The buyer's side of marketing research

The number of marketing research firms and the significance of their work is increasing. To clarify the procedure of contracting for their services, the authors provide guidelines for obtaining and evaluating marketing research proposals. They explain what kinds of information will be exchanged during the preliminary states of solicitation—what the research firm must know about the company and what the company must learn about the research firm. The nature of a research proposal is described in detail, both the kinds and amount of information it provides. The authors conclude with an explanation of five criteria for evaluating a research proposal.