1. "What are the two types of market research?"
2. "How do I find full-text market research reports?"
3. "What is market share and how do I find it for my industry?"
4. "How do I find market size information for a product?"
5. "What are the best sources for demographic information?"
6. "How do I find information about consumer behavior, including buying habits, at the brand level?"
7. "How do I find international market research?"
8. "Where can I find a list of marketing firms?"
9. "How do I find information about consumers' lifestyle characteristics or psychographics (personality traits, beliefs, and attitudes)?"

1.  "What are the two types of market research?"

The Dictionary of Marketing Terms (HF5415 D4873 in Reference) defines primary data as "The information collected specifically for the purpose of the investigation at hand" and secondary data as "The statistics not gathered for the immediate study at hand but for some other purpose." Primary data is usually gathered from original sources, mainly through telephone or mail surveys, interviews, and questionnaires. Secondary data is information that has already been compiled by someone else.

2.  "How do I find full-text market research reports?"

Full-text market research reports are available through Mintel, which provides reports on a wide variety of industries in the U.S., the U.K., and a handful of other countries. Gartner Intraweb supplies market research reports on the Information Technology industries. Sports Business Research Network contains data on sport participants, spectators, and consumers of sporting goods and apparel. Euromonitor Passport provides six-year historic market size data for more than 330 consumer products in 52 countries, plus five-year forecasts.

For a more complete list of market research sources available at the Management Library, check out our Market Research Resource List.

3.  "What is market share and how do I find it for my industry?"

Oxford's A Dictionary of Business (HF 1001 C74 in Reference) defines this concept as the, "...share of the total sales of all brands or products competing in the same market that is captured by one particular brand or product, usually expressed as a percentage." The Market Share Reporter and the World Market Share Reporter provide this type of data for many industries. These publications can be found electronically through Business & Company Resource Center or in print (HF5410 M34 and HF5410 W92, respectively, in Ready Reference).

An in-depth analysis of the environment in which your business operates is an essential part of marketing research. Be sure to consult our Industry FAQs.

4.  "How do I find market size information for a product?"

Mintel contains market research reports on a variety of U.S. industries, as well as certain demographic groups, like teenagers. Mintel provides reports for the U.S., the U.K., and a handful of other countries. Gartner Intraweb supplies market research reports on the Information Technology industries.

International Marketing Data and Statistics is a statistical yearbook of marketing information for more than 160 countries. A companion volume of marketing data is European Marketing Data and Statistics. These publications can be accessed electronically through Euromonitor Passport or in print (HA42 I56 and HA1107 E89, respectively, in Ready Reference).

Trade associations are often a good source of market size information. Associations Unlimited provides an easily searchable interface to more than 460,000 international, national, regional, state, and local organizations, including non-profits. The Encyclopedia of Associations (HS61 G15 in Ready Reference) lists more than 22,000 national and international organizations, including trade, business, and commercial associations.

An article search will sometimes be the most effective way to find market size information. Consult our Article Research FAQs for tips and suggestions.

5.  "What are the best sources for demographic information?"

An excellent starting point for demographic information is the web site for the U.S. Census Bureau. The easiest way to electronically search for Census data is to use American FactFinder, which lets you browse and search for data from many Census sources, including the 2000 Census and the 2002 Economic Census. Statistical Abstract of the United States (HA202 C73 in Ready Reference; or online), published since 1878, compiles Census data into easy-to-read tables.

American Demographics is a monthly publication that provides demographic and statistical information. It is available electronically through Business Source Premier or in print (HB3505 A66, current issues in current periodicals on the first floor of the library).

Sourcebook America is an electronic resource available in the Management Library, on public computers 1-3. Sourcebook America includes comprehensive information on every ZIP Code and county in the United States, including population composition, income, spending, business data, consumer information, and more.

The Management Library maintains several print resources that provide specialized demographic data:

• The Baby Boom: Americans Born 1946 to 1964 (HB110 C6 R868 in Ready Reference)
• Generation X: Americans Aged 18 to 34 (HC110 C6 M544x in Ready Reference)
• The Millenials: Americans Born 1977 to 1994 (HC110 C6 M55 in Ready Reference)
• Older American: A Changing Market (HQ1064 U5 O43 in Ready Reference)
• The Survey of Buying Power and Media Markets (HC106.3 S162 in Ready Reference)

6.  "How do I find information about consumer behavior, including buying habits, at the brand level?"

Choices 3 is an electronic version of Simmons Survey of Media and Markets. Choices 3 can be used to find the buyers and users of products at the brand level. This resource can provide access to complex data sets and generate crosstabulation reports, which can then be manipulated to aid interpretation of the results. Choices 3 is available on public computers 1-3 in the Management Library.

7.  "How do I find international market research?"

Euromonitor Passport contains 6-year historic market size data for more than 330 consumer products in 52 countries, plus 5-year forecasts. With Euromonitor Passport, it is very easy to analyze trends in consumer spending and establish the largest markets for a product. It is also possible to find data on the fastest growing, maturing, and declining markets.

Mintel provides market research reports in full-text format for the U.S., U.K., and some European countries. Additionally, Stat-USA provides Industry Sector Analysis reports in its Globus & NTDB section. These reports provide an anlysis of particular markets in countries that the U.S. Department of Commerce believes are potential investment opportunities for U.S. businesses. The reports provide market research data as well as industry analysis.

Business & Company Resource Center provides access to a variety of Datamonitor Reports, which contain a mix of marketing intelligence, analysis, and forecasting for many key international markets.

International Marketing Data and Statistics is a statistical yearbook of marketing information for more than 160 countries. A companion volume of marketing data is European Marketing Data and Statistics. Both of these resources are available electronically through Euromonitor Passport or in print (HA42 I56 and HA1107 E89, respectively, in Ready Reference).

8.  "Where can I find a list of marketing firms?"

A comprehensive list of marketing firms can be found in Green Book: Worldwide Directory of Marketing Research Companies and Services (HF5415 A2 A516 in Ready Reference). The Green Book is arranged alphabetically by company and also includes a category index and geographic index. Another useful source is the Direct Marketing Market Place (HF5415.1 D59 in Ready Reference), which provides information on more than 9,700 organizations in the direct marketing industry.

9.  "How do I find information about consumers' lifestyle characteristics or psychographics (personality traits, beliefs, and attitudes)?"

A good source for psychographic information is The Lifestyle Market Analyst (HF5415.33 U6 L72 in Ready Reference). Using profiles of more than 12 million households, The Lifestyle Market Analyst combines lifestyle, demographic, and geographic data in one publication.

Consumer Dimensions (HC110 C6 C66 in Ready Reference) profiles the consumers of a large number of products and services and includes some hard-to-find data (i.e. "U.S. Adults Who Bought Greeting Cards by Select Demographics" or "Profile of Adults Who Attend Select Sporting Events").

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