Students

MKTG202 – Marketing Research

2014 – S2 Evening

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor, Lecturer
Jie Meng
jie.meng@mq.edu.au
Contact via jie.meng@mq.edu.au
E4A 521
Friday: 3:00pm to 4:00pm @ E4A 521 or by appointment
Lecturer
Abas Mirzaei
abas.mirzaei@mq.edu.au
Contact via abas.mirzaei@mq.edu.au
E4A 520
to be posted on iLearn soon
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
MKTG101 and (STAT122 or STAT170 or STAT171 or PSY122)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit reviews the quantitative research techniques acquired in earlier units and introduces some qualitative methods. New and emerging research methods also are presented. The unit concentrates on the application of primary research techniques to problems confronting marketing managers in strategic and operational situations. While the emphasis is on applications, students will be expected to be able to appreciate the differences in techniques and to be able to select appropriate methodologies that will produce relevant information for decision making. The focus will be on placing research methodology into a decision-making context.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Understand the need for, and uses of, marketing research.
  • Understand and design many of the various data-gathering techniques relevant for marketing decisions.
  • Understand and design processes involved in transforming raw data to usable marketing information.
  • Be capable of critically evaluating research methods and output reporting.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
Assignment 40% Weeks #4, #8, #13
Class test 10% Weeks #7
Assessed Coursework 10% Week #13
Final Examination 40% University Examination Period

Assignment

Due: Weeks #4, #8, #13
Weighting: 40%

Submission

Online submission through iLearn in three parts:

  1. Progress report A (individually): 5% Results of Qualitative Research - exploratory study
  2. Progress report B (individually): 10% Plan for Quantitative Survey study
  3. Final report (by group): 25% Integrated complete report as for a client
  4. Topics, marking guides and templates are available on the unit site on iLearn

Extension and penalties:

  • No extensions will be granted for the Progress Report A  and B (individual tasks). Students who have not submitted the tasks prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for special consideration consideration is made and approved.
  • No extensions will be granted to the Final Report (group task). Late tasks will be accepted up to 72 hours after the submission deadline. There will be a deduction of 20% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission - 40% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved.

No transfer of marks from these assessments to the final exam.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand and design many of the various data-gathering techniques relevant for marketing decisions.
  • Understand and design processes involved in transforming raw data to usable marketing information.

Class test

Due: Weeks #7
Weighting: 10%

  • In-class online test (Week 7), in tutorial period (10%).

Extension and Penalties: 

  • No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for special consideration consideration is made and approved.

No transfer of marks from this assessment to the final exam.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand the need for, and uses of, marketing research.
  • Understand and design many of the various data-gathering techniques relevant for marketing decisions.
  • Understand and design processes involved in transforming raw data to usable marketing information.
  • Be capable of critically evaluating research methods and output reporting.

Assessed Coursework

Due: Week #13
Weighting: 10%

  • PeerWise is a place for students to create, share and evaluate assessment questions with their classmates. This service is external to iLearn, and requires a separate log-in procedure.
  • 10 marks are awarded for contribution to the PeerWise service by writing, answering, commenting on questions that are related with marketing research. More details are provided on the unit website.

Extension and Penalties:

  • No extensions will be granted for this PeerWise activities. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for special consideration consideration is made and approved.

No transfer of marks from these assessment tasks to the final exam.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand the need for, and uses of, marketing research.
  • Understand and design many of the various data-gathering techniques relevant for marketing decisions.
  • Understand and design processes involved in transforming raw data to usable marketing information.
  • Be capable of critically evaluating research methods and output reporting.

Final Examination

Due: University Examination Period
Weighting: 40%

  • A combination of Short-Answer and MCQ designed to test your understanding and application of all parts of the unit.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand the need for, and uses of, marketing research.
  • Understand and design many of the various data-gathering techniques relevant for marketing decisions.
  • Understand and design processes involved in transforming raw data to usable marketing information.
  • Be capable of critically evaluating research methods and output reporting.

Delivery and Resources

Classes

  • 3 hours face-to-face teaching per week consisting of for example; 1 x 2-hour lecture and 1 x 1-hour tutorial/lab
  • The timetable for classes can be found on the University web site at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/

Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials

Prescribed text:

  • Cengage Bundle: Zikmund, D'Alessandro, Winzar, Lowe & Babin (2014) Marketing Research: 3rd Cengage: ISBN-10: 0170236021  ISBN-13: 9780170236027

Recommended texts:

  • Kirkpatrick, L.A. (2011), A Simple Guide to IBM SPSS® for Version 20.0, 12ed. Cengage: ISBN-10: 1285086015
  • Emerson, L. (2013), Writing Guidelines for Business Students, 5ed. Cengage: ISBN-10: 0170216381

These texts can be purchased from the Macquarie University Co-op Bookshop.

They are also available in the Macquarie Library.

Technology Used and Required

  • Students will need to have access to a personal computer, with access to the Internet and word processor software.
  • In laboratories, we will use MS-Word, MS-Excel, and SPSS statistical software.

Unit Web Page

  • The web page for this unit can be found at: iLearn http://ilearn.mq.edu.au
  • All announcements and resources will be available on the web site. Resource materials include lecture slides, practice questions, case studies and practice exam questions for both the within-semester and final exams. There is also a forum for student interaction and contact with faculty. You should consult the course Website several times per week for messages and updates.

Learning and Teaching Activities

This unit is taught using lectures and tutorials.

  • Lectures serve to highlight key topics and elaborate on important or difficult topics. They are not a summary of, or a substitute for, the textbook or other resources.
  • Tutorials serve to give students practice in applying concepts and developing skills in critical and logical thinking, information gathering and analysis.

Students are expected to read in advance of lectures, and participate in all lecture presentations. There is also an applied marketing research project assisting students to apply concepts introduced in course to the marketing environment. This will be introduced within the lecture presentations. 

Changes since Last Offering of This Unit

A few changes are made to this unit since S1 2014:

1) The roles of the unit convenor and lecturers are updated accordingly.

2) The previous group assessments of progress report A and B are changed into individual work with the names as "Reflection A" and "Reflection B", which are due in iLearn in Week 4 and 8. The topics, rubrics, and templates are changed accordingly.

3) Class activities of peer review and discussions in Week 5 and 9 related with Reflection A (qualitative part) and B (quantitative part) are conducted but with no marks awarded.

4) The relative weights of assessment items are changed: with 1 additional mark for PeerWise contribution (now as 10%), 5 marks less for quiz (now as 10%), and 0 mark for the in-class activities except for the quiz; with the three progress reports respectively of 5 marks, 10 marks and 25 marks in weight.  

5) Timetable of weekly teaching activities has been update in accordance with the university calendar.

Unit Schedule

 

 

Week

Topic

Reading

Notes/ tutorial activities

1

Course introduction

The research process

Ch. 1, 3

No tutorials this week.

2

Aiming for the Goal: the Research Report

Exploratory research and qualitative analysis

Ch. 16, 2, 4

Introduction and group formation.

Observation and interview techniques.

3

Survey Research techniques

Ch. 5 & 6

Interviews & Focus Groups

4

Survey Methods

Experimental Research & Test Marketing

Ch. 4, 7, 8

Projective techniques

Individual Task: Reflection on the Qualitative Research due in iLearn: Midnight Friday 29 Aug.

5

Measurement Issues

Ch. 1 – 8

Peer assessment and discussion of Progress Report A in tutorial.

6

Questionnaire Design

Ch. 9 & 16

Linking research questions and hypotheses with measurement.
7

Sampling

Editing & coding

 Ch. 10 & 11

In-Class Quiz in tutorials: 15-17 Sep.

 

Semester Break

 

 

8

No lectures this week due to the public holiday

 

No tutorials this week due to the public holiday.

Individual Task: Reflection on the Quantitative Research Plan is due in iLearn: Midnight Friday 10 Oct.

9

Data Preparation and Data Analysis

Ch. 11 & 12 

Peer assessment and discussion of Progress Report B in tutorial.

10

Data Analysis (cont.)

Ch. 13 & 14

Univariate statistics: Qualtrics output

Summarising data with SPSS and Excel

11

Data Analysis (cont.)

Ch. 15 & 16

Bivariate statistics in SPSS.

12

Data Analysis (cont.)

Review of semester to date.

Ch. 9 – 16

Multivariate statistics in SPSS.

13

Examination preparation

 

Group Project Final Research Report due in iLearn: Midnight Friday 14 Nov.

PeerWise activities due this week

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Academic Honesty

The nature of scholarly endeavour, dependent as it is on the work of others, binds all members of the University community to abide by the principles of academic honesty. Its fundamental principle is that all staff and students act with integrity in the creation, development, application and use of ideas and information. This means that:

  • all academic work claimed as original is the work of the author making the claim
  • all academic collaborations are acknowledged
  • academic work is not falsified in any way
  • when the ideas of others are used, these ideas are acknowledged appropriately.

Further information on the academic honesty can be found in the Macquarie University Academic Honesty Policy at http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Grades

Macquarie University uses the following grades in coursework units of study:

  • HD - High Distinction
  • D - Distinction
  • CR - Credit
  • P - Pass
  • F - Fail

Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Grading Policy which is available at:

http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grading Appeals and Final Examination Script Viewing

If, at the conclusion of the unit, you have performed below expectations, and are considering lodging an appeal of grade and/or viewing your final exam script please refer to the following website which provides information about these processes and the cut off dates in the first instance. Please read the instructions provided concerning what constitutes a valid grounds for appeal before appealing your grade.

http://www.businessandeconomics.mq.edu.au/new_and_current_students/undergraduate_current_students/how_do_i/grade_appeals/

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand the need for, and uses of, marketing research.
  • Understand and design many of the various data-gathering techniques relevant for marketing decisions.
  • Understand and design processes involved in transforming raw data to usable marketing information.
  • Be capable of critically evaluating research methods and output reporting.

Assessment tasks

  • Assignment
  • Class test
  • Assessed Coursework
  • Final Examination

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand and design many of the various data-gathering techniques relevant for marketing decisions.
  • Understand and design processes involved in transforming raw data to usable marketing information.
  • Be capable of critically evaluating research methods and output reporting.

Assessment tasks

  • Assignment
  • Assessed Coursework
  • Final Examination

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand the need for, and uses of, marketing research.
  • Understand and design many of the various data-gathering techniques relevant for marketing decisions.
  • Understand and design processes involved in transforming raw data to usable marketing information.
  • Be capable of critically evaluating research methods and output reporting.

Assessment tasks

  • Assignment
  • Class test
  • Final Examination

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand and design many of the various data-gathering techniques relevant for marketing decisions.
  • Understand and design processes involved in transforming raw data to usable marketing information.
  • Be capable of critically evaluating research methods and output reporting.

Assessment tasks

  • Assignment
  • Assessed Coursework
  • Final Examination

Research and Practice

  • This unit uses research by Macquarie University researchers (Zikmund et al., 2014 and other resources on iLearn).
  • This unit uses research from external sources (Zikmund et al., 2014 and other resources on iLearn).
  • This unit gives you opportunities to conduct your own research.