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Marketing Research Project: Home

Before you create your own survey, you must research the finding of others. In this project you will conduct your research using secondary data sources.

Secondary data is information that has been collected by someone else for a purpose other than your current research project but has some relevance and utility for your research. 

Examples of secondary data:

Business Plans Market Research Surveys Government statistics
Financial Reports Mission Statements Academic Publications

Make sure you evaluate secondary data before you use it in your research. Check:

  • Where has the data come from?
  • Does it cover the correct geographical location?
  • Is it current (last 3 years)?

Primary data is data collected by the investigator himself/ herself for a specific purpose. Researchers collect the data themselves, using surveys, interviews and direct observations.

Transcripts of interviews and discussion/focus groups Responses to questionnaires  Results of surveys
Observation checklists Footfall count  

To get to the company investor information and financial reports, google the company name and the words investor relations. 

Criteria for Documents

  • Your supporting documents need to be no more than 3 years old.
  • Be relevant and in-depth
  • Present a range of ideas and views

Advance Tips for Searching Google

Is your website reliable?

Use Google Forms to create a survey

Google Forms - A free program from Google that allows you to create forms, surveys and questionnaires. Results of the survey are automatically put into a Google spreadsheet.  

Go to Google to create an account.

Databases

Proquest Major Dailies:

Major  papers include:

Proquest Research Library:

  • Business Journals, reports

Proquest Central 

  • Covers multiple topics

New York Times

Rockville Centre Public Library - If you have a RCPL library card, you can access Lexis Nexis and other business databases.

If you do not have a card, join the library classroom with the code 24yg7th for all the library passwords.

Online Business Websites you can use for your research

Crain's New York - Crain's New York Business thoroughly covers NYC's major industries.

Bloomberg Business  -  Bloomberg Business delivers business and markets news, data, analysis, and video.  

The Economist - The Economist offers insight on international news, business and finance. The password for full length articles can be found in the Library Google Classroom 24yg7tg.

Websites for statistics and demographics

Consumer Expenditure Survey - consists of two surveys, the Quarterly Interview Survey and the Diary Survey, that provide information on the buying habits of American consumers, including data on their expenditures, income, and consumer unit (families and single consumers) characteristics. The survey data are collected for the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau.

 

US Census Bureau - the leading source of  data about the nation's people and economy.

 

 

American Community Survey -  Source for detailed information about the American people and workforce.

Polling Websites

The Gallop Poll - Provides market research and consulting services around the world. Publisher of the Gallup Poll, a widely recognized barometer of American opinion.

The Pew Research Center -  A nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling,

Academic Integrity

  • All of the 3-5 sources, using MLA. (Do this, even though you’ve attached the sources in your appendix). 
    • Make sure you reference your sources in the body of your work.
  • Any textbooks or reference materials you used for minor additional information (i.e. definitions or additional facts) do not count as supporting documents but must be cited as well.
  • All documents must be cited in your bibliography and in your text.
  • Click here for a link to the school's MLA citation information page.

You will be using one of three sources:

  • Database: Use the citation from the database.
  • Website:

    • Author (if available). Title of Website, Publisher if different than title of website, Date, URL. Accessed access date.

    • Ex: Mabillard, Amanda. Shakespeare Online, 29 Dec. 2021, www.shakespeare-online.com. Accessed 6 July 2016.

  • Book: 

    • Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date. 

    • Kirsh, Steven J. Children and Media Violence. Sage, 2023.