Marketing Exploratory Research Essay Example for Free

Marketing Exploratory Research Essay Researchers employ exploratory research when little is known about the topic and previous theories or ideas do not apply. For example, if you wanted to study how to get students to use the computer lab in a college environment, you might first have to do exploratory research to figure out which students might need the lab and what appeals to this demographic. Exploratory research clarifies problems, gathers data and creates initial hypothesis and theories about subjects. The primary point of exploratory research is to give researchers pertinent information and help them to form initial hypotheses about the subject. Exploratory research is challenging in the sense that it tackles vaguely defined hypothesis and tries to find answers to questions. This kind of research is social in nature and requires some preliminary work in the direction of the research. In fact, sociologist Earl Babbie treats exploratory as the purpose of the research saying this kind of research proves to be useful when the hypothesis has yet not been formed or developed. There are certain basic premises that need to be tested at the start of an exploratory research. With the help of these hypotheses, the researcher hopes to arrive at more generalizations. Exploratory research is a form of research conducted for a problem that has not been clearly defined. Exploratory research helps determine the best research design, data collection method and selection of subjects. It should draw definitive conclusions only with extreme caution. Given its fundamental nature, exploratory research often concludes that a perceived problem does not actually exist. Exploratory research often relies on secondary research such as reviewing available literature and/or data, or qualitative approaches such as informal discussions with consumers, employees, management or competitors, and more formal approaches through in-depth interviews, focus groups, projective methods, case studies or pilot studies. The Internet allows for research methods that are more interactive in nature. For example, RSS feeds efficiently supply researchers with up-to-date information; major search engine search results may be sent by email to researchers by services such as Google Alerts; comprehensive search results are tracked over lengthy periods of time by services such as Google Trends; and websites may be created to attract worldwide feedback on any subject. When the purpose of research is to gain familiarity with a phenomenon or acquire new insight into it in order to formulate a more precise problem or develop hypothesis, the exploratory studies ( also known as formulative research ) come in handy. If the theory happens to be too general or too specific, a hypothesis cannot to be formulated. Therefore a need for an exploratory research is felt to gain experience that will be helpful in formulative relevant hypothesis for more definite investigation Descriptive Research Descriptive research is done with a specific research question in mind. It gives a set view of the subject, population, market segment or problem. An example of descriptive research would be a report that provides an age and gender breakdown of the users of a particular online service. Descriptive research provides research questions, populations or methods of analysis before the research is started. In marketing, it often consists of longitudinal studies, which study the behavior of individuals over time, and cross-sectional studies, which examine many populations at one specific time. As the name implies, a descriptive research is descriptive in nature and gathers statistics, which is later carefully studied to arrive at conclusions. In fact, descriptive research often leads to formulation of hypothesis as collation and analysis of data produces conclusions that form the basis of another research. So, if there is a research about the use of alcohol among teenagers, it typically begins with collection of data that is descriptive in nature and lets people know the age and drinking habits of students. Descriptive research is helpful for calculations and to arrive at statistical tools such as median, averages, and frequencies. Descriptive research, also known as statistical research, describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied. However, it does not answer questions about e.g.: how/when/why the characteristics occurred, which is done under analytic research. Although the data description is factual, accurate and systematic, the research cannot describe what caused a situation. Thus, Descriptive research cannot be used to create a causal relationship, where one variable affects another. In other words, descriptive research can be said to have a low requirement for internal validity. The description is used for frequencies, averages and other statistical calculations. Often the best approach, prior to writing descriptive research, is to conduct a survey investigation. There are three main types of descriptive methods: observational methods, case-study methods and survey methods. Observational Method With the observational method (sometimes referred to as field observation) animal and human behavior is closely observed. There are two main categories of the observational method — naturalistic observation and laboratory observation. The biggest advantage of the naturalistic method of research is that researchers view participants in their natural environments. This leads to greater ecological validity than laboratory observation, proponents say. Ecological validity refers to the extent to which research can be used in real-life situations. Proponents of laboratory observation often suggest that due to more control in the laboratory, the results found when using laboratory observation are more meaningful than those obtained with naturalistic observation. Laboratory observations are usually less time-consuming and cheaper than naturalistic observations. Of course, both naturalistic and laboratory observation are important in regard to the advancement of scientific knowledge. Case Study Method Case study research involves an in-depth study of an individual or group of indviduals. Case studies often lead to testable hypotheses and allow us to study rare phenomena. Case studies should not be used to determine cause and effect, and they have limited use for making accurate predictions. There are two serious problems with case studies — expectancy effects and atypical individuals. Expectancy effects include the experimenter’s underlying biases that might affect the actions taken while conducting research. These biases can lead to misrepresenting participants’ descriptions. Describing atypical individuals may lead to poor generalizations and detract from external validity. Survey Method Survey method research, participants answer questions administered through interviews or questionnaires. After participants answer the questions, researchers describe the responses given. In order for the survey to be both reliable and valid it is important that the questions are constructed properly. Questions should be written so they are clear and easy to comprehend. What is the difference between Descriptive and Exploratory Research? †¢ Descriptive research, being quantitative in nature, is restrictive in terms of open ended questions, which can be better answered using exploratory research. †¢ Flexibility of design is offered by exploratory research more than by descriptive research. †¢ Descriptive research is used more to arrive at statistical tools such as mean, average, median and frequency. On the other hand, exploratory research allows the researcher to develop designs that are more qualitative in nature. †¢ The amount of information known to the researcher at the start of the research plays an important role in deciding upon the type of research. With only vague ideas in the minds of the researcher, it is better to go for exploratory design. On the other hand, more information such as quantitative data allows a researcher to go for descriptive research that leads to unearthing causal relationships. †¢ Exploratory research needs to be conducted first to have a platform that allows for collation of data required in descriptive research.

Searching for Knowledge and Expert Opinions Essay -- Expertise Knowled

In the search for knowledge and truth, there are times in which assumed experts provide insubstantial and useless, if not uneducated, opinions and guidance on their assumed field of expertise. In most of these cases, the assumed expert is not truly an expert. An expert is one who is highly knowledgeable and skillful in a particular field, through an unusually large amount of experience, training, and studies, to the point that he or she is sought after to receive opinions, guidance, and wisdom on the particular field by people that are not highly knowledgeable and skillful on the particular field. A definition equal to the previous one for ‘expert’ is, a master in a particular field. The opinions of true experts in their particular field of expertise are very important and should be highly valued in the search for knowledge. People are able to seek guidance and educated opinions from experts because of the vast and lengthy expertise in their field. People, contrastingly do not normally seek the opinions of non-experts because they lack sufficient knowledge, experience, and wisdom to be able to give educated and worthy opinions on the supposed field of interest. Experts, however, have enough knowledge and experience to give worthy opinions and ideas for the search for knowledge and greater understandings in the particular fields of interest. Both Payton Manning and Tom Brady are expert quarterbacks. Peyton Manning’s â€Å"anticipation and accuracy are virtually unmatched because he throws the ball before defenders are ready and puts it in a place where only his guy can catch it† (Tucker 3). Tom Brady was an incredible leader who put up astounding numbers at times while seemingly willing his team to multiple Super Bowl titles... ...ecessary training and experiences to be extremely proficient, knowledgeable, and skillful in their specific fields of interest to the point that they are sought after for guidance and wisdom and further knowledge searching. Works Cited Marine Corps News Service. "Marine Corps Scout Sniper Training." US Military. About.com, 3 Sept. 2003. Web. 14 Dec. 2010. cs/marines/a/marinesniper.htm>. Naik, Abhijit. "Famous Economists." Buzzle.com Intelligent Life on the Web. N.p., 1 Oct. 2010. Web. 14 Dec. 2010. famous-economists.html>. Tucker, Ross. "Why Manning Is a Better NFL Quarterback than Montana, Brady." Editorial. SI.com. Ed. Ross Tucker. Ross Tucker, 3 Feb. 2010. Web. 14 Dec. 2010. peyton.manning/index.html>.

Essay on “Me talk pretty one day” Essay

†Me talk pretty one day† is an essay written by David Sedaris in 2005. It tells the story of the authors return to school at the age of forty-one and about his experience with learning French in Paris with a very strict teacher. The theme of the essay is David Sedaris attitude towards learning a new language. Although he seems to have an attitude towards learning French he actually moves all the way to France with only one month of French lessons as his previous experience with the language because he does not think that he can learn proper French in America. Throughout the essay you can almost hear the author’s ironic and sarcastic voice. He creates an ironic tone to the whole experience of learning the language which gives the essay some humor. The language in the essay is very informal which is supported by him talking about own experiences. He uses a lot of imagery and has a tendency to exaggerate his experiences. For example: â€Å"it’s everyone into t he language pool, sink or swim† (p. 1, l. 16). This gives the reader some lifelike pictures of the situation. He also gives the reader the feeling that they are there with him by using sentences as: â€Å"’Even a fiuscrzsa ticiwelmun knows that a typewriter is feminine† (p. 2, l. 72). He gives the reader the whole experience of him learning the language. He does not know the words and he makes it easier for the reader to identify with him. His attitude towards learning the language changes throughout the essay. He starts by being positive but after his first lesson he feels terrified. Even though he is the oldest one there, the teacher makes sure that there is no segregation. The teacher is very strict and does not care to give the students a hard time. â€Å"Before beginning school, there’d been no shutting me up, but now I was convinced that everything I said was wrong† (p. 3, l. 101). This shows us that he is so afraid of the teacher that he does not dare to use the advantage that he actually is in France. He can easily improve his language by trying to speak outside of the classroom but he simply does not dare because of his teacher’s personal attacks. The teacher completely ruins all of the students’ confidence. It ends up with them feeling as if they were in a war zone. â€Å"We soon learned to dodge chalk and protect our heads and stomachs whenever she approached us with a question† p.2, l. 83-84). This feeling of fear and shame ties the students  together and there is no competition between them. Sedaris wants to avoid the attacks and the humiliation so he starts studying really hard. He wanted an identity but the teacher would not let him have that. He was constantly reminded that he could not speak French which also shows in the title: â€Å"Me talk pretty one day†. It shows the insecurities in Sedaris’ and the other students faith in learning the language. They all hope that one day they will be able to speak and understand French but has lo st the hope because of their teacher. David Sedaris describes the teacher as: â€Å"a wild animal â€Å"(p.2, l 82). â€Å"She crouched low for her attack† (P. 2, l 52). This makes her stand out like terrifying and aggressive. The teacher’s attitude towards her teaching seems to be that if she pushes them hard enough it will end up giving good results. Even though Sedaris describes the teacher as a terrifying wild animal he still has a humorous tone around it which makes it relatable for the reader since most people has found themselves in a similar situation. Towards the end of the essay we get the feeling that Sedaris’ French has improved. The teacher’s insults do not seem to bother him that much anymore. By the teacher being so strict to everyone, do the insults not seem to be that serious and maybe not something she means entirely. Suddenly he could handle her personal attacks and it occurred to him, that for the first time since arriving to France he could understand every word of the teacher’s sentence. Even though she had just insulted him he feels like it was a victory for him. He cannot speak the language but it is a step in the right direction. He had lost all hope in ever improving in this class but now he had. He becomes curious and it gives him the lust for learning back. He ends the essay with the sentence: â€Å"Talk me more, you, plus, please, plus† (p. 3, l 128). This shows us that he wants to learn and he does not care if the teacher insults him, he just wants to hear the language and learn from it. David Sedaris’ essay shows that to learn a new language you need to learn the culture around it and you have to feel at home in the situations where the language are included. Learning a language is not just about learning the words and the sounds which the teacher ignores completely as she exclusively focuses on the form of the language rather than its use.

History of Rollerblades and Inventors Who Invented Rollerblades

Believe it or not, the idea for roller blades came before roller skates. In-line skates were created in the early 1700s when a Dutchman attached wooden spools to strips of wood and nailed them to his shoes. In 1863, an American developed the conventional rollerskate model, with the wheels positioned side by side, and it became the skate of choice. Scott and Brennan Olsen Invent Rollerblades In 1980, Scott and Brennan Olsen, two Minnesota brothers,  discovered an older in-line skate in a sporting goods store and thought the design would be perfect for off-season hockey training. They improved the skate on their own and soon were manufacturing the first Rollerblade in-line skates in their parents’ basement. Hockey players and alpine and Nordic skiers quickly caught on and were seen cruising the streets of Minnesota during the summer on their Rollerblade skates. Rollerblade Becomes a Generic Name Over time, strategic marketing efforts thrust the brand name  into public awareness. Skating enthusiasts began using Rollerblade as a generic term for all in-line skates, putting the trademark in jeopardy. Today 60 in-line skate manufacturers exist, but Rollerblade is credited with introducing the first polyurethane boot and wheels, the first heel brakes  and the development of Active Brake Technology (ABT), which makes stopping easier to learn and to control. Rollerblade has approximately 200 patents and 116 registered trademarks. Timeline of Rollerblades 1983 - Scott Olson founded Rollerblade, Inc. and the term rollerblading meant the sport of in-line skating because Rollerblade, Inc. was the only manufacturer of in-line skates for a long time. Still, the first mass-produced rollerblades, while innovative, had some design flaws. They were difficult to put on, adjust and prone to collecting dirt and moisture in the ball-bearings. The wheels were also easily damaged and the brakes came from the old roller skate toe-brake and were not very effective. The Olson brothers  eventually sold Rollerblade, Inc. and the new owners had the funds to really improve the design. The first massively successful Rollerblade skate was the Lightning TRS. In this pair of skates, the flaws had vanished, fiberglass was used to produce the frames, the wheels were better protected, the skates were easier to put on and adjust and stronger brakes were placed at the rear. With the success of the Lightning TRS, other in-line skate companies appeared, such as Ult ra Wheels, Oxygen, K2, and others.1989 - Rollerblade, Inc. produced the Macro and Aeroblades models, the first skates fastened with three buckles instead of long laces that needed threading.1990 - Rollerblade, Inc. switched to a glass-reinforced thermoplastic resin (durethane polyamide) for their skates, replacing the polyurethane compounds  used previously. This decreased the average weight of skates by nearly 50 percent.1993 - Rollerblade, Inc. developed ABT or Active Brake Technology. A fiberglass post, attached at one end to the top of the boot and at the other end to a rubber-brake, hinged the chassis at the back wheel. The skater had to straighten one leg to stop, driving the post into the brake, which then hit the ground. Before ABT, skaters had been tilting their foot back to make contact with the ground. The new brake design increased safety.