Welcome to the ultimate market research glossary in the making

AEPD (Agencia Española de Protección de Datos)

The AEPD or the ‘Spanish Data Protection Agency’ is the primary governmental authority that oversees compliance with Spain’s data privacy requirements. The Agencia is the Spanish counterpart of the Information Commissioner's Office.

Agency

In market-research parlance, an ‘agency’ is a contractor or subcontractor hired by an organisation or even another market-research business to plan, launch, manage, and/or fulfil a research project in part or its entirety. There are three key advantages to hiring an agency, as opposed to doing the research yourself: 1) Cost efficiency, 2) Mitigation of data bias, and 3) Scalability. Moreover, by hiring a market-research agency such as Intelligent Insights, your organisation can ensure your employees and other resources remain focussed on growing the core business.

Analysis

Analysis is a crucial stage in any market-research initiative. It refers to the practicable interpretation of the data that has been collated. For example, analysis may reveal that the declining sales of a product is due to the brand losing its share of voice to a relatively new competitor, or a perceived lack of product differentiation.

AQR (Association for Qualitative Research)

The AQR is the premier industry body that champions the use of qualitative research and promotes its practice as well as the interests of its practitioners, both within the UK and in other developed or developing markets.

Attitude

Your attitudes contribute to your worldview. An attitude is what you think, feel or believe about yourself, someone else, an experience, a social role, value, etc. In market research, usage & attitude (U&A) studies help marketers identify brand-growth opportunities by revealing not only what consumers buy (their usage) but also why (their attitude) they buy what they do.

Attribute

An attribute is any one aspect of a brand, product, service, or even a person, e.g., price, size, colour, taste, after-sales service quality, and the like. Asking consumers to rate one or several attributes of a brand, for example, can help marketers assess the overall satisfaction of their consumers with their product or service offering in relation to a competing brand(s).

Audio (recording)

This refers to the audio recording of the sample-audience interviews that Intelligent Insights conducts on behalf of our clients during the course of a market-research task or project for analysis and/or transcription purposes. Intelligent Insights can also take up audiovisual and photographic recordings. Interviewees are informed in advance about such recordings, and their consent obtained before they are made available to clients.

B2B (BtoB, Business to Business)

Marketing a product or service to an organisation, instead of an individual consumer, is referred to as the business-to-business (B2B) trade or marketing model. A noteworthy aspect of this model is that although an entire organisation is the buyer, the buying responsibility itself is shared by several individuals representing various interests of the buying organisation.

B2B research

Marketing a product or service to an organisation, instead of an individual consumer, is referred to as the business-to-business (B2B) trade or marketing model. A noteworthy aspect of this model is that although an entire organisation is the buyer, the buying responsibility itself is shared by several individuals representing various interests of the buying organisation.

B2C (BtoC, Business to Consumer)

The marketing of products or services by any organisation to individual consumers or buyers is referred to as the business-to-consumer (B2C) or direct-to-consumer (D2C) trade or marketing model.

B2C research

A B2C market research task or project conducted on behalf of a business-to-consumer or direct-to-consumer organisation can uncover valuable qualitative, quantitative or combination data about buyers, end users, competitive factors, market trends, marketing-activity effectiveness, and the like.

B2E (BtoE, Business to Employee)

Also known as Employee Experience (EX), business-to-employee or B2E refers to any internal initiative that an organisation may introduce to ensure employee buy-in and promote workplace engagement and productivity.

Behaviour

Behaviour refers to your physiological & psychological response to environmental stimuli, including others, every-day or unique situations, and sensory events. Your attitude towards a given stimulus is likely to determine your behaviour. From positioning a brand for long-term success through to ensuring an economic moat, there are several advantages to understanding consumer behaviour.

BHBIA (British Healthcare Business Intelligence Association) 

The BHBIA is the flagship industry association of British healthcare research professionals. It provides members professional development and networking opportunities, establishes practice guidelines and codes of conduct, and represents the wider interests of the healthcare research community. Intelligent Insights is a BHBIA corporate member.

Blind study

In market research, a single-blind study is one in which identifying information about the client is withheld from the participants. In a double-blind study, such information is also withheld from the researcher who is responsible for conducting the exercise. Blind studies ensure participant response isn’t influenced by preconceived notions and also help to counter any confirmation bias on the part of the researcher. In practice, it may be necessary and even beneficial to disclose identifying information about the client to prospective or recruited participants as well as the researcher.

Brief (client brief)

The client brief, project plan or briefing document is the fundamental research roadmap created either by the client themselves or in collaboration with a B2B and B2C market-research contractor or subcontractor such as Intelligent Insights. It documents the why, who, what, where, when and how of the required market-research project. 

Briefing

The briefing refers to the main in-person or virtual meeting that takes place between the teams representing the client and their market-research contractor or subcontractor. During the briefing, important aspects of the research exercise are discussed, and the teams reach a consensus regarding the outlay, approach, timeline, management, and deliverables. At briefings, Intelligent Insights is represented by a team made up of at least one Project Manager and the moderator/interviewer(s) responsible for conducting the actual interviews with the study participants.

Bulletin board

A bulletin board is a qualitative research tool. Research participants sign in to a web page to answer questions posed by the moderator/interviewer, and/or to add their own comments to an ongoing online discussion. A big advantage of bulletin boards is their scalability, both in terms of the number of participants that can be accommodated in a research study and the duration of participation. A bulletin board also facilitates opinion cohesion between study participants representing different geocultural backgrounds.

Business Intelligence

Business Intelligence (BI) refers to all the information about itself that an organisation can potentially use to make faster and better business decisions. It entails 1) data gathering or collection, 2) data storage, 3) data analysis, and 4) data interpretation and exploitation. Intelligent Insights also provides BI services to B2B and B2C enterprises.

Call centre

A call centre is a dedicated location from where an organisation's employees or outsourced agents can place telephone calls to prospects, customers and other consumers, and/or calls originating from such individuals can be fielded. A call centre comes into its own when the success of a market-research exercise rests on the participation of a large number of respondents. A call "centre" can be a physical or virtual location. A virtual call centre offers more flexibility in terms of the number of employees/agents that can be deployed as well as the number of calls that can be made or fielded in a given period of time. Intelligent Insights employs vetted virtual call centres for all computer-aided telephone interviewing (CATI) studies, enabling us to offer services that can be scaled on demand and employ the services of foreign-language speakers both within and beyond the UK.

CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interview)

CATI is a research method used in both quantitative and qualitative research. In this method, the respondents are contacted and interviewed over the phone. In quantitative research, the interviewer directs questions with the help of a structured questionnaire, while the questions posed in a qualitative study are open-ended or unstructured. The CATI method is generally used when a research study's objective is to gather quantitative intelligence but some qualitative input in the form of the respondents' spontaneous comments is still needed. In general, Intelligent Insights makes use of vetted virtual call centres to fulfil the CATI component of a client's research study.

CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview)

Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing is a type of face-to-face research method. In a CAPI session, the interviewer or the respondent uses a portable or other electronic device (e.g., smartphone, laptop) to answer questions already preloaded in the device. If the respondent answers the questions by themselves, a market researcher remains on hand to provide assistance and clarifications. CAPI can be conducted in a wide variety of locations, e.g., at the interviewee's own place of residence or workplace, or using an interactive terminal located at a public place like a shopping centre.

CASI (Computer Assisted Self Interview)

Computer Assisted Self Interviewing is another research method. In it, the questionnaire is self-administered by the interviewee or respondent themselves. However, as in the previously mentioned CAPI method, a researcher remains on hand to provide any help the interviewee may want or need. One advantage of the CASI method is that the interviewee can tackle the questions at their own pace. The interviewer cannot see the respondents’ answers and the interviewees are thus likely to be more honest with their replies. CASI is also an inexpensive data collection method because the researcher's involvement is negligible. However, to ensure the data collected is valid and relevant, the instructions as well as the questions asked of the interviewee must be clear and unambiguous. Furthermore, the questionnaire must be as short as it can be and designed in such a way that it keeps the interviewee engaged throughout.

CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview)

Computer Assisted Web Interviewing is an online research method. In it, the interviewee or respondent self-administers a questionnaire using their own or a provided Internet-enabled electronic device, such as a smartphone, tablet or laptop. The questions can range from those designed to determine the eligibility of an individual to participate in a study through to the actual research-related items. CAWI is often used in quantitative research that involves a large sample population, requires relatively short interviews, and seeks little to no qualitative inputs. CAWI is both inexpensive and time saving because it does not require the active involvement of the researcher, and respondents can tackle the questionnaire at a time convenient to them. However, technological and cultural considerations may rule out the use of the CAWI method in some countries and regions.

Central location

This refers to the actual location which hosts one or several individuals (or batches of them) invited to take part in face-to-face market research. The location can be a controlled environment, such as a research facility; the residential or workplace address of the study participant themselves; a property of the organisation that commissioned the study; or a hired venue (e.g., hotel).

Classification question

Classification questions are ones designed to categorise prospective participants and populate each category with the right quota of participants. Such questions are included in the screener, the short questionnaire used by the researcher to identify a prospect for a study and exclude or include them for consideration.

Closed question

A closed question is one that limits the reply of the study participant to a set of predetermined answer options. Examples include items with 'Yes', 'No' and/or 'Maybe' answer options; Likert-scale items (e.g., 'Strongly Agree' through to 'Strongly Disagree'); and star rating scales (e.g., 1 star for 'Poor' through to 5 stars for 'Excellent'). To ensure all possible answers are accounted for, it is common practice to include 'Other (please specify)' among the answer options. A multiple-choice question or MCQ can also be considered a closed question but only if it permits the participant to limit their reply to more than one of the predetermined answer options. An entirely closed-question questionnaire or one including such items is used when all possible answers that can be given by study participants are already known. Closed questions are widely used in quantitative research, but unsuitable in qualitative studies that seeks granular insights.

CNIL (Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés)

The Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) is the French equivalent of the British Information Commissioner's Office. It has oversight of how data about and belonging to citizens and organisations can be acquired, handled and used.

Company Partner

The 'Company Partner' accreditation of the Market Research Society, the world's leading association of research professionals, is an assurance that a professional market-research organisation, such as Intelligent Insights, invests in the continuing professional development of the people that it employs and also upholds the reputation of the market-research profession in the course of its dealings with clients, research participants, and third-party vendors.

Completion rate

The completion rate refers to the actual number of surveys completed in their entirety in comparison with the total number of surveys that make up a study. Market-research agencies can charge clients for and pay participants of only completed surveys. Costs associated with such surveys are expressed in 'per complete' terms, and do not account for absentee participants.

Confidentiality agreement

Also known as a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), a confidentiality agreement is any legally binding agreement reached between a client and a market-research agency. In simplistic terms, it restrains and limits the latter and research participants from divulging some or all of the information associated with a specific study commissioned by the former to any unauthorised entity, be they an employee, subcontractor, or a competitor or some other third party.

Consumer research

Consumer research is market research that focuses on the consumer goods and service markets. This type of studies typically tries to find out how big the market is and its value (market size), what consumers buy, how often and why, what new products and services consumers would be interested in, how much they would be willing to pay for them, etc. The participants in market research are users/non users and buyers/non buyers of certain consumer goods and services.

Content analysis

Content analysis consists in trying to understand and interpret the data collected during the fieldwork phase of the market research by identifying the salient messages in the data. The analysis can be done from audio or video recordings, notes or transcripts, using more or less sophisticated software, from Microsoft excel to specialist software such as SPSS for quantitative studies. The analysis can be 

Cost per interview (CPI)

The CPI is the cost of interviewing—or moderating the participation of—an individual study participant, usually on a single occasion. Generally, the figure quoted is comprehensive, i.e., it accounts for most, if not all, of the service components that need to be deployed to carry out the research study. Comparing the CPIs quoted is a common practice when considering a shortlist of research contractors or subcontractors. By also being mindful of the research methodologies and recommendations proposed by the agencies in general, even a startup with budgetary constraints can ensure the best value.

Data Controller

A data controller is an individual or organisation responsible for ensuring that they acquire, handle, secure and use data in a manner that complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Any legal entity commissioning or sponsoring a market-research study is considered by law to be the data controller, making them responsible and liable for any breach of the GDPR that may subsequently occur. A data controller can also double as a data processor if the decisions regarding how the data is to be used are also made by them.

Data mining

Data mining is the process of sourcing and collating quantitative or qualitative intelligence from datasets, machine-learning algorithms, and the application of statistics.

Data privacy

Data privacy refers to the practice of ensuring that personally identifiable information about an individual is accessible by and made available to only authorised legal entities or their legal representatives. Data protection and privacy in the European Union and the United Kingdom, for example, fall under the purview of their respective General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Data processing

In market research, data processing is the stage at which the data that has been collected is readied for analysis after it is coded and tabulated.

Data Processor

A data processor is any legal entity that is authorised by a Data Collector to process the data collected by the latter in a predetermined manner for eventual analysis. Although not responsible for the actual collection of the data, a data processor is bound by and liable for non-compliance with GDPR requirements. A data controller can also themselves be the data processor. Market research agencies that collect and/or handle data on behalf of their clients are deemed data processors.

Data Protection

Data protection refers to the "checks and balances" put in place by a Data Controller or Data Processor to not only ensure that only authorised individuals and organisations or their legal representatives can gain or have access to market-research data but that they also use it in a fair and responsible manner.

Data Protection Officer

A data protection officer is any authorised individual or other legal entity responsible for ensuring that personally identifiable data is processed in a way that complies with the laws concerned, e.g., GDPR.

Debrief

A debrief is a meeting between the client principals or representatives and their market-research agency counterparts to specifically discuss the key takeaways of a commissioned market research study. A debrief can be scheduled as and when needed, e.g., an initial debriefing following a certain number of interviews may be necessitated for the client's own internal analysis and reporting because of time constraints on their part. Generally speaking, a debrief happens only after the client is in receipt of the deliverables, e.g., analysis, report, executive summary, transcripts.

Demographics (demographic data)

Demographics describe study prospects or recruits in terms of quantitative traits, e.g., social class, sex or gender, age, race, location, level of education, personal or household income. Many countries, including the UK, use a social-grade demographic classification (A, B, C1, C2, D and E) to identify individuals on the basis of their social class, which can range from 'Upper middle class' through to 'Non-working'. In BtoB research, demographic data often includes information about the individuals' past and present job titles, their position in a hierarchy, job responsibilities, etc.

Desk research

Desk research is synonymous with the practice of collecting and analysing secondary data. Such data can be sourced from internal document assets, including sales or accounting reports, and also from information in the public domain, e.g., directories, government and other reports, websites, social media.

DFU (Detail Follow Up - Detailed Follow Up)

A Detail Follow Up is a type of research that measures how well a sample audience is able to recall one or more value propositions or sales messages. The respondents may also be asked their opinion of the same and to rate each of them on the basis of several parameters. The ultimate objective of the DFUs is to help clients identify value propositions or sales messages that are likely to resonate better with prospects and customers. Carried out at predetermined intervals to account for changes in recall strength, the DFUs provide both cost as well as time efficiencies. If your organisation is considering a DFU for the first time or needs a fresh pair of eyes to oversee your next DFU campaign, Intelligent Insights has both the experience and expertise to help you ensure the best value.

Diary

A diary makes it possible to collect qualitative participant data. Study participants are encouraged to record personal aspects of interest to the study in a log or diary over the course of a predetermined period of time. Because participants can record their feelings, thoughts and opinions about themselves, an experience, or a brand, person, product, service or organisation in near real time, the diary method can provide richer and more insights. However, the scope of the study must be clearly defined for the diary method to yield the expected results; otherwise, too much unnecessary data may also get recorded. Moreover, this method also necessitates intensive project management in order to ensure participants remain engaged and log entries without fail.

Discussion guide

A discussion guide is the questionnaire used to conduct qualitative interviews. 

Duo

See 'Dyad'

Dyad

Also known as a Duo, a dyad refers to a group of no more than two study participants—who may or may not be known to each other—who are interviewed simultaneously by a researcher. Although recruitment associated with such interviews requires relatively more time, the advantage of the dyad method is that the participants are generally likely to be more candid in their replies because of their interaction throughout the session. Dyads are useful especially when participants can't or won't participate by themselves or because the study itself is designed to factor in a third person's point of view.

Employee experience (EX)

In simple terms, employee experience refers to the overall feelings and thoughts you have or associate with a past, current or prospective employer. The concept of the employee experience can inform the entire employment spectrum, i.e., from recruitment planning through to an exit interview/retirement. The concept dovetails with corporate governance.

Employee experience market research

Employee experience market research is research that focuses on the interactions of an employee with their employer.

Esomar

The European Society for Opinion and Market Research (ESOMAR) is an international membership organisation of research, data analytics and insights professionals. In its role as an advocacy, ESOMAR promotes the interests of the profession as well as the wider application of research, data analytics and insights to addressing socioeconomic opportunities and challenges. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, ESOMAR also champions the responsible and ethical use of data by individuals and organisations.

Ethnography

A branch of anthropology, ethnography is a qualitative research method that makes use of the observation method to study research subjects in an uncontrolled, natural environment, e.g., supermarket, sports facility, a point of sociocultural assembly. The data stemming from ethnography can be in the form of written records, photographs, and audiovisual recordings.

EU data representative

According to the GDPR, a non-European Union Data Controller or Data Processor is required to appoint an EU data representative in any EU member state(s) where their research study is planned to be undertaken and/or the ensuing data processed. The role and responsibilities of a data representative are distinct from those of a Data Protection Officer. Besides acting as a representative of a data controller/processor, a data representative can help you ensure the actual processing of the data is in compliance with GDPR regulations, present documentary evidence of compliance to authorities on your behalf, and keep you abreast of any changes in GDPR requirements. What's noteworthy is that the GDPR itself does not specify any major responsibilities vis-à-vis a data representative.

Executive summary

As the phrase suggests, an executive summary is a time-saving synopsis of the study findings or recommendations that have been documented in detail in a given report. Besides the full report itself, an executive summary is one of the deliverables (e.g., transcripts, recordings, analysis) made available to clients of Intelligent Insights following the conclusion of the data collection, collation & analysis process.

Exploratory research

Exploratory research refers to any qualitative research that is carried out with the aim of helping a client gain insight into a situation, environment, opportunity or audience about which they have little or no knowledge. The objective of exploratory research can range from identifying new market segments through to identifying any weakness inherent in a competitor's business moat.

Face to face (F2F)

Face-to-face market research involves the respondent and the market researcher being both in the same location at the same time. To be complete by ES with the advantages and disadvantages of F2F

Facility

A 'facility' refers to the physical location where in-person interviews are conducted or respondents form focus groups during the course of a research study. Facilities can range from the respondent's own residential/work address to a chartered hotel venue and from a supermarket to a property owned by the client themselves. Some interviews and focus groups are typically organised in special facilities fitted with one-way mirrors and even special audio, audiovisual and/or photographic recording technology.

Fair Data

Since 2013, the 'Fair Data' accreditation of the Market Research Society, the UK's leading association of research professionals, has been awarded to those market-research organisations that demonstrate the highest standards of professionalism in the way they handle the personal data of the study participants they recruit on behalf of their clients. Intelligent Insights is in the process of becoming a Fair Data market-research company.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork is the classical method used to collect primary or first-hand data in market research. In a fieldwork study, researchers observe or interact with the study subjects and collect, collate and analyse the observations or findings for the benefit of clients. Unlike agencies that offer fieldwork services and little else, Intelligent Insights is a full-service market research enterprise and clients can take their pick from the A to Z of market research services on an à la carte basis.

Findings

Findings, in market research, refer to the research data following its final interpretation or analysis. Findings answer the question(s) that necessitated the research study in the first place. Clients expect to strike pay dirt with findings.

Focus group

A focus group or group discussion is one of the most commonly used classical study methods in qualitative research. In this method, five to 12 study subjects gather in a viewing facility, which is equipped with sophisticated audiovisual recording technology, to talk about a topic(s) that has a direct bearing on the objective that a research study is designed to achieve. By triggering interaction between the participants, a focus group can help to uncover insights that other qualitative research methods, including in-depth interviews, may have failed to surface. A focus group is steered by a market researcher known as a moderator. The moderator plays a crucial role in ensuring that all participants are heard and the discussion stays on track.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

A legally enforceable act passed by the European Union member states in 2016, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regulates how data associated with individual citizens is obtained, secured, used and transferred within the European Union as well as the European Economic Area. Following their 2020 exit from the European Union, the United Kingdom regulates data belonging to their subjects on the basis of the UK GDPR.

Group discussion

See focus group

HCP (Healthcare professional)

Healthcare professionals or HCPs are health, care and allied practitioners, including doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and therapists. These individuals practice in the public or private sectors. Intelligent Insights' suite of healthcare research services allows clients to tap into the expertise, experience and outlook of such individuals for their research studies.

Healthcare research

Healthcare research is market research that can have as its focus the healthcare industry, the professionals who populate its various sectors, the goods and services consumed by it, the professional and organisational buyers who purchase its products and services, or the end users who consume its products and services. From understanding everyday buyers of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to the organisations that sell goods and services used in an institutional healthcare setting, healthcare research has a wide application. The Intelligent Insights team has several years of international experience in this highly regulated and specialised research area.

Household interview

Household interviews are a data collection method in which all members of a sample household are interviewed for the purpose of the study. 

HUT (Home Usage Test, Home Use Test)

see IHUT (in-Home Use Test, In-Home User Test)

ICO

See Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

IDI

See In-depth interview

IHUT (in-Home Use Test, In-Home User Test)

Also known as the In-Home User Test, an in-Home Use Test (IHUT) is a qualitative research method. In this method, study subjects are given a product(s) and asked to use it as spontaneously or naturally as they can within their home or other everyday environments and situations. The IHUT method is particularly useful for uncovering insights needed to inform new product development and product testing. The IHUT's advantages include helping a product team to consider their product from the disinterested point of view of the actual product user in the context of a real-world situation, understand the needs that it meets or fails to meet, and gauge the strength of the user's buying intention post-use.

Incentive

Many ordinary individuals agree to take part in market research studies because of the incentives promised to them in return for their time and opinion. Incentives can take a monetary or non-monetary form. For example, everyday participants may be paid a pre-agreed amount in cash, compensated with a shopping voucher, or allowed to keep the product after the study ends. More sophisticated study participants may be compensated in a way befitting their professional profile, e.g., a complimentary copy of the B2B research findings. The value of the incentive is subject to the class of sample population, the type of research conducted, the research methodology itself, and the length of time and the nature of the engagement required of the participants. It must be noted that some studies may "compensate" participants by entering them in a prize draw or making a donation to their favourite charity.

Incentive fulfilment

Incentive fulfilment is the process of finally compensating the study participants for their time and opinion. The market-research agency that conducted the study on behalf of the client is also usually responsible for this stage of the research project.

Incidence rate (IR)

The incidence rate refers to the percentage of people eligible and invited to participate in a given study. The incidence rate is an important marker in market research as it reveals the level of difficulty associated with reaching a given target audience. Once the incidence rate is known—usually after the recruitment or research is well underway—it is useful in determining the budget for recruitment, the monetary value of the Incentive, and the length of the study method; the lower the incidence rate the higher the study costs.

In-depth interview (IDI)

An in-depth interview (IDI) is a qualitative data collection method. It involves a face-to-face, one-on-one conversation between a participant and a market researcher known as a moderator. Typically lasting from 45 to 60 minutes, an IDI can be conducted in a home, workplace or any other pre-determined environment. This method is indispensable when detailed information is to be sought from study participants or the study is designed around a sensitive subject.

Individual depth interview (IDI)

See In-depth interview

Industry expert

An industry expert is an individual whose knowledge about a specific industry or sector is both wide and deep. Such individuals can enrich the outcomes of a market-research study by sharing their insider knowledge, experience and expertise with market researchers.

Influencer

An influencer is an individual who is perceived by their peers as possessing the kind of experience, expertise and thought leadership that has the power to influence not only their own opinions about an area of interest but also that of the powers that be. It is well worth the effort to include influencers in the target audience as well as the sample population when planning a new product development study or attempting to gauge the impact of popular culture on individual behaviour.

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the national data protection authority of the United Kingdom. As many as 10 acts and regulations fall within its ambit, including the Data Protection Act, Freedom of Information Act, GDPR, and Environmental Information Regulations. The CIO is a non-departmental public body and as such reports directly to the Parliament. Besides carrying out its mandate within the borders of the UK and British overseas territories, the ICO works in an advisory role with European and other non-UK data protection & information regulators to standardise data-protection policies and practices.

Information objective

The phrase 'information objectives' refers to the degree of detailed information a research study is expected to uncover in order to be deemed to have succeeded in fulfilling its purpose.

In-person

See Face to Face

International market research

International market research is any study that spans several countries or distinct economic regions. By its very nature, international market research is complex and complicated, and involves overcoming several regulatory, cultural and language barriers. If the geographical footprint of the study covers distinct linguistic and cultural populations, then localisation in the form of real-time interpretation and the translation of the collated data into a required language(s) are likely to be necessary. Local holidays, research methodology limitations and preferences, sentiments regarding research in general, and the like, may also need to be taken into account when planning an international market research study. Intelligent Insights has access to a global network of vetted and proven market researchers to help us carry out a wide variety of research in some of the world's most developed and promising markets.

Internet survey

See Web survey

Interpretation (interpreting)

See Simultaneous translation (interpretation)

Interpreter

See Simultaneous translator

Interview

In an interview, a market researcher known as a moderator asks a study participant(s) several open- and/or close-ended questions in order to elicit information about the latter's feelings, thoughts, opinions and habits regarding a topic of interest. An interview is a source of primary data, i.e., first-hand information. Intelligent Insights has proven experience in planning, organising, managing and analysing both quantitative and qualitative interviews.

Interviewer

An interviewer or a Moderator is any market researcher who is responsible for conducting the actual quantitative or qualitative Interview with a study participant(s).

Join.me

Join.me is one of the popular Unified Communications & Collaboration (UCC) services platforms that the Intelligent Insights team uses to conduct web-enabled interviews or meetings with study participants, clients, prospects, and subcontractors.

Journal

Very similar to a diary, a journal is one of the ways study participants may be asked to record their feelings, thoughts, opinions, and experiences in relation to a topic of interest. Unlike with a diary, a journal is more loosely structured and this fact therefore ensures study participants are more spontaneous when using it. Journals can be completed using pen/pencil and paper, by making a data entry, taking pictures, and recording videos.

Key opinion influencer (KOF)

See Influencer

Key opinion leader (KOL)

A key opinion leader (KOL) is any third-party individual who has expert knowledge about and expertise in an area which is of interest to the direction or objective of a planned or ongoing research study. The KOL is likely to wield a lot of indirect influence on other individuals, their peers, their sector/industry, and the trade media.

Length of interview (LOI)

The 'Length of Interview' is the average amount of time an interview with a study participant is likely to last in its entirety, i.e., from the time the interviewer establishes rapport with the individual participant through to the interview's logical conclusion. The LOI is an important consideration when determining the overall cost of the interview. The more time required of an interviewer/moderator and the more add-ons required (e.g., transcription services), the more the cost of the interview is likely to be. In some cases, the final cost of the interview is also influenced by the unusually high financial compensation that may be required to guarantee respondent participation. Typically, the average LOI can last anywhere from 30-60 and 10-20 minutes for individual qualitative and individual quantitative research respectively, while a focus-group discussion can last from 90-120 minutes.

Likert scale

How often do you find yourself referring to a glossary of market-research terms in your everyday work-life: 1) Very frequently, 2) Somewhat frequently, 3) Neither frequently nor rarely, 4) Somewhat rarely, or 5) Very rarely? That, lady or gentleman, is an example of a Likert type of psychometric scale. Instead of asking questions that have a 'Yes' or 'No' answer or an open-ended question whose answer can potentially meander into the realm of irrelevance, a Likert-type question helps to quantify the degree of the study participant's stimulus response. Likert-type questions usually have from 5 to up to 7 or 10 answer choices, and may even "force" the participant to quantify their experience by excluding middle or neutral answer choice. The Likert scale remains one of the most widely used scaling methods in market research.

MRS (Market Research Society)

The London-based Market Research Society (MRS) is a professional association of analytics, insight and research practitioners. The membership organisation and advocacy group has individual members and accredited Company Partners, including Intelligent Insights, in over 50 countries. Besides working to advance the interests of its members and the sector, the MRS serves as an industry regulator and is also a gateway to various resources for prospective clients and procurement professionals.

Market research study

See Study

Market segmentation

Market segmentation is a strategic marketing activity. It can help a business to identify a homogeneous group of individual or institutional consumers who are a best fit for a product/service. Using market research can not only uncover useful insights that can inform market-segmentation decisions but also help a business mitigate confirmation bias.

Medical research (medical market research)

This is research with a healthcare or medical-sector focus. Service providers (hospitals, polyclinics, etc.), clinicians, administrators, manufacturers (medical devices, pharmaceuticals, etc.), and healthcare enterprises can all potentially commission a research study or themselves be the subject of one. From concept to execution, Intelligent Insights has substantial international experience in this research area.

Method

The 'method' refers to the process that is used to conduct the actual research. Market research professionals—like their sociology, psychology and even medical science counterparts—make use of the primary and/or secondary research method(s). In primary research, market researchers document and collate original information or data by interviewing sample audiences or observing a cohort's interactions and interpersonal & attitudinal dynamics. In secondary research, information or data that is already available is analysed and converted into actionable insights.

Methodology

By default, a 'methodology' refers to the type of information or data sought. A research study can make use of a qualitative, quantitative or a combination methodology to elicit a granular, big-picture, or combination intelligence respectively.

Millennial

You are a millennial if you were born in any year falling within the two decades leading up to the beginning of the 21st century, or even in the early 2000s. If you weren't, then Intelligent Insights can help you understand this much misunderstood but influential demographic cohort.

Mini focus group

As the name suggests, a mini focus group is one that involves fewer study participants in comparison with a standard focus group. Typically, such focus groups are six-participant strong; standard groups can involve 10 or more.

Moderator

The moderator is a market researcher whose role is to steer the conversation with one or several respondents using a document called a discussion guide which lists the list of topics to be covered and/or questions to be asked.

NDA (Non-disclosure agreement)

See Confidentiality agreement.

New product development (NPD)

New product development (NPD) is the process of conceiving of a new (or improved) product/service and then fleshing out the idea into a marketable prototype or finished product/service. As a market-research agency that has proven experience in the area, Intelligent Insights can work with NPD principals—at startups through to established multinational companies—to assess the validity of a concept, test a prototype, and assess marketing options.

Non-disclosure agreement (NDA)

See Confidentiality agreement.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

The Net Promoter Score or NPS is a metric associated with informal quantitative research. NPS is commonly used to evaluate the general satisfaction of consumers at any given time using a numerical scale of 0 or 1 through to 10 or 11. While simplistic—it doesn't account for the relative consumer satisfaction vis-à-vis select criteria—the NPS is a relatively quick and informal method to determine consumer sentiment.

Non-response

The failure on the part of an individual belonging to a sample population to take part in or complete a study is referred to as a 'non-response'. If statistically significant, non-response can lead to bias. Non-response bias makes itself known as a glaring contrast between the reported experience of responders (or the target audience) and that of non-responders. Non-response bias can potentially undermine the validity of the entire study.

Observation

The observation method of data collection involves a market researcher simply observing the subject of the study (as opposed to interviewing them or interacting with them directly in any other way) and recording their responses or behaviour. In some cases, the subjects might be informed—and their permission sought—of this fact beforehand. The observation method is particularly useful in collecting data pertaining to spontaneous behaviour and to provide some context to it.

Online community

An online community is a qualitative research resource. It is made up of a homogeneous group of individuals (a cohort) who network and collaborate online with each other and participate in various activities and exercises before sharing their views on a particular subject of interest with a research team. One big advantage of using an online community is that the data generated by it can be collected and collated in real time. An online community is a good way to harness individual and group creativity and insights. If the objective the study is designed to achieve demands it, the participants in an online community can also include client representatives and/or the researchers themselves.

Online conferencing (platform)

See Video conferencing (platform)

Online survey

An online survey is any data-collection study that makes use of an online questionnaire. Participants are required to answer the questions by themselves but within a stipulated period of time. Efficient in terms of both cost and time, an online survey is a good way to conduct a study that is designed to seek little or no qualitative inputs.

On-site survey

An on-site survey is any data-collection method that involves gathering data in situ, i.e., at a place where the target audience is represented in statistically significant numbers. As a relatively large proportion of individuals at a county or trade show/fair, for example, is likely to qualify for participation in some research studies, a corresponding on-site survey can be a cost- and time-efficient data-gathering method. One can be designed to be either self-administered (completed by the respondents themselves) or administered by a researcher.

Open question (Open-ended question)

Open questions (or open-ended questions) are questions that can be answered freely by the respondent without any restrictions in how they’re answered. Open questions are most commonly used in qualitative research.

Osgood scale

See Semantic differential scale

Participant

A participant is a person who takes part in market research. They can also be referred to as "Respondent". 

Patient research

Patient research focuses on uncovering insights stemming from the medical pathologies that patients are diagnosed with and/or the subsequent treatment they receive in an outpatient, home-, or inpatient care environment.

Personal data

In the context of market research, personal data is any personally identifiable information associated with a legal entity (an individual or organisation) that is a potential or current subject of a research study, or was one in the past. Examples of personal data include full names, national or other identification numbers, contact details, demographic information, licence details, taxation-related identifiers, and the like. Handling personal data fairly contributes to ensuring the legal entity's right to privacy.

Pilot interview

As the name suggests, a pilot interview is a test interview conducted to determine how well a focus-group discussion guide or an interview questionnaire is likely to hold up in a field or real-world research scenario and help researchers achieve the study objective. Besides helping the researchers to test the validity of a guide or questionnaire, a pilot interview can help them determine the ideal length of interview, order of questions, where interviewer/moderator prompts may be required to sustain the interest of the respondent(s), ambiguous questions, and the like.

Pilot phase

In a pilot interview, the pilot phase is the time allocated to a researcher to test a discussion guide or an interview questionnaire, along with any stimulus material designed to supplement it, and optimise it (or both) in real time.

Pilot questionnaire

In market research, a study questionnaire needs to be both valid and reliable, i.e., it should be consistently accurate in its ability to collect the data required. To mitigate the possibility of inconsistencies and anomalies in the final questionnaire, market researchers design and test a trial version(s) called a pilot questionnaire.

Pilot survey

The pilot survey is a survey that is launched with a small sample of respondents to test a questionnaire before it's fully deployed with the full sample in order to detect and fix any issues with the survey.

Plan (Research)

See Research plan

Primary research

Primary research involves original research, i.e., the intelligence needed is obtained by researchers from scratch through first-hand interviews and/or focus-group discussions. This type of research is often necessitated when the information or data required is either unavailable or if available is not credible enough.

Privacy (data)

See Data privacy

Private data

Private data is any information associated with an individual or that can be used to identify them, e.g., names, contact details, health profiles, tax information, national identification particulars. Private data does not lend itself to being made available without restrictions because of its sensitive nature.

Probe

A probe is a question that encourages a study participant to elaborate on an answer. A probe can be directed at the participant by a researcher or a self-administered questionnaire either because the answer was incomplete, vague or merits further exploration.

Probing

Probing is the act of asking a Probe or follow-up question to an answer provided by a study participant. Probing can not only encourage the respondent to provide a complete and/or clear answer but may also help the researchers uncover greater insight.

Product Placement Test

See IHUT (in-Home Use Test, In-Home User Test)

Project management

Project management is one of the most important aspects of market research. It involves the mobilisation and coordination of all the working parts needed to plan, launch and carry out a study. From designing the actual study itself to presenting the study findings to the client, the project manager of the market-research agency, such as Intelligent Insights, works in close liaison with the client to ensure that the entire project goes according to plan and without jumping the time and budget rails.

Project setup

The setup or Project setup is the process of preparing all the things/steps necessary to carry out the market research project (e.g. organising translation, briefing recruiters and moderators, calculating timelines for each steps, etc.).

Prompt

A prompt is a verbal, printed or visual nudge, e.g., example answers or additional stimuli, designed to elicit the answer desired from a study participant. Prompts can feature in both self-administered questionnaires and moderated interviews and discussions. 

Prompting

In market research, prompting refers to the act of nudging or encouraging a study participant to answer a question or some other enquiry. The nudge or prompt can be in the form of a follow-up question—which is either asked by an interviewer/moderator or included as an item in a self-administered questionnaire—or some other stimulus.

Public data

Unlike Private data, public data is data that can be accessed, modified, shared with others or monetised by anyone freely and with little or no restrictions. Such data generally falls outside the ambit of national, regional and/or international data privacy laws and regulations.

Qualitative research

Qualitative research refers to any market research that is designed to explore the nuances of a topic of interest, e.g., descriptions/aspects, reasons/motivations, means/methods. In other words, qualitative research answers the Who, What, How and Why questions.

Quantitative research

In stark contrast to Qualitative research, quantitative market research addresses itself to gathering, collating and analysing data representing amounts, numbers, frequencies, and proportions. Unlike qualitative research, it answers the How Much, How Many and How Often type of questions.

Questionnaire

A questionnaire is a document that comprises a number of open- and/or close-ended questions and/or other items. It can be either self-administered (answered by a study participant themselves with marginal help from a market researcher), or used as an aid by a researcher in an interview, a discussion or a focus-group environment to elicit the information required from a study participant(s). The questionnaire used in qualitative research is referred to as a 'discussion guide' or an 'interview guide'.

Quota sample

A quota sampling is a method of picking prospects for inclusion in a study on the basis of controlled criteria rather than at random.

Rating

Rating consists in market research participants scoring variables using a scale to measure respondents' attitudes.

Ranking

Ranking consists in organising variables in order (e.g. of preference, importance, value, etc.). In market research, it is common to ask market research participants to rank brands, products in order of preference or to rank the attributes of a product or service in terms of their importance to the respondent. 

Recording

In market research, interviews with and focus-group discussions involving study participants are recorded in electronic and/or paper form(s). All interviews and discussions conducted by Intelligent Insights are recorded in audio, audiovisual, photographic and/or paper forms for the dual purposes of analysis and transcription. All recordings are stored digitally for a finite period of time, before being disposed irretrievably to ensure data protection. Any recordings that are shared with clients are only done so with the prior consent of the study participant(s) concerned.

Recruit (noun)

In market research, a recruit is someone who has been recruited to take part in market research, either on the basis of specific characteristics or on a random basis.  

Recruit (verb)

In market research, recruiting consists in finding people willing to take part in market research who meet predefined characteristics or who are chosen randomly.

Recruiter

A recruiter is a market-research (or other) professional who is responsible for recruiting a sample audience, which represents a target population. Their job is to identify, contact and screen potential study participants on the basis of a selection criteria, and then invite those who qualify to participate in a research study or enrol themselves for future consideration. Intelligent Insights complements the direct recruitment that we do with the services of a network of trusted third-party recruiting professionals. 

Recruitment

Recruitment refers to the actual process that a recruiter follows to identify, contact, screen and enrol individuals in order to constitute a sample audience, which represents a target population. Intelligent Insights complements the direct recruitment that we do with the services of a network of trusted third-party recruiting professionals.

Report

The report is a key part of market research as it contains all the findings derived from the data collected and analysis, along with any recommendations to the client. The report delivered at the end of the market research project must be usable both on its own and with a presentation by the market researcher. It must be actionable, i.e. the client must be able to act based on the insights and recommendations in the report and it must be tailored to the needs of the audience it was written for (e.g. the R&D teams will likely have different information needs from the sales or marketing teams).

Reporting

Reporting is the process of writing a summary document (the report) containing the key findings of the market research study with graphs, charts and verbatim quotes, conclusions and recommendations. 

Research

Market research (or research) is the collecting of information/data on a market, sector or segment of a market in order to understand better the motivations and behaviours of the various players in that market with a view to designing or improving the development, marketing and selling of products and services intended for that market/sector. 

Research design

The research design (or market research design) is the roadmap for conducting the market research based on the research objectives identified. It includes/defines the methodologies and techniques that will be used to carry out the research project, the resources and timelines required for each step of the project and the budget.

Research material

'Research material' refers to all the main documents and objects as well as supplementary materials used in the course of planning, launching, managing and concluding a market-research study. In qualitative and quantitative research, the main documents used are discussion guides and questionnaires respectively. Discussion guides serve as stimulus materials to elicit insights from focus-group participants. The questionnaire format is used to screen potential study participants, create an enrollee profile, and even to record answers provided by participants. The supplementary materials used by interviewers or moderators can be printed literature, electronic files, three-dimensional or other sensory objects, and the like—such materials can be made available to prospects or recruits any time before, during or after the actual research period in a physical and/or electronic form(s). Multicountry studies may require the research material to be not only translated but also be culturally relevant.

Research objective

See Information objectives

Research plan

The research plan sets out the key information about the research such as defining the problems that need to be addressed (i.e. the reasons for needing the research), the general objectives of the research and the more specific information objectives as well as the research design (what questions will be asked, how, where and from whom the data will be collected, the timeframe for conducting the study and the budget available).

Respondent

A respondent or 'participant' is any individual who is interviewed by a researcher or takes part in a self-completion survey or a moderated discussion along with at least one other participant for the purpose of a market-research study. From ordinary consumers through to hard-to-reach individuals (e.g., healthcare professionals, CXOs, subject-matter experts), Intelligent Insights' reputation can serve as your gateway to a wide variety of audiences.

Response rate

The response rate is an important metric in market research. It indicates, as a percentage, the number of people who actually took part in a market-research study. To convert the response rate into a percentage, the number of actual participants is first divided by the number of invitations sent. Then, the result is multiplied by 100.

RFI (Request for Information)

A Request for Information can be the first step towards shortlisting and selecting a market-research agency. Many organisations in the private and public sectors can benefit from the wide range of services offered by a market-research agency. However, organisations may either wish to make a more informed decision before shortlisting prospective agencies or to hire an agency only after doing due diligence. In both cases, they can either float a public RFI or solicit the required information by contacting an agency such as Intelligent Insights directly.

RFP (Request For a Proposal)

Supposing an organisation that wishes to hire a market-research agency has the experience and knowledge about what working with one entails, or has gone through the responses to a Request for Information with a fine-toothed comb. Their next step will be to float a public Request for Proposal or contact a handful of agencies in order to obtain detailed proposals for the conduct of the actual research study. Intelligent Insights, for example, can discuss your organisation's needs, objectives, and budgetary & timeline considerations with your team and suggest a research methodology and deliver outcomes that are both cost and time efficient.

RFQ (Request For a Quote)

If an organisation floats a public Request for Quote or solicits an RFQ by contacting one or more market-research agencies, they are possibly one step away from awarding the research contract. Unlike a Request for Information or Proposal, the RFQ lists the exact services that are required of the agency that will eventually be awarded the contract and asks respondents for a detailed estimate for providing them.

Sample

The sample is the group of market research participants in the market research project. It may be a random sample or recruited based on specific criteria to reflect some characteristics of the target audience.

Sample size

The sample size is the number of market research participants in the market research project. It is represented by n = x. The sample size maybe decided arbitrarily (e.g. based on available budget, recruitment difficulties, etc.) or, in quantitative studies, it may be determined by calculating a number based on the accuracy level required of the data collected. An accuracy rate of 95% is typically accepted in market research.

Sample survey

A sample survey is a type of data collection in which the study is conducted with a part of the target population with the objective to draw conclusions/inferences from the sample data collected.

Scale

Scales are a method for measuring opinions, attitudes and brand images by rating or ranking a list of items/variables. Scales can be "nominal scales", "ordinal scales", "interval scales", or "ratio scales". A nominal scale has no quantitative values. It serves only to classify/label variables. For example, in a multiple choice question, the options to choose from may be labelled 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. An ordinal scale is used to order variables but it doesn't provide any information on the differences between those variables. Satisfaction ratings are examples of an ordinal scale, e.g. respondents may be asked to rate the level of service they received by picking one of the following options: Very good, good, average, poor, very poor. An interval scale is a numerical scale where the order and difference between the intervals is known. The numerical scale (e.g. from 0 to 10, from 1 to 5, from 1 to 7, etc.) is useful for determining how much more or less an item is considered compared to another. The Likert scale and the Net Promoter Score (NPS) are common numerical scales. The ratio scale is a type of interval scale with an absolute zero (i.e. the zero has a real value). Ratio scales are used with variables that can be calculated like normal numbers. Questions about age, frequency, date, proportions can all be asked using ratio scales.

Screener

A screener is a short questionnaire used to determine whether a respondent is eligible to take part in a market research project.

Screener question

A screener question is a question that is meant to select research participants based on predetermined criteria.

Secondary research

See Desk research

Segmentation

Segmentation consists in dividing a target audience into groups that share the same characteristics. Segmentation studies help businesses to identify specific segments of customers/consumers in order to adapt the sales and marketing strategies to the characteristics and preferences of each segment. 

Self administered

Self administered describes when a market research participant completes a survey/interview on their own, without the assistance of a market researcher.

Self completion

Self completion is a synonym of "self administered".

Self completion survey

A self completion survey is a survey that is completed by the market research participant themselves without the help of a market researcher assistant.

Semantic differential scale The Semantic differential scale (also known as the Osgood scale) is an interval scale with two polar opposites. Market research respondents must indicate to what extent the opposite variables match their opinion by choosing a place on the scale close to or far from the variable.

Semiotics

Semiotics is a qualitative research methodology that focuses on signs and codes (including language, music, audio, video and images) to interpret and understand consumer responses to advertising and marketing in their cultural context.

Setup

See Project setup

Simultaneous translation (interpretation)

Simultaneous translation or interpretation is the act of verbally translating spoken or written words belonging to one language into another. The services of a simultaneous translator/interpreter are often made use of in multi-country research studies—the data collected in the local language is verbally translated or interpreted into a language that is understood by the majority of the team analysing the data or representing the organisation that commissioned the study.

Simultaneous translator (interpreter)

A simultaneous translator or interpreter is a professional who verbally translates or interprets words spoken or written in one language into another for transcription or presentation purposes.

Sponsor

A sponsor is any legal entity (an individual or organisation) that commissions and/or pays for a market-research study.

Stimulus 

A stimulus is any material or document designed to elicit the information or data that can potentially help the research team to eventually identify the insights a client seeks. It can be an object, a document in physical or electronic form, a media recording, a script, and the like, presented, shown or read out to the study respondent.

Study

A study or market research study is another name for a market research project. It is the action of carrying out market research with a view to analysing the data, writing a report based on the analysis of the data and making decisions on the insights gained from the data.

Sugging and frugging

Sugging occurs when individuals or companies pretend to be market researchers conducting research, when in reality they are trying to build databases, generate sales leads or directly sell product or services. ‘Fundraising under the guise of market research’ is referred to as ‘frugging’. Neither sugging and frugging are legitimate types of market research and should be reported. As an MRS Company Partner Intelligent Insights will never engage in sugging or frugging.

Survey

A survey is a primary market research method for collecting data from a target audience. Surveys can be conducted face-to-face, online or be self-administered.

Target audience

The target audience is the sector(s) or group(s) of people that the market research project aims to find out information about. 

Target population

The target population is the group of people that the market research project aims to study through a sample.

Telephone in-depth interview (TDI)

In qualitative research, a telephone in-depth interview (TDI) is an interview conducted by a researcher over the telephone with an individual study participant. Lasting from between 30 and 60 minutes, the TDI is used when the opinions and experiences of study participants are required to be documented in detail.

Telephone interview

A telephone interview is any type of individual questionnaire administered over the phone. Two key advantages of telephone interviewing are that it makes it possible to interview respondents in a wide variety of locations, cost and time efficiently since it's not necessary to travel to a specifically hired location or to the respondents' home or workplace. It also allows for more flexibility in terms of when the respondents can be interviewed than with face-to-face interviews. This results in savings in terms of travelling and incentive premiums paid to respondents who have to go to a central location. The respondent's relative anonymity during telephone interviews is also a plus when dealing with sensitive subjects such as personal matters (e.g. health issues, financial issues, addiction, etc.). Telephone interviews are a good choice if your target audience is scattered geographically, you have a limited budget and/or you do not need to show them a stimulus. If you need to show material to the respondent, a telephone interview isn't the right medium. If you decide to read some stimulus out loud to the respondent, then it needs to be short, otherwise there's a risk that the respondent won't remember the whole text or list or will try to answer the question before it has been read out in full. To mitigate this, it's possible to send any stimulus material to the respondent before the interview and ask for the respondent to refer to the relevant parts of the stimulus during the interview. Another option is to ask the respondent to access the stimulus online during the interview.

Third party data

Third-party data is any information about a legal entity (an individual or organisation) that is obtained or obtainable from sources in the public domain, social media, directories, blogs, mass-media mentions, websites, etc. Typically, such data may be amassed by commercial (and sometimes criminal) enterprises that then sell the data to marketers, agencies, mailing-list services, etc.

Timescale

The timescale (or timeline or timing) is the time required to conduct the market research project and the deadline the project must be completed by.

Timeline

See Timescale

Timing

See Timescale

Topic guide

See Discussion guide

Topline report

A topline report is a report that focuses on the essential takeaways from a market research study (including the insights and recommendations). 

Transcriber

The transcriber is the person who transcribes the audio or video recording.

Transcript

A transcript is the written form of an audio or video recording. 

Transcription

A transcription is the written or typed form of a set of spoken words. The person who converts the spoken words into a written or typed form is known as a transcriber. The transcription can be undertaken in real time or speech recordings can be transcribed as and when needed. In the latter case, a transcriber may take anywhere from between 4 and 6 hours to transcribe a 60-minute recording. In general, the pace and quality of the transcription is subject to the overall quality of the recording, the number of speakers and the speed & quality of their enunciation, the subject matter being talked about, any additional research that may be required of a transcriber, and formatting & other special requirements.

Translation

Translation is the act of converting text from one language to another.

Translator

A translator is a linguist who works converting the written text from one language into another.

Triad

A triad is a group comprising no fewer and no more than three study participants. A researcher known as a moderator steers the direction of the triad's discussions (and activities, if any). One of the advantages of a group discussion method, such as the triad, is that participants are likely to be more forthcoming and engaged.

U & A study

U & A studies (also called U & A research or usage and attitude research) are a market research methodology that focuses on a target audience's consumption habits (what, where, when and how they buy and use a product and service) and the motivations for that consumption to determine where the growth opportunities in that particular market are.

Updates

Updates consist in informing the client on a regular basis on the progress of their market research project (e.g. telling them how many respondents have been recruited, how many interviews have been completed, how many transcripts have been completed, etc.).

Usability

Usability relates to the ease of use with which a product or service can be used.

Usability testing

Usability testing is qualitative market research that assesses by observation and interviewing how users interact with and use a product or service. 

Usage

Usage relates to how and how often something is used. Researching usage is important for companies who needs to understand how to improve their products and services.

Usage and attitude

Usage and attitude relates to how and how often something is used and the motivation and beliefs linked to that usage.

Usage and attitude (Usage & Attitude)

See U & A study

User experience (UX)

User experience (or UX) is an area of research that focuses on the user of products and services and their relationship with a brand and its products. User experience studies help to understand how the user interacts with the brand and how their behaviour can help determine the potential of products and services.

Video conferencing (platforms)

Video conferencing is similar to web conferencing (or online conferencing), in that it enables audiovisual communications between attendees in different locations over the Internet but video conferencing uses more bandwidth than web conferencing and has higher quality audio and video. 

Viewing facility

See Facility

Voice of consumer (VOC)

See Voice of customer (VOC)

Voice of customer (VOC)

A voice of customer study is a market research study that focuses on listening to and understanding the customer (as opposed to markets). Customer satisfaction surveys are well known types of VOC. 

Web assisted telephone interview (WATI)

A web-assisted telephone interview is an interviewing technique in which the study participant is not only interviewed over the telephone but also simultaneously exposed to web-based supplementary material designed to stimulate and engage them further.

Web conferencing (platform)

Microsoft gives this definition of Video conferencing: "Video conferencing is an online meeting between two or more participants that provides video, as well as audio, input and output." Zoom, Microsoft Teams, join.me, Webex, GoToMeeting are popular web conferencing platforms.

Web survey

A web survey is a self-administered survey that the study participant gains access to and completes unaided. Web surveys are an inexpensive and relatively quick way to take the pulse of a sample population. But there are downsides to web surveys. For one, they are better suited for quantitative research, i.e., you're more interested in finding out How Much or How Often, rather than Why. For another, because there is no researcher or moderator present, study participants may rush through the survey or put little or no thought into their answer choices, thus undermining the reliability of the survey result. However, making sure that only the most motivated and engaged study participants are recruited to take part in a web survey can help mitigate such weaknesses to a large extent.

Webcam interview

As the phrase suggests, a webcam interview is an interview conducted remotely with the aid of a webcam. A webcam interview is a good compromise when an in-depth, face-to-face interaction is either not possible or simply undesirable. A webcam interview also allows a researcher access to the facial expression and even the body language of the study participant. Consequently, steps can be taken to sustain their interest and engagement for far longer than is possible with a telephone interview. Because several interviews can be scheduled at relatively short intervals over the course of a day, webcam interviewing is a more time-efficient interviewing method. And because it does not require travel either on the part of the researcher or study participant, it is also a relatively inexpensive way to carry out a research study. However, one disadvantage is that only two-dimensional supplemental stimuli can be made use of in such interviews.

X (Generation)

You are one of the Gen Xers if you were born in the 1960s, 1970s or even in the early 1980s. While such demographic classifications are likely to lack any merit, Intelligent Insights can help you recruit & research participants on the bases of attitudes, experiences, lifestyle, outlook, etc., besides age.

Z (Generation) 

If you are a Gen Xer and also a parent, then your kid(s) belongs to the so-called Generation Z—humans born in the period spanning the mid 90s and the first decade of the 21st century. Intelligent Insights can help you recruit and research participants not only on the basis of age but also on the bases of attitudes, experiences, lifestyle, outlook, etc.