Research Process (with a focus on Problem Formulation)

1. Research Process (with a focus on Problem Formulation) Jeremy Kees, Ph.D.

2. Review from last week… • Marketing research is the marketer’s link to understanding the consumer and the external environment • The main purpose of marketing research is to inform decisions • Is a source of a competitive advantage for many successful firms • Every research project is different • It often takes many research projects over many years to really understand a phenomenon

3. Ongoing “PharmFirm” Case Study • Will be used as an example for many of the concepts we discuss • Large-scale, multi-study research project for a major pharma company in the Philadelphia area • Key research questions focused on “fair balance” of a online medical resource targeted at physicians • Proactive research in anticipation of pushback from FDA

4. Formulate Problem Stages in the Research Process (Researchers Perspective) Determine Research Design Design Data Collection Method and Forms Design Sample and Collect Data Analyze and Interpret the Data Prepare the Research Report

5. Research Process: Problem Formulation • Perhaps the most important step in the research process • A well-defined study begins with a clearly defined objective “The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution” - Albert Einstein • The problem is rarely clear-cut • Slight variations in research questions can lead to substantial changes in the research process (so be careful) • Drives decisions related to research design, measurement, sampling, etc.

6. Problem Formulation • Differentiate between a decision problem and a research problem • Try to get beyond an “info request”

7. Research Process: Problem Formulation

8. Research Process: Problem Formulation PharmFirm • Longest stage in the process • ~4 months • Talked with LOTS of people • Over-arching problem • Need evidence that a medical information website is ‘fairly balanced’ • Unclear what fair balance means in an computer mediated environment • Anticipated issues from FDA

9. Research Process: Problem Formulation PharmFirm • Overarching Research Objective • provide an empirical test of perceived benefit and risk information (i.e., fair balance) presented on the medical information website

10. Research Process: Problem Formulation PharmFirm • More specific study objectives • Phase I: Develop a metric for the construct of fair balance • Phase II: Test the perceived fair balance of the website • Different versions • Versus print marketing materials • Phase III: Test the perceived fair balance of the website versus other websites

11. Research Process: Problem Formulation PharmFirm • 4 separate studies, each with its own very specific objectives • Expected Decisions • Positive results = move forward confidently • Negative or mixed results = adapt website

12. Research Process: Determine Research Design • Dictated by the problem or research question • Exploratory Research • Descriptive Research • Causal Research

13. Research Process: Determine Research Design

14. Research Process: Determine Research Design • PharmFirm research questions call for…. • Some pretesting to develop and refine the metric • Experiments • To test versions of the website with different presentations of risk information • To test the website versus print marketing materials (a context where fair balance is well-defined) • To test the website versus other existing online resources that are deemed “fairly balanced”

15. Research Process: Design Data Collection & Forms • Secondary research • None necessary • Survey Research • Lots of ways to collect data • Measurement • Constructs / Variables

16. Research Process: Design Data Collection & Forms

17. Research Process: Design Data Collection & Forms • PharmFirm data collection required…. • Scale development and testing • Define construct • Develop valid and reliable measures • Stimuli development • Website mock-ups • Measurement instrument (i.e., survey) • Manipulation checks • Dependent variables • Individual difference variables • Demographic/categorical information

18. Research Process: Design Sample and Collect Data • Determine your “target market” • Determine necessary sample size • Dictated by study design • Sampling Methodology • Logistics • Cost • Ethics

19. Research Process: Design Sample and Collect Data

20. Research Process: Design Sample and Collect Data • PharmFirm sample call for…. • ~1000 physicians from three specialty groups • Outsource!! • Data collected online • Sample is too geographically dispersed and time sensitive to collect data in person • Qualtrics research software

21. Research Process: Analyze and Interpret the Data • Edit / clean / code the data • Analyze • Interpret

22. Research Process: Analyze and Interpret the Data

23. Research Process: Analyze and Interpret the Data • PharmFirm analysis calls for…. • Factor analysis to develop metric • Dictated by study design • Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) to analyze experimental data • Dictated by study design

24. Research Process: Prepare Research Report • Know your audience • Sell your findings

25. Research Process: Prepare Research Report

26. Research Process: Prepare Research Report • PharmFirm report out calls for…. • Four separate presentations to the client • Final comprehensive report outlining purpose, research questions, design, sample, results, etc. • Compilation of data in easy-to-use format • Measurement definitions • Coding schemes

27. TEAM ASSIGNMENT #1 • Discuss some issues that you deal with at your workplace that can be answered with primary research • Discuss the issue broadly (i.e., provide some context) • Develop several clear, concise research questions • Develop hypotheses (and null hypotheses) • Discuss the decisions that would be made depending on the different outcomes of the research

28. Hints…. • Try to acutely identify the problem at hand (and avoid “nice to know” questions) • What information is necessary in order to make a decision? • Determine what course(s) of action will result from your findings • If we find A, what will you do? • What about if we find B? • Make all alternative courses of action explicit • Refer to Beal (Chapter 2)