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Primary research methods. FOCUS GROUP. This is the most common form of research when a company needs to know all about consumers’ opinions and it is widely used for both services and products. The discussion among a group of about 6-12 people has to be led by a trained moderator who can guide the conversation from a general discussion to one that focuses on the specific topic. All members of the group must feel comfortable and be given a chance to speak as the interaction and exchange of ideas, opinions and attitudes are fundamental. CONSUMER PANEL. A consumer panel is made up of a selected group of consumers from a specific market sector who give their opinions on a particular product or service. Consumer panels are often used to test a product before a launch. The same people are often used on a continuous basis and they can give their feedback in person or in the form of written comments. PRODUCT TEST. This form of research is particularly used in the consumer markets. The manufacturer selects a group of potential buyers and offers a sample for people to use, on agreement that they report back their findings. This could be done over a period of time while using the product at home or just on one day, for example food tasting outside a supermarket. QUESTIONNAIRES. A questionnaire is an inexpensive and fast method for gathering a large amount of data in a short period of time. The questions must be designed so that they are easy to understand and provide a clear and unambiguous outcome. Nowadays most questionnaires are online and are often to check customer satisfaction with a purchased product or to obtain suggestions, feedback and opinions. One disadvantage with questionnaires sent by post or email, is that it is a passive method relying on people to complete and send back the form. STREET INTERVIEWS. Common places for street interviews are busy streets in town centres and shopping malls. A researcher will stop a person and ask a few preliminary questions, known as screening questions, to ensure that the sample of people interviewed is representative. The interaction may end after this or continue with the full interview. Although an effective method of data collection, it is not always the most cost effective as it involves paying the researchers for their time and not every interaction turns out to be a useful interview. PHONE INTERVIEWS. When conducting phone interviews, the interviewee may be selected randomly from a database or chosen as part of a specifi c target market or demographic group. The interviewer’s questions need to be ordered correctly so as not to prejudice the interviewee’s views. For example, asking ‘Do you like XYZ Tea?’ before you ask ‘Which teas are you aware of?’ will prejudice the answers. A major disadvantage of this kind of research method is that many people are reluctant to waste their time answering questions and may be wary of the real purpose of the phone call.