Module: Practical Market Research

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Practical Market Research
Module Code	MG338 (ITS) / MAD1011 (Banner)
Faculty	DCU Business School	School	DCU Business School
Module Co-ordinator	Yuhui Gao
Module Teachers	Marija Grishin, Michelle Cowley-Cunningham
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

Coursework Only

Description

Throughout this course on Practical Marketing Research, students will learn how marketing information can be provided to assist organisations in diagnosing, deciding and delivering marketing strategies and tactics. The main objective of this practical course is to help students develop an in-depth knowledge and hands-on skills of marketing research approaches, methods and applications from both the client-based and academic perspectives. This course provides you with a sound understanding of the major stages and techniques used in the marketing research process. This includes defining the research requirement (problem definition), developing research questions, formulating a research design, the collection and interpretation of data, and the presentation of final results. Undertaking market research using both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies will be addressed.

Learning Outcomes

1. Appraise the role of marketing research in organisations.
2. Understand the key features of client-based market research.
3. Develop skills in constructing, analysing and interpreting both qualitative and quantitative data.
4. Identify, evaluate, and apply different research approaches and appreciate different ways in which data, research methods and research paradigms may be mixed.
5. Develop awareness of ethical issues.
6. Further advance transferrable skills (e.g., time management, communication, report writing, teamwork).

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	24	Course material
Group work	15	Evaluation of research designs
Assignment Completion	50	Individual
Independent Study	25	reading and researching
Online activity	11	SPSS Practice
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Contexts: Client-based market research
the process of designing research for clients; the market research industry; the changing role of the market researcher

Accessing and constructing good-quality data
accessing secondary data; in-depth interviews; focus groups; observation and other alternative qualitative research; survey research; sample design and selection; mixed research designs; the impact of information technology

Data analysis
analysing both qualitative and quantitative data; SPSS

Applications
international marketing research; communicating the results

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Group assignment	Group research proposal	30%	Week 5
Essay	Individual written research report	70%	Week 12

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Alvin C. Burns,Ronald F. Bush: 2020, Marketing Research, Global Edition, 9, 129231804X
Matthew Harrison,Julia Cupman,Paul Hague,Oliver Truman: 2016, Market Research in Practice, Kogan Page, 0749475854
Yvonne McGivern: 2013, The Practice of Market Research, 4, Pearson, 0273773119

Other Resources

None