Method and apparatus for the design and analysis of market research studies
First Claim
1. In a computer with at least memory, a method of storing market research survey data in a database and reporting from said database, said method comprising the following steps:
- (a) collecting input from a user with structured prompts for all the data needed for a questionnaire and tab plan and storing said data in said database, whereby errors of omission are reduced;
(b) generating questionnaire and tab plan reports from said database, whereby reducing errors of inconsistency;
(c) cleaning and data processing field collected data with computer scripts to assist analyst in tabulating data collected from said questionnaire using said tab plan; and
(d) generating a detailed findings report from a combination of data stored in said database, cross tabulations of survey data in a spreadsheet, and user inputs, all processed by a program comprising the following steps;
(i) collecting and storing in memory each summary statistic from each table within said cross tabulations together with data handles including questions, banner points and response categories that relate to said database;
(ii) selecting at least one situation-appropriate sentence from a plurality of statements using rules based on the number of waves of data in the study;
(iii) completing said statements with terms selected from the group consisting of user-input labels, summary statistics and directional verb clauses; and
(iv) combining said prose sentences with other stored data to generate said detailed findings report.
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Abstract
This invention automates the most common processes in market research study design and analysis. By combining a database framework designed to hold all the data elements used in a market research survey, codifying heuristics actually used by analysts to make decisions about survey analysis, and building a lexicon to communicate summary results to lay readers. First, this provides a stringent framework for designing a questionnaire and study plan which will lead to clear tab plans and analysis plans. Second, by automating the research design and analysis process, it eliminates the human error associated with the intricacies of questionnaire design, tab plan design, and research report writing. Thirdly, it also greatly reduces the time necessary to rerun an entire report based on simple changes to any study element definitions to a few hours, a process formerly taking days or weeks. Lastly, it reduces the need for experienced researchers in the research design and analysis process, freeing analysts to spend a greater proportion of their time working on the more mentally challenging and demanding work of synthesizing the market research survey to produce credible findings, rather than the redundant work of data tabulation and summary reporting.
58 Citations
4 Claims
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1. In a computer with at least memory, a method of storing market research survey data in a database and reporting from said database, said method comprising the following steps:
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(a) collecting input from a user with structured prompts for all the data needed for a questionnaire and tab plan and storing said data in said database, whereby errors of omission are reduced;
(b) generating questionnaire and tab plan reports from said database, whereby reducing errors of inconsistency;
(c) cleaning and data processing field collected data with computer scripts to assist analyst in tabulating data collected from said questionnaire using said tab plan; and
(d) generating a detailed findings report from a combination of data stored in said database, cross tabulations of survey data in a spreadsheet, and user inputs, all processed by a program comprising the following steps;
(i) collecting and storing in memory each summary statistic from each table within said cross tabulations together with data handles including questions, banner points and response categories that relate to said database;
(ii) selecting at least one situation-appropriate sentence from a plurality of statements using rules based on the number of waves of data in the study;
(iii) completing said statements with terms selected from the group consisting of user-input labels, summary statistics and directional verb clauses; and
(iv) combining said prose sentences with other stored data to generate said detailed findings report. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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Specification