Marketing Research and Information Technology (MKTG 3710)
Summer 2003
Research Project – Part I
Objective:
The goal of this project is to gain hands-on experience in the process of exploratory research.
Specifically, it is about identifying, collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting basic information
and making decisions in a real-life setting. You will need to conduct an exploratory study - primarily
secondary data, to describe and analyze the market, competition, etc., for the Dallas Museum of Arts.
Your group is being asked to help the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) market itself in a more effective
and efficient manner.
Instructions:
Essentially, you will gather and use information and data for getting a good understanding of Dallas
Museum of Arts market and other related factors. Based on the information gleaned from this
secondary data first create a business model – some understanding of its business, market, market
size, etc. Then, you will analyze your information and formulate marketing research questions or
problems. The project requires a thorough and exhaustive exploration of secondary data
sources, evaluation of these data sources, collection of relevant data from these sources, and
arriving at some key marketing decisions. This will be followed by formulation of research
questions and questionnaire design. If you are done with your research questions and bring it to me
or to the class (earlier than the due date), then we might be able to conduct exercises in class to
practice designing questionnaires for your research questions.
During this process you want to accomplish several things:
1. Explore and examine various secondary data source (both internet and library based). Exactly
how many sources you should look at it is up to you. If you bring what you have found and talk to
me about it, I might be able to give you some guidelines, but the decision about which data
source and how many will have to be made by you.
2. Review these pieces of information and data. It is not enough to identify the data/information
source. You need to internalize the information.
3. Decide which data or information is relevant and useful. Once again, this is your decision. If you
bring what you have found and talk to me about it, I might be able to help you decide through a
question and answer session, however, the decision about what is relevant and useful is up to
you.
4. Collect that relevant and useful data or information. You may put the actual printouts at the end
as appendices. However, the pertinent and relevant data and information must be included as a
part of your project document in the form of tables, charts, etc.
Remember that you will experience a lot of uncertainty during this process. You may not have all
the information needed for making various decisions. You may not even know whether the
information is reliable or not. I want you to understand that this is reality. If businesses can have
all the information needed for decision-making and the information is reliable, then there will be
no need for managers. Computers can be programmed to make decisions. Managers are
needed because we can make decisions with incomplete and imperfect information. So
uncertainty is part of this process. I want you to learn to deal with it by actually making decisions
under such uncertainty, right here, during this semester.
5. Interpret and present the data, information and your findings in a manner that makes sense from
a business perspective. In addition to presenting the tables, charts, etc. you also have to
translate these charts, and tables into information and decisions. In other words, explain to the
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reader what the charts and numbers mean. Please use language carefully. There will one point
deduction for each grammar and spelling mistake.
6. Be careful about the objectives and research questions/goals. They need to be precise and not
too verbose.
7. In summary, the goal of this project is to expose you to various secondary data sources;
exploratory research tools and techniques; the process of collection, analysis and interpretation of
secondary data and information; and the process of making decisions using data and information.
Another goal is to enhance learning by applying what is being discussed in the classroom. In
addition, a final goal is to expose you to the decision-making uncertainty faced by managers in
industry and let you experience the process of making decisions under such uncertainty, with
imperfect and incomplete data and information.
You may work in groups (maximum size 4). Please turn in a typed report including the information
and analysis outlined below. The report will be graded on  Completeness,
 Use of secondary data resources,
 Quality of analysis,
 Logical flow of presentation using data/information,
 Written presentation, and
 Language (grammar and spelling).
At this stage, you may like to look at any secondary data (internet, newspaper, journals, business
magazines, electronic data sources, and others) source. Be sure to list all references used at the
end and use these resources in your document.
Assume you are writing this report to your boss. Please do not take his/her knowledge about DMA or
the Art and Entertainment industry, for granted. Be sure to explain where necessary and simply
report if explanation is not required.
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Research Project Report – Part I (100 points):
Outline:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Cover page
Contents page
Executive summary
Brief introduction – state of marketplace, key definitions, and key industry issues (size,
growth, etc.)
V.
Background (examples of some key topics that need to be discussed)*:
 What, specifically, is DMA’s business? (Do not say “Art and Entertainment,” but
EXPLAIN the business). What services are offered? Who are key customers?
 How is the industry organized? What do key players in each segment do? What is
DMA’s industry segment? With respect to this “sub-segment:”
 What is the market size? What is the growth rate?
 Who are the key players? What are their market share, size, and key advantages?
VI.
Analysis
 What are key trends (positive and negative) facing DMA and the Art and Entertainment
industry (the industry overall and DMA’s segment)? Remember, these may not
specifically be trends in Art and Entertainment per se, but trends in related industries
(e.g., the rising cost of gasoline).
 Conduct a SWOT analysis for DMA
 Other key and relevant issues. Note: You may need to touch on issues associated
with the recent terrorist attack, but this should not be the main thrust of your report.
Instead, take a longer-term view.
 Note that you might take information reported in the previous section and analyze it
here (e.g., extrapolate growth rates or shifts in market share, analyze growth or costs
in related industries such as. You might also report new information relevant to DMA
and the industry.
 Summary of key issues leading to the identification of a list of relevant research
problems.
* This list is not all-inclusive. Do not report your findings as a laundry list of answers to these
questions! Also remember that visual aids (e.g., a perceptual map, charts, etc.) could help in
this section.
VII.
Research Problem Identification:
 Evaluate your list of research problems and make a recommendation as to which to
pursue first. Justify your position—why should DMA management care about these
issues? Why should they fund research along these lines?
VIII.
Information Needs
 What information will be needed to research the top problem you identified in section
VII? What type of information (e.g., demographic, behavioral, etc.) is needed? How
should this data be gathered? Note: we will be conduct a questionnaire design
exercise in class based on the research questions you turned in.
IX.
Conclusions.
X.
References
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Marketing Research and Information Technology (MKTG 3710)
Summer 2003
Research Project – Part II
Objective:
The goal of this part (II) is to gain hands-on experience in the process of descriptive research.
Specifically, it involves formulation of marketing and marketing research goals, formulation of
hypotheses or research questions, knowledge of variables and constructs involved, understanding of
scales used for measurement, identification of appropriate statistical tests (difference and
association), and analysis using these tests (using SPSS), interpretation, and presentation of your
findings in a written and oral format.
Instructions:
Having conducted the exploratory research on DMA, your team is now being asked to provide
relevant recommendations for DMA mangers, based on the primary data (collected using a survey
attached). This project revolves around making marketing decisions using primary data to help the
Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) market itself in a more effective and efficient manner.
The project requires a thorough and exhaustive knowledge of DMA (acquired during the Part I
of this project). This will help you in the formulation (or reformulation) of research questions and
hypotheses. If you are done with your research questions and bring it to me or to the class (earlier
than the due date), then we might be able to conduct analyses related exercises in class.
This process should involve the following steps:
1. Review the data set, making sure you understand what was measured and how it was measured
and get a feel for what kinds of questions you might be able to answer or recommendations you
might be able to make for DMA. The decision about what is relevant and useful is part of the
learning process and will have to be made by you.
2. You may have to conduct some exploratory study - secondary data as well as other exploratory
study techniques, if needed (beyond part I). You have been exposed to the exploratory research
tools and techniques, including personal interviews, etc. Use all that you know and I am quite
sure that you can achieve a lot. Based on your understanding of the Art Industry and DMA you
need to formulate marketing research question or problem and using the primary data arrive at
answers to these research questions or test the hypotheses.
3. Formulate research questions or hypotheses that will help you in your marketing planning
process.
4. Analyze the data using SPSS and making sure that your analysis is appropriate, relevant and
useful.
5. Interpret and present the results and your findings in a manner that makes sense from a business
perspective. In addition to providing tables, charts, etc. you also have to translate these charts
and tables into information and decisions
Note: As with Part I, you will experience a lot of uncertainty during this process. If businesses can
have all the information needed for decision-making and the information is accurate and reliable, then
there will be no need for managers. Computers can be programmed to make decisions. Managers
are needed because we can make decisions with incomplete and imperfect information. So
uncertainty is part of this process. You have the chance to practice dealing with it by actually making
decisions under such uncertainty, right here, during this semester.
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This is where primary data and statistical analysis comes in. It should help bring some semblance of
certainty into future uncertainty. In order to do this you will have to select the right variables for the
right test. It is not easy, but if you think like a decision maker then the statistics part should fall into
place. This project should help sharpen your skills in decisions making using hard data as against
pure speculation and gut feeling. Imagine two scenarios, one where a manager goes to his/her boss
or client with ideas and plans without sound logic and hard data, and other where the same plan is
backed by sound logic, hard data and tests of significance. You can guess which manager will
succeed in getting approval, and I hope you will strive towards being that type of manager.
In summary, the goal of this project is to expose you to activities involved in descriptive research –
primary data, analysis, interpretation and decision-making. Another goal is to enhance learning by
applying what is being discussed in the classroom. In addition, a final goal is to expose you to the
decision-making uncertainty faced by managers in industry and let you experience the process of
making decisions under such uncertainty, using data and statistical analysis.
You may work in groups of 3 or 4 (or by yourself but it is a lot of work). You do not have to stay in the
groups you worked with for Part I, however, I would like to be informed of any change in group
composition Please turn in a typed report including the information and analysis outlined below. The
report will be graded on
 Completeness.
 Appropriate use of primary data, statistical analyses, interpretation and decisions made.
 Relevance of research questions investigated
 Quality of analysis, interpretation, and recommendations (including justification)
 Logical flow of presentation and readability, and.
 Language (grammar and spelling)—up to a letter grade deduction for sloppy mistakes!
Assume you are writing this report to your boss. Please do not take his/her knowledge about DMA or
the Art and Entertainment industry, for granted. Be sure to explain where necessary and simply
report if explanation is not required.
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Outline of Complete Report
Note: This outline is purposefully vague. You must make the decision as to the types of questions
you can answer with the given data set and which questions are most relevant. I have given you
some direction as to specific questions you might ask. We may also discuss other possible questions
in class as we learn about the relevant statistical analysis techniques, so it will behoove you to make
it to class for additional guidance along these lines.
VIII.
IX.
X.
Cover page
Contents page
Executive summary
XI.
Part one will be the first section of this report. At this stage you may have to revise your
contents page, executive summary, and may be parts of brief introduction.
Research Objective: what is the purpose of this part of report, what general issues can be
addressed, and what is (are) the key research objective(s) you have decided to focus on?
Examples of possible research objectives include: How to improve customer service, How to
better reach/satisfy customers, etc.
Research Questions: these should be a list of research questions that need to be answered
in order to achieve the overall objective stated above. We will discuss possible examples in
class as we progress, but it will be up to you to decide what questions to ask, how deep into
those questions to go, and how to organize your report around them. I suggest that you
outline the data analysis and findings part of your paper in terms of these questions. In order
to make specific recommendations regarding DMA, what do you need to know first? Next?
Etc. Organize the list of questions into key topic areas that will lead logically to your
recommendations at the end.
XII.
XIII.
Some examples of potential research questions are – What are some of the needs and wants
in the context of museum service? How well are these needs and wants being met? Which
contingent factors influence these needs and wants, and to what extent? Can you segment
the market and how? Does it make sense? How would you position DMA to various
segment/s? Can you draw some conclusions related to the 4Ps?
XIV.
Methodology and Data: Overview of sampling issues that you can infer from the data (i.e.,
sample size, composition, etc.) Attach a summary copy of the survey in the appendix (be sure
to refer to it in the text).
XV.
Data Analysis and Findings: This will be a large part of your paper. I recommend that you use
a major heading of “Data Analysis” for this section and then organize the rest of the
discussion with subheadings as described in point V above (i.e., by research question). For
each research question or set of related questions you should do the following:
 State the hypothesis
 Describe what is being tested if necessary
 Indicate the appropriate statistical test
 Report results and interpret the meaning in a user-friendly manner.
Discuss implications if relevant. Remember significant points can be deducted for inappropriate
interpretation (e.g., “Gender causes shopping behavior”). A good way to report results is to say, “the
data suggests…” or “the results indicate…” I suggest that you do not go on to make specific
recommendations for DMA here but wait for the next section (see VIII below).
Note: In this data analysis section, you might find tables, charts, and graphs useful to summarize the
data in the report. However, you should still attach the actual SPSS printouts from your analysis in an
appendix at the end (NOT in the body of the report). When discussing specific findings in the report,
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be sure to refer to the appropriate printouts in the Appendix (e.g., “see Table 1a”) and highlight with a
highlighter or bold text the key numbers of interest on the printout. You must attach the relevant
printouts from SPSS even if you use summary charts and graphs so that I can check to see you
pulled the right number, interpreted the results correctly, etc.
XVI.
Conclusions and Recommendations: Summarize the key findings from the analysis section
and draw conclusions that will result useful recommendations for DMA. Examples include
segmentation issues, promotion issues, product/service mix issues, etc. Essentially, you are
making recommendations regarding what DMA should do to in order to achieve the objectives
you identified in step IV. Consider that DMA may not have the resources to pursue each
recommendation you have so prioritize your recommendations. Remember to justify this
priority. This section has to be based on findings from both Part I and II of your report.
XVII. Limitations of the Research: Discuss any problems you might have identified with the
research that indicate caution should be used in interpreting or acting upon the data. Also
identify gaps in the current research and provide future research direction (to fill this
knowledge gap). For example, what type of questions do you wish had been asked on the
survey so you could provide a better picture or recommendations to DMA? What customers
do you wish you had data for?
XVIII. References: You may have used information in your introduction section or in analysis (e.g.,
drawing from information from your Part I). Be sure to report those cites here.
XIX. Appendix: This should include all SPSS printouts referenced in the text, in a relatively easy to
read format (use titles, omit non-essential components of the printout, etc). Be sure to
highlight the key numbers of interest (i.e., what was discussed in the text). Tables should be
numbered in order of when they appear in the text.
Additional Hints:
 Be careful about language, spelling, and grammar. I will deduct up to a full letter grade for
excessive mistakes in any of these areas.
 Be sure to back up your statements with supporting data and analysis (be sure to cite any
references). Unsubstantiated statements will cost you points.
 There is no set page requirement, but I’d guess 15 to 20 pages should do it. This is in addition to
tables, appendices and relevant computer printouts. As a guideline, you should double-space
paragraphs and single space bulleted items that go past one line. Double space between
separate bulleted items.
 It may be a good idea to use a direct and to-the-point writing style (possibly with bullets) rather
than long paragraph style. However, make sure your report flows smoothly. A good way to do this
is to have a brief summary paragraph at the beginning of each major heading discussion to
indicate what the section is about and communicate relevant general information (e.g., “In order to
determine internet shopping behavior, questions were asked about the following 9 categories of
products…”).
 Don’t forget to check Gallup’s website for examples of study summaries reporting data.
 There will be a copy of a previous report (analyzing the Online Shopping Study) in the main office
for review. Feel free to check this out and copy to look over. Remember, however, this project
was conducted for a different class and has different objectives. It may not be perfect, or exactly
the style I want, etc.)
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