Primary research is research used to collect data for a specific task. Types of primary data collection methods include:

•Personal Observation: The observation of the respondent by a trained observer or by electronic equipment (camera). The aim is to observe consumer responses and behaviour to a product or customer service.
•Personal Interviews: Face to face interview between an interviewer and the respondent at home or in shopping centres.
Advantages of personal interviews

•In-depth answers possible.
•Qualitative data obtained from small sample.
•Observation improves accuracy.
•Rapport leads to fewer refusals.
Disadvantage of personal interviews

•Cost: Professional Interviewer expensive.
•Interviewer bias.
•Can be slow and time consuming.
•People not at home.
•Invasion of privacy.

•Postal surveys: Mailing or distributing door to door a written questionnaire to a sample of buyers for their completion at home or at work.
Advantages of postal surveys

•No travel expenses so economic if good return rate.
•No interviewer Bias
•Anonymous returns
•Can be completed at respondents’ leisure.
Disadvantages of postal surveys

•Low response rate approximately 3%
•Take longer
•Have to be short.
•Questions may be misinterpreted, and there is no interviewer their to guide the respondent.
•Telephone Surveys: Involves the interviewer contacting the target respondent and asking them questions and recording responses.
Advantages of telephone surveys

•Easy to administer
•Quick.
•Allows for reaction and some in-depth interviews.
•Questions can be modified.
Disadvantages of telephone surveys

•Professional interviewers are expensive.
•Invasion of privacy.
•Telephone charges can be high.
•Not everyone has a telephone, so not representative of the population.
•High non-response rate because of engaged/no answers, plain refusals.

•Focus Groups: A discussion between six to beight individuals with the aim to produce qualitative data (opinions and attitudes) on the topic being discussed. The topic may be their opinions on a new product the organisation wishes to introduce. The person who monitors the group is called 'the moderator'
Advantages of focus groups

•Generates information helpful in structuring consumer questionnaires.
•Provides background information on product.
•Secures impressions on new product concepts.
Disadvantage of focus groups

•The group may have one or some dominant people within it who may actually dissuade some other group member to make a full contribution.
•Difficult for moderator to interrupt once a discussion gets going.
•Bias from moderator.

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Case studies on www.thetimes100.co.uk

Marketing Research In Action by Raymond Kent.

Marketing Research By Chisnell