Research Paper

TERM PROJECT
The term project is completed individually. All projects must be directly relevant to the study of consumer behavior.
Several approaches are appropriate. You may choose any of the following, or you may suggest one of your own, in which case you should discuss it with me first to make sure it will be acceptable and realistic.
Library Paper – A topic raised in the text or the lectures may catch your interest and you may wish to know more about it. This approach involves going to the library and finding other books and academic research on the subject, distilling the information, developing your own ideas, and reporting your findings. Sample topics may include, but are not limited to: demographic factors in promotion, the importance of color in advertising, ethics and consumer behavior, classical conditioning and marketing, modifying customer attitudes, etc.
Case Study – Two different kinds of case studies are considered acceptable for this course. First, you may choose an interesting problem or opportunity that has been encountered by a firm or industry, such as the New Coke disaster or the disappearance of the LP and its effect on the recording industry. Information for a case of this type may be obtained from trade journals, newspapers, & business magazines; all of which are available in the library. The second kind of case study involves a focused investigation of a single firm. Usually, a local firm is chosen, managers are interviewed, the industry as a whole is researched, etc. For both approaches it is important to focus the case study on consumer behavior, bringing theoretical issues and insights into the analysis.
Original Research – You may want to conduct original research to investigate a theoretical or practical problem. This will involve defining the problem, designing the research, collecting data, analyzing it, and reporting your findings and conclusions. This approach is recommended if you have some experience doing marketing research.
You would need to submit a written report as a Word document, not exceeding 10, double-spaced, and typed pages of text. This page limit does not include title page, executive summary, and table of contents, references, and appendix materials. The final written report is due by the last class. Written term papers will be evaluated according to the following criteria: careful and complete research, logical development of conclusions and implications, originality, and quality of the written report (including coherence, grammar, spelling, and typing).

Please choose one from Library Paper, Case study and Original Research.