Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Set 1
SUBJECT NAME : RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Ans: Primary sources are original sources from which the researcher directly collects
data that have not been previously collected e.g., collection of data directly by the
researcher on brand awareness, brand preference, brand loyalty & other aspects of
consumer behavior from a sample of consumers by interviewing them. Primary data are
first hand information collected through various methods such as observation,
interviewing, mailing etc.
There are various methods of data collection. A ‘Method’ is different from a ‘Tool’ while
a method refers to the way to mode of gathering data, a tool is and instruments used for
the method. For example, a schedule is used for interviewing. The important methods are
a) Observation,
b) Interviewing
c) Mail Survey
d) Experimentation
e) Simulation
f) Projective technique
Q-2. In processing data, what is the difference between Median & Mode? What
are the advantages & disadvantages of Median?
Ans: Data in the real world often comes with a large quantum & in a variety of formats
that any meaningful interpretation of data cannot be achieved straightway. Social Science
researches, to be very specific, draw conclusions using both primary & secondary data.
To arrive at a meaningful interpretation on the research hypothesis, the researcher has to
prepare his data for this purpose. This preparation involves the identification for research
analysis is teamed as processing of data. Further selections of tools for analysis would to
a large extent on the results of this data processing.
Median:
Median is the middlemost item of a given series. In individual series, we arrange the
given data according to ascending or descending order & take the middlemost item as the
median. When two values occur in the middle, we take the average of these two values as
median. Since median is the central value of an ordered distribution, there occur equal
number of values to the left & right of the median.
Individual series:
Mode:
Mode is the most repeating value of a distribution. When one item repeats more number
of times than other or when two items repeat equal number of times, mode is ill defined.
Under such case, mode is calculated by the formula (3 median – 2 mean).
Mode is widely used measure of central tendency in business. We speak of model wage
which is the wage earned by mot of the workers. Model shoe is the mostly demanded
shoe.
Merits of Median:
• When the data is very large median is the most convenient measure of central
tendency.
• Median is useful finding average for the data with open ended classes.
• The median distributes the values of the data equally to either side of the median.
Demerits of Median:
Q-3. What is the difference between a casual relationship & correlation? What
are the possible reasons for a correlation between two variables?
Ans: Economic & business variables are related. For instance, demand & supply of a
commodity is related to its price. Demand for a commodity increases as price falls.
Demand for a commodity decreases as its price rises. We say demand & price are
inversely related or negatively correlated. But sellers supply more of a commodity when
its price rises. Supply of the commodity decreases when its price falls. We say supply &
price are directly related or positively co-related. Thus, correlation indicates the
relationship between two such variables in which changes in the value of one variable is
accompanies with a change in the value of other variable.
W.I.King defined “Correlation means that between two series or groups of data, there
exists some casual connection.”
The definitions make it clear that the term correlation refers to the study of relationship
between two or more variables. Correlation is a statistical device, which studies the
relationship between two variables. If two variables are said to be correlated, change in
the value of one variable results in a corresponding change in the value of the other
variable. Heights & weights of a group of people, age of husbands & wives etc., are
examples of bi-variant data that change together.
Although, the term correlation is sued in the sense of mutual dependence of two or more
variable, it is not always necessary that they have cause & effect relation. Even a high
degree of correlation between two variables does not necessarily indicate a cause & effect
relationship between them.
• Cause & effect relationship: Heat & temperature are cause & effect variable. Heat
is the cause of temperature. Higher the heat, higher will be the temperature.
• Both the correlated variables are being affected by a third variable. For instance,
price of rice & price of sugar are affected by rainfall. Here there may not be any cause
& effect relation between price of rice & price of sugar.
• Related variable may be mutually affecting each other so that none of them is
either a cause or an effect. Demand may be the result of price. There are cases when
price rise due to increased demand.
• The correlation may be due to chance. For instance, a small sample may show
correlation between wages & productivity. That is higher wage leading to lower
productivity. In real life it need not be true. Such correlation is due to chance.
The above points make it clear that correlation is only a statistical relationship & it does
not necessarily signify a cause & effect relationship between the variable.
Q-4. What are the types of correlation analysis? Explain each.
• Positive or negative
• Linear or non-linear
• Simple, multiple or partial
When values of two variables move in the same direction, correlation is said to be
positive. When prices rise, supply increases and when prices fall supply decreases. In this
case, an increase in the value of one variable on an average, results in an increase in the
value of other variable or decrease in the value of on one variable on an average results in
the decrease in the value of other variable.
If on the other hand, values of two variables move in the opposite direction, correlation is
said to be negative. When prices rise, demand decreases & when prices fall demand
increases. In this case, an increase in the value of one variable on an average results in a
decrease in the value of other variable.
When the change in one variable leads to a constant ratio of change in the other variable,
correlation is said to be linear. In case on linear correlation, points of correlation plotted
on a graph will give a straight line. Correlation is said to be non-linear when the change
in one variable is not accompanied by a constant ratio of change in the other variable. In
case of non linear correlation, points of correlation plotted on a graph do not give a
straight line. It is called curvilinear correlation because graph of such correlation results
in a curve.
Simple correlation studies relationship between two variables only. For instance,
correlation between price & demand is simple as only two variables are studied in tjis
case. Multiple correlation studies relationship of one variable with many variables. For
instance correlation of agriculture production with rainfall, fertilizer use & seed quality is
a multiple correlation. Partial correlation studies the relationship of a variable with one of
the many variables with which it is related. For instance, seed quality, temperature &
rainfall are three variables, which determine yield of a crop. In this case, yield & rainfall
is a partial correlation.
Utility of Correlation:
Q-5. What is a scatter diagram and how does it help to read the correlation
between two variables?
Scatter Diagram:
What it is:
A scatter diagram is a tool for analyzing relationships between two variables. One
variable is plotted on the horizontal axis and the other is plotted on the vertical axis. The
pattern of their intersecting points can graphically show relationship patterns. Most often
a scatter diagram is used to prove or disprove cause-and-effect relationships. While the
diagram shows relationships, it does not by itself prove that one variable causes the other.
In addition to showing possible cause-and-effect relationships, a scatter diagram can
show that two variables are from a common cause that is unknown or that one variable
can be used as a surrogate for the other.
Q-6. You are engaged to carry out a market survey on behalf of a leading
Newspaper that is keen to increase its circulation in Bangalore city, in order to
ascertain reader habits & interest. Formulate an outline of the Research report that
you would submit at the Research & briefly explain how you would present it.
The number of people reading Bangalore Times daily newspapers increased by 29,000
during the past twelve months, according to findings of the Survey, published today.
(Monday, 10th February 2009).
The survey, carried out by Lansdowne Market Research, shows that 2,360,000
Kannadiga’s adults equal to more than 81% of the total adult population read at least one
of the titles represented by Bangalore Times. On top of the buoyant circulation and
advertising figures recently published for the industry, this comes as further good news
for Bangalore newspapers, particularly in the light of ongoing fragmentation of the
electronic media world with the onset of digital television and proliferation of internet
sites.
Morning newspapers have fared particularly well, with an increase in adult readership of
2.2%. While all socio-economic groups showed growth in readership, the good news for
advertisers is that the biggest increase is among Ireland's decision makers, represented by
the AB group, where readership has increased by 2 percentage points to 89%.
Extremely high readership figures are reported amongst consumers with most purchasing
power, for example, reading an NNI title was:
This annual survey, the 28th in the series, was spread over twelve months from July 1999
to June 2000 and is based on a random probability sample of 5084 interviews. The
figures are weighted to the adult population of the Republic of Ireland aged 15 and over.
The survey report contains extensive readership data on Bangalore newspaper and
magazine titles, as well as cinema attendance. In addition, it provides a wealth of other
information on consumer lifestyle, purchasing and consumption patterns, across almost
200 categories.
Lansdowne Market Research conducted the survey on behalf of Bangalore Times, The
Institute of Advertising Practitioners, the Association of Advertisers in Ireland, various
newspaper and magazine publishers and cinema proprietors.
Ans: These are sources containing data which have been collected and compiled for
another purpose. The secondary sources consists of readily compendia & already
compiled statistical statements & reports whose data may be used by researchers for their
studies. E.g., census reports, annual reports & financial statements of companies,
statistical statements, reports of Govt departments, annual reports of currency & finance
published by the Reserve Bank of India, statistical statements relating to Co operative &
regional banks, published by the NABARD, reports of the national sample survey
organization, reports of trade associations, publications of international organizations
such as UNO, IMF, World bank, ILO, WHO, etc., Trade & financial journals etc.
• Secondary data, if available can be secured quickly & cheaply. Once their source
of documents & reports are located, collection of data is just matter of desk work.
Even the tediousness of copying the data from the sources can now be avoided,
thanks to Xeroxing facilities.
• Wider geographical area & longer reference period may be covered without much
cost. Thus, the use of secondary data extends the researchers space & time reach.
• The use of secondary data broadens the data base from which scientific
generalizations can be made.
• The use of secondary data enables a researcher to verify the findings bases on
primary data. It readily meets the need for additional empirical support. The
researcher need not wait the time when additional primary data can be collected.
• The most important limitation is the available data may not meet our specific
needs. The definitions adopted by those who collected those data may be different;
units of measure may not match; & time periods may also be different.
• The available data may not be as accurate as desired. To assess their accuracy we
need to know how the data were collected.
• The secondary data are not up to date & become obsolete when they appear in
print, because of time lag in producing them. For example, population census data are
published two or three years later after compilation & no new figures will be
available for another ten years.
• Finally, information about the whereabouts of sources may not be available to all
social scientists. Even if the location of the source is known, the accessibility depends
primarily on proximity. For example, most of the unpublished official records &
compilations are located in the capital city & they are not within the easy reach of
researchers based in far off places.
Q-2. In processing data, what is the difference between Median & Mode? What
are the advantages & disadvantages of Mode?
Ans: Data in the real world often comes with a large quantum & in a variety of formats
that any meaningful interpretation of data cannot be achieved straightway. Social Science
researches, to be very specific, draw conclusions using both primary & secondary data.
To arrive at a meaningful interpretation on the research hypothesis, the researcher has to
prepare his data for this purpose. This preparation involves the identification for research
analysis is teamed as processing of data. Further selections of tools for analysis would to
a large extent on the results of this data processing.
Median:
Median is the middlemost item of a given series. In individual series, we arrange the
given data according to ascending or descending order & take the middlemost item as the
median. When two values occur in the middle, we take the average of these two values as
median. Since median is the central value of an ordered distribution, there occur equal
number of values to the left & right of the median.
Individual series:
Mode:
Mode is the most repeating value of a distribution. When one item repeats more number
of times than other or when two items repeat equal number of times, mode is ill defined.
Under such case, mode is calculated by the formula (3 median – 2 mean).
Mode is widely used measure of central tendency in business. We speak of model wage
which is the wage earned by mot of the workers. Model shoe is the mostly demanded
shoe.
Merits of Mode:
• Mode is the most typical & frequented value of the distribution.
• It is not affected by extreme values.
• Mode can be determined even for series with open-ended classes.
• Mode can be graphically determined.
Demerits of Mode:
• It is difficult to calculate mode when one item repeats more number of times than
others.
• Mode is not capable of further algebraic treatment.
• Mode is not based on all the items of the series.
• Mode is not rightly defined. There are several formulae for calculating mode.
Q-3. What are the components & characteristics of a good research design?
2. Extraneous variable: The independent variables which are not directly related to
the purpose of the study but affect the dependent variable are known as
extraneous variables. For eg, if a researcher wants to test the hypothesis that
there is relationship between children’s school performance and their self-
concepts, in which case the latter is an independent variable and the former is
the dependent variable. In this context, intelligence may also influence the
school performance. However, since it is not directly related to the purpose of
the study undertaken by the researcher, it would be known as extraneous
variable. The influence caused by the extraneous variable on the dependent
variable is technically called as an ‘experimental error’. Therefore, a research
study should always be framed in such a manner that the dependent variable
completely influences the change in the independent variable and any other
extraneous variable or variables.
Q-4. What is the role of research in a successful business? On what aspects &
stages of the business is research useful?
Ans. According to famous Hudson Maxim, “All progress is born of inquiry. Doubt is
often better than over confidence, for it leads to inquiry, and inquiry leads to invention”.
It brings out the significance of research, increased amounts of which makes progress
possible. Research encourages scientific and thinking and organization.
Q-5. To what extent can marketing related research be carried out for a consumer
product in- house through the field staff? What are the advantages & disadvantages
of such in-house studies?
Ans: Market research can be carried out for a consumer product through a field staff.
It helps to know about the current marketing structure of the product, from this we will
come to know about the current product requirement of the product and also will come to
know about the negative impact of the product. This will help us to make the product
better in the market. It helps to understand the position of the market which means
“where do we stand”. Always customer satisfaction plays a very important role in the in
house studies.
Advantages
Disadvantages
1. It is very expensive
2. It is a disturbance to the customer
Q-6. What is the significance of Sampling in research & what are the
characteristics of a good sample?
Sampling helps in time & cost saving. It also helps in checking their accuracy.
But on the other hand it demands exercise of great care caution; otherwise the results
obtained may be incorrect or misleading.
• Time:
The time limit within the study should be completed in another important factor to be
considered in deciding the question of sample survey. This, in fact, is a primary
reason for using sampling by academic & marketing researchers.
• Accuracy: Accuracy is defined as the degree to which bias is absent from the
sample. An accurate sample is the one which exactly represents the population.