Abstract:

The aim of this presentation is to discuss the ways in which we have developed our software to meet the needs of the market researcher and to take advantage of the latest technology. My company, Market Research Software, has developed a range of software, which is centred around the researcher's most common form of information - the cross tabulation. Our software is designed to handle all aspects of survey processing from questionnaire design and data input through to tabulations and export of data to other specialist packages, such as graphics and spreadsheet programs. The area I will be covering in most detail in my presentation will be the area of secondary analysis on surveys. Market researchers and data users are now demanding data access on many surveys. The rationale seems to be : the data is available, the software is available and the hardware is reasonably priced - so why not? In recent history researchers have only gained access to their data on large scale surveys, usually linking up to a minicomputer. This has been inconvenient, often expensive and invariably rather slow. The arrival of a PC in almost every office has meant that a researcher can gain access to their data on small, as well as large scale surveys and, of course, it is very convenient.