Elements of the research proposal

Executive summary
Background
Objectives
Research approach
Time and cost requirements
Technical appendixes
 Secondary Data
•Internal secondary data
•Accounting records
•Sales force reports
•Miscellaneous reports
•Internal experts
 External sources of secondary data

•Government publications
•Non Government publication
•Commercial data
•Syndicated Research services
•Media research
•Specialized reports
•Computerized databases
•Bibliographic databases
•Numeric databases
•Database systems
•Associations
•Other published sources
•Directories
•External experts
 Governmental sources
•Department of census- census of population housing , business, manufacturing,
minerals transportation, distribution of population, area wise. Languages spoken,
number of literates sex ratio
•central government departments- health, education and social welfare, industries,
agriculture, housing
•state governments unions territories -respective functioning
•Commercial sources- org –marg IMRB MRB of Hindustan Thomson Associates lt d.
National advertising Services (pvt) ltd
•Industry sources: Indian institute of foreign trade, IIMs IITs Indian universities, Research
institutes
•Professional and trade Associations and Export development councils, All india
management association, annual reports
•Miscellaneous: Individual research reports, libraries, General publications, yellow
pages/stand-alone directories, Industrial product finder, data through telephone
 International secondary data
Databases

Foreign Government sources

U.S.Government

International political organizations

Problems encountered with
secondary data
Availability
Relevance
Accuracy
Sufficiency
Government Publications
Registrar General of India conducts a population census
The central Statistical Organisation: Statistics of national income
CSO Statistical Abstract India
Annual survey of industries
Monthly production of Selected industries in India
The Director General of Commercial Intelligence, Government of India Monthly statistics of
foreign trade
Wholesale price index office of the Economic Adviser, Ministry of commerce and industry
Government of India. All India consumer price index
Basic statistics relating to Indian Economy Planning commission
Reserve bank of India Bulletin-currency and finance in particular
Currency and finance Report –statistics on all major aspects
The economic survey Department of economic affairs, Ministry of finance,
Government of India
Agricultural situation in India- Directorate of Economics and Statistics of the Ministry
of Agriculture
The Indian labour journal –labour bureau
The Indian labour year book
State Statistical Abstracts And District Statistical Handbooks
National sample survey Ministry of planning
Non Governmental publications
Indian cotton Mills federation
Bombay mill owners federation
Stock exchange directories
The Market Research and Statistical bureau of the coffee board
The coir board _India’s production, Exports and Internal consumption of coir and coir
goods
The rubber board Kottayam
Indian woollen mills Federation, Bombay- Wool and wollens of India,
Federation of Indian chamber of commerce and Industry
◦ Thapar’s Indian Industrial Directory and Import-Export Directory of the entire world
◦ Kothari’s Industrial and Economic Guide of India
◦ SIRI Directory of Industries in India –small Industries Research Institute New Delhi
◦ Handbook and Directory of Indian Industries
◦ Commerce yearbook of public sector
◦ The Hindu Survey of Indian Industry
◦ Directory of Foreign Collaborations in India
Syndicated services

collect and tabulate marketing information on a continuing basis-sent

periodically to clients –TV viewing, magazine readership movement of
consumer goods through retail outlets
Intermediate source
Panel type
Customer research services
ORG- Syndicated Research Services
Retail Stores Audit on consumer products
Retail Store Audit on Pharmaceutical products
Prescription Audit
Market Pulse
Media Research-National Readership survey, Businessmen’s Readership Survey,
Television Rating Point, Telefacts
MARG: Children’s Media Survey
Readership of Publications
TV Viewing
Cinema Going Frequency
Attitude to Advertisements
Specialized Reports- Thompson Indices, Pathfinders Syndicated Research
Services
Primary Data Vs. Secondary data
First hand original Second hand readymade-other
agency
Collection is time and cost consuming Easy and quick collection at less cost
complicated
Sources-sampling units Internal or external records

Reliable accurate Supplementary to primary data

Affect the research directly Provide secondary information

Latest – useful for current problems historical

Related and relevant Modify and be selective

Need for secondary data
1. Problem recognition
2. problem clarification
3.formulation of feasible alternatives
4. Problem solution
Advantages-economical saves time, valuable insights and contextual familiarity,
basis for comparison, improves understanding
Disadvantages- time consuming exercise, too vast , Some other purpose,
erroneous, reliability doubtful, not updated