Introduction

Welcome to the Marketing Research course syllabus on the Web. Here, you will find information related to the course and marketing research in general. As you can see, this section is a part of a larger Web. You can access parts of this Web regarding the writing standards for the courses I teach, tips on studying and learning, and general policies. Read the course syllabus as well as the sections under "must read".

I may update the information in these pages when necessary. You should frequently visit this site for changes and announcements and you are responsible to keep informed about the course requirements and policies.

How to contact me

You are welcome to see me during my office hours. I will be glad to meet with you outside my office hours as long as you call me at 401.865.2660 and make an appointment. Of course you may send an e-mail message to me anytime you want. I read my mail regularly and respond to my messages as soon as I can. On a lucky day, you may receive a response from me within minutes, even in the evening!

Course Objectives

Marketing research is an important tool in marketing management and marketing strategy. Understanding and using the results from a research study is as important as conducting one. By understanding the research process, the users of research will better judge the suitability, reliability and the validity of a research study. Understanding the research process and commonly used tools in marketing research is imperative for a student of marketing. Therefore, this course aims:

• To familiarize the student with the commonly used techniques in the collection and analysis of marketing research data
• To have the student gain perspective and practice in applying these techniques, and report findings through a research project
• To develop an understanding of decision making in marketing, its inherent difficulties and pitfalls and the importance of information in marketing research

Prerequisites

Marketing research relies heavily on statistical notions and techniques. Because of this, statistics is a prerequisite for this course. If you have not taken a course in statistics, you should drop this course. Under unusual circumstances and after consultations with the department chair, I may agree to waive that prerequisite with the understanding that you are responsible for catching up with the background material.

Outside meeting times

You will need time to meet with your group to work on the group project. In addition, I expect to meet with each group to discuss the progress of projects several times during the semester. There will be additional sessions for computer and software training as well. Therefore, you should plan on spending, on the average, a couple of hours a week over and above the class times and your regular studies.

I will try to announce all computer training sessions as early as possible. I ask that you try your best to keep your schedule flexible enough so that you can attend these sessions. When groups meet with me, I expect that you find a suitable time for all of you and try to make an appointment with me. I will try to keep my schedule flexible enough to accommodate your meeting requests.