A Pie from Scratch
or, Primary Research

Two useful books to help you get started:

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Research Methods

and

Building Research Tools With Google For Dummies

Two useful websites:
Conducting Primary Research
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/559/01/
includes:
What is Primary Research and How do I get Started?
Ethical Considerations in Primary Research
Common Pitfalls of Primary Research
Interviewing
Surveying
Creating Good Interview and Survey Questions
Observing
Analysis
Analyzing Your Primary Data
Primary Research
http://learnmarketing.net/primaryresearch.htm
inludes:
Advantages of personal interviews
Disadvantages of personal interviews

Advantages of postal surveys
Disadvantages of postal surveys

Advantages of telephone surveys 
Disadvantages of telephone surveys

Advantages of focus groups
Disadvantage of focus groups

Designing Questionnaires & Surveys:
Designing and conducting survey research:
a Comprehensive Guide, 3rd ed

by Louis M. Rea and Richard A. Parker
San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, 2005
click here to place holds on these
books through
Kingston Frontenac Public Library
Questionnaire design: how to plan, structure and write
survey material for effective market research

by Ian Brace
London and Sterling, VA: Kogan Page, 2004
Some Free Online Survey Tools:

www.surveymonkey.com/
www.zoomerang.com/
www.freeonlinesurveys.com/
www.kwiksurveys.com/
www.surveygizmo.com/
www.esurveyspro.com/

For a look at how to use Twitter
to gather statistical information,
click
here to
read Melissa Rethlefsen's article

Power Tweeting: Next Steps
click here to go back to Scratch Pie or Mix page
click here to go back to the Research Strategies main page
image of “scratch” pie is from Oreo favorites: simple snacks and special celebrations, 2nd ed; Meredith, 2001

~ image of pie in the sky is from
Pie in the Sky Successful Baking at High Altitudes: 100 Cakes,Pies, Cookies,
            Breads, and Pastries Home-tested for Baking at Sea Level, 3,000, 5,000,7,000, and 10,000 feet (and
            Anywhere in Between) by Susan G. Purdy; William Morrow Cookbooks, 2005

~ image of smoking chili pepper is from
1,801 home remedies: trustworthy treatments for everyday health problems;
              Reader’s Digest Association, 2007

~ images of book covers are from Amazon.com

unless otherwise noted, all images are the property of Microsoft Office Clip Art