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

Fall 2007

• FACULTY CONTACT INFO • MEETING TIME & PLACE • TEXTBOOK • COURSE INFO • COURSE OBJECTIVES • SCHEDULE • TERM PROJECTS • ATTENDANCE • EVALUATION METHODS • GRADING SYSTEM • ACADEMIC HONESTY •  
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
| Real Estate Advertising Data | Profile Sheet |

  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 4:45-6:45

  2. COURSE :

    1. Meeting Time and Place :
      Wednesday, 7:00-9:45, 227 Academic Building

    2. Course Material :
      Textbook : William Trochim (2005), Research Methods: The Concise Knowledge Base, ISBN 1-59260-146-4.  Atomic Dog Publishing. Available from the publisher in paperback and paperless (online) media.
      Other   
      Materials :       		Access to the World Wide Web is required.

    3. 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

    4. Major Topics :
      These are approximate dates. 

      Week 1
      22 AUG

       
      Week 2
      29 AUG

       
      Week 3
      5 SEP

       
      Week 4
      12 SEP
      • Survey and research scaling

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

       
      Week 6
      26 SEP

       
      Week 7
      3 OCT
      • QUIZ 1
      • Project design
        • Assignments:
          • Read Ch. 7, 8, 9, 10

       
      Week 8
      10 OCT

       
      Week 9
      17 OCT

       
      Week 10
      24 OCT
      • ketchup; finish usability study

       
      Week 11
      31 OCT
      • Finding grants, finding clients, proposal writing, and report writing
        • Assignments:
          • Read Ch. 13

       
      Week 12
      7 NOV

       
      Week 13
      14 NOV
      • Quantitative methods

       
      21-23 NOV
      • THANKSGIVING - no class

       
      Week 14
      28 NOV

       
      Week 15
      5 DEC
      • PRESENTATION TO CLASS CLIENT

       

    5. 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.  Note that the final written work that you submit for individual projects must be your own work; written work that appears to be essentially the same as that of another student will be returned with a score of zero.

    6. Attendance :
      The ability to conduct each 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.  Weekly assignments that are not submitted in class on the day due cannot be accepted later without a very, very good excuse.

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

    8. 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

    9. 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.  For additional information see the university rules."

    10. University Accomodations Statement:
      "Accommodations - Accommodations can be provided for students with a disability only after the student requests an accommodation and provides the appropriate written documentation of a disability.  To request accommodations for this course students are responsible for the following:

      1. contact the A&M-Texarkana Student Services Office to request appropriate accommodations;

      2. provide documentation of a disability to the A&M-Texarkana Student Services Office and documentation must be less than 5 years old; and

      3. contact the instructor to discuss implementation of accommodations for this course.

      The Student Services Office is located in room 227 in the Aikin building or you can call 903-223-3062 for additional information."