Syllabus Information

1. General information

The aim of this subject is to learn about the design and implementation procedures in marketing research that deal with the search for and treatment of information about facts, attitudes, opinions, behaviours, and social and economic activities, which can affect the performance of the organisation, especially in the marketing context. In sum, the aim is to introduce the student to the activities that configure the information-research system in the marketing area.
These aims agree with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and targets of the 2030 Agenda contributing to their attainment, specifically, with the following goals and targets: 8,13,16.

2. Learning results

Understand the concept of market research and its scope, functions and importance to organisations. Apply the market research process and its different phases.
Identify the different information sources and be able to choose the most appropriate according to the research context and goals.
Carry out, individually or in groups, activities and projects related to market research. The students are required to implement a correct planning of these activities and projects in order to attain their goals and to optimise time resources.
Communicate, both orally and in writing, knowledge, ideas and outcomes of the activities and projects carried out.

3. Syllabus

Unit 1 - Marketing Research Process
Unit 2 - Design of Marketing Research
Unit 3 - Information Sources
Unit 4 - Qualitative Research
Unit 5 - Observation Research
Unit 6 - Information Measurement
Unit 7 - Communication I: Survey
Unit 8 - Communication II: Syndicated Sources of Data
Unit 9 - Experimentation
Unit 10 - Ethics in Marketing Research

4. Academic activities

30 hours of Lectures. In which theoretical concepts will be presented together with real examples which facilitate the comprehension and application of these concepts.
30 hours of Practice sessions.
88 hours of autonomous work and study. This includes the study of the theoretical and practical contents, the resolution of practical exercises.
2 hours of assessment tasks.

5. Assessment system

The assessment of the subject will consist of two parts, whether in the first sitting (June) or in the second sitting (September):
1st part (up to 4 points): mandatory final exam (online or offline). A minimum of 1 point out of 4 will be required in order to pass the subject.
2nd part (up to 6 points): the student must choose one of the two following systems:
a) Projects and learning activities.
a.1) Group projects (4 points): These projects will consist of four to five practical exercises about the topics covered during the course. They will be carried out in teams, partially during the practice sessions, and they could later be presented and defended. Students must attend every oral presentation and corresponding meeting with the teachers. Teachers will assess both the exercises and, if this is the case, their presentation and public defense. Comments from other students that have not orally presented the project will be also considered as well as participation in the debates.
A minimum of 4 points out of 10 will be required in each of the 4 or 5 exercises in order to pass the course through this system.
a.2) Individual assessment test about group project activities (1.5 points): It will consist of some questions related to the exercises mentioned in section a.1 that will be useful to assess the individual contribution of each team member. A minimum of 0.4 points will be required in this test to pass the course through this system.
a.3) Individual assessment about theory (0.5 points): They will consist of questions proposed in lectures. A minimum of 0.2 points will be required in these tests to pass the course through this system.
b) Additional questions in the final exam (6 points). Those students that do not reach the minimum mark required in the first part of the exam will not be allowed to continue with this second part. Students must obtain a minimum of 1.7 points in this part of the exam to pass the course through this system.
The sum of the two parts should be at least 5 in order to pass the subject.
The students must choose one of the two systems. Should a student take the additional questions in the final exam (system b), it will be considered that s/he is renouncing system a), regardless of the system in which the student has achieved the highest mark. Nevertheless, the student is allowed to change back to system a) in the next sitting (if needed).
The final exams (in both sittings and both parts) will include theoretical questions assessing the students' knowledge of the
basic concepts and practical questions assessing the students' ability to put the theoretical concepts into practice. The exams may contain open and test-type questions and will require the students to have knowledge of the contents of the subject and its competences.
Assessment criteria
The students' knowledge, understanding, and abilities to use the concepts and tools in different contexts, will be evaluated. Moreover, the students' ability to integrate and summarise the acquired knowledge will be considered.
Regarding the projects, the professors will consider the troubleshooting of the cases proposed, as well as the public presentations delivered in the practical sessions. The students' ability to reason during their presentations and their participation in the virtual forums (for example, ADD) will also be taken into consideration.