Evaluation of Electronic Market Research Databases A Study

Abstract

The rapid outburst of electronic information on the internet has an immense influence newlineon education, research, business and every social activity. As a result numerous newlinemarket research databases are available in the industry making it difficult to the newlinemarket research professionals to choose one market research database or a set of newlinemarket research databases to get at ease all the necessary information required. This newlinejob is much more difficult due to various limitations of electronic information, such as newlinenavigating through an aggregate of information sources, often unstructured, newlineerroneously designed web pages, inaccuracy and lack of currency of content, newlineunreliability of data, uncertain authority, missing description of data sources, etc., newlineThis gave rise to evaluation criteria to scrutinize electronic market research databases newlineand help the end user to choose database containing authoritative, reliable and newlineeffectively usable information. The present research study attempted to understand the newlinesalient features of 30 popular electronic market research databases and tried to know newlinetheir structure, accuracy and currency of content, usability, validity and reliability of newlinethe data, authority and description of data sources and such others. The study also newlineattempted to evaluate these databases based on evaluation criteria and thus validate newlineelectronic market research resources available so that authenticated information is newlinemade available to the market researchers. The analysis of the responses received from newline792 market research professionals using electronic market research databases drawn newlinefrom 24 market research organisations in Bengaluru city unfolded some of the newlineshortcomings relating to market research databases, market research organisations and newlinemarket research professionals. Difficulty with market research professionals in newlinefinding relevant information and problem of reliability of information, problems newlinerelating to popup ads and changes in URL, problem of failure of electricity supply, newlinelow Internet speed, lack of co-operation