Consumer Research in Marketing, 14016079
WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO CONSUMER RESEARCH
Introduction
There are three fundamental questions that we have to answer;
1. What is research?
Research is a systematic process of searching for and gathering information.
2. Why do we conduct research?
To solve problems, answer research questions and advance knowledge.
3. How can we conduct research?
We can use existing theories to derive hypotheses and test them.
We can create new theories based on observation inquiry.
Research is ‘’A studious inquiry or examination: especially an investigation or experimentation aimed
at the discovery and interpretation of facts, the revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new
facts, or the practical application of such new or revised theories or laws’’.
Systematic research consists of three steps:
1. Observation (e.g. most hotel guests do not reuse their towels, research question: How can I
increase towel reuse in my hotel?)
2. Generate theories / Generate hypotheses
3. Collect data (e.g. interviews, questionnaire, experiments, etc.)
• Theory is ‘’a statement of concepts and their interrelationships that shows how and/or why a
phenomenon occurs’’.
• Hypothesis is ‘’a proposition or prediction about a phenomenon/state of the world’’.
• Experiment is ‘’a form of research in which one or more factors are manipulated to see their
effect on an outcome’’.
• Ethnography is ‘’a form of naturalistic inquiry (observation, participation, interviews, etc.) that
has a specific interest in culture’’.
Research paradigms
1. What is a research paradigm?
A lens or way of thinking about reality.
2. What characterizes different research paradigms?
Its ontology, epistemology, axiology and methodology.
3. How do research paradigms dictate (consumer) research?
They determine what we define as truth, how we can obtain this truth, what values guide our
truth and our general research strategy.
• Paradigm is ‘’a lens or a way of thinking about the world; provides
direction for the researcher, different ways of thinking about reality’’.
What characterizes a research paradigm?
1. Ontology = What is the nature of reality?
2. Epistemology = How can we know reality?
3. Axiology = What is valuable and ethical? Where do values come from?
4. Methodology = How is research conducted?
Basic assumptions, beliefs, norms, and values of each paradigm.
Ontology
Beliefs about the nature of reality; influences our perception of truth – what we think we can
know about reality; characterized by ‘’what is?’’ questions.
, Consumer Research in Marketing, 14016079
Epistemology
The study of knowledge; determines how we can know reality (a researcher’s approach to knowledge
generation); dictated by ontological beliefs.
Axiology
The study of value; deals with the nature of what is valuable and ethical, what you value or aim for
your research (i.e., goals)
Methodology
General research strategy; outlines how the research is conducted and identifies the methods used.
How knowledge is discovered and analysed in a systematic way.
WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO CONSUMER RESEARCH
Introduction
There are three fundamental questions that we have to answer;
1. What is research?
Research is a systematic process of searching for and gathering information.
2. Why do we conduct research?
To solve problems, answer research questions and advance knowledge.
3. How can we conduct research?
We can use existing theories to derive hypotheses and test them.
We can create new theories based on observation inquiry.
Research is ‘’A studious inquiry or examination: especially an investigation or experimentation aimed
at the discovery and interpretation of facts, the revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new
facts, or the practical application of such new or revised theories or laws’’.
Systematic research consists of three steps:
1. Observation (e.g. most hotel guests do not reuse their towels, research question: How can I
increase towel reuse in my hotel?)
2. Generate theories / Generate hypotheses
3. Collect data (e.g. interviews, questionnaire, experiments, etc.)
• Theory is ‘’a statement of concepts and their interrelationships that shows how and/or why a
phenomenon occurs’’.
• Hypothesis is ‘’a proposition or prediction about a phenomenon/state of the world’’.
• Experiment is ‘’a form of research in which one or more factors are manipulated to see their
effect on an outcome’’.
• Ethnography is ‘’a form of naturalistic inquiry (observation, participation, interviews, etc.) that
has a specific interest in culture’’.
Research paradigms
1. What is a research paradigm?
A lens or way of thinking about reality.
2. What characterizes different research paradigms?
Its ontology, epistemology, axiology and methodology.
3. How do research paradigms dictate (consumer) research?
They determine what we define as truth, how we can obtain this truth, what values guide our
truth and our general research strategy.
• Paradigm is ‘’a lens or a way of thinking about the world; provides
direction for the researcher, different ways of thinking about reality’’.
What characterizes a research paradigm?
1. Ontology = What is the nature of reality?
2. Epistemology = How can we know reality?
3. Axiology = What is valuable and ethical? Where do values come from?
4. Methodology = How is research conducted?
Basic assumptions, beliefs, norms, and values of each paradigm.
Ontology
Beliefs about the nature of reality; influences our perception of truth – what we think we can
know about reality; characterized by ‘’what is?’’ questions.
, Consumer Research in Marketing, 14016079
Epistemology
The study of knowledge; determines how we can know reality (a researcher’s approach to knowledge
generation); dictated by ontological beliefs.
Axiology
The study of value; deals with the nature of what is valuable and ethical, what you value or aim for
your research (i.e., goals)
Methodology
General research strategy; outlines how the research is conducted and identifies the methods used.
How knowledge is discovered and analysed in a systematic way.
