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Elements and Performance Criteria

  1. Conduct desk research to gather background market information
  2. Develop research methodology and objectives
  3. Recruit respondents
  4. Gather data and information from respondents
  5. Analyse research information
  6. Prepare research reports

Required Skills

Required skills

culturally appropriate communication skills to relate to people from diverse backgrounds and people with diverse abilities

information management skills to categorise store and retrieve market research information

innovation and creativity skills to conceptualise test and refine qualitative and quantitative questionnaires and other tools

literacy skills to prepare reports containing complex ideas

research and data collection skills to locate information sources to design and analyse a market research strategy

Required knowledge

key provisions of relevant legislation from all forms of government codes of practice and national standards that may affect aspects of business operations such as

antidiscrimination legislation and principles of equal opportunity equity and diversity

Australian Direct Marketing Association ADMA Direct Marketing Code of Practice

ethical principles

Free TV Australia Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice

privacy laws

marketing communications concepts and processes

market research principles and practices including

data processing methods and data analysis techniques

design of samples

development and use of hypotheses

research reporting formats

roles and uses of qualitative and quantitative research

use of survey instruments

requirements of house or other style manuals or protocols for written communication

Evidence Required

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria required skills and knowledge range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential

developing and implementing a market research survey tool

accurately recording and securely storing survey data in accordance with organisational procedures

utilising a range of methodologies to analyse market research information

documenting market research activities and findings in a research report

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure

access to office equipment and resources including computer hardware and software

access to exemplar survey tools and recently used survey tools

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge The following examples are appropriate for this unit

analysis of responses to case studies and scenarios

analysis of survey tools

direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of onthejob performance by the candidate

observation of data collection techniques

observation of presentations of market research results

oral or written questioning to assess knowledge and understanding

review of authenticated documents from the workplace or training environment

review of testimony from team members colleagues supervisors or managers

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector workplace and job role is recommended for example

other marketing units

Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Appropriate sources of background market information may include:

published (including on the internet) data and information from:

articles and advertisements

business advisors

clients and suppliers

conferences

government bodies

industry associations and trade media

other research projects

reports from trade or professional associations annual reports

reports to regulatory or funding bodies

speeches

enterprise information such as:

sales data

attendance figures

Information collection and collation tools and methods may include:

forms for recording information sources reviewed

procedures for abstracting key information and citing sources

rules for including or not including information and data reviewed

Reporting formats may include:

prose reports

verbal presentations

visual aids, such as:

charts

photographs

tables

Market research methodologies may include:

brand equity research

brand name testing

concept testing

consumer decision process research

depth interviews

descriptive techniques

experimental techniques

focus groups

mystery shopping

observational techniques

projective techniques

qualitative research

quantitative research

random sampling

Survey tools may include:

handouts

one-on-one discussions

overhead transparencies

questionnaires

small group discussions

Potential respondents may include:

current, past or potential clients

key stakeholders

persons identified from lists or directories

staff

Research and organisational requirements may include:

legal requirements

need for respondent to meet demographic or psychographic criteria

need for respondent to represent an organisation, have specific expertise or knowledge, or meet other criteria

quality assurance policy and procedures

requirements for statistical validity in sampling

Resources for data gathering may include:

appropriate venues and rooms

organisation of tables, chairs, audio and visual equipment, refreshments

audio-visual recording and display devices

telecommunications equipment and facilities

Checks may include:

ensuring data is:

a true record of interview

accurate

adequately expressed

authentic

complete

not fabricated

ensuring others collecting data and information have studied and understood instructions

keeping records on data sources, copyright and privacy information

rejecting inadequate data and resurveying to overcome gaps

reporting to senior personnel on issues and problems in data collection

where required, verifying records of interview with respondents

Appropriate techniques to summarise data may include:

charts and tables

coefficient of variation

mean

median

mode

percentile

prose commentary

range

standard deviation

statistical detailed analysis

statistical overview

variance

Software files may include:

databases with specified forms and fields

spreadsheets with specified axes

word processing programs with specified heading structures, text and table formats

Interpreting and aggregating data and information may include:

development of further hypotheses based on initial processing of raw data, and statistical tests of these hypotheses

bringing together data or datasets

statistical analysis of raw data using general or specialist software

Categorisation may include:

creation of a preliminary report table of contents with headings and subheadings under which data and information could be organised

data tabulation in a format appropriate for the type of analysis to be performed

development of basic market segmentation categories by demographic or psychographic characteristics

Research reports may include:

detailed data analysis

explanation of methodology

key observations and findings

key summaries of data

recommendation and implementation issues

recommendations for future research

references, citations and other correct acknowledgement for all non-original material