Deck 13: Communicating Marketing Research Findings

Question 1

The section on research methods and procedures should include all of the following, EXCEPT:

A)research hypotheses.
B)research design used.
C)types of secondary data used.
D)sampling unit used.
E)sample size.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

If a researcher is looking for action statements that will help solve the problem at hand, which part of the research report should she look at?

A)Research methods
B)Data analysis and findings
C)Conclusions
D)Recommendations
E)Limitations

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In the SPSS output, correlations are reported from largest to smallest. Which of the following is / are the correct sequence(s)?

A)0.7, 0.5, 0.2, -0.1, -0.2
B)0.11, 0.7, 0.3, 0.2, 0.1
C)0.8, -0.7, 0.4, -0.3, 0.1
D)0.21, 0.12, 0.9, 0.5, 0.3
E)0.22, 0.6, -0.7, 0.3, 0.4

Answer 3

C

Question 4

All of the following factors may make a report appear less believable, EXCEPT:

A)the report is based on solid statistical analysis, but the presentation is imprecise.
B)the report is based on some very complex and sophisticated statistical analysis.
C)the report is difficult to understand.
D)the findings are contrary to what the client was expecting.
E)the report suffers from problems such as improper question wording and nonresponse error.

Question 5

A researcher prepares a report that has several grammatical errors and a couple of calculation errors. This will most directly affect the report's:

A)credibility.
B)believability.
C)reference use.
D)objectivity.
E)user-friendliness.

Question 6

In a marketing research report, how the information was obtained and its relevance to the research question must be addressed in the report. All of the following factors must be communicated to the client / user, EXCEPT:

A)the specific research objectives of the study.
B)the specific research questions the study was to answer.
C)a description of the research methodology employed.
D)the names of the respondents.
E)specific procedural information relevant to the collection of secondary data.

Question 7

All of the following statements about inclusion of all digits past the decimal point in reporting results are true, EXCEPT:

A)digits past the decimal point add to the precision of the findings and should be included.
B)digits past the decimal point are generally removed from marketing research reports.
C)extra digits create clutter.
D)given sampling errors, carrying percentages out past decimal point is misleading.
E)researcher cannot estimate the results with the degree of precision the extra decimal points imply.

Question 8

A pie chart:

A)shows the relative proportion as a percent of the total proportion of the pie associated with the value of a specific variable.
B)shows nine sections of data.
C)connects a series of data points with a continuous line.
D)shows the data in the form of bars that may be horizontally or vertically oriented.
E)depicts both absolute and relative magnitudes of differences in change.

Question 9

A bar chart:

A)shows the relative proportion as a percent of the total proportion of the pie associated with the value of a specific variable.
B)shows nine sections of data.
C)connects a series of data points with a continuous line.
D)shows each bars height as the relative frequency of a variable value.
E)can depict both absolute and relative magnitudes of differences in change.

Question 10

Which of the following statements is NOT true about qualitative / quantitative research reports?

A)The objectives and questions in qualitative research tend to be broader.
B)The literature review is integrated in the analysis in qualitative reports but is presented separately in quantitative reports.
C)The description of research methods in a qualitative report is kept to a minimum whereas in a quantitative report it is offered in developing credibility for the report.
D)Qualitative research rarely presents statistics whereas statistics are an integral part of quantitative reports.
E)Conclusions and recommendations are the final step in both qualitative and quantitative reports.

Question 11

All of the following are primary objectives that must be achieved by the professional marketing research report, EXCEPT:

A)to effectively communicate the findings of the marketing research project.
B)to provide interpretations of those findings in the form of sound and logical recommendations.
C)to provide access to raw data to solve research problem.
D)to illustrate the credibility of the research project.
E)to serve as a future reference document for strategic or tactical decisions.

Question 12

Credibility:

A)is the quality of a report that is related to accuracy, believability, and professional organization.
B)is building a report that is based on clear-logical thinking, precise expression, and accurate presentation.
C)illustrates the major points of the report in a manner that is complete so as to provide a true representation of the entire document.
D)is an extraneous event that places certain restrictions on the report and is normally mentioned when communicating the results.
E)is a separate section of the research report.

Question 13

Which of the following is placed first in the organizational format of the marketing research report?

A)Limitations
B)Executive summary
C)Introduction
D)Appendices
E)Research method

Question 14

A researcher wants to include some background information and some definition of terms in her research report. Where should she include these in her report?

A)Executive summary
B)Introduction
C)Research methods and procedures
D)Data analysis and conclusions
E)Appendices

Question 15

Which of the following does NOT typically belong on the title page of the report?

A)Total budget of the report
B)Name and position of the person(s) submitting the report
C)The subject of the report
D)The name and position of the report recipient
E)The date of the report

Question 16

How are conclusions different from recommendations?

A)Conclusions are derived from secondary research whereas recommendations are derived from primary research.
B)Recommendations are considered valid statements while conclusions are not.
C)Recommendations are broad, whereas conclusions are very narrow.
D)Conclusions are descriptive statements generalizing the results, whereas recommendations are applications for strategic or tactical actions.
E)Recommendations are internally generated while conclusions are externally generated.

Question 17

Jane is waiting for a research report to prepare for her 3:00 PM meeting. Instead of receiving the report that morning at 10:00 AM, she gets it 15 minutes before the start of the meeting. Given this short time, Jane can afford to read only one section of the report. Which of the following sections should she read to benefit the most from the report?

A)Introduction
B)Table of contents
C)Executive summary
D)Data analysis and findings
E)Conclusions and recommendations

Question 18

Which one of the following statements about limitations of a research project is true?

A)Certain research studies are flawless.
B)Treatment of limitations normally excludes a discussion of results.
C)Treatment of limitations normally excludes a discussion of accuracy.
D)The researcher should make the client aware of the study's limitations.
E)Researchers must openly address any limitations even if it undermines the credibility of the project.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT likely to be an example of limitations noted in a research report?

A)Information on sampling bias
B)Information on measurement error
C)Information on financial constraints and how these might limit the generalizability of the results
D)Information on how the recommendations might contradict the opinions held by the client managers
E)Information on extraneous events that might have had an affect on the results of the study

Question 20

All of the following statements regarding data analysis and findings are true, EXCEPT:

A)results must be logically arranged to correspond with each research objective or research question listed in the report.
B)the researcher must summarize and present the analysis in a way that makes them easy to understand for nonspecialists.
C)findings should always include a detailed presentation with supporting tables, figures, and graphs.
D)when reporting results, writers should claim the results are "obvious," or "self-evident."
E)the researcher must decide how to group the findings into sections that facilitate understanding.

Question 21

Also considered to be the soul of the report, the table of contents is the most important part of the report as it lists all the topics of a report in sequential fashion.

Question 22

While preparing a research report, a researcher should:

A)avoid providing interpretations of the statistical data and results.
B)avoid unnecessary use of multivariate techniques.
C)ignore quality and instead focus on packaging of the report.
D)try making the report bigger and more comprehensive by adding information that doesn't pertain directly to the research objectives.
E)draw bulk of its conclusions on the basis of a few key statistics.

Question 23

Generally speaking, the executive summary of a report should include a brief description of the objectives of the research study.

Question 24

The body of a research report consists of study's findings.

Question 25

When creating bar graphs, the orientation of the bar labels cannot be changed.

Question 26

Pie charts are particularly good at portraying the relative proportion of response to a question.

Question 27

When a market researcher has failed to provide a proper explanation of the data within tables of results, the researcher has fallen victim to which of the following problem areas?

A)Lack of data interpretation
B)Unnecessary use of multivariate statistics
C)Lack of relevance
D)Too much emphasis is placed on too few statistics
E)Fancy packaging does not infer high quality

Question 28

The name of the analysis technique may not even be used in the presentation and reporting of results.

Question 29

Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding the visual presentation?

A)Begin with a slide showing the title of the presentation and the individual(s) doing the presentation.
B)Do not identify the client and marketing research firm.
C)A sequence of slides should be developed indicating the objectives of the research and the specific research questions to be addressed.
D)Additional slides should be developed that highlight the research findings.
E)Conclude the presentation with recommendations, conclusions, and research implications.

Question 30

Given that the executive summary appears near the front of the report, it should be written first (before writing the rest of the report).

Question 31

Researchers can usually estimate results with the degree of precision extra decimal points imply.

Question 32

Researchers should strive to communicate findings and key points using graphics and should avoid providing text in their reports.

Question 33

Hypotheses are usually stated formally in a research report.

Question 34

A researcher wants to include some technical information about the research technique that she employed for doing the data analysis. This information is complex and fairly detailed. The best place to include this information in a report is the section on:

A)limitations.
B)appendix.
C)data analysis and findings.
D)research methods and procedures.
E)conclusions and recommendations.

Question 35

Clients are seldom knowledgeable about sampling methods and statistics.

Question 36

The information pertaining to sample and sampling processes is provided in the Data Analysis and Findings section of a research report.

Question 37

When a market researcher has reported data, statistics, and information that are not consistent with the studies objectives, the researcher has fallen victim to which of the following problem areas?

A)Lack of data interpretation
B)Unnecessary use of multivariate statistics
C)Lack of relevance
D)Too much emphasis is placed on too few statistics
E)Fancy packaging does not infer high quality

Question 38

Reports can be used for comparison purposes.

Question 39

Both t-tests and ANOVAs can be displayed on bar charts created in SPSS.

Question 40

Generally speaking, percentages should have one digit past the decimal point, while means should generally display no decimals past the decimal point.

Question 41

Discuss the role of the Introduction section in a written research report.

Question 42

Discuss five problem areas that may arise when writing a marketing research report.

Question 43

All research has limitations.

Question 44

Discuss the organization format common to all marketing research reports.

Question 45

Recommendations are generated by critical thinking.

Question 46

The report or presentation is often the only part of the marketing research project that will be seen by those commissioning the report.

Question 47

Researchers should avoid using statistical methods unless they are essential to derive meaning from the data.

Question 48

Discuss the important factors that need to be communicated in a written research report.

Question 49

Discuss the importance of making presentations that are well-organized, professionally developed, and effectively delivered.

Question 50

Information in the appendix is cited in the report to guide the reader to further technical or statistical detail.