My friend, are you developing a marketing research and need to find some helpful sources?

Well, this is your lucky day because you have found the right link.

I have developed here a list with suggestions of based on over ten years of developing and teaching marketing research.

Please note: This is not a definite list. These are simply publications that I personally find useful and have been relevant for me. Also, don’t mind the edition of the books. usually the most recent only have new examples and illustrations. But the description of core concepts are always the same.

I have divided the list into three main sections:

  • Basic Concepts and Project Design: Books explaining the basic concepts and the essentials of marketing research (e.g. Research designs, methods, data collection process)
  • Defining Measurements: Handbooks with compilation of scales for the measurements of relevant marketing constructs. 
  • Statistical Analysis and Software: Books with explanation of statistical tests, reporting of results and tutorials of how to conduct the tests on different statistical software.

Got it? Alright, here we go!

Basic Concepts and Project Design

  1. Fundamentals in Marketing Research

Authors: Scott Smith and Gerald Albaum

  • Why do I recommend this book? From all marketing research books, this is one of the most complete books in marketing research. Exactly for this reason, some readers are sometimes put-off by the large page number (896 pages!!!). But this is why it is such a relevant publication, for how comprehensive it is. A must have for academics and professionals. No doubt about it.
  • Where to buy? Here on AMAZON.

2. Research Methods for Business Students

Authors: Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill

  • Why do I recommend this book? This is a classic publication in universities and widely adopted by students. And there’s an obvious reason for it: it is highly comprehensible and clear. The “onion model”, for example, encompassing research designs, methods and more, can be found frequently in thesis submitted by bachelor students. For anyone teaching marketing research classes, for example, it is a wonderful book to adopt. Personally, it is part of my “Business and Marketing Research” course references.
  • Where to buy? Here on AMAZON.

3. How to Design and Report Experiments

Authors: Andy Field and Graham Hole

  • Why do I recommend this book? If you have read previously statistics articles here at MusicStats.org, you would know I am a big fan of And Field. Once again, he manages in this book to convey in a simple manner how to develop experiments, manipulate variables, develop different experimental designs and even common statistical tests associated with the different experimental designs. Also, he provides truly hilarious examples and you ill certainly have great laughs. In case you are conducting experiments or product testing, I would highly recommend this book.
  • Where to buy? Here on AMAZON.

4. Business Research Methods

Authors: Emma Bell, Alan Bryman and Bill Harley.

  • Why do I recommend this book? Again, a comprehensive and easy to follow book with great examples. Simply said: a great resource.
  • Where to buy? Here on AMAZON.

5. Management & Business Research

Authors: Mark Easterby-Smith, Richard Thorpe, Paul R. Jackson and Lena J. Jaspersen

  • Why do I recommend this book? It provides great details and many options of research methods. I often recommend it to my students. The authors use good examples and the information is accessible and easy to understand. A good point of reference with very clear application to management.
  • Where to buy? Here on AMAZON.

6. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research

Authors: Norman Denzin and Yvonna Lincoln

  • Why do I recommend this book? This book a true support to qualitative research and provides very concrete tips and strategies on collecting and analyzing qualitative data in a systematic way. Students often hit problems not knowing how to either effectively collect or analyze the data and this book will really help!
  • Where to buy? Here on AMAZON.

Defining Measurements

  1. Handbook of Marketing Scales

Authors: William Bearden, Richard Netemeyer and Kelly Haws.

  • Why do I recommend this book? To be fair, both scales handbooks listed here are pretty comprehensive. They all include a decades of work to develop highly reliable scales to measure the most relevant concepts for marketers. They include the measurements of constructs such as trust, satisfaction, risk, attitude, behavioral intention and much more. 
  • Where to buy? Here on AMAZON.

2. Marketing Scales Handbook

Author: Gordon Brunner

  • Why do I recommend this book? This is also an extraordinary compilation of years and years of scale development. Brunner has managed to compile extremely useful scales developed by authors across the globe that can be used across academia and the industry. A “must have” for universities, marketing agencies and departments.
  • Where to buy? Here on AMAZON.

Statistical Analysis and Software

1. Discovering Statistics Using… SPSS, SAS and R

Author: Andy Field

  • Why do I recommend these books? For me, these are by a very large far the best statistics books you will find. Andy Field is extraordinary in conveying complex statistical concepts in a simple way. I have used this publication throughout my Masters, PhD and I still highly recommend it to all my students. Plus, you can find versions of the book for the following statistical software: SPSS, R and SAS. All examples have a step-by-step explanations as to how to conduct the tests on the different software. For me, this is THE MAIN publication for students learning statistics.
  • Where to buy? Here on AMAZON.

2. An Adventure in Statistics – The Reality Enigma

Author: Andy Field

  • Why do I recommend this book? This is the most recent publication from Andy Field. It represents a fun way to explore statistical concepts. It is a really creative way to learn statistics, especially for everyone that considers statistics books to be boring and dry. Certainly NOT the case here! Andy created an entire fiction story to take the reader through the interesting world of statistics and explain concepts in an interesting and creative way. 
  • Where to buy? Here on AMAZON.

3. How To Lie With Statistics

Author: Darrel Huff

Book - How to lie with statistics

  • Why do I recommend this book? I got to now this book through a suggestion of Bill Gates! And it didn’t disappoint me at all. The book, first published in 1954, shows a number of ways through which stats is incorrectly used and interpreted. Especially considering the times we live in, with data results being thrown around all the time, it is a book more important than ever! You’ll certainly enjoy it!
  • Where to buy? Here on AMAZON.

Conclusion

Obviously, there are many other marketing research books that could have also been included here.

Nonetheless, I have been working and teaching with the ones listed here over the past ten years and they have been extremely helpful for me.

Thus, I hope they can be equally helpful for you! Regardless if you are a marketing student or professional developing marketing research, make sure to have them available.

Cheers and Turn it up!

 

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