MARKET RESEARCH GLOSSARY - D |
Data
Data are research facts that are based on respondents’ answers to questions.
Database
A centrally held collection of data that allows access and manipulation by one or more users.
Data Cleaning - see Editing
Data Collection
The gathering of information (figures, words or responses) that describes some situation from which conclusions can be drawn.
Data Collection Company
An enterprise or agency that supplies trained interviewers for clients and receives payment for services delivered. The service is responsible for hiring and training of interviewers, executing a client's job exactly as specified, editing and validating each interviewer's completed assignment.
Data Collection Instrument
Any device that is used to gather information from respondents, eg questionnaires, video recorders, tape recorders.
Data Deck
A complete set of responses in a given study.
Data Entry (aka Transcribing)
The act of inputting data into a database.
Data Processing
The counting and tabulation of raw facts (ie data) into a form that is suitable for future use. This term is usually associated with computer tabulations.
Data Reduction Plan (aka Edit Instructions)
A set of instructions for editing and coding the questionnaire and specifies how the data should be evaluated for inconsistencies, skipped questions etc and then verified.
Day After Recall
A standard measure of the impact of a TV commercial where respondents’ recollection of a commercial is tested the day after they are exposed to it.
Debranding
The removal of brand names, packaging or other material that would enable research participants to identify a brand.
Debrief
The presentation of research findings to clients.
Decentralised Research Function
Where the marketing researchers are spread throughout an organisation and are not located together.
Deductive Research - see Conclusive Research
Degrees of Freedom
Degrees of Freedom refers to the number of ways in which values could be assigned within a system. For example a table of observations with p rows and q columns has (p-1)(q-1) degrees of freedom. (In a sample of size n grouped into k intervals, there are always (k-1) degrees of freedom, because if (k-1) frequencies are specified, the other is determined by the total size n.)
Delphi Approach
An approach to forecasting where a group of people produce separate forecasts and then each member is given information about the other forecasts and asked to revise their original estimate. The objective of the approach is to converge forecast estimates.
Demand Artefacts
The responses given when respondents attempt to guess the purpose of the questions being asked. Demand artefacts can be the result of experimental conditions.
Demographic Information
Based on the age, gender, life-cycle stage, income and occupation of consumers.
Dendogram
A diagram that shows a hierarchy and the relation of subsets in a structure. It branches like a tree and is usually read downwards from the main trunk.
Deontology
A non-consequential approach to evaluating ethics, whereby the degree of ethicalness depends on the intentions behind the decisions rather than the outcomes or actions that result.
Dependence Techniques
Dependence Techniques are types of multivariate analysis techniques that are used when one or more of the variables can be identified as dependent variables and the remaining variables can be identified as independent.
Dependency
When one variable is influenced to an extent by another variable.
Dependent Variable (aka Effect Variable)
Usually denoted as y, a variable that is influenced to some extent by one or more other (independent) variables.
Depth Interview - see In-Depth Interview
Descriptive Research
A form of conclusive research that aims to describe a product or market or identify associations among variables.
Design - see Research Design
Desk Research
The systematic examination of all available secondary data in the context of a particular marketing research problem.
Deviation
The difference between the mean and an observed value.
Diad
An in-depth interview involving an interviewer and a participant (ie two people only). It is also referred to as a "one-on-one".
Diary
A log where facts are recorded relating to a respondent's experiences with a subject or product. Diaries can also be a record of regular purchases or viewing habits and they are often given to respondents when they receive a product to use at home.
Diary Panel
A type of consumer panel where participants record activities or events in a diary.
Dichotomous Questions
Questions with only two alternatives, eg agree/disagree or yes/no.
Direct Observation
Direct Observation is when behaviour or events are observed while something is happening.
Direct Paired Comparison
A question that directs the respondent to make a comparison between two objects, eg "which of these two products do you prefer?"
Direct Question
A question to research participants about their own behaviour (as opposed to an indirect question that asks them about the behaviour of other people).
Direct Questioning Techniques
Ways of asking people directly for information, such as personal or telephone interviews and mail surveys.
Disc (Disconnect)
The accepted abbreviation to indicate that a phone number has been disconnected, usually noted on the dialling report by the interviewer.
Discrete Data
Discrete Data is that from a measurement scale consisting of a number of separate values where intermediate values are not permissible, eg the number of cars per household.
Discriminant Analysis
An analysis technique where the dependent variable is non-metric (ie nominal or ordinal in nature) and the independent variables are metric (ie interval or ratio in nature).
Discussion Guide
An outline of the subjects to be discussed during group discussions and/or in-depth interviews.
Disguised Observation
The observation of behaviour without participants’ knowledge.
Disguised Questioning
Any form of questioning where respondents are unaware of the true purpose of the questions.
Disproportionate Stratified Sample
A type of probability sample where the probability of a unit being selected from a stratum is not proportional to the number of units in the strata. This sampling approach is used when there are strata in the population of interest that are quite small but very important and they may not be adequately represented in a survey if other sampling approaches are used.
Disqualifier
An answer to a question that makes the respondent ineligible to participate in the research project.
Distribution
A frequency or percentage table showing how a set of respondents is divided into various categories, eg percent who bought 1-5 times, 6-10 times, 11+ times.
Distribution Check
A check and recording of the availability of specific items in stores.
DK
Don't Know
The abbreviation recorded when a respondent lacks the knowledge to provide an answer to a question.
Door-to-Door Survey
A survey where the interviews are conducted in pre-selected areas involving knocking on the doors of homes to find qualified respondents.
Double-Barrelled Questions
Double-barrelled Questions are those that ask two questions at the same time. They can confuse respondents and answers to such questions are uninterpretable, because it is not possible to determine to which question the answer refers.
Double Blind Test
A product test where both the researcher administering the test and the participants are unaware of the complete identity of the products being tested.
Dual Moderator Group
A group discussion with two moderators, each moderator having a different role, eg one to ensure the smooth running of the group and the other to discuss or explain key issues.
A way of respecifying categorical variables in data analysis by giving them either of two values (eg 0 or 1).