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What is research?

Quantitative research

Qualitative research

Research briefs

Research ethics

This information has been adapted from an article available on the Market Research Society UK website.

What is Research?

Though there are many different sorts of research, it can be broken down into two basic types by the sort of information it obtains. So if, you need numbers and you need to be able to say that ‘23% of people said Yes’ to something, or ‘a quarter of the population say they want’ something else – you need quantitative research.

On the other hand, if you don’t need numbers but need a particular sort of understanding – if you want to know not only what people do but why they do it, not only what they want but why they want it – you need qualitative research.

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research (quant for short) tries to indicate the views of a large number of people (ie. the population of a country, or the Australia tourism industry) by talking to a smaller group (or sample) of people who represent that larger group.

The numbers of people spoken to in a quantitative survey can vary from 15-30 up to thousands. In considering sample size an important factor is the size of the larger group. You would need a reasonable number of people in your sample to describe a population of a country, for example.

Who the sample is made up of is also key. It is, of course, not possible to talk to the entire population of a country. So a representative group is chosen. A representative group should look like the total population - same characterisitcs in roughly the same proportions (eg. 50:50 male to female), but be a much smaller number.

While the questions themselves can be asked face to face, over the phone, via a paper questionnaire and even over the Internet, the style of questions is very similar throughout all quantitative research. Questions with pre-set answers are usually used in quantitative research. Answers can then be added together and so the researcher can say that "23% of people said yes" to a particular question.

Qualitative Research

As mentioned, qualitative research (qual for short) is a means of finding out not simply what people do, but why they do it. So, for example, what is it that people like – or dislike – about a product, or advert? Why do they feel that way? And what would they prefer?

Because you talk to fewer people in qualitative research work than you do in quantitative, and because in qual you’re having exploratory discussions rather than everybody being asked the same questions, qual cannot provide numbers. What it can do however is provide greater understanding of what people need, want, feel and care about, which can be valuable information in its own right.

Qual research can be used on its own, where numbers are not required. Equally, it can be used in advance of a quantitative study, to help the researchers decide what questions to ask and how to ask them. Thirdly, it can be used alongside or after quantitative research, to help explain the figures and numbers from the quant survey.

Research of this sort is almost invariably done face-to-face. One of the best-known techniques is focus groups (also known as group discussions) where eight or nine relevant people are brought together for an hour, or perhaps an hour and a half, to discuss something – the new product, the ad campaign etc... The respondents’ different views and experiences combine to create a unique and useful conversation.

A professional researcher, known as the moderator, guides the group through a series of topics previously agreed between the client and the research agency, but in a less structured way than with a quantitative questionnaire – the discussion is more free-flowing. And things may emerge from these discussions, things that are important but that the researchers had not thought of before, which can then be followed-up and explored.

In other words, qual will sometimes discover things that the research team had not previously considered. Not all qual research is done with groups, however. Individual interviews – often known as depth interviews – are sometimes more appropriate.

Research Briefs

A research brief is the document someone requiring research gives to a research agency which will define the task for them. The more key information you can tell them, the more likely they are to give you a useful, constructive and appropriate response. The brief should contain:

• a summary of the background to the research and the opportunities or problems that need to be explored
• a description of the people whose views of are interest – the potential respondents
• the objectives of the research - what questions specifically you must be able to answer with the results
• the outcomes of the research - what you will do with the results
• an outline of the questions that seem, at this early stage, to need answering
• suggestions on how the data might be collected
• a description of what you are expecting to get: what are the ‘deliverables’ – For example; advice only, data, a full report.
• the timing – when, being realistic, will the work be able to start, and when is the information needed by
• the budget – how much money is likely to be available for the work
• when you need the agencies’ proposals (But remember to give them a reasonable amount of thinking and writing time.)

A brief should also always ask for an outline of the research company’s – and its relevant staff’s – experience.

Research Ethics

As you know, research depends on the co-operation of the public. There is legislation that sets some limits, and the Australian Market & Social Research Society (AMSRS) like all professional bodies, has a Code of Conduct for its members.

For the MRSA Code of Professional Behaviour click here