ST327     
Market Research: An Integrated Approach

This information is for the 2023/24 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr James Abdey COL.8.07 and Mr Karsten Shaw

Availability

This course is available on the BSc in Data Science, BSc in Management and BSc in Mathematics, Statistics and Business. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.

Not to be taken with ST307.

Pre-requisites

Students must have completed one of the following: Elementary Statistical Theory (ST102), Quantitative Methods (Statistics) (ST107), Statistics for Management Sciences (ST203), Econometrics: Theory and Applications (MG205), Analytical Methods for Management (MG202), or equivalent. The combination of Elementary Statistical Theory I (ST109) and Econometrics I (EC1C1) is also acceptable.

Course content

The main ideas and applications of market research techniques. ST327.1 Topics covered are introduction to market research, defining the market research problem, research design, internal secondary data and the use of databases, qualitative research: focus group discussions, projective techniques, survey and quantitative observation techniques, measurement and scaling: fundamentals, comparative and non-comparative scaling, questionnaire design, sampling: design and procedures, final and initial sample size determination, cross-tabulation and hypothesis testing, analysis of variance and covariance, correlation and regression, discriminant analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis and conjoint analysis. ST327.2 Case Studies: Students use the information and techniques gained from ST327.1 to carry out a co-operative Market Research Case Study. Individual write up of the Case Study forms part of the assessment.

Teaching

20 hours of lectures and 10 hours of classes in the AT. 6 hours of lectures in the WT. 1 hour of classes in the ST.

This course will be delivered through a combination of classes and lectures totalling a minimum of 36 hours across Autumn Term and Winter Term. 

This course does not include a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

Formative coursework

Students are given weekly exercises to work on for discussion in class.

Indicative reading

Malhotra, N.K. (2019) Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation (7th edition), Pearson (earlier editions are also fine).

Assessment

Exam (60%, duration: 2 hours) in the spring exam period.
Coursework (25%) in the ST.
Presentation (15%) in the WT.

The assessed Case Study work is split into two parts; a group presentation and an individual piece of coursework. 

Key facts

Department: Statistics

Total students 2022/23: 61

Average class size 2022/23: 15

Capped 2022/23: Yes (60)

Lecture capture used 2022/23: Yes (MT & LT)

Value: One Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Course selection videos

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.

Personal development skills

  • Application of numeracy skills
  • Commercial awareness