D

Data are research facts that are based on respondents' answers to questions.
Database is a centrally held collection of data that allows access and manipulation by one or more users.
Data Cleaning see editing.
Data Collection is the gathering of information (figures, words or responses) that describes some situation from which conclusions can be drawn.
Data Collection Company is an enterprise or agency that supplies trained interviewers for clients and receives payment for services delivered. The service is responsible for hiring and training of interviewers, executing a client's job exactly as specified, editing and validating each interviewer's completed assignment.
Data Collection Instrument is any device that is used to gather information from respondents, eg questionnaires, video recorders, tape recorders.
Data Deck is a complete set of responses in a given study.
Data Entry (aka Transcribing) is the act of inputting data into a database.
Data Processing is the counting and tabulation of raw facts (ie data) into a form that is suitable for future use. This term is usually associated with computer tabulations.
Data Reduction Plan (aka Edit Instructions) is a set of instructions for editing and coding the questionnaire and specifies how the data should be evaluated for inconsistencies, skipped questions etc and then verified.
Day After Recall is a standard measure of the impact of a TV commercial where respondents' recollection of a commercial is tested the day after they are exposed to it.
Debranding is the removal of brand names, packaging or other material that would enable research participants to identify a brand.
Debrief is the presentation of research findings to clients.
Decentralised Research Function is where the marketing researchers are spread throughout an organisation and are not located together.
Deductive Research see conclusive research.
Degrees of Freedom refers to the number of ways in which values could be assigned within a system. For example a table of observations with p rows and q columns has (p-1)(q-1) degrees of freedom. (In a sample of size n grouped into k intervals, there are always (k-1) degrees of freedom, because if (k-1) frequencies are specified, the other is determined by the total size n.)
Delphi Approach is an approach to forecasting where a group of people produce separate forecasts and then each member is given information about the other forecasts and asked to revise their original estimate. The objective of the approach is to converge forecast estimates.
Demand Artefacts are the responses given when respondents attempt to guess the purpose of the questions being asked. Demand artefacts can be the result of experimental conditions.
Demographic Information is based on the age, gender, life-cycle stage, income and occupation of consumers.
Dendogram is diagram that shows a hierarchy and the relation of subsets in a structure. It branches like a tree and is usually read downwards from the main trunk.
Deontology is a non-consequential approach to evaluating ethics, whereby the degree of ethicalness depends on the intentions behind the decisions rather than the outcomes or actions that result.Dependence Techniques are types of multivariate analysis techniques that are used when one or more of the variables can be identified as dependent variables and the remaining variables can be identified as independent.
Dependency is when one variable is influenced to an extent by another variable.
Dependent Variable (aka Effect Variable) usually denoted as y, is a variable that is influenced to some extent by one or more other (independent) variables.
Depth Interview see in-depth interview.
Descriptive Research is a form of conclusive research that aims to describe a product or market or identify associations among variables.
Design see research design.
Desk Research is the systematic examination of all available secondary data in the context of a particular marketing research problem.
Deviation is the difference between the mean and an observed value.
Diad is an in-depth interview involving an interviewer and a participant (ie two people only). It is also referred to as a "one-on-one".
Diary is a log where facts are recorded relating to a respondent's experiences with a subject or product. Diaries can also be a record of regular purchases or viewing habits and they are often given to respondents when they receive a product to use at home.
Diary Panel is a type of consumer panel where participants record activities or events in a diary.
Dichotomous Questions are questions with only two alternatives, eg agree/disagree or yes/no.
Direct Observation is when behaviour or events are observed while something is happening.
Direct Paired Comparison is a question that directs the respondent to make a comparison between two objects, eg "which of these two products do you prefer?"
Direct Question is a question to research participants about their own behaviour (as opposed to an indirect question that asks them about the behaviour of other people).
Direct Questioning Techniques are ways of asking people directly for information, such as personal or telephone interviews and mail surveys.
Disc (Disconnect) is the accepted abbreviation to indicate that a phone number has been disconnected, usually noted on the dialling report by the interviewer.
Discrete Data is that from a measurement scale consisting of a number of separate values where intermediate values are not permissible, eg the number of cars per household.
Discriminant Analysis is an analysis technique where the dependent variable is non-metric (ie nominal or ordinal in nature) and the independent variables are metric (ie interval or ratio in nature).
Discussion Guide is an outline of the subjects to be discussed during group discussions and/or in-depth interviews.
Disguised Observation is the observation of behaviour without participants' knowledge.
Disguised Questioning is any form of questioning where respondents are unaware of the true purpose of the questions.Disproportionate Stratified Sample is a type of probability sample where the probability of a unit being selected from a stratum is not proportional to the number of units in the strata. This sampling approach is used when there are strata in the population of interest that are quite small but very important and they may not be adequately represented in a survey if other sampling approaches are used.
Disqualifier is an answer to a question that makes the respondent ineligible to participate in the research project.
Distribution is a frequency or percentage table showing how a set of respondents is divided into various categories, eg percent who bought 1-5 times, 6-10 times, 11+ times.
Distribution Check is a check and recording of the availability of specific items in stores.
DK (Don't Know) is the abbreviation recorded when a respondent lacks the knowledge to provide an answer to a question.
Door-to-Door Survey is a survey where the interviews are conducted in pre-selected areas involving knocking on the doors of homes to find qualified respondents.
Double-barrelled Questions are those that ask two questions at the same time. They can confuse respondents and answers to such questions are uninterpretable, because it is not possible to determine to which question the answer refers.
Double Blind Test is a product test where both the researcher administering the test and the participants are unaware of the complete identity of the products being tested.
Dual Moderator Group is a group discussion with two moderators, each moderator having a different role, eg one to ensure the smooth running of the group and the other to discuss or explain key issues.
Dummy Variables are a way of respecifying categorical variables in data analysis by giving them either of two values (eg 0 or 1).

E
Econometrics is the analysis of economic systems containing supply and demand data using statistical models.
Editing (aka Data Cleaning) involves examining each completed questionnaire to ensure that the proper sequence of questions has been asked, the answers are clear and consistent and they have been correctly marked.
Edit Instructions see data reduction plan.
Effect Variable see dependent variable.
Eligibility Criteria are specified characteristics that potential participants must possess in order to be involved in a particular research project.
Eligible Respondent is a person who meets certain criteria set for a particular study and thus qualifies to be included in the study. Respondents may be qualified on characteristics such as age, income, brand used etc.
Empty Nesters are those people whose children have left or are about to leave the family home.
Enabling Techniques see projective techniques.
End Piling is a phenomenon where many survey responses fall into just a few categories at the end of a measurement scale.
EPOS Data is electronic point of sale data and it measures sales of products as they are being paid for by consumers.
Error see total error.ESOMAR is the world association of research professionals. Founded in 1948 as the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research - ESOMAR unites 4,000 members in 100 countries, both users and providers of opinion and marketing research. ESOMAR's mission is to promote the use of opinion and market research for improving decision-making in business and society world-wide. The address is Vondelstraat 172, 1054 GV Amsterdam, The Netherlands (31 20 664 2141).
Evoked Set see consideration set.
Executive Interviews (aka Business-to-Business Interviews) are interviews with business people or experts within a particular field. Executive interviews are often used where the majority of knowledge of a subject is held by a minority of people.
Executive Summary is a document that summarises all the sections of a market research report.
Exhibits/Exhibit Cards see show cards.
Expected Value in a cross-tabulation is the number of objects one would expect to find after multiplying the probabilities of the row and the column in the table (which may be different to the observed value).
Experience Survey is a survey involving participants who have knowledge of a particular situation.
Experiment is the process of manipulating one or more independent variables and measuring their effect on one or more dependent variables, while controlling for external variables.
Experimental Design is a set of experimental procedures specifying: the test units, sampling procedures, independent variables, dependent variables and how external variables are to be controlled.
Experimental Error is the error caused by the conditions of the experiment itself and it creates uncertainty that the observed effects may not be due to the manipulation of the independent variable.
Experimental Treatments are the different conditions created by manipulating the independent variable.
Experimental Units are the objects or people who are part of the experiment.
Expert Opinion Survey (aka Key informant Technique or Specialist Research) is a form of exploratory research that involves discussing a research problem with someone (or a group of people) with experience on a particular subject.
Exponential Smoothing is a statistical technique that calculates a moving average where the most recent data are given a different weight to earlier data.
Exploratory Research refers to the initial investigation of a problem that uses unstructured techniques (such as group discussions or in-depth interviews) in order to develop hypotheses and/or understand a problem further.
Extended Group Discussion is a group discussion that has been designed to last around 3-4 hours (compared with the usual time of around an hour and a half).
Extended Use Test see home use test.
External Secondary Data are existing data that have already been collected by other organisations.
External Validity is the extent to which experimental results can be projected to a population of interest.
External Variables (aka Extraneous Variables or Confounding Variables) are factors that are not manipulated as part of an experiment, but they may exert some influence on the dependent variable under study.
Extraneous Variables see external variables.Eye Tracking Research involves the use of various mechanical devices to record participants' eye movements when they are looking at some form of stimulus (such as a press advert in a newspaper).Fact is a statement that is objectively true and can be verified.

F
Factor is an underlying construct defined by a linear combination of variables.
Factor Analysis is a form of multivariate analysis that identifies some basic factors from among certain given variables and objects, which best describe an interrelationship between them.
Factorial Design is a type of statistical experimental design where units are assigned to groups that represent all possible combinations of more than one independent variables of interest. It gives a quantified measure of effect of independent variables and also of their interaction.
Factor Loading is the relative importance (similar to regression weight) of a variable with respect to a factor.
Factory Staff are those who are mainly involved with conducting marketing research and have limited contact with research clients.
Field is the physical location where the interviewing takes place. This could be at the respondent's home, workplace, a central location or on the street or at a shopping mall
Field Director see field supervisor.
Field Experiment is one that is conducted in a natural setting (where the external validity is usually higher than the internal validity).
Field Force refers to the interviewers and supervisors who are involved in the data collection.
Field Agency see data collection company.
Field Supervisor (aka Field Director) In charge of operations and managing the fieldwork, one who selects, hires and trains the interviewers. He or she is also responsible for the data collection in the survey by carrying out the instructions agreed upon.
Fieldwork The live collection of primary data from external sources by means of surveys, observation and experiment.
Filter question is a question in a questionnaire to ensure that the correct respondent is chosen to meet the required criteria for a subsequent question (or questions) in a survey.
Findings The learnings obtained in response to specific research objectives.
Fixed Field Code is a code in which the number of records for each respondent is the same and the same data appear in all the same columns for all respondents.
Fixed Sample is the repeated observation of the same sample of respondents over a period of time.
Focus Group (aka Focus Group Interview or Group Discussion) A number of respondents gathered together to generate ideas through the discussion of, and reaction to, specific stimuli. Under the direction of a moderator, focus groups are often used in exploratory work or when the subject matter involves social activities, habits and status.
Folder Test is a qualitative or a quantitative press advertising test where the advertising is placed in a folder with competitive advertising (and editorial extracts) and respondents are asked to page through it.
Forced Exposure is when research participants are exposed to some advertising in a contrived way (such as in a hall test or a focus group) as opposed to an on-air test where participants are see the advertising in a natural setting (such as in their own homes).
Forced Rating Scale is a scale that does not allow a neutral or no opinion choice i.e. the respondent has to make a choice from the options availableFrequency (aka Average Opportunities to See) is the average number of times an advert has been exposed to a specified television audience or universe .
Frequency Distribution A frequency distribution is a tabulation of the number of times that each different value appears in a particular set of values.
Friendliness Effect see acquiescence bias.
Friendship Pair Interview (aka Paired Depth or Triad) is a type of depth interview where there are two respondents (instead of the usual one). Friendship pair interviewing is often used for research with children and young people (where they know each other) in order to avoid respondents being intimidated and biasing their responses accordingly.
Top-of-mind Awareness is a measure of how readily a brand name or concept comes to respondent' minds. It is the first answer to questions such as unaided brand awareness.
F Test is a statistical test of the equality of the variances of two populations.
Full Service Agency/Supplier is a company that is hired to design, manage and implement a research project, as well as analyse and interpret the data i.e. offering a full service. The company may collect the data themselves or hire a data collection company for this phase of a project.
Funnel Approach The funnel approach uses a general-to-specific flow of questions that places inquiries at the beginning of a topic on the questionnaire that are general in nature and those requiring more specific and detailed responses later on.

A, B, C
D, E, F
G, H, I
J, K, L
M, N, O
P, Q, R
S, T, U, V
W, X, Y, Z