Research Methodology Flashcards
Focus Groups
Informal, primary, qualitative
Pros - Efficient, easy to explore many dimensions, can use supporting materials, opportunity to learn completely new info.
Cons - High cost, low external validity, requires at least 2 sessions, difficult to interpret, difficult to generalize, subjective, results cannot be charted or graphed, low confidence from mgmt, depend heavily on skill of facilitator.
Intercept interviews
Informal, primary
Pros - ability to target geographic location or demographic group, ability to clarify and probe, can use supporting materials
Cons - limited in length and scope.
Telephone surveys based on random samples.
Formal, primary
Pros - speed, ability to clarify and probe, no geographic limitations, no sampling limitations, accepted as industry standard
Cons - requires professional phone bank, cost, limited in length and scope, not good for rankings/comparisons/evaluation of message
Mail survey
Formal, primary
Pros - can be internally administered, cost, can use rankings/comparisons, can do message evaluation, can be included in existing communication tools, convenient for respondent
Cons - slow to completion, considerable time/date for data entry, limited control over who completes, little ability to clarify question wording, limited ability to use filtered questions, sample limitations, potential high cost if response rates are low, often yields low response rates.
Online/email survey
Can be formal or informal depending on sampling, primary
Pros - speed of data collection, excellent tool for known populations with access to technology, can combine data collection methods and gain advantages over telephone and mail methods, can disaggregate results easily for analysis
Cons - requires access to technology, difficult to get scientific sampling unless population is known, may be difficult to generalize to larger population, requires disciplined administration and ability to randomly sample from within universe to qualify as formal research.
Content Analysis
Can be formal or informal, primary
Pros - can apply scientific method, low cost, easy to replicate, measures both latent and manifest content characteristics, can be combined with other research methods
Cons - requires careful definitions of units and coding, labor intensive or must use specialized software, value limited to comparative descriptions or profiles
Communications Audit
Informal, primary
Pros - Assesses whether PR activities are in alignment with org goals, provides comprehensive evaluation of tools, provides independent evaluation of PR plans
Cons - cost, requires thorough definition and planning, labor intensive, combines all pitfalls of focus groups, personal interviews, content analysis.
In depth interviews
informal, primary
Pros - all advantages of phone and mail methods, use of supporting materials, complex probes, validation of identity of respondent, ability to collect unobtrusive info
Cons - expensive, safety risks for interviewer, difficult to monitor quality, requires skilled interviewer, time, geographic limitations, access limitations, interviewer effects
Phone interviews
Informal, primary
Pros - all advantages of mail and telephone methods, ability to collect unobtrusive info, supporting materials, complex probes, validation of respondent id, no geographic limitations, more quickly than in person
Cons - expensive, difficult to monitor for quality, requires skilled interviewer, access limitations, interviewer effects
Complaint Reviews
Informal, primary
Pros - may provide direct measure of impact objectives, provides early warning signs of emerging issues, may provide baseline data of attitudes and perceptions, provides foundation for formal research
Cons - Limited ability to project onto greater population, validity reliant on accuracy/completeness of collection process
Tracking calls, purchases, hits, actions and placements
Informal, primary
Pros - May provide direct measure of impact objectives, provides early warning signs of emerging issues, collects information on performance of campaign, may measure effects on attitudes, behaviors and perceptions.
Cons - limited ability to project onto greater population, should be combined with other research.
Observations or visits, field reports
Informal, primary
Pros - ability to probe for insight, easily and quickly accessible, provides foundation for formal research
Cons - limited ability to project onto larger population, geographic limitations, low inter-rater reliability
Advisory panels
Informal, primary
Pros - ability to probe for insight, easily/quickly accessible, provides foundation for formal research
Cons - limited ability to project onto larger population
Community forums
Informal, primary
Pros - Ability to probe for insight, provides foundation for formal research
Cons - difficult to assemble representative sample, limited ability to project onto greater population, requires highly skilled facilitator
Media analysis
Informal, primary
Pros - identifies appropriate budget and media strategies, identifies what media opportunities exist, comparison of how competitors are spending media resources
Cons - must check for completeness/accuracy, assessment limited to outputs not impact objectives
