Links on Marketing Research for Social Issues

• www.social-marketing.com/process.html
• www.knowthis.com/research/marketingresearch.htm

Links on Survey Research Methodology

• http://trochim.human.cornell.edu/tutorial/TUTORIAL.htm
• www.shef.ac.uk/~scharr/triage/index/research.htm
• http://members.bellatlantic.net/~abelson
• www.amstat.org/sections/srms/whatsurvey.html

The TFHS Tobacco Use Survey is divided into three sections: Background Information, Tobacco Use, and Tobacco Correlates. The first two sections are directly from the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). By using these first two sections without modification, you will be able to compare results from your school to national high school results regarding tobacco use. The third section (Tobacco Correlates) consists of recommended questions that address important factors associated with tobacco use and can help guide your marketing plan. You can modify, add, or delete from these items based on your research plan.

You are also free to add additional items such as media influence that may be needed to plan your marketing strategy. As you design the final version of your tobacco survey, consider the situation in which the survey will be administered and the time constraints for completion. Shorter surveys are more likely to be completed accurately than longer surveys.

Click here to access the TFHS Tobacco Use Survey.

Focus-Group Research

Focus groups are an important method for evaluating and testing new ideas. Focus groups are essentially interviews with a group of people (usually 6 to 8).

Preparing for the Focus Group
1. Identify the major objective of the meeting.
2. Develop four or five questions that are important for you to know.
3. Plan how you will conduct the group.
4. Contact potential members about the participating.
5. Remind participants about meeting and provide incentives for participating.

Planning the Session
1. Scheduling: Plan meetings to be one to 1.5 hours long.

2. Setting: Hold sessions in a conference or other room where everyone can be comfortable and see each other.

3. Ground Rules: Make sure that participants understand some basic ground rules including staying focused on the question and getting closure on questions (the final answer of the group). 4. Agenda: Welcome, review of agenda, review of goal of the meeting, review of ground rules, introductions, questions and answers, wrap up.

5. Membership - Focus groups are usually conducted with 6-10 members who have certain similar characteristics. Select members who are likely to participate and will be thoughtful about the questions posed. Attempt to select members who don't know each other well.

6. Plan to record the session. Use audio or video recording if possible. If not, use a co-facilitator who will take notes.

Facilitating the Focus Group
1. Introduce yourself and the purpose of the meeting

2. Explain the means of recording the session.

3. Follow the agenda.

4. Present each question, allow the group time to think and record their thoughts, then open the group up for discussion on that question.

5. After the discussion, summarize the responses and confirm with the group that this is the consensus of the group. If there is disagreement between members on an answer, note these differences as well (e.g. some of you . . . , while others of you . . .).

8. Make sure everyone participates. If one or two people are dominating the meeting, then call on others. Consider going around the table and giving each person a minute to respond.

9. Closing the session: If you are going to generate a written summary of the meeting, tell the participants that they will receive a copy. Thank them for coming, provide any incentive payment, and adjourn the meeting.

For more information on focus groups and how they are conducted, go to:

• www.mapnp.org/library/evaluatn/focusgrp.htm
• www.unm.edu/~emisp/resources/focusgrp.htm
• http://ag.arizona.edu/fcr/fs/cyfar/focus.htm
• http://child.cornell.edu/army/focus.html