B2 Reliability of Data
Using high quality market research data supports business decision making as it reduces risks of failure and reduces the chance of wasting money on mistakes. Quality market research data is valid, reliable, appropriate, current and cost effective.
Marketers must select and extract the relevant information gathered from market research to inform the decisions they make in a campaign. Not all data gathered will be relevant or useful and the skill of analysing the data to make the right choices on what informs decision is one that needs to be developed.
The CRAAP Test
The CRAAP test is a framework of questions to guide researchers through an evaluation of sources of information to assess their credibility. CRAAP is an acronym for currency, relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose.
Currency: The timeliness of the information
When was the data collected?
Was the data collected recently enough to be relevant to the current marketing campaign?
Have there been any market changes since the data was collected?
Relevance: There importance of the information for the specific research project
Is the information useful to the marketing decision?
How well does the data align with the specific aims and objectives of the marketing campaign?
Does the sample used in the research represent the target market segments? (Demographic, geographic, psychographic and behavioural).
Does the data collected relate to the marketing strategies being considered?
Authority: The creator of the information
Who conducted and analysed the research?
What are the researcher’s qualifications and expertise?
Was the research conducted by a reputable market research firm or an internal team?
Accuracy: The correctness of the information
What methods were used to collect the data? (questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, observations etc)
Was the sample used large enough to create reliable data?
Are there any potential biases in the data?
Purpose: The reason the information exists.
Why was this data collected and published in the first place?
Was the research conducted for market research or adapted from another context?
Are there any reasons why the data may have been misinterpreted?
