Deck 4: Collecting Secondary Data from Inside and Outside the Organization

Question 1

Which of the following might NOT be considered a benefit of using secondary data?

A) Secondary data help clarify the problem under investigation better.
B) Secondary data cost less to collect than primary data.
C) Secondary data suggest improved methods or data for addressing research problems.
D) Secondary data provide comparative data to primary data.
E) Secondary data fit the problem under investigation better.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Secondary sources are not recommended for secondary data collection because:

A) it is difficult to determine the quality of the data.
B) primary sources are typically more accurate.
C) errors in transcription may have occurred.
D) secondary sources are often incomplete.
E) All of the above are correct.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following is FALSE?

A) One useful source of internal secondary data is prior marketing research studies on related topics.
B) Most marketing research studies should begin with internal secondary data.
C) There exists some relevant external secondary data on virtually any problem a marketer might confront.
D) In general, the single most productive source document of external secondary data is the sales invoice.
E) The amount of secondary data available is increasing.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The basic rule that should be followed by all researchers when beginning the data collection process is to:

A) begin with secondary data, and then proceed if necessary to collect primary data.
B) always start by consulting the statistical abstract of the United States.
C) begin with primary data, then supplement if needed with secondary data.
D) always investigate external sources of secondary data first.
E) design a field experiment to collect primary data.

Question 5

Which of the following are examples of secondary data (as contrasted with primary data)?

A) Demographic information (birth, age, marriage, income, etc.) collected from a sample of respondents as a part of a market segmentation study for a prominent grocery chain.
B) Housing data (tenure, race of occupants, year built, etc.) as reported in the Journal of Marketing and later used by a researcher working on a project for a construction company.
C) Housing data especially collected from a sample by a researcher working on a project for a construction company.
D) Consumer attitudes as measured by an attitude questionnaire designed and used by a researcher investigating a model of consumer behavior.
E) Results of an experiment used to evaluate advertisement effectiveness for a new product.

Question 6

Which of the following is TRUE?

A) Primary data is gathered by the researcher's organization and secondary data is gathered by some other organization.
B) The researcher should attempt to gather secondary data before initiating a search for primary data.
C) Secondary data in a secondary source is just as accurate as secondary data in a primary source.
D) If a researcher obtains secondary data from the party who collected them, he or she is using a secondary source of secondary data.
E) They are all false.

Question 7

In general, the one most productive source of internal secondary data for marketing research problems is:

A) the firm's Annual Report.
B) warranty registration cards.
C) the sales invoice.
D) salesperson's call reports.
E) individual customer records.

Question 8

Secondary data rarely fit perfectly the researcher's particular problem. The most important reason for the lack of fit is(are):

A) out-of-date statistics, differences in units of measurement, differences in class boundaries.
B) differences in units of measurement, theories of measurement, and class boundaries.
C) differences in evaluations of what is important.
D) the volume of data provided is too large.
E) differences in collection method and research design.

Question 9

Which of the following is TRUE?

A) The first step in searching published sources of secondary data is to consult a reference librarian.
B) One key source of secondary information is the trade association, particularly since it is often able to obtain information from members that might not be available elsewhere.
C) The primary advantage of on-line database searching is access to information not available in any other format.
D) The main disadvantage of using standardized marketing information services over primary data is that the data is not as accurate.
E) They are all false.

Question 10

Which of the following is a main reason for always using the primary source of secondary data?

A) The primary source typically describes the process of data collection and analysis, while secondary sources typically do not.
B) Secondary sources typically change units of measurement.
C) Primary sources are usually more accurate and complete.
D) Only a and b are correct.
E) Only a and c are correct.

Question 11

Once the research problem is defined and clearly specified:

A) the research effort turns to data analysis.
B) data collection takes place.
C) researchers should begin designing a survey immediately.
D) survey data becomes necessary.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 12

The distinction between primary and secondary data is defined by the:

A) method of collection.
B) purpose of the investigation.
C) form used for collection.
D) group sponsoring the collection.
E) type of data collected.

Question 13

Which of the following is FALSE?

A) Internal secondary data are the least costly of any type of marketing research.
B) Secondary data usually have the advantage of being faster to collect than primary data.
C) Although secondary data provide a good starting point for a research project, it will always be necessary to collect primary data at some point.
D) One of the advantages of secondary data is that secondary data generally are much less costly to collect than primary data.
E) Secondary data typically do not provide as good a fit to the problem as primary data.

Question 14

One key to effectively using prior marketing research projects as secondary data sources is:

A) selecting only those projects that addressed the current problem.
B) using only project results that were generated by laboratory experiments.
C) always using project results in isolation, in other words, not confusing the issue by combining results from various projects.
D) combining key learnings on related topics in order to arrive at synergistic learnings.
E) using only the learnings from projects conducted by commercial research companies, in order to avoid internal bias.

Question 15

The most important advantage(s) of secondary data is(are) that:

A) it is appropriate for many purposes.
B) it is usually more thoroughly tested and evaluated.
C) it may involve additional field and office personnel.
D) there could be possible cost and time savings.
E) it provides a welcome rest in the library.

Question 16

A researcher is attempting to evaluate the market potential of a new product in a new area and has used the Statistical Abstract of the United States for some of the needed information. Which of the following has the researcher used?

A) A primary source of primary data.
B) A secondary source of primary data.
C) A primary source of secondary data.
D) A secondary source of secondary data.
E) None of the above.

Question 17

Which of the following does not constitute an advantage of secondary sources of information?

A) Help to better state the problem under investigation
B) Complete fit with the problem
C) Suggest improved methods or data for better coming to grips with the problem
D) Provide comparative data by which primary data can be more insightfully interpreted
E) Less costly

Question 18

A source of secondary data that presents data, often in abstracted form, secured from the originator of the data is known as a(n):

A) mediated source.
B) secondary source.
C) third-party source.
D) primary source.
E) abstractive source.

Question 19

Which of the following is (are) secondary source(s) of secondary data?

A) A table showing "Prestige Ratings of Occupations in the United States" published in a textbook but extracted from a research monograph.
B) Estimated brand shares for a number of leading electrical firms as published in Fortune and which was the result of research sponsored by that magazine.
C) The Census of Population.
D) The Census of Housing which is taken in conjunction with the Census of Population.
E) Results of a research project on a related topic.

Question 20

The first step in searching for published sources of secondary data is to:

A) talk to the reference librarian.
B) go to the library and page through sources to get a feel for what is in them.
C) use a computer data base to locate possible sources.
D) identify what you know and what you wish to know about your topic.
E) consult an index of data sources.

Question 21

Joe is conducting research for the marketing department of Major League Baseball about the effects of sports strikes on ticket sales. The regression model he has developed is from information and data he found in sports journals, periodicals, and newspapers. Joe is using what kind of data in his research?

A) Primary data
B) Secondary data
C) Survey data
D) Focus group data
E) Experimental data

Question 22

A mink coat retailer wishes to locate in cities that may offer good market potential for their coats. They need cities with average incomes exceeding $85,000. However, the secondary information source they find has an income category of $70,000 to $100,000. This represents a major disadvantage of secondary data, which is:

A) different units of measurement.
B) different class definition.
C) out of date data.
D) data having high credibility.
E) Both a and b.

Question 23

AT&T has a marketing research department that regularly collects customer information from numerous sources including: sales invoices, salesperson expense accounts, warranty cards, etc. This is an example of a firm's:

A) external published secondary source.
B) internal secondary source.
C) external commercial secondary source.
D) tertiary data.
E) None of the above.

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT an example of primary data collection?

A) Telephone survey of manufacturers.
B) Computerized literature search of Google.com to learn about the U.S. trade deficit.
C) Asking restaurant patrons to complete a survey after their meal and dropping it in the suggestion box before exiting.
D) Observation of oil patches in driveways of homes to determine the socioeconomic status of the neighborhood.
E) An academic experiment using graduate students in a retailing course as subjects to determine how different retailers measure customer satisfaction.

Question 25

You are searching for relevant secondary data via computer searching. After determining what you already know and what you wish to know about your topic, what is the next step?

A) Go to the library and begin searching through relevant marketing publications.
B) Consult an authority in the field.
C) Consult a reference librarian for help.
D) Consult a specialized index that relates to your topic.
E) Generate a list of key terms and names.

Question 26

The process of collating demographic, consumer-behavior, and lifestyle data by arbitrary geographic boundaries that are typically quite small is called ____________________.

Question 27

A major drawback to using U.S. census data in marketing research projects is:

A) the quality of the data is suspect due to coding and tabulation problems.
B) the data may not be as current as the researcher needs.
C) data is seldom available at the level of detail needed by the researcher.
D) data is unobtainable in machine-readable formats.
E) census data is only available for demographic variables.

Question 28

Geodemographers consider the experts' suggestion, for the regular update of the census data through statistical extrapolation, as technically irrelevant .

Question 29

A combination of database, analytical models, and dialog system that allows managers to develop and access customized information is called the ____________________.

Question 30

People meter is a device used to measure when a television is on, to what channel it is tuned, and who in the household is watching it.

Question 31

The primary advantage of using online computer searches to gather secondary data is:

A) savings in time spent.
B) savings in cost of assembling data.
C) the accuracy of the data obtained.
D) the ability to take advantage of expert help from a reference librarian.
E) data are furnished in machine-readable formats.

Question 32

Two advantages offered by secondary data are ____________________ and ____________________.

Question 33

Name at least one of the key sources researchers should keep in mind in conducting a search process: ____________________.

Question 34

A marketing manager needs information about all competitors' prices in order to make a pricing decision. The internal database she consults contains prices that were collected by mystery shoppers over a year ago. Her database has one of the major disadvantages of secondary data, namely, _____.

A) age of the data
B) quality
C) relevance
D) completeness
E) units of measure that do not match

Question 35

A representative group of individuals or households that keeps track of purchases made or products consumed over a given period of time is called a scanner.

Question 36

____________________ is a mapping software which combines various kinds of demographic data with geographic information on maps.

Question 37

The use of analytic techniques to explore the data held within a dataset in order to isolate useful information is called ____________________.

Question 38

A computer-based, artificial intelligence system that attempts to model how specialists in the area process information to solve the problem at hand is called the ____________________.

Question 39

Name at least one of the three criteria researchers should use in judging the accuracy of secondary data: ____________________.

Question 40

The CIO serves as the liaison between the firm's top management and its information systems department.

Question 41

Data that allow researchers to link together purchase behavior, household characteristics, and advertising exposure at the household level is called ____________________.

Question 42

How do organisations assess exposure to and effectiveness of advertising in the mass media?

Question 43

Compare and contrast primary and secondary data.