Reference no: EM132219644
Case -U.S. Department of Energy (A)
Judy Ryerson, the head of the windmill power section of the U.S. Department of Energy, was considering what types of qualitative marketing research would be useful to address a host of research questions.
The U.S. Department of Energy was formed to deal with the national energy problem. One of its goals was to encourage the development of a variety of energy sources, including the use of windmill power. One difficulty was that almost nothing was known about the current use of windmill power and the public reaction to it as a power source. Before developing windmill power programs, it seemed prudent to address several research questions to obtain background information and to formulate testable hypotheses.
Current Use of Windmills in the United States
How many power-generating windmills are there? Who owns them? What power-generating performance is being achieved? What designs are being used? What applications are involved?
Public Reaction
What are the public attitudes to various power sources? How much premium would the public be willing to pay for windmill power sources, both in terms of money and in terms of “visual pollution?” What is the relative acceptance of six different windmill designs ranging from the “old Dutch windmill” design to an egg-beater design?
Questions:
What is the Data Collection Method – Here the researcher must clearly indicate the ways that the data will actually be collected from the sample. Some examples could include telephone surveys, focus groups or in-depth interviews, to name a few. This section will also include information about how follow up or call backs will occur, if needed. The questions on the instrument on in the interview protocol must link directly to one of the research objectives identified as key to the study.
What is the Data Analysis and Presentation – Because the analysis methods are dependent upon the kinds of data collected , the analysis techniques will flow directly from the format and the level of measurement found in the data. Where appropriate, this section should include the statistical analysis techniques that will be used. In addition, the kinds of data collected will also influence how the data is presented, so that decision makers can understand the major points.