This course equips students with a solid knowledge and understanding of common research methods in marketing and consumer research. Students will develop analytical thinking skills, identify research questions, formulate hypotheses, operationalize ways to test them and draw conclusions based on the analysis of the results. The course consists of two parts. Part one covers qualitative research methods, part two covers quantitative research methods. In part one, students will learn how to conduct qualitative research applying methods such as focus groups, in-depth interviews or videography. In part two, students will learn how to design questionnaires and how to prepare, analyze and interpret quantitative data using Microsoft Excel. In both parts, students will learn how to synthesize data into actionable customer insights.

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to do the following:

1. Have a basic understanding of qualitative versus quantitative approaches depending on the research question under scrutiny.
2. Plan and design a qualitative study, e.g., prepare an interview guide, analyse and interpret qualitative data.
3. Perform data analysis in Microsoft Excel and to interpret the results.
4. Test an hypothesis by applying different statistical analyses (e.g. linear regression, ANOVA, etc.).
5. Present descriptive statistics through various charts and tables.

Attendance of the course sessions is mandatory. Students are allowed to miss up to 20% of the course time in justified cases. Students will be asked to work in small groups during the class meetings in order to earn credit for participation.

This course will use a variety of different learning methods. Conceptual input, group assignments, use of multimedia ressources and critical reflection and discussion sessions will guide the learning in the qualitative part. For the quantitative part of the course, the learning will be hands-on. Students will be given problems to solve, which confront the other researchers in the Institute for Marketing and Consumer Research in their research.

Assessment of the learning outcomes mentioned above will based on group and individual assignments.  For the qualitative part of the course, students will complete a group assignment which will count as 40% of the final mark.  For the quantitative part of the course, individual assignments will given in order to assess student learning.  These assignments together will count as 40% of the final mark for the course.  An additional 20% of the final mark will come from group exercises given in class.

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Monika Koller monika.koller@wu.ac.at and John Price john.price@wu.ac.at