Certified Market Research Analyst

TABLE OF CONTENT

Chapter 1. Marketing Research — Introduction & Overview

• Application of Marketing Research
• Organising the Market Research Function: In-house vs Agency, Research Operations
• Role of Research in Decision Making
• Market Research Analyst — Role, Skills & Career Paths
• Marketing Research Function
• Briefing & Managing Research Agencies: Writing a Research Brief, Evaluating Proposals, Managing Fieldwork
• Market Research vs Marketing Research: Scope, Definitions & Industry Overview
• Market Research Industry: ESOMAR, MRS, MRSI — Global & Indian Professional Bodies
• Types of Market Research: Custom, Syndicated, Omnibus, Tracking Studies

Chapter 2. Marketing Research Process

• The Research Process (end-to-end overview)
• Formulating the Research Problem
• Choice of Research Design
• Determining Sampling Design and Sample Size
• Preparing the Research Report
• Evaluation and Control of Marketing Research
• Defining the Management Decision Problem vs Marketing Research Problem
• Writing a Research Proposal: Objectives, Methodology, Timeline, Budget

Chapter 3. Scientific Method and Research Design

• Scientific Method
• Research Design & Types of Research Design
• Causal Designs & Causal Inference Studies
• Types of Research Design (Exploratory (qual, desk), Descriptive (surveys, panels), Causal (A/B, experiments))
• Experimental Design: A/B Testing, Randomised Controlled Trials in Market Research
• Mixed-Methods Research Design: Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

Chapter 4. Research and Data Objectives

• Research Objectives
• The Research Plan
• Specifying Data and Acquisition Methods (Primary vs Secondary, Qualitative vs Quantitative — decision matrix for method selection)
• Hypothesis Development: Null and Alternate Hypothesis, Directional vs Non-Directional

Chapter 5. Research Communication 

• Communicating Research Objectives to Stakeholders: Briefing Sessions, Alignment Workshops
• Research Stimulus Materials: Concept Boards, Prototypes, Ad Mockups for Testing
• Moderator's Discussion Guide: Design, Probing Techniques, Avoiding Leading Questions

Chapter 6. Primary Data Collection

• Collection of Primary Data
• Questionnaire Design
• Interviewing (In-depth Interviews, Structured, Semi-structured)
• The Role of Focus Groups
• Survey (Design, Administration, Online vs Offline)
• Questionnaire Design Deep Dive: Likert Scale, Semantic Differential, NPS, Rating vs Ranking
• Observational Research: Ethnography, Mystery Shopping, Eye-Tracking, Neuromarketing
• Online Survey Tools: SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, Qualtrics, KoBoToolbox — Platform Comparison
• CATI, CAWI, PAPI, CAPI: Survey Administration Modes — Pros, Cons & Bias
• Projective Techniques: Word Association, Sentence Completion, Picture Interpretation

Chapter 7. Secondary Data Collection

• Methodological and Ethical Considerations
• Compatibility of Data with Secondary Analysis
• Evaluating Secondary Data: Source Credibility, Currency, Relevance, Accuracy (SCRA Framework)
• Sources of Secondary Data: Syndicated Research (Nielsen, Euromonitor, CMIE, MOSPI), Industry Reports, Govt Data
• Desk Research Techniques: Boolean Search, Database Access (EBSCO, Statista, Mintel)
• Internal Secondary Data: CRM, Sales Records, Website Analytics, Customer Feedback

Chapter 8. Sampling and Hypothesis

• Types of Sample Designs (Probability vs Non-Probability)
• Bases of Stratification
• Characteristics of a Good Sample Design
• Determining the Sample Size
• Measurement & Scaling: Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio Scales
• Sampling Error vs Non-Sampling Error: Sources, Detection, Minimisation
• Panel Research: Consumer Panels, Household Panels, Online Access Panels
• Sample Size Calculation: Confidence Level, Margin of Error, Population Proportion

Chapter 9. Data Processing and Analysis

• Data Preparation, Validation & Editing
• Coding (Open-ended & Closed-ended)
• Tabulation (Frequency, Cross-tabulation)
• Data Processing Tools: SPSS, Excel, R, Python Pandas — Overview & Use Cases
• Descriptive Statistics in Market Research: Mean, Median, Mode, Standard Deviation, Cross-tabs
• Statistical Testing for Market Researchers: Chi-Square, t-Test, ANOVA — When to Use Each
• Data Cleaning & Outlier Treatment: Identifying Straight-Liners, Speeders, Inconsistent Responses

Chapter 10. Multivariate Data Analysis

• Multivariate Analysis Overview
• Regression Analysis
• Cluster Analysis
• Factor Analysis
• Conjoint Analysis
• Correspondence Analysis
• Machine Learning in Market Research: Decision Trees, Random Forest, Sentiment Classification
• MaxDiff (Best-Worst Scaling): Prioritising Attributes & Features
• Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) & Path Analysis Basics
• Text Analytics & NLP for Qualitative Data: Thematic Coding, Sentiment Analysis, Word Clouds

Chapter 11. Forecasting Methods

• Forecasting Basics
• Moving Average and Exponential Smoothing Methods
• Decomposition Method
• ARIMA Model
• Demand Forecasting Models: Bottom-Up, Top-Down, Market Sizing (TAM-SAM-SOM)
• Scenario Planning & Delphi Method in Market Research

Chapter 12. Presentation and Report Writing

• Role of the Report
• Types of Reports
• Contents of the Report for Executives
• Principles of Report Writing (Pyramid Principle, Executive Summary, Insight vs Data distinction, Recommendation-Led Writing)
• Data Visualisation for Research Reports: Charts, Tables, Infographics — Choosing the Right Format
• Research Storytelling: Turning Data into Actionable Insights & Business Recommendations
• Presenting Research to Clients & Senior Stakeholders: Structuring Debrief Presentations

Chapter 13. Ethical Issues in Marketing Research

• Ethical Issues in Marketing Research (overview)
• Ethical Issues Involving Treatment of Respondents
• Ethical Issues Relating to Treatment of Researchers
• Ethical Issues section overall (ESOMAR Code of Conduct, MRS Code of Conduct, ICC/ESOMAR International Code)
• Data Privacy in Research: India's DPDP Act 2023, GDPR Implications, Informed Consent
• Sugging & Frugging: Research-Disguised Selling/Fundraising — Identification & Prevention
• Ethical Use of AI in Research: Synthetic Data, AI-Generated Respondents, Deepfake Risk

Chapter 14. Sales Analysis and Forecasting

• Sales Analysis and Forecasting
• Market Potential
• Methods of Estimating Demand (Chain Ratio Method, Market Build-Up, Index of Buying Power, Analogy Method)
• Market Sizing: TAM, SAM, SOM — Worked Methodology with Indian Market Examples
• Retail Audit & Sales Tracking: Nielsen, IMRB, Kantar Panel Data — How to Read & Interpret

Chapter 15. Advertising Research 

• Pre-Testing Advertising: Concept Testing, Storyboard Testing, Copy Testing Methods
• Post-Testing Advertising: Recall (DAR), Recognition (Starch), Tracking Studies
• Media Research: Readership Surveys (IRS), Television Audience Measurement (BARC), Digital Metrics
• Ad Effectiveness Measurement: Awareness, Persuasion, Brand Lift Studies

Chapter 16. Market Segmentation and Brand Positioning 

• Segmentation Bases: Geographic, Demographic, Psychographic, Behavioural, Needs-Based
• Research-Based Segmentation: Cluster Analysis, VALS, SEC (Socio-Economic Classification) in India
• Target Market Selection: Evaluating Segment Attractiveness, Targeting Strategies
• Positioning Research: Perceptual Mapping, Laddering, Attribute-Based Positioning
• Customer Persona Development from Research Data

Chapter 17. International & Cross-Cultural Market Research

• Challenges in Cross-Cultural Research: Translation, Equivalence, Response Style Bias
• Use of Secondary Data (Desk Research) for International Markets
• Multi-Country Research Design: Emic vs Etic Approaches, Instrument Equivalence
• International Data Sources: World Bank, IMF, UN Comtrade, Trade Map, Euromonitor International

Chapter 18. Qualitative Research Methods 

• Qualitative Research: Purpose, Strengths & When to Use vs Quantitative
• Focus Group Discussion: Design, Recruitment, Moderation, Analysis
• In-Depth Interviews (IDIs): Structured vs Unstructured, Probing Techniques
• Ethnographic Research & Observation: ZMET, Shop-Alongs, Home Visits
• Online Qualitative: Online Focus Groups, Digital Ethnography, Social Media Listening
• Thematic Analysis: Coding, Categorisation, Pattern Recognition in Qual Data

Chapter 19. Digital & Social Media Research 

• Digital Analytics as Market Research: Google Analytics, Meta Insights, Search Trend Analysis
• Social Listening & Sentiment Analysis: Brandwatch, Sprinklr, Talkwalker, Meltwater
• Online Communities & Insight Communities: MROCs for Continuous Consumer Dialogue
• Mobile Research: In-the-Moment Surveys, Geo-Triggered Research, Diary Apps

Chapter 20. AI & Technology in Market Research (New Section)

• AI-Powered Research Tools: Synthetic Respondents, Automated Insight Generation, AI Moderation
• Big Data in Market Research: Social Data, Transactional Data, Behavioural Data Integration
• Automated Reporting & Dashboard Tools: Tableau, Power BI, Qualtrics XM for Research Outputs
• Future of Market Research: Passive Data Collection, Biometric Research, Real-Time Insights