Deck 7: Secondary Data

Question 1

Secondary data rarely fit perfectly the researcher's particular problem.The most important source(s)of lack of fit is(are)

A)out-of-date statistics,differences in units of measurement,differences in class boundaries.
B)differences in units of measurement,theories of measurement,and class boundaries.
C)differences in evaluations of what is important.
D)the volume of data provided is too large.
E)differences in collection method and research design.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The distinction between primary and secondary data is defined by the

A)method of collection.
B)purpose of the investigation.
C)form used for collection.
D)group sponsoring the collection.
E)type of data collected.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The researcher should always (if possible)begin with which type of data?

A)Internal primary data
B)External primary data
C)External secondary data
D)Internal secondary data
E)Survey data

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is FALSE?

A)Internal secondary data are the least costly of any type of marketing research.
B)Secondary data usually have the advantage of being faster to collect than primary data.
C)Although secondary data provide a good starting point for a research project,it will always be necessary to collect primary data at some point.
D)One of the advantages of secondary data is that secondary data generally are much less costly to collect than primary data.
E)Secondary data typically do not provide as good a fit to the problem as primary data.

Question 5

A researcher is attempting to evaluate the market potential of a new product in a new area and has used the Statistical Abstract of the United States for some of the needed information.Which of the following has the researcher used?

A)A primary source of primary data.
B)A secondary source of primary data.
C)A primary source of secondary data.
D)A secondary source of secondary data.
E)None of the above.

Question 6

An example of secondary data would be

A)a survey conducted by the researcher.
B)statistics from the U.S.census.
C)results of a phone interview conducted by the researcher.
D)measurements made from observation by the researcher in the field.
E)results of a field experiment conducted by the researcher.

Question 7

Which of the following might be considered disadvantages of secondary data?

A)Secondary data are more costly to collect than primary data.
B)Secondary data typically do not fit completely the problem at hand.
C)Secondary data are generally more accurate than primary data.
D)Both b and c.
E)None of the above might be considered disadvantages.

Question 8

A source of secondary data that presents data,often in abstracted form,secured from the originator of the data is known as a(n)

A)mediated source.
B)secondary source.
C)third-party source.
D)primary source.
E)abstractive source.

Question 9

Which of the following are examples of secondary data (as contrasted with primary data)?

A)Demographic information (birth,age,marriage,income,etc. )collected from a sample of respondents as a part of a market segmentation study for a prominent grocery chain.
B)Housing data (tenure,race of occupants,year built,etc. )as reported in the Journal of Marketing and later used by a researcher working on a project for a construction company.
C)Housing data especially collected from a sample by a researcher working on a project for a construction company.
D)Consumer attitudes as measured by an attitude questionnaire designed and used by a researcher investigating a model of consumer behavior.
E)Results of an experiment used to evaluate ad effectiveness for a new product.

Question 10

The basic rule that should be followed by all researchers when beginning the data collection process is to

A)begin with secondary data,and then proceed if necessary to collect primary data.
B)always start by consulting the statistical abstract of the United States.
C)begin with primary data,then supplement if needed with secondary data.
D)always investigate external sources of secondary data first.
E)design a field experiment to collect primary data.

Question 11

Secondary sources are not recommended for secondary data collection because

A)it is difficult to determine the quality of the data.
B)primary sources are typically more accurate.
C)errors in transcription may have occurred.
D)secondary sources are often incomplete.
E)All of the above are correct.

Question 12

Which of the following types of secondary data is likely to be the most accurate?

A)Anonymous data published as propaganda.
B)Product failure statistics as reported by a manufacturer.
C)Report by a prestigious government agency providing a description of data collection methods,definitions,sampling frame,etc.
D)A very recent study of business activity published in a prestigious business publication but containing no description of the research methodology employed.
E)A cigarette company report presenting data that shows there is no link between smoking and cancer.

Question 13

Which of the following is (are)secondary source(s)of secondary data?

A)A table showing "Prestige Ratings of Occupations in the United States" published in a textbook but extracted from a research monograph.
B)Estimated brand shares for a number of leading electrical firms as published in Fortune and which was the result of research sponsored by that magazine.
C)The Census of Population.
D)The Census of Housing which is taken in conjunction with the Census of Population.
E)Results of a research project on a related topic.

Question 14

Once the research problem is defined and clearly specified,

A)the research effort turns to data analysis.
B)data collection takes place.
C)researchers should begin designing a survey immediately.
D)survey data becomes necessary.
E)All of the above are true.

Question 15

All of the following are advantages of secondary data EXCEPT

A)help to better state problem under investigation.
B)completely fit the problem.
C)suggest improved methods or data for better coming to grips with the problem.
D)provide comparative data by which primary data can be more insightfully interpreted.
E)less costly.

Question 16

Which of the following is TRUE?

A)Primary data is gathered by the researcher's organization and secondary data is gathered by some other organization.
B)The researcher should attempt to gather secondary data before initiating a search for primary data.
C)Secondary data in a secondary source is just as accurate as secondary data in a primary source.
D)If a researcher obtains secondary data from the party who collected them,he or she is using a secondary source of secondary data.
E)They are all false.

Question 17

The most important advantage(s)of secondary data is (are)

A)it is appropriate for many purposes.
B)it is usually more thoroughly tested and evaluated.
C)it may involve additional field and office personnel.
D)possible cost and time savings.
E)it provides a welcome rest in the library.

Question 18

When a person conducts research to support a particular position rather than uncover the truth about an issue,the researcher is conducting

A)primary research.
B)internal research.
C)secondary research.
D)advocacy research.
E)proprietary research.

Question 19

Secondary data will NOT

A)provide comparative data for primary data.
B)suggest further data to be collected.
C)be the first data the researcher should examine.
D)help the investigator to better state the problem.
E)always substitute for primary data when only demographic information is needed.

Question 20

Which of the following might NOT be considered a benefit of using secondary data?

A)Secondary data help to state better the problem under investigation.
B)Secondary data cost less to collect than primary data.
C)Secondary data can suggest improved methods or data for addressing the research problem.
D)Secondary data provide comparative data to which primary data can be compared.
E)Secondary data better fit the problem under investigation.

Question 21

Which of the following is a main reason for always using the primary source of secondary data?

A)The primary source typically describes the process of data collection and analysis,while secondary sources typically do not.
B)Secondary sources typically change units of measurement.
C)Primary sources are usually more accurate and complete.
D)Only a and b are correct.
E)Only a and c are correct.

Question 22

You are searching for relevant secondary data via computer searching.After determining what you already know and what you wish to know about your topic,what is the next step?

A)Go to the library and begin searching through relevant marketing publications.
B)Consult an authority in the field.
C)Consult a reference librarian for help.
D)Consult a specialized index that relates to your topic.
E)Generate a list of key terms and names.

Question 23

The primary advantage of using on-line computer searches to gather secondary data is

A)savings in time spent.
B)savings in cost of assembling data.
C)the accuracy of the data obtained.
D)the ability to take advantage of expert help from a reference librarian.
E)data are furnished in machine-readable formats.

Question 24

Which of the following pieces of information can normally NOT be obtained from a sales invoice?

A)Customer name and location
B)Transportation used in shipment
C)End use of product sold
D)Salesperson responsible for the sale
E)All of the above can normally be obtained from a sales invoice.

Question 25

The ____ is the largest gatherer of statistical information in the world.

A)United Nations
B)Federal Reserve System Board of Governors
C)U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics
D)Bureau of the Census of the United States Department of Commerce
E)Internal Revenue Service

Question 26

One key to effectively using prior marketing research projects as secondary data sources is

A)selecting only those projects that addressed the current problem.
B)using only project results that were generated by laboratory experiments.
C)always using project results in isolation,in other words,not confusing the issue by combining results from various projects.
D)combining key learnings on related topics in order to arrive at synergistic learnings.
E)using only the learnings from projects conducted by commercial research companies,in order to avoid internal bias.

Question 27

Which of the following is TRUE?

A)The first step in searching published sources of secondary data is to consult a reference librarian.
B)One key source of secondary information is the trade association,particularly since it is often able to obtain information from members that might not be available elsewhere.
C)The primary advantage of on-line database searching is access to information not available in any other format.
D)The main disadvantage of using standardized marketing information services over primary data is that the data are not as accurate.
E)They are all false.

Question 28

A mink coat retailer wishes to locate in cities that may offer good market potential for their coats.They need cities with average incomes exceeding $85,000.However,the secondary information source they find has income category of $70,000 to $100,000.This represents a major disadvantage of secondary data

A)different units of measurement.
B)different class definition.
C)out of date data.
D)data having high credibility.
E)Both a and b.

Question 29

AT&T has a marketing research department that regularly collects customer information from numerous sources including: sales invoices,salesperson expense accounts,warranty cards,etc.This is an example of a firm's

A)external published secondary source.
B)internal secondary source.
C)external commercial secondary source.
D)the firm is not collecting primary of secondary but tertiary data.
E)None of the above.

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT a potential source of internal secondary data?

A)Cash register receipts
B)Trade magazines
C)Warranty cards
D)Financial records
E)All of the above are potential sources.

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT an example of primary data collection?

A)Telephone survey of manufacturers.
B)Computerized literature search of Google.com to learn about the U.S.trade deficit.
C)Asking restaurant patrons to complete a survey after their meal and dropping it in the suggestion box before exiting.
D)Observation of oil patches in drive ways of homes to determine the socioeconomic status of the neighborhood.
E)An academic experiment using graduate students in a retailing course as subjects to determine how different retailers measure customer satisfaction.

Question 32

Which of the following is FALSE?

A)One useful source of internal secondary data is prior marketing research studies on related topics.
B)Most marketing research studies should begin with internal secondary data.
C)There exists some relevant external secondary data on virtually any problem a marketer might confront.
D)In general,the single most productive source document of external secondary data is the sales invoice.
E)The amount of secondary data available is increasing.

Question 33

A major drawback to using U.S.census data in marketing research projects is

A)the quality of the data is suspect due to coding and tabulation problems.
B)the data may not be as current as the researcher needs.
C)data is seldom available at the level of detail needed by the researcher.
D)data is unobtainable in machine-readable formats.
E)census data is only available for demographic variables.

Question 34

A researcher needs secondary data concerning population,median income,median home prices,and education levels in order to design a study to investigate certain real estate sales trends in Dane County,Wisconsin.Which of the documents listed below is most likely to be the best source of this information?

A)Census of Population
B)A Guide to Consumer Markets
C)Census of Housing
D)County and City Data Book
E)County Business Patterns

Question 35

A researcher needs secondary data concerning the number,total sales,and number of employees of department stores in the state of Delaware.Which of the documents listed below is likely to be the best source of this information?

A)Census of Service Industries
B)Census of Manufactures
C)Census of Retail Trade
D)Census of Wholesale Trade
E)Merchandising,"Statistical and Marketing Report"

Question 36

In general,the one most productive source of internal secondary data for marketing research problems is

A)the firm's Annual Report.
B)warranty registration cards.
C)the sales invoice.
D)salesperson's call reports.
E)individual customer records.

Question 37

A marketing manager needs information about all competitors' prices in order to make a pricing decision.The internal database she consults contains prices that were collected by mystery shoppers are over a year old.Her database has one of the major disadvantages of secondary data

A)age of the data.
B)quality.
C)relevance.
D)completeness.
E)units of measure do not match.

Question 38

Mark Cuban,the owner of the Dallas Mavericks,wants to increase the sales of Mavericks merchandise.His marketing manager gathers information on how other teams in the NBA,like the Los Angeles Lakers increased there merchandise sales.This information on the Lakers is known as

A)primary Data.
B)stealing data.
C)secondary Data.
D)irrelevant data.
E)None of the above.

Question 39

The first step in searching published sources of secondary data is to

A)talk to reference librarian.
B)go to the library and page through sources to get a feel for what is in them.
C)use a computer data base to locate possible sources.
D)identify what you know and what you wish to know about your topic.
E)consult an index of data sources.

Question 40

The costs of using an on-line database do NOT include which of the following?

A)Citation and printing charges
B)Planning and executing the search
C)Connect charges
D)Telephone charges
E)All of the above are costs of using on-line databases.

Question 41

The first step in searching published sources of secondary data is to talk to a reference librarian.

Question 42

Name at least one of the three criteria researchers should use in judging the accuracy of secondary data: ____________________.

Question 43

Two problems common to secondary data are ____________________ and ____________________.

Question 44

Two problems that commonly arise with secondary data are they do not completely fit the problem and they are not totally accurate.

Question 45

Two advantages offered by secondary data are ____________________ and ____________________.

Question 46

Studies are done by companies for public relations purpose to take a position on a particular issue.For example,KFC recently asked its customers the following question,"Do you prefer your chicken in a container that is environmentally friendly?" These types of studies are called Advocacy research.

Question 47

Name at least one of the key sources researchers should keep in mind in conducting a search process: ____________________.

Question 48

You should always use the primary source of secondary data.

Question 49

Research that has been collected in such a way that the results will support a particular position is often referred to as advocacy research.

Question 50

Compare and contrast primary and secondary data.

Question 51

The most fundamental rule in using secondary data is always use the ____________________ of secondary data.

Question 52

Joe is conducting research for the marketing department of Major League Baseball about the effects of sports strikes on ticket sales.The regression model he had developed are from information and data he found in sports journals,periodicals,and newspapers.Joe is using what kind of data in his research?

A)Primary data
B)Secondary data
C)Survey data
D)Focus group data
E)Experimental data

Question 53

The primary advantage of using on-line computer searches to gather secondary data is the accuracy of the data obtained.

Question 54

The fundamental problem with external secondary data is identifying and accessing what is there.

Question 55

For manufacturers,the one most productive source document is the sales invoice.

Question 56

Information originated by the researcher for the purpose of the investigation at hand is called secondary data.