Developing the rationale

Rationale is the specific reason for doing the research and what you want to get out of it. It’s important to be able to develop a rationale for research in order to get the most out of it. Watch this video, which is available in English, which explains some of the questions businesses should consider when planning their research.

Interpreting, analysing, and using data and other information to make valid marketing decisions.

Once the business has information from the research it is necessary to analyse the data in order for it to make sense. It’s important to notice patterns, but it’s also important not to see patterns where there are none.

Computer programmes are very useful in interpreting and analysing data, doing much of the work for you. They are also able to display the data in a manageable way.

There are a number of online programmes, e.g. Forms or Survey Monkey which enable you to draw up questionnaires but which can also collate and display the data.

It’s often advantageous to organise the information graphically as it can be easier to see patterns visually.

Averages can also be very useful when analysing data in order to display the average tendency which is a good starting point .

Identifying any additional sources of information that may be required

Research will often raise more questions that need to be answered. Because of this it may be necessary to find information from alternative sources in order to answer these questions. Having said this, it’s important to avoid going down rabbit holes where the research starts to become less and less relevant to the initial purpose of the research.

It can be useful to start with secondary research and then design primary research to answer the questions that have not been answered or that have arisen as a result of the research.

Evaluating the reliability and validity of the information collected.

An important part of the rationale of research is evaluating the reliability of the data collected. If the plan contains primary data, it will be necessary to ensure that it has been collected in an appropriate manner in order to ensure that it meets the needs of the research, shows the true situation and that it would come to the same conclusion if conducted again.

If secondary data is used the sources of the data must be investigated to ensure they are reliable, e.g. Government publications or recognised research sources. Look for information that has been fully referenced or peer reviewed.

Reliable research will usually describe the data collection methodology.