Professor: Alejandra Rodriguez Martin
4.00 credits
- CRN 21080: Monday & Wednesday, 1600-1750 @ CHA 301
Humans are very complex and interesting creatures, which is why we have so many kinds of social science research fields focused on learning more about what makes us tick, and how we function and interact with others in our surroundings, society, institutions, etc. Still, we can have such different preferences and opinions, and behave in dramatically differing manners from each other. So how can we learn relatively quickly what the average person (or a specific group of people) thinks, or how they feel about something? One way is by asking them of course! This course is about conducting a particular type of applied social research: the process of investigating consumer’s attitudes, values, intentions, behaviors, and more. We will go through the steps of identifying and defining what information is sought, gathering and analyzing data through various methods, as well as reporting the results.
While the research process covered in this course can be applied to many fields and topics (including public opinion polling), students will learn about it within the context of the field of marketing. They will complete a group research project based on the needs of their particular client (a small to medium local organization of their choice). The purpose is to gather and analyze data relevant to a problem or opportunity the client is facing and provide them with information they can hopefully use to address the issue at hand.