variables relating to advertising over time. These surveys are conducted at points in time (“waves” or “dips”) or conducted continuously. Advertising Services
Affective Component Of Attitudes
An individual’s emotional reactions about an object.
Affective Component Of Attitudes: An individual’s emotions and feelings that relate to or underlie an attitude.
After-Only With Control Group
True experimental design involving the random assignment of subjects to experimental and control groups but no pre-measurement of the dependent variable.
After-Only With Control Group: A true experimental design that involves random assignment of people to an experimental or test group versus a control group. This is an after-the-event measurement only (i.e., no premeasurement of the test and control groups).
Aggregate
A total of all the parts; the whole or complete amount.
Aggregate: A summary measure made by compounding two or more separate economic measures (e.g., national income and price index numbers).
Aggregate Model
Aggregate Model: A multivariate model whose coefficients are produced at an aggregate, market, or segment level rather than at an individual respondent level.
Aided Awareness
Aided Awareness: The proportion of people who are aware of (i.e., have seen or heard of) a product, brand name, company, or trademark on a prompted basis.
Airport Interviews
An interview intercept at an airport.
Algorithm
A sequence of steps or procedures for solving a logical or mathematical problem.
Algorithm: A set of instructions for solving complex mathematical problems, typically used in computer programming and/or statistical modeling.
Alliance of International Market Research Institutes (AIMRI)
A UK based association that represents the corporate and business interests of International market research agencies.
Allocation
Allocation: A method of distributing sample sizes to the strata in a stratified sample. Two commonly used methods of allocation are:
Proportional Allocation, where the sample size of a stratum is proportional to the population size of the stratum;
and Optimum Allocation, in which the sample sizes are allocated to the strata in such a manner as to minimize the standard error for overall survey results.
Allowable Sampling Error
The amount of sampling error the researcher is willing to accept.
Allowable Sampling Error: The maximum amount of sampling error a researcher is willing to accept.
Alternative Hypothesis
What is believed to be true if the null hypothesis is false. Also known as the research hypothesis.
American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR)
AAPOR is a US based association of individuals who share an interest in public opinion and survey research. Members work in a wide variety of settings, including academic institutions, commercial firms, government agencies and non-profit groups, as both producers and users of survey data.
American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR): A professional organization of public opinion and survey research professionals in the United States and from around the world, with members from academia, media, government, the non-profit sector and private industry. AAPOR publishes three academic journals: Public Opinion Quarterly, Survey Practice, and the Journal for Survey Statistics and Methodology.
American Consumer Opinion® Panel
American Consumer Opinion® Panel: A worldwide online panel of several million consumers who agree to participate in online surveys. American Consumer Opinion® Panel is owned by Decision Analyst. Online Research Services
American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA)
The national trade association representing the advertising agency business in the United States. Its membership produces approximately 80 percent of the total advertising volume placed by agencies nationwide.
American Economic Association (AEA)
An Association that that encourages economic research, especially the historical and statistical study of the actual conditions of industrial life.
American Marketing Association (AMA)
An international professional organization for people involved in the practice, study and teaching of marketing.
American Society for Quality (ASQ)
A professional association that advances learning, quality improvement, and knowledge exchange to improve business results.
American Statistical Association (ASA)
Professional association promoting statistical practice, applications, and research; publishing statistical journals; improving statistical education; and advancing the statistics profession.
Analysis
The process of systematically applying statistical and/or logical techniques to describe and illustrate, condense and recap, and evaluate data so that decisions about a given subject can be made.
Analysis Of Covariance (ANCOVA)
A statistical procedure used with one dependent variable and multiple independent variables of both categorical (ordinal, dichotomous, or nominal) and continuous types; it is a variation of analysis of variance that adjusts for confounding by continuous variables.
Analysis Of Covariance (ANCOVA): An analysis-of-variance procedure in which the effects of one or more metric-scaled extraneous variables (covariates) are removed from the dependent-variable data before one conducts an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).
Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA)
A method of analysis for determining the level of statistical significance of differences among the means of two or more variables.
Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA): A test for the difference among the means of two or more variables.
Analyst
The person responsible for interpreting, presenting and disseminating results of research projects. They must have a clear understanding of research methodologies and good communication skills.
Anchor Label
Anchor Label: A label used to define the endpoint of an attitudinal scale.
Anchored-Grid Question Type (AG)
Anchored-Grid Question Type (AG): A question type that accepts one answer per row wherein each row is anchored on both ends. See example below:
What images or impressions of this new product did you get from the product description? For each row shown below, you may choose any number from “1” to “5” to express your opinion. Did the product description give you the impression this new product would be…? {Choose One Answer on Each Row Below?
High In Quality 1 2 3 4 5 Low In Quality
Strong 1 2 3 4 5 Weak
Easy 1 2 3 4 5 Difficult
Anchored Scales
Anchored Scales: Any type of scale used in questionnaires where some points on the scale are “anchored” or communicated by words, pictures, colors, etc.
Anonymity
Participants are not identifiable to the people who use the research results and, if possible, to the interviewers and/or researchers.
Anonymity: Concealing respondents’ identities from researchers, clients, and third parties.
Answer Card
Answer Card: Cards containing rating scales or preset answers that are shown to respondents during in-person research surveys. Also called Show Cards, Exhibits, or Prompts.
Answer Code
Answer Code: A unique number associated with an answer in a survey. Each answer has an answer code. As a verb, “code” means to define and categorize answers to Open-Ended Questions. Code is also used as a reference to computer code (lines of software statements).
Answer Stub
Answer Stub: Also called Stub. The label for a row of data on a cross-tabulation table or other data presented in tabular form.
Anthropomorphic
A research technique in which participants describe a product, service or brand in terms of a human being with personality traits so that the participants’ feelings about the object/brand can be determined.
Anthropomorphization: A research technique in which participants are asked to describe a product, service, or brand in terms of human personality traits. See also Personalization Technique.
API
API (Application Programming Interface): A set of definitions and protocols that allow one computer system to interact with a second computer system.
Applet
Applet: A small Java program that can be embedded in an HTML page. An applet provides functionality or performance beyond the capabilities of the browser. Applets can be used to display videos, for example.
Application Service Provider (ASP)
Application Service Provider (ASP): A company that provides computer-based services over a network using standard protocols.
Applied Creativity Process
Applied Creativity Process®: A creativity system developed by Decision Analyst’s Innovation team to facilitate internal ideation sessions for clients; it’s Decision Analyst’s unique approach to creative problem-solving. Imaginators® Services
Apparency
Clear, understandable representation of the data
Applied Research
Any research which is used to answer a specific question, determine why something failed or succeeded, solve a specific, pragmatic problem, or to gain better understanding.
Applied Research: Research aimed at solving specific, real-world problems, as opposed to theoretical research.
Appropriate Time Order Of Occurrence
Appropriate Time Order Of Occurrence: A change in an independent variable occurring before an observed change in the dependent variable.
Area Samples
Samples which include geographic areas as part of the sample design.
Area Samples: Samples that are defined by geographic areas.
Area Probability Samples: Samples in which every member of a geographic area has a known nonzero probability of being selected for a sample.
Arithmetic Mean
The sum of the values for all observations of a variable divided by the number of observations.
Arithmetic Mean: Same as the Average. A measure of central tendency, like the Median and the Mode. It is calculated by summing a series of values and dividing the sum by the number of values.
Artifact
An unforeseen and unaccounted-for variable error or misrepresentation introduced by a technique and/or technology that jeopardizes reliability and validity of an experiment’s outcome because it decreases the ability to isolate cause and effect. Also known as a confounding variable or external variable.
Artificiality
The degree to which experimental conditions do not reflect what would occur naturally in a real-life setting. With a high degree of artificiality it becomes difficult to project the experimental results to the population.
Artificiality: The degrees to which experimental conditions do not reflect real-life, real-world conditions. A high degree of artificiality might reduce external validity (i.e., be difficult to project the experimental results to the population as a whole).
Assessment Sheet (Data Entry)
Assessment Sheet (Data Entry): A study control log where data-entry personnel sign out batches of paper questionnaires, enter them, and then sign in the completed batch.
Asset Optimization
Asset Optimization: Also known as Strategic Market Plan. Asset optimization determines the optimum locations for productive and profitable stores in a selected market or geographic area.
Asociación Española de Estudios de Mercado, Marketing y Opinión (AEDEMCO)
A Spanish marketing and market research association.
Association For Qualitative Research (AQR)
UK based association with the goal of promoting qualitative research within the market research arena and the broader business community and enhancing its perceived value in the process.
Association For Survey Computing
A UK based organization with the mission improving knowledge of good practice in survey computing and to disseminating information on techniques and survey software.
Association Technique
Technique in which participants are asked to respond with the first thing that comes to their minds when presented with some form of stimuli.
Association Technique: A projective technique used primarily in qualitative research. Respondents are presented with some stimuli (words, pictures, sounds, colors, etc.) and asked to describe what comes to mind.
Association of Market Research Organizations (AMRO)
AMRO is an industry body representing the major research organizations which operate within New Zealand. Closely affiliated with the Market Research Society of New Zealand (MRSNZ) which is the professional body for market researchers.
Asterisk Bills
State laws which require telephone companies to advise subscribers that they can have an asterisk placed in front of their names if they do not want to receive telemarketing or telephone interviewing calls.
At-Home Testing
A product sample is provided for participants to use at home. The reaction to the product is determined in a follow-up telephone survey, written survey or in a group session.
At-Home Testing: A research method in which a test product is provided for participants to use at home. Reactions to the product are measured in a follow-up online survey, telephone survey, mail survey, personal interview, or in a focus group session. Also referred to as Home Usage Test (HUT) or In-Home Usage Test (iHUT). Product Testing Services
Attempt
When someone tries to contact a potential research participant, whether or not anyone is actually reached and whether or not the contact results in the potential respondent participating in research.
Attempt: When someone tries to contact a potential research participant, whether or not anyone is actually reached. This term is used primarily in door-to-door or in-person research, including mall-intercept research and telephone surveys.
Attitude Studies
Research projects that are designed to capture and quantify the incidence of specific consumer (or non-consumer) attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs. They also help you understand actual product usage. Also called usage studies.
Attitude: An individual’s learned predisposition to think or behave in a somewhat consistent manner. There are two main components of attitude: a Cognitive Component (knowledge and assumptions) and an Affective Component (feelings and emotions).
Attitude Research: Survey research to measure how people feel about certain products, services, brands, ideas, or companies.
Attitudinal Scaling
A moderation technique in which participants are instructed to conceptualize the product or service on a two-dimensional scale, such as price and quality. The goal is to better understand the participants’ feelings about the product or service.
Attitude Scaling: The development of words, terms, statements, or visuals to measure individuals’ attitudes.
Attitudinal Scale or Scaling: Survey questions in which respondents rate a brand, product, or service on a predetermined scale, such as “very happy,” “somewhat happy,” or “not happy.”
Attitudinal Statements: Statements used in surveys. Respondents are asked to rate how they feel about given statements or whether than agree or disagree with given statements.
Attribute
A characteristic or qualitative property which describes an object. For example color is an attribute but weight is a variable.
Attribute: A word or phrase that describes a product, service, brand, or person. For example, “durability,” “speed,” and “beauty” might be attributes in a sports car study.
Attribute Analysis
A technique that is designed to develop lists of characteristics, uses or benefits relevant to a particular product category.
Attrition Rate
The drop-out rate; the loss of subjects during the course of a study. Sometimes called the mortaility rate.
Atomistic Test
Atomistic Test: A test that focuses participants’ attention on individual elements of a product or concept (in contrast to a Holistic Test that looks at a product or concept as a whole).
ATU (Awareness, Trial, and Usage) Study
ATU (Awareness, Trial, and Usage) Study: A quantitative survey to measure consumer awareness, trial, and usage for a product category and/or brand. These same measurements are often incorporated into tracking studies.
Audience Research
Research procedure where participants view movies, television shows or advertisements in a theater setting. Also known as theater tests.
Audience Response Systems
An electronic system in which audience members use a hand-held device to provide feedback.
Audimeter
Nielsen’s device for electronically recording TV viewing in sample households. Has been replaced nationally by the People Meter, but still being used in selected markets.
Audio SAQ
Self-administered surveying in which the respondent listens to the questions over headphones. Responses are usually recorded on a paper questionnaire. When the respondent uses a computer-based questionnaire to record answers it is known as ACASI (audio computer-aided self-administered interviewing).
Audit
The examination and verification of the sale of a product. A method for measuring sales in a store by counting beginning inventory, adding new shipments, and subtracting ending inventory. Also used to determine inventory lost to theft. Sometimes called a wholesale audit, store audit or retail audit.
Audit: Also called Store Audit or Retail Audit. The measurement of a product’s sales in a store for a time period by counting beginning inventory, adding new shipments, and subtracting ending inventory.
Auditorium Focus Group Room
Refers to a focus group hall or seating area where the audience views a stage.
Augment
Augment: Also called a Sample Augment or Boost. A quota added to increase the number of interviews needed for a particular segment or subgroup—to have more respondents than a random sample of the total population would yield.
Boost/Booster: To increase the number of surveys needed for a particular segment or subgroup. For example, if a random sample would yield too few women 18-24 years of age to analyze properly, then that part of the sample might be augmented or boosted. Also called a sample Augment or Sample Supplement.
Autocorrelation
The problem of interdependence among successive values of the disturbance term. The problem with autocorrelation concerns the variance of our estimator.
Autocorrelation: The interdependence among the pairs of observations, usually in a time series, which are separated by a constant interval. Excessive autocorrelation can cause problems when estimating time-series models.
Automatic Interaction Detection
Automatic Interaction Detection: An algorithm that identifies interactions among several predictor or independent variables.
Average
A vague term which usually refers to the (arithmetic) mean, but it can also signify the median, the mode, the geometric mean, and weighted means, among other things.
Average: Same meaning as Arithmetic Mean or Mean. A measure of central tendency, like the median and the mode. It is calculated by summing a series of values and dividing the sum by the number of values.
Average Issue Readership
The average number of people who read a single issue of a newspaper or magazine.
Awareness
The measure of the proportion of people who are familiar with a product, brand name or trademark. There are two main measures of awareness: spontaneous (or unaided) and prompted (or aided) awareness.
Awareness: The proportion of people who are aware of (i.e., have seen or heard of) a product, brand name, company, ad, or trademark. Generally subdivided into Unaided Awareness and Total Awareness (including Aided Awareness).
B2B, B2C
B2B: Business-to-business marketing or marketing research.
B2C: Business-to-consumer marketing or marketing research.
Baby Boom
The large generation of Americans born after World War II. Usually defined as those born between 1946 and 1964.
Baby Boomlet
A period of increase in the birthrate, smaller than a baby boom. In the USA the baby boomlet often refers to the children of baby boomers that were born in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Baby Boomlet: : A time period when the birthrates remain high, such as 1977 to 1990 when the children of U.S. Baby Boomers were born.
Baby Bust
Generation between 1965 and 1976, when birth rates dropped rapidly and remained low. Often called Generation X.
Baby Bust: A time period (such as between 1965 and 1976) when birth rates drop rapidly and remain low.
Back Checking
The process of ascertaining and recontacting respondents to confirm that interviews were conducted correctly. More commonly known as validation.
Back Office
Back Office: A reference to operation functions in marketing research companies, such as sampling, field services, mail processing, survey programming, and tabulation.
Back Room
The room from which client personnel observe and listen to focus group proceedings through a one-way mirror. Also called the observation room or viewing room.
Back Room: A room with a one-way mirror from which clients observe and listen to focus group respondents. Also called the Observation Room or Viewing Room. Term is sometimes used to mean “back office” functions.
Back Translation
Process in which a questionnaire is translated into another language and then translated back into the original language by a different person. The objective is to ensure that the original translation is accurate.
Back Translation: Typically used for international surveys. Questionnaire is first translated into another language and then translated back into the original language by a different translator. The objective is to ensure that the original translation is accurate. Decision Analyst believes that having two independent translators work on the same questionnaire yields the most accurate final questionnaire.
Backup Sample
Backup Sample: Also called Emergency Sample. The backup sample is pulled at the same time as the original sample and to the same specifications. If the study cannot be completed with the original sample, then the backup sample is released.
Balanced Clicks
Balanced Clicks: Also called Click Balancing. Balanced nationally represented sample; that is, the number of clicks (i.e., the number of people entering a survey) is balanced to match the general demographic profiles of various target audiences.
Balanced Incomplete Block (BIB)
An experimental design procedure for rotating a large number of products or items in a test.
Balanced Incomplete Block Design (BIBD): An experimental design in which respondents see only subsets of the experimental variables. The design is considered balanced when the number of times each variable appears and the number of times each pair of variables appears are constant.
Balanced Scales
Scales with the same number of positive and negative categories.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth: The volume of data transmitted over networks within a given period of time. Typically measured by bits per second (bps) or bytes per second. Decision Analyst’s data-collection web servers and internet networks, for example, have sufficient bandwidth to handle more than 250,000 surveys per day.
Banner
The column headings, or cross-tab breaks, that run horizontally across the top of a computer table.
Banner: The overall heading for a page of cross-tabulations.
Banner Ad
Banner Ad: An ad placed on a website, usually at the top, sides, or bottom of the computer screen.
Bannerpoint
Bannerpoint: The heading for one column of data on a page of cross-tabulations.
Bar Chart
A visual display of the size of the different categories of a variable. Each category or value of the variable is represented by a bar.
Base
The number on which the percentages in a table are calculated.
Base: The sample size or number of respondents on which the percentages in a table are based (i.e., the divisor).
Base Line
A control source against which you compare the area you’re studying. For example, you may compare the results of a study in one state to the results of the nation as a whole. Commonly called a benchmark.
Baseline Market Segmentation Study
The first market segmentation study conducted by an organization.
Baseline Market Segmentation Study: The first market-segmentation study conducted; the benchmark for the future.
Basic Research
Research aimed at expanding knowledge rather than solving a specific, pragmatic problem.
Basic Research: Research aimed at expanding knowledge rather than solving a specific problem. This term is most often used in reference to scientific research, and it is often contrasted with Applied Research.
Batch (Data Entry)
Batch (Data Entry): A group of paper questionnaires to be entered, usually between 10 and 50 (depending on the number of pages and/or complexity). Questionnaires are signed out to data-entry personnel in batches, and they are signed back in when completed (as tracking and quality-assurance procedures).
Batch Number (Data Entry): A unique number assigned to each batch of paper questionnaires for data entry.
Batch Ticket (Data Entry): The cover sheet for each batch of paper questionnaires that contains the study number, batch number, and identification numbers of the questionnaires in the batch, as well as the initials of the data-entry person and the data-check person.
Bayesian Probability
The mathematical theory that probability is a measure of subjective belief and is applicable to the degree to which a person believes a proposition (as opposed to frequency or proportion or propensity interpretations or probability). In other words, bayesian probability interprets the concept of probability as ‘a measure of a state of knowledge’ and not as the relative frequency of occurrences in an infinite sequence of trials.
Bayesian Statistics
Statistics which incorporate prior knowledge and accumulated experience into probability calculations.
Bayesian Statistics: Statistics that incorporate prior knowledge and accumulated experience into probability calculations. Decision Analyst uses Bayesian statistics extensively in modeling and simulation work.
Before And After With A Control Group
Random assignment of subjects to experimental and control groups with pre-measurement of both groups.
Before-And-After Control Group: A true experimental design that includes random assignment of people to an experimental (or test) group and to a control group, with identical premeasurements and postmeasurements of both groups.
Behavioral Component Of Attitude
An individual’s intentions to act based on attitudes about an object.
BehaviorScan
BehaviorScan: A research service that reports market share and other variables for consumer packaged goods based on a large household panel for data collection.
Bell Curve
A statistical distribution based on a random process where observations are evenly distributed around the mean (shaped like a bell on a graph). Also called a normal distribution.
Benchmark
A control source against which you compare the area you’re studying. For example, you may compare the results of a study in one state to the results of the nation as a whole. Sometimes called a base line.
Benchmark: A control to compare study results against. For example, you might compare the results of a study in one country (the benchmark) to the results of a study in another country, or you might compare the first wave of a tracking study (the benchmark) to the second wave of that study, or you might test your advertising against your competitor’s advertising (the benchmark). Decision Analyst always recommends that some type of control or benchmark be incorporated into every research project.
Benefit Segmentation
The process of dividing a total market into sub-groups of consumers according the benefits sought.
Bernoulli Response Variables
Also known as dichotomous or binary variables. Each element is one of two possibilities such as yes/no or on/off.
Bernoulli Response Variables: Also known as dichotomous or binary variables. The value of each element is one of two possibilities such as yes/no or on/off or true/false.
Best Light Phenomenon
When respondents bias their answers in a market research project so that they can then appear in the best possible way to those who are looking at the responses.
Beta Distribution
Beta Distribution: A family of continuous probability distributions defined on the interval [0, 1]. Because the beta distribution is bounded on both sides, it is often used to model the distribution of order statistics or ranks, or for representing processes with natural lower and upper limits.
Bias
A systematic tendency of a sample to misrepresent the population. Biases may be caused by improper representation of the population in the sample, interviewing techniques, wording of questions, data entry, etc.
Bias: The difference between truth and the estimates of truth based on a survey.
Biased Question
An interview question that is phrased or expressed in such a way that it influences the respondent’s opinion and answer.
Biased Sample
A sample that misrepresents the population of interest.
Biased Sample: A sample that does not accurately represent the target population. Decision Analyst begins every study by screening a nationally representative probability sample of the U.S. population (or other country) to identify the users of a product or service category to be surveyed. This procedure always guarantees a truly representative sample of the survey population.
Bibliographic Database
Bibliographic Database: An index of published studies and reports with citations of author, publisher, dates, etc.
Bid
Bid: The estimated price to conduct a custom marketing research project, given a set of requirements and/or specifications.
Big data
Big data is collection of data sets (both structured and unstructured) that are so large and complex it becomes difficult to process using on-hand database management tools or traditional data processing applications. OFten the data is collected through normal business operations. The volume, variety, variability and velocity of the data is what makes it complex to process, share and analyze.
Big Data: While there are many definitions, big data refers to extremely large datasets. Think of Google’s databases or Facebook’s databases as examples of big data.
Big Data Analytics
Big Data Analytics: Refers to the use of advanced analytics and predictive modeling to cull and retrieve information out of large data sets.
Bimodal
A distribution in which the frequency curve has two peaks. A single peak is called a mode.
Bimodal: A distribution in which the frequency curve has two peaks. A single peak is called a Mode. Some people love the taste of hot peppers, while others hate the taste of hot peppers. This is an example of a “Bimodal” distribution.
Binomial Experiment
An experiment that consists of repeatedly drawing independently from Bernoulli population; the sequence of Bernoulli trials.
Binomial Distribution: Often referred to as the “Normal Curve” in statistics, based on the distribution of binomial (yes-no or heads-tails) types of data.
Binomial Experiment: An experiment that consists of repeatedly drawing independently from the Bernoulli population; the sequence of Bernoulli trials.
Biometric marketing research
In marketing research biometrics usually refers to the technologies of using human body characteristics such as eye retinas and irises, voice patterns, facial patterns etc. to determine how individuals actually respond to stimuli as oppossed to what they say about the stimuli.
Bipolar Scale
A scale with two negative, opposite end points and a midpoint representing the ideal situation. Examples: comfortable/uncomfortable, soft/hard, too spicy/too bland.
Bipolar Scale: A scale with opposite end points, such as “sour” versus “sweet” or “good” versus “bad.” Also called Anchored Scales.
Birth Rate
The number of births a year per 1,000 members of a population.
Bivariate Data Set
Data set in which two measurements (variables) have been made on each experimental unit or respondent.
Bivariate Data Set: A data set that consists of two measurements (variables) on each experimental unit or respondent.
Bivariate Regression Analysis
Analysis of the strength of the linear relationship between two variables, the independent variable and the dependent variable.
Bivariate Regression Analysis: Analysis of correlation between two variables where one is the independent variable, and the other is the dependent variable (the variable you are attempting to explain or predict).
Bivariate Techniques
Statistical methods of analyzing the relationship between two variables.
Blacklisting
Blacklisting: The process of ISPs blocking research companies from sending emails or contacting their panel members. Decision Analyst subscribes to Habeas, a service that guarantees that Decision Analyst’s emails reach its panelists. This prevents distortion of the sample related to ISP-blocking activities.
Blind Testing
The testing of products where brand names, packaging and other identifying features have been removed.
Blind tests: The testing of products or ads with all brand identity removed. Brand identity can introduce bias into a research project. (In fact, that is the whole purpose of brands—to create a positive bias toward a brand.)
Block Numbering Area (BNA)
Statistical subdivisions within non-metropolitan counties for grouping and numbering.
Block Numbering Area (BNA): Prior to Census 2000, statistical subdivisions within nonmetropolitan counties for grouping and numbering. BNAs were discontinued for Census 2000, when they were replaced by census tracts.
Blocked Calls
Calls that receive busy signals or calls where the receiver automatically rejects calls from unidentified phone numbers.
Blocking Factor
The relevant external variable that is used to group (or block) experimental units into groups so that the experimental group and the control group are matched.
Blocked Calls
Blocked Calls: Telephone-survey calls that receive busy signals.
Blocks
Census areas usually equivalent in size to a typical city block.
Block Group: Also referred to as a Census Block Group. Clusters of blocks grouped by the Census Bureau. There are over 200,000 Census Block Groups in the U.S. Each Block Group contains roughly 500 to 1,000 households.
Blog Mining
Blog mining is the automated computer process of scanning through a large number of blogs and their comments, searching for keywords/phrases and retrieving the text for for future coding and analysis. Also known as scraping.
Blog: (Also called weblog) An online journal, diary, or short articles.
Blog Scraping
Blog scraping is the automated computer process of scanning through a large number of blogs and their comments, searching for keywords/phrases and retrieving the text for for future coding and analysis. Also known as blog mining.
Blue Book
A directory of research facilities and services published by the Marketing Research Association.
Bootstrapping Modeling Techniques
Bootstrapping Modeling Techniques: A general approach to statistical inference based on building a sampling distribution for a statistic by resampling from the data at hand. Bootstrapping techniques are often used in Predictive Analytics. Predictive Analytics Services
Bounce-Code Processing
Bounce-Code Processing: Decision Analyst processes and codes email “bounces” continuously during surveys, so that potential problems in email delivery (and, hence, potential problems in sampling) can be identified and corrected.
Bounce Codes: Codes assigned to undelivered emails returned from ISPs or other servers. Decision Analyst tracks every “bounced” email to identify potential problems during the execution of a survey.
Boundary
The border around a market area that is being studied.
Boundary: The border around a market area that is being studied, or the border of a sampling area.
Boundary Files
Geographic features such as streets, railroads, blocks, described in a manner that is understandable to a computer.
Box Plot
A graphical tool used to picture the data and possible outliers in the data.
Box Plot: A graphical tool used to picture the distribution of data.
Bradley Effect
A form of social desirability bias in which American voters tell pollsters that they are undecided or likely to vote for a black candidate but on election day vote for his/her white opponent instead. Also known as the Wilder effect.
Brainstorming (Idea Generation)
A technique teams use to generate ideas on a particular subject. Each person in the team is asked to think creatively and write down as many ideas as possible subjecting the ideas or the person who suggested them to critical evaluation until after the brainstorming session.
Brainstorming: A creative method of coming up with new ideas or solutions by generating many ideas, without subjecting the ideas (or the person who suggested the ideas) to critical evaluation. A similar and related term is Ideation. Decision Analyst owns and operates Imaginators®, one of the largest creativity communities in world.
Brand
A name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers including sum of all the characteristics, tangible and intangible, that make the good/service unique.
Brand: The name of a product or service that identifies that product or service and, hopefully, distinguishes that product or service from competitive products or services. Over time, a brand can become a reservoir (or symbol) of values and psychological benefits above and beyond the product/service itself.
Brand Architecture
Brand Architecture: The foundational components of a brand’s “go-to-market” strategy, including positioning, messaging, tone, personality, etc.
Brand Associations
Components of brand image, usually (but not always) assessed by qualitative research method.
Brand Associations: Images, emotions, colors, values, and other meanings that consumers attach to, or associate with, a brand.
Brand Awareness
The proportion of target customers that recall a brand in the product category in which the brand operates.
Brand Awareness: The degree to which consumers are aware of (i.e., have seen or heard of) a brand. It is typically expressed as the percentage of the target population that is aware of the brand.
Brand Awareness, Aided: The percentage of respondents aware of a specific brand when presented with a list and asked, “Which of the following brands have you ever seen or heard of?”
Brand Awareness, Unaided: The percentage of respondents aware of a specific brand when asked, “When you think of peanut butter (i.e., category), what brands come to mind?” without being shown a list. In telephone or in-person interviews, this is often followed by a probe: “What other brands of peanut butter can you think of?”
Brand Awareness, Total: Aided plus Unaided Brand Awareness, with all duplication eliminated (i.e., a net result).
Brand Development Index (BDI)
A measure of the relationship of a specific brand’s sales relative to the population in a specific geographic area. The BDI can be derived by dividing an area’s percent total US sales by that area’s percent US population.
Brand Equity
The financial value associated with the level of awareness and consumer goodwill generated by a company’s brands and/or products.
Brand Equity: The awareness and consumer goodwill associated with a company’s brands and/or products.
Brand Equity Monitor
Brand Equity Monitor™: Decision Analyst’s proprietary model that measures relative brand preference based on all aspects of the brand, including both rational and emotional perceptions of the brand’s products/services. Brand Equity Services
Brand Essence
The distillation of a brand’s intrinsic characteristics into a succinct core concept.
Brand Footprint
Brand Footprint: A European term for Brand Image.
Brand Identity Studies
Research into the outward manifestation (visual and verbal) of the essence of a corporate brand, product brand, service brand.
Brand Image
How a brand is actually perceived by its customers and constituencies.
Brand Image: The total impression created in the mind of a potential consumer by a brand and all its functional, perceptual, and psychological associations. Brand personality, brand character, and brand expression are terms with similar meanings.
Brand Loyalty
The degree of consumer preference for one brand compared to close substitutes
Brand Loyalty: The preference by a consumer of one brand over other brands and a repeat purchase pattern favoring the preferred brand.
Brand Personality
What people think and feel consciously and subconsciously about a company identity or product described and experienced as human personality traits.
Brand Positioning
The distinctive position that a brand adopts in its competitive environment to ensure that individuals in its target market can tell the brand apart from others.
Brand Positioning Studies
Study to determine the location of a brand or product in consumers’ minds relative to competitive products.
Brand Proposition
The central promise a brand makes to its consumers.
Brand Share
Market share of a brand or product relative to competitive products in the same product category. Brand shares can be expressed in terms of the sales value or the volume of units sold.
Brand Tracking
Studies repeated over time to monitor changes in a brand in consumers’ minds. Also known as Image tracking.
Branding
The use of a name, sign or symbol used to identify, assign value and differentiate items or services from those of competitors.
Break Off
Break Off: The act of a respondent aborting a survey during its execution. Sometimes called a Dropout.
Briefing
A meeting in which a client and researcher discuss the client’s information needs so that the most appropriate research methodology can be recommended.
Briefing: A training session, prior to starting work on a study/survey, in which all of the survey specifications, sampling guidelines, survey questions, and details of study execution are reviewed, explained, and clarified for all interviewers assigned to the project. This is generally followed by practice interviews administered by one interviewer to another.
British Healthcare Business Intelligence Association (BHBIA)
A UK based organization promoting promote and professionalism and value of business intelligence within the Health care industry.
British Market Research Association (BMRA)
A UK association promoting professionalism within the market research industry and confidence in market research.
Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board: A software system that enables people to have discussions with moderators and other respondents online—read postings, add comments, upload and download files, etc. Decision Analyst conducts Time-Extended™ Online Discussion Forums using bulletin board software. Online Qualitative Research Services
Bulletin Board Focus Groups: Focus groups conducted via online discussion forums. See Time-Extended™ Online Discussion Forums. Online Qualitative Research Services
Business Plan Development
The process of creating a document that describes an organization’s current status and plans for several years into the future. It generally projects future opportunities for the organization and maps the financial, operations, marketing and organizational strategies that will enable the organization to achieve its goals.
Business Reply Card (BRC)
A pre-addressed, postage paid card that allows a respondent to conveniently respond to a survey.
Business Reply Envelope (BRE)
A pre-addressed, postpaid envelope that allows a respondent to conveniently return a survey.
Business-To-Business Research
Research directed specifically towards companies whose customers are primarily other businesses.
Buying Intent
A scale used to measure the likelihood that the respondent will purchase a product.
Buying Intent: A measure of the likelihood that a respondent will purchase a product or service. Also called Purchase Intent or Purchase Propensity.
