ABSTRACT
This chapter explores why writing is an appropriate research question critical for obtaining the correct information; how should the research sample be determined and who should be asked to participate as research participants; what quantitative descriptive research methods are available to discover “what”; and what qualitative exploratory research methods are available to provide insights as to “why”. The organization must first understand the research process starting with formulating the question to analyzing the findings. The first step is writing a research question that will result in obtaining the needed information. After writing the research question, the next issue will be what research participants should be used as subjects. If statistically valid results are required, quantitative descriptive methods, where every participant is presented with the same questions, will be used. If the purpose of the research is to obtain insights as to why consumers act the way they do, qualitative exploratory methods such as interviews and focus groups can be used.
