Exploratory Research Design:

Secondary Data

Chapter Outline
1) Overview
2) Primary versus Secondary Data
3) Advantages & Uses of Secondary Data
4) Disadvantages of Secondary Data

Chapter Outline (cont.)

5) Criteria for Evaluating Secondary Data
i. Specifications: Methodology Used to Collect
the Data
ii. Error: Accuracy of the Data
iii. Currency: When the Data were collected
iv. Objective(s): The Purpose for Which the
Data were Collected
v. Nature: The Content of the Data
vi. Dependability: Overall, How Dependable
are the Data

Chapter Outline
6) Classification of Secondary Data
7) Internal Secondary Data
8) Published External Secondary Sources
i. General Business Sources
a. Guides

Census
Data

b. Directories
c. Indexes
d. Non-governmental Statistical Data

Chapter Outline
ii. Government Sources
a. Census Data
b. Other Government Publications
9) Computerized Databases
i. Classification of Computerized
Databases
ii. Directories of Databases
10)

Syndicate Sources of Secondary Data

Chapter Outline
11) Syndicated Data from Households

i. Surveys
a. Psychographics & Lifestyles
b. Advertising Evaluation
c. General Surveys
d. Uses of Surveys
e. Advantages & Disadvantages of Surveys
ii. Diary Panels
a. Diary Purchase Panels
b. Diary Media Panels
c. Uses of Dairy Panels
d. Advantages & Disadvantages of Dairy Panels
iii. Electronic Scanner Services
a. Volume Tracking Data
b. Scanner Diary Panels
c. Scanner Diary Panels with Cable TV
d. Uses of Scanner Services
e. Advantages & Disadvantages

Chapter Outline
12) Syndicated Data from Institutions
i. Retailers & Wholesalers
a. Uses of Audit Data
b. Advantages & Disadvantages of Audit Data
ii. Industry Services
a. Uses of Industry Services
b. Advantages & Disadvantages of Industry
Services

Chapter Outline
13) Combining Information from Different
Sources: Single-Source Data
14) Applications of Secondary Data
i. Computer Mapping
15) International Marketing Research
16) Ethics in Marketing Research
17) Internet and Computer Applications
18) Focus on Burke
19) Summary
20) Key Terms & Concepts
21) Acronyms

Table 4.1

A Comparison of Primary &

Secondary Data
Primary Data

Collection purpose
Collection process
Collection cost
Collection time

For the problem at hand

Very involved
High
Long

Secondary Data
For other problems
Rapid & easy
Relatively low
Short

Table 4.2

Criteria for Evaluating Secondary Data

Criteria

Issues

Specifications Data collection method, response

& methodology rate, quality & analysis of data,
sampling technique & size,
questionnaire design, field work.
Examine errors in approach,
Error &
research design, sampling, data
Accuracy
collection & analysis, & reporting.
Time lag between collection &
Currency
publication, frequency of updates.
Why were the data collected?
Objective
Nature
Dependability

Definition of key variables, units of

measurement, categories used,
relationships examined.
Expertise, credibility, reputation,
& trustworthiness of the source.

Remarks
Data should be reliable,
valid, & generalizable to
the problem.
Assess accuracy by
comparing data from
different sources.
Census data are updated
by syndicated firms.
The objective determines
the relevance of data.
Reconfigure the data to
increase their usefulness.
Data should be obtained
from an original source.

Fig. 4.1

A Classification of Secondary Data

Secondary Data

Internal

Ready to
Use

Requires
Further
Processing

External

Published Computerized
Materials Databases

Syndicated
Services

RIP 4.1

Type of Individual/Household Level Data

Available from Syndicated Firms

I.

Demographic Data

Identification (name, address, telephone)

Sex

Marital status

Names of family members

Age (including ages of family members)

Income

Occupation

Number of children present

Home ownership

Length of residence

Number and make of cars owned

II.

Psychographic Lifestyle Data

Interest in golf

Interest in snow skiing

Interest in book reading

Interest in running

Interest in bicycling

Interest in pets

Interest in fishing

Interest in electronics

Interest in cable television

There are also firms such as Dun & Bradstreet and American
Business Information which collect demographic data on
businesses.

Fig. 4.2

A Classification of Published
Secondary Sources
Published
Secondary Data
General Business
Sources

Guides

Directories Indexes Statistical

Data

Government
Sources
Census
Other
Data Government
Publications

RIP 4.2

American Business Information: Here,

There, and Everywhere

American Business Information Inc. markets subsets of

its data in a number of forms, including the professional
on-line services (LEXIS-NEXIS and DIALOG), the
general online services (CompuServe and Microsoft
Network), the Internet (look-ups), and on CD-ROM.
The underlying database on which all these products are
based contains information on 110 million residential
listings and 11 million business listings. ABI also assigns
credit scores to company listings. The ABI database
most business researchers are familiar with are the
American Business Directory and the Canadian Business
Directory.

A Classification of
Computerized Databases

Fig. 4.3

Computerized
Databases

On-Line

Bibliographic
Databases

Numeric
Databases

Internet

Full-Text
Databases

Off-Line

Directory
Databases

SpecialPurpose
Databases

Fig. 4.4

A Classification of Syndicated Services

Unit of
Measurement

Households/
Consumers

Institutions

Fig. 4.4 Contd.

Syndicated Services: Consumers

Households /
Consumers

Mail Diary
Panels
Purchase

Volume
Tracking Data

Surveys

Psychographic
& Lifestyles

Media

General

Advertising
Evaluation

Electronic
scanner services

Scanner Diary
Panels

Scanner Diary
Panels with
Cable TV

Fig. 4.4 Contd.

Syndicated Services: Institutions

Institutions

Retailers

Wholesalers

Industrial firms

Audits

Direct
Inquiries

Clipping
Services

Corporate
Reports

Table 4.3

Type

Surveys

Overview of Syndicated Services

Characteristics Advantages
Surveysconducted
atregularintervals

Disadvantages Uses

Mostflexiblewayof Interviewererrors;
obtainingdata;
respondenterrors
informationon
underlyingmotives

Diary
Householdsprovide Recordedpurchase
Purchase specificinformation behaviorcanbe
Panels
regularlyoveran
linkedtothe
extendedperiodof demographic/
time;respondent
psychographic
askedtorecord
characteristics
specificbehaviorsas
theyoccur

Lackof
representativeness;
responsebias;
maturation

Diary
Media
Panels

Sameasdiary
purchasepanel

Electronicdevices
automatically
recordingbehavior,
supplementedbya
diary

Sameasdiary
purchasepanel

Market
segmentation,
advertisingtheme
selectionand
advertising
effectiveness
Forecastingsales,
marketshareand
trends;establishing
consumerprofiles,
brandloyaltyand
switching;
evaluatingtest
markets,advertising,
anddistribution
Establishing
advertisingrates;
selectingmedia
programorairtime;
establishingviewer
profiles

Table 4.3 Contd.

Type

Characteristics Advantages
Household
purchasesare
recordedthrough
electronicscanners
insupermarkets

Datareflectsactual
purchases;timely
data,lessexpensive

Scanner
Diary
Panels
withCable
TV

Scannerpanelsof
householdsthat
subscribetocable
TV

Audit
services

Verificationof
productmovement
byexamining
physicalrecordsor
performing
inventoryanalysis

Datareflectactual
purchases;sample
control;abilityto
linkpaneldatato
household
characteristics
Relativelyprecise
informationatthe
retailandwholesale
levels

Scanner
Volume
Tracking
Data

Disadvantages

Datamaynotbe
representative;
errorsinrecording
purchases;difficult
tolinkpurchasesto
elementsof
marketingmixother
thanprice
Datamaynotbe
representative;
qualityofdata
limited
Coveragemaybe
incomplete;
matchingofdataon
competitiveactivity
maybedifficult

Uses

Pricetracking,
modeling,
effectivenessofin
storepromotions

Promotionalmix
analyses,copy
testing,newproduct
testing,positioning

Measurementof
consumersalesand
marketshare,
competitiveactivity,
analyzing
distributionpatterns:
trackingofnew
products
Industrial Databankson
Importantsourceof Dataarelackingin
Determiningmarket
Product
industrial
informationon
termsofcontent,
potentialby
Syndicated establishments
industrialfirms,
quantity,andquality geographicarea,
Services
createdthrough
particularlyusefulin
definingsales
directinquiriesof
initialphasesofthe
territories,allocating
companies,clipping projects
advertisingbudget
services,and
corporatereports

RIP 4.3

The New York Times on the Web: A

New Way to Target Consumers

The New York Times Electronic Media Company offers

The New York Times on the Web database information
to advertisers in a manner that enables firms to leverage
the sites 2 million registrants. The database contains
demographic information, such as age, gender, income,
and zip code, that ties to an e-mail address for each of the
members. This new database marketing system can
identify and customize user groups, target web messages
to specific segments of the population, and adjust the
message based on audience reaction. It can also increase
targeting opportunities through third-party data or
additional information supplied by the user.

For example, the database enables an automobile firm to

emphasize safety to older customers, luxury to affluent
ones, and roominess to families. The system is set up so
that near real-time data can be received from the web
that indicates how well ads are performing relative to
age, gender, and income characteristics. Thus, this
system allows a firm to maintain up-to-date information
on audiences in order to position its products effectively.

Fig. 4.5

A Classification of International
Sources
International Secondary Data

Domestic
Organizations in
the United States

Government
Sources

International
Organizations in
the United States

Nongovernment
Sources

Governments

Organizations in
Foreign Countries

International
Organizations

Trade
Associations