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Marketing Research Glossary

25 essential terms — because precise language is the foundation of clear thinking in Marketing Research.

Showing 25 of 25 terms

A controlled experiment in which two or more variants are shown to randomly assigned users to compare performance on a key metric.

Related:split testingconversion rate optimizationexperimentation

The commercial value derived from consumer perception of a brand name, measured through awareness, associations, perceived quality, and loyalty.

Related:brand awarenessbrand loyaltybrand valuation

A research design that uses controlled experiments to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables.

Related:experimental designindependent variabledependent variable

A statistical method used to determine how consumers value different attributes of a product or service by analyzing trade-off decisions.

Related:choice modelingutilityattribute importance

A statistical technique that displays the joint frequency distribution of two or more categorical variables in a matrix format.

Related:chi-square testcontingency tablefrequency distribution

A research-based visualization of the touchpoints and experiences a customer encounters from initial awareness through post-purchase.

Related:touchpoint analysiscustomer experiencepath to purchase

The ethical and legal obligation to protect the personal information of research participants, governed by regulations such as GDPR and CCPA.

Related:informed consentGDPRanonymization

A research design aimed at describing the characteristics of a population, market, or phenomenon as it currently exists.

Related:cross-sectional studylongitudinal studysurvey research

A qualitative research approach that involves immersive observation of consumers in their natural settings to understand behavior in context.

Related:observational researchfield studyparticipant observation

A flexible, preliminary research design used to clarify problems, generate hypotheses, and identify variables for further study.

Related:qualitative researchpilot studyhypothesis generation

A moderated group discussion with 6 to 10 participants used to explore perceptions, opinions, and attitudes toward a product or concept.

Related:moderator guidequalitative researchgroup dynamics

The process of dividing a heterogeneous market into smaller, more homogeneous groups based on shared characteristics or needs.

Related:target marketpsychographicsdemographics

The systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of data about markets, consumers, and competitors to support marketing decisions.

Related:market researchconsumer researchmarketing analytics

A customer loyalty metric calculated as the percentage of Promoters (9-10 rating) minus the percentage of Detractors (0-6 rating).

Related:customer satisfactionCSATloyalty metrics

Original data collection designed to address a specific research question using methods such as surveys, interviews, and experiments.

Related:field researchoriginal researchsurvey research

The study and classification of consumers based on psychological attributes such as values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles.

Related:VALS frameworklifestyle segmentationpersonality traits

Research that collects non-numerical data to explore attitudes, motivations, and behaviors in depth.

Related:focus groupsin-depth interviewsethnography

Research that collects numerical data for statistical analysis, hypothesis testing, and generalization to larger populations.

Related:survey researchexperimental designstatistical analysis

The degree to which a measurement instrument yields consistent, stable results across repeated applications.

Related:test-retest reliabilityinternal consistencyCronbach's alpha

Systematic distortion in survey data caused by factors such as leading questions, social desirability, or acquiescence tendency.

Related:measurement errorsocial desirability biasacquiescence bias

The process of selecting a subset of individuals from a population to participate in a research study.

Related:probability samplingsample sizesampling frame

The review and analysis of existing data sources, including industry reports, government databases, and academic literature.

Related:desk researchliterature reviewsyndicated data

A structured data-collection instrument that uses standardized questions to gather information from respondents.

Related:questionnaireLikert scaleresponse rate

Standardized research studies conducted by firms like Nielsen, Kantar, or IRI and sold to multiple clients across an industry.

Related:panel dataNielsen ratingsindustry benchmarks

The extent to which a research instrument accurately measures the construct it is intended to measure.

Related:construct validitycontent validitycriterion validity
Marketing Research Glossary - Key Terms & Definitions | PiqCue