Texas A&M University-Texarkana MKT 436
Marketing Research
http://www.tamut.edu/~bowen/

Fall 2005

• FACULTY CONTACT INFO • MEETING TIME & PLACE • TEXTBOOK • CATALOG DESCRIPTION • COURSE OBJECTIVES • SCHEDULE • TERM PROJECT • ATTENDANCE • EVALUATION METHODS • GRADING SYSTEM • ACADEMIC HONESTY •  
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  1. FACULTY :

    Instructor : Dr. Robert S. Owen
    Office : 215 Academic Building
    Office phone : (903) 223-3010
    Department phone : (903) 223-3021 (Loretta Williams)
    Fax : (903) 223-3121
    Email : robert(dot)owen(at)tamut(dot)edu
    Web site : www.tamut.edu/~bowen/
    Office Hours : TWR 3:50-5:50

  2. COURSE :

    1. Meeting Time and Place :
      R, 6:00-8:45, 126 Academic Building

    2. Course Materials :
      Textbook : Churchill & Iacobucci (2005), Marketing Research: Methodological Foundations (Ninth Edition), Thomson South-Western, ISBN 0-324-20160-5 (do not need InfoTrac or data disk). 
      Other : Access to the World Wide Web is required.

    3. Catalog Description :
      "Techniques of marketing research, research design, analysis and interpretation of marketing data, questionnaire building, and sampling methods.  Emphasis given to selected applications of marketing research.  Prerequisite: MKT 363."

    4. Course Objectives :
      Throughout this course, students should be able to demonstrate:
      • knowledge of basic marketing research principles and theory
      • the ability to design marketing research projects
      • the ability to analyze marketing data
      • the ability to write/present various types of marketing research reports
      • the ability to work independently
      • the ability to work as a member of a team

    5. Major Topics :
      These are approximate dates. 

      Week 1
      25 AUG
      • Introduction to class and course
      • Introduction to marketing research
      • Marketing intelligence, competitive intelligence
      • The research process and problem formulation

       
      Week 2
      1 SEP
      • Research design, exploratory research, and qualitative data
      • Descriptive research
      • Causal designs
        • Assignments:
          • Read Ch. 4-6

       
      Week 3
      8 SEP

       
      Week 4
      15 SEP

       
      Week 5
      22 SEP
      • Qualitative and observational research
      • Individual depth interviews and focus group research
      • Synchronous and asynchronous online research

       
      Week 6
      29 SEP

       
      Week 7
      6 OCT
      • QUIZ 1
      • Data collection: secondary data
      • Data collection: primary data
      • Data collection: competitive intelligence data
        • Assignments:
          • Read Ch. 7-8

       
      Week 8
      13 OCT

       
      Week 9
      20 OCT

       
      Week 10
      27 OCT
      • Finding grants, finding clients, project budgeting, proposal writing, and report writing

       
      Week 11
      3 NOV

       
      Week 12
      10 NOV
      • Quantitative analysis
        • Assignments:
          • Read Ch. 16-17

       
      Week 13
      17 NOV
      • Quantitative analysis
        • Assignments:
          • Read Ch. 18

       
      21-25 NOV
      • THANKSGIVING - no class

       
      Week 14
      1 DEC

       
      Week 15
      8 DEC
      • PRESENTATION TO CLASS CLIENT

       

    6. Course Projects :
      Students will work as individuals on in-class exams.  Students will work in teams to write a marketing research proposal for a class client.  Students will work as individuals in writing all other projects, but it is expected that students will work collaboratively in developing the project.  For example, the qualitative spreadsheet analysis will require individual work in doing the analysis and writing the report, but the project will be needlessly time consuming if students do not share in the task of developing the grid (spreadsheet) that is used in organizing the raw data.

    7. Attendance :
      The ability to conduct each of the projects requires class participation on the day that the topic is discussed.  Private tutoring will not be given for students who miss a class; students will be dropped for excessive absence. 

    8. Evaluation Methods :
      Students will be evaluated on both individual and team projects and on two brief exams.

    9. Grading System :
      Final grades will be based on the following totals in points:

       A=540-600 points
       B=480-539
       C=420-479
       D=360-419
       E=000-359
      Where:
       120=Quizzes (2)
        30=secondary data study
        30=recruiting screener
        30=survey proposal
        30=IDI/focus group topic guide
        60=qualitative analysis
        30=project management proposal
        60=usability study
        30=quantitative analysis
        90=written client research proposal
        90=client presentation (with written proposal)
       600 TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE


    10. University Academic Honesty Statement :

      "Academic honesty is expected of students enrolled in this course.  Cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification of research data, plagiarism, and copying or undocumented use of materials from any source constitute academic dishonesty and may be grounds for a grade of 'F' in the course and/or disciplinary action.  The student is responsible for reading and understanding the University Policy on Academic Integrity."