What is formal market research?
Also asked, what is formal and informal research?
Formal research follows the protocol and methodology of the discipline. It involves learning what other researchers have already done in that area, reviewing the key ideas already known, then adding new information based on original work done by the researcher. Informal research is less organized and systematic.
Likewise, what is formal research?
Formal research is a style of research in which data is gathered in a very controlled, structured, systematic and objective way. Formal research is designed to have a very strict format, and it is the way in which students and academics prepare papers and studies to be peer-reviewed, critiqued and possibly published.
Four common research techniques include surveys, interviews, focus groups, and customer observation.
- Surveys: the most commonly used.
- Interviews: the most insightful.
- Focus groups: the most dangerous.
- Observation: the most powerful.