Total Error in Marketing Research

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Total error in marketing research is the deviation between the true value and the observed value in the project. Numerous errors can affect the quality and credibility of the research findings. Two main types of errors have been identified: Random sampling errors and Non-random sampling errors. The first derives from how well the sample selected represent the population being studied while the latter represents all types of error that may occur from sources other than sampling.
Since non-sampling error is very broad it has been divided into response errors and non-response errors. While non-response errors are mainly cause by refusal to participate in a survey or not-at-home, response errors are generated by either the participant, or the researcher or the interviewer. Sampling error affect the total error however that effect is relatively small to the consequences of non-sampling error. Researcher should aim to design their research in a way to minimize the total error instead of a particular type of error in order to get the most accurate results.

In their book, -Marketing Research- Malhotra, Briks & Wills elaborated about sample sampling errors and non-sampling errors by describing them as follows.
“Random sampling error occurs because the particular sample selected is an imperfect representation of the population of interest. Random sampling error is the variation between true mean value for the population and the true mean value for the original sample.” Therefore sampling error appears when the characteristic of a sample is representing the entire population being under research. For instance, if we are studying the average weight in Oman and we take a sample of ten thousand persons living in the Sultanate, their aver...

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...is needed. For example, while asking questions an interviewer does not use the exact wording or prompts as set out in the questionnaire.
Recording error arises due to errors in hearing, interpreting and recording the answers given by the participants. For example, a participant indicate a neutral response(undecided) but the interviewer misinterprets that to mean a positive response (would buy the new brand)

Works Cited

Malthotr, N , Birks, D & Wills, B (2012). Marketing Research AN APPLIED APPROACH. 4th ed. England: Pearson Education Limited. Pages 101-590.

Ministry of Education NewZealand Government. (2013). Glossary. Available: http://seniorsecondary.tki.org.nz/Mathematics-and-statistics/Glossary/Glossary-page-N. Last accessed 12/12/13.

Wikipedia. (2012). Non-sampling error. Available: http://en.wekipedia.org/wiki/non-sampling_error. Last accessed 12/12/13.

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