MKTG3001 Chap.5 Quantitative Research Designs and Questionnaires
Quantitative Research Designs and Questionnaires
This chapter moves from exploring an issue to measuring it. It sets out what quantitative methodology is for, the strengths that make numbers persuasive to managers and the limits that make them shallow.
It then separates the two quantitative designs you must be able to choose between: descriptive research, which profiles and compares what is happening, and causal research, which manipulates one variable to show it drives another.
You will see why correlation never proves causation, how field and laboratory experiments differ, and which survey mode (online, mobile, online research panel or face-to-face) suits a given brief. The final part builds a questionnaire: a main set ordered from broad to specific, a demographic set placed last, closed-ended items, and the wording principles that keep questions clear, neutral and focused on a single issue.
Essay questions on design choice and survey method are a likely exam target.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Purpose, advantages and limitations of quantitative methodology
- 02
Descriptive research design and when to use it
- 03
Causal research design and when to use it
- 04
Experiments in the field and the laboratory
- 05
Online, mobile, panel and face-to-face survey modes
- 06
Questionnaire structure: main set and demographic set
- 07
Wording principles for survey questions
Worked example · free
Descriptive design or causal design: does a skincare preference study need cause and effect?
- 1Yes, a descriptive design is appropriate. Earlier interviews have already identified scent, price and packaging, so the problem is well defined and the variables are ready to be measured rather than discovered.
- 2Asking how common each preference is and which feature ranks highest is a question of magnitude, and asking whether younger and older buyers or western and eastern buyers differ is a group comparison; both are classic reasons to describe and measure a market.
- 2Nothing here needs to be manipulated and no claim that one factor drives sales is being tested, so a causal design would add cost without answering the brief. A survey observing preferences as they naturally occur gives the quantified snapshot, provided any link it reveals is not reported as proof of cause.
Key terms
- Quantitative methodology
- An approach to research that converts behaviours, attitudes, perceptions or relationships into numerical data so they can be analysed systematically and compared.
- Descriptive research design
- A plan for measuring what is happening in a market or population, such as who buys, how often and how groups differ, without manipulating any variable.
- Causal research design
- A plan in which the researcher deliberately changes one variable while controlling others to establish whether it produces a change in an outcome.
- Field experiment
- An experiment carried out in a real-world setting such as a shop or website, trading some control for natural behaviour.
- Online research panel
- A pool of pre-recruited, consenting participants who answer surveys repeatedly, allowing researchers to follow shifts in attitudes over time.
- Double-barrelled question
- A survey item that asks about two issues at once, so a single response cannot be attributed to either issue.
Quantitative Research Designs and Questionnaires FAQ
What is the difference between descriptive and causal research in marketing?
Descriptive studies record patterns as they occur, for example which age group buys most or whether satisfaction tracks loyalty. Causal studies intervene: the researcher alters something such as price or an advertisement and holds other factors steady to see whether the outcome shifts. Only the second kind can support a claim that one variable drives another, which is why experiments are linked to causal work.
Can a survey prove cause and effect?
Generally not on its own. Surveys can be used within causal designs, yet because respondents are usually observed rather than assigned to conditions, a survey offers weaker causal evidence than an experiment. A strong association in survey data is a reason to run a controlled test, not a conclusion that the variable is the driver.
When should I use an online research panel instead of a one-off online survey?
Choose a panel when you need to follow the same kind of respondents across several time points or reach a specific, pre-screened group. Panel members have already agreed to take part, which improves access and supports tracking. A one-off online survey shared by email, social media or a QR code is quicker and cheaper when a single snapshot is enough.
Why do demographic questions usually go at the end of a questionnaire?
Opening with personal items such as age or income can feel intrusive and make people abandon the survey before the important questions. Placing them last keeps early attention on the topic, and respondents who have already invested time are more willing to finish. The answers still allow results to be split by subgroup during analysis.
Exam move
Build a one-page decision sheet from memory: on one side the six situations that call for a descriptive design, on the other the four that call for a causal design, with the evidence, control and application contrasts underneath.
Practise turning a short business scenario into a verdict in under a minute, then write a 200 to 250 word justification that names the design, links two or three scenario details to its conditions, and rules out the alternative. Repeat the drill for survey modes, explaining why one mode beats the other three for a given brief.
For questionnaires, collect five flawed questions from real surveys or invent them, label each fault against the wording principles and rewrite it. Finally, rehearse the five advantages and four limitations of quantitative work as matched pairs so your evaluation sounds balanced under time pressure.
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