Abstract:

The two fundamental characteristics of the computer are selected and related to the market research analysis situation. To illustrate the first of these the whole area of education and communication is examined in the context of the use of a general survey program on a small computer for standard research analysis. How these aspects are essential to the successful harnessing of a computer, together with those that could dissipate its benefit, is also discussed. The opportunities for more ambitious projects that are made possible by the use of a computer, both on grounds of economy and otherwise, are illustrated by three specific examples. Though these concern different aspects of the benefit to be derived from the computer, they all relate to the machine's second characteristic that of being suitable for jobs where simple routine operations are to be frequently repeated on large quantities of data.