Using Secondary Data in Marketing Research: A Project That Melds Web and Off-Web Sources

A marketing research project that is designed to answer research questions based on secondary data is described. The project incorporates Web sources without denigrating the traditional off-Web sources of secondary data. First, a review of the literature highlights the importance of becoming a knowledge worker in the new economy, the value of projects in marketing research courses, and the need to incorporate off-Web sources in projects. After project objectives are provided, the project is completely described. Project problems and some possible solutions are offered, followed by a brief discussion of the evaluation of the project. The project could be adapted for other courses in marketing.