Developing The Research Plan

Once the research problems and objectives have been defined researchers must determine the exact information needed develop a plan for gathering it efficiently and present the plan to management. The research plan outlines sources of existing data and spells out the specific research approaches contact methods sampling plans and instruments that researchers will use to gather new data.

Research objectives must be translated into specific information needs. For example suppose Campbell Soup Company decides to conduct research on how consumers would react to the introduction of new heat and go microwavable cups for its Campbell’s spaghettiOs. Such packaging has been successful for Campbell’s soups – including its soup at  Hand line of hand – held shippable soups and its Chunky and Select soup line in microwavable bowl’s dubbed “M’m! M’m! Good! To Go!” The containers would cost more but would allow consumers to heal their SpaghettiOs in a microwave oven and to eat them without using dishes. This research might call for the following specific information.

• The demographic, economic and lifestyle characteristics of current SpaghettiOs users. (Busy working couples might find the convenience of the new packaging worth the price families with children might want to pay less and wash the bowls.)
• Consumer-usage patterns for SpaghettiOs and related products: how much they eat, where, and when. (The new packaging might be ideal for adults eating lunch on the go, but less convenient for parents feeding lunch to several children.)
• Retailer reactions to the new packaging. (Failure to get retailer support could hurt sales of the new package.)
• Forecasts of sales of both new and current packages. (Will the New packaging create new sales or simply take sales from the current packaging? Will the pakage increase Campbell’s profits?)

Campbell managers will need these and many other types of information to decide whether to introduce the new packaging.

The research plan should be presented in a written proposal. A written proposal is especially important when the research project is large and complex or when an outside firms carries it out. The proposal should cover the management problems addressed and the research objectives, the information to be obtained and the way the results will help management decision making. The proposal also should include research costs.

To meet the manager’s information needs, the research plan can call for gathering secondary data. Primary data, or both. Secondary data consist of information that already exist somewhere. Having been collected for another purpose primary data consist of information collected for the specific purpose at hand.