| Course | DATA 5013 Market Research |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Market research problem and objectives |
| Length | 1,210 words, about 4 pages plus title and reference pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | American College of Education |
| Program | M.S. in Organizational Leadership |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for DATA 5013 Module 1
Would Readers Pay $45 to Belong? Defining the Research Problem for a Bookstore Membership Program
Student Name
American College of Education
DATA5013: Market Research
Module 1 Assignment
Instructor Name
May 1, 2028
Introduction
I manage marketing for an independent bookstore chain with five stores in Minneapolis and St. Paul, a composite company called Northstar Books in this course. The stores employ 62 people and sold about $9.8 million in books, gifts and event tickets last year. A free loyalty card, which gives a $10 credit after every ten purchases, has about 41,000 active members. The owners are considering a paid membership, tentatively priced at $45 a year, offering 10 percent off every purchase, free shipping on special orders and early access to author events. Before deciding, they want evidence. This paper defines the research problem, sets objectives and hypotheses and identifies the information needed.
Why the Question Arises Now
Three pressures prompted the owners' interest. Book prices have risen, and online retailers continue to discount bestsellers, so the chain's most frequent customers increasingly ask why they should pay full price in a store. The free loyalty card rewards frequency but does little to encourage larger purchases or event attendance, and its $10 credits cost the chain about $210,000 last year. Meanwhile, author events have become the chain's strongest draw, regularly selling out at two stores, yet the chain earns little from them beyond book sales on the night. A paid membership could address all three pressures at once, or it could simply give a discount to customers who would have bought anyway, which is exactly what the research must determine.
The Decision and the Research Problem
Marketing research texts separate two questions: the choice managers face, called the management decision problem, and the information that would make that choice easier, called the marketing research problem (Malhotra, 2019). Here the management decision is whether to launch a paid membership and, if so, at what price and with what benefits. The research problem is to estimate how many current and potential customers would join at different prices, which benefits they value most, how membership would change their spending and how a paid program would affect the existing free card. Keeping the two separate prevents the research from becoming a vote on whether customers like the idea, which almost everyone does when asked in the abstract.
What Loyalty Research Suggests
Research gives reason for both interest and caution. Bolton et al. (2000), studying members of a financial services loyalty program, found that members gave less weight to negative experiences with the company when deciding whether to keep using it, suggesting that programs can strengthen retention. Kivetz and Simonson (2002) found that when a program requires more effort from customers, people tend to prefer indulgent rewards, such as luxuries, over practical ones, because the effort makes them feel they have earned the indulgence. For Northstar, those findings suggest that a paid program could deepen loyalty but that the mix of practical discounts and experiential benefits like author events deserves careful testing.
Research Objectives
The research has five objectives. First, estimate the share of active loyalty card members who would join at $35, $45 and $55 a year. Second, measure the relative importance of five candidate benefits: the discount, free special-order shipping, early event access, members-only author nights and a birthday book credit. Third, identify customer segments that differ in interest and value, for example by purchase frequency, age and store. Fourth, estimate how much additional spending members would expect to make and how much of the discount would go to purchases they would have made anyway. Fifth, determine whether a paid program would weaken attachment to the free card among customers who do not join.
Hypotheses
Each objective implies a testable expectation. The first hypothesis is that at $45, at least 8 percent of active card members, about 3,300 people, would say they are very or extremely likely to join. The second is that frequent buyers, those with ten or more purchases a year, will rate the discount as the most important benefit, while less frequent buyers will rate author events higher. The third is that interest will be higher at the two stores with active event programs. The fourth is that fewer than half of expected discount savings will apply to purchases that would not otherwise have happened. These are expectations to test, not conclusions.
Results That Would Change the Decision
Before collecting data, the owners and I agreed on what results would lead to each choice. If fewer than 5 percent of active card members say they are very or extremely likely to join at $45, the chain will not launch. If between 5 and 10 percent say so, it will consider a smaller pilot at the two event-focused stores. If more than 10 percent say so and the expected added spending exceeds the cost of the discount, it will plan a chainwide launch. Benefit rankings will shape the package, and evidence that the paid program would alienate free-card holders would lead the chain to keep the free card unchanged alongside any paid tier. Setting these thresholds in advance keeps the research from being read selectively.
Information Needs
Meeting the objectives requires four kinds of information. Purchase histories from the point-of-sale system, linked to loyalty card numbers, show how often and how much each member spends, which defines segments and estimates the cost of the discount. Survey data from members and recent non-member customers measure likelihood to join at each price, benefit importance and expected spending changes. Qualitative data from focus groups explain why customers value some benefits, especially events, and how they would feel if the free card changed. Competitive information on comparable programs, including membership offers at larger chains and other independent stores, sets the context for pricing.
Scope
The research will cover customers of the five Twin Cities stores and the online store, but not wholesale customers such as schools and libraries. It will focus on books, gifts and events and exclude the café at one store, which the chain does not own. The time frame is six weeks of fieldwork in June, so that results are available for a decision in August, ahead of the holiday season when a launch would have the greatest effect. The budget is $14,000, mostly for survey incentives, focus group facilitation and analysis time. Store managers will be briefed so staff can answer customers' questions about the survey.
Ethics and Privacy
The loyalty program holds personal information, including names, emails and purchase histories that can reveal what people read. Reading habits are sensitive: books on health, religion, politics or sexuality can say a great deal about a person. The research will therefore use purchase data only in aggregate form for segmenting, never examine individual titles bought, and send surveys only to members who agreed to receive email from the chain. Participation will be voluntary, survey responses will be stored separately from names, and focus group participants will sign consent forms describing how recordings are used and destroyed.
Conclusion
The owners' question, whether to launch a $45 paid membership, has been separated from the research problem of estimating demand, benefit preferences, segments, spending effects and the impact on the free program. Five objectives, four hypotheses, four kinds of information, a defined scope and privacy protections set the course for the research design in Module 2.
References
Bolton, R. N., Kannan, P. K., & Bramlett, M. D. (2000). Implications of loyalty program membership and service experiences for customer retention and value. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 28(1), 95-108. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070300281009
Kivetz, R., & Simonson, I. (2002). Earning the right to indulge: Effort as a determinant of customer preferences toward frequency program rewards. Journal of Marketing Research, 39(2), 155-170. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.39.2.155.19084
Malhotra, N. K. (2019). Marketing research: An applied orientation (7th ed.). Pearson.
What the DATA 5013 Module 1 instructions ask for
In the first DATA 5013 module, the assignment typically asks you to define a market research problem for one organization. Expect to describe the organization and the decision its leaders face, then state the research problem that would inform that decision. Most prompts want specific, measurable research objectives and, often, hypotheses. Many also ask what information is needed, the scope of the research and how ethical issues such as consent and privacy will be handled. Ground the problem in research on the topic, such as pricing or loyalty, and keep it narrow enough to study in the course. Cite your sources in APA. State what results would change the decision.
Inside the DATA 5013 Module 1 example
The organization and the proposed membership are described with figures: five stores, 62 employees, 41,000 card members and a $45 price. A textbook distinction separates the decision from the research problem. Two studies, one on retention among program members and one on effort and reward preferences, raise questions about benefit design. Five objectives follow, each measurable, including demand at three prices and the cost of discounts on purchases that would happen anyway. Four hypotheses state expected results, four information needs map to sources, and scope, budget and privacy sections address timing and the sensitivity of reading histories. A section names the results that would lead the owners to launch, adjust or drop the idea.
Where the points sit in the DATA 5013 Module 1 rubric
Problem-definition papers are graded on clarity and measurability. Instructors look for a clear distinction between the management decision and the research problem, objectives that can be measured and that serve the decision, and hypotheses or questions that guide the design. Grounding the problem in prior research, rather than only in managers' opinions, earns credit. Identifying information needs, scope and constraints shows planning. Attention to ethics, especially privacy, is often part of the rubric. Vague objectives such as understanding customers, problems too broad for one study and missing links to a decision tend to lose points. Explaining in advance what results would change the decision is a sign of strong planning, and every source belongs in an APA 7 reference list.
DATA 5013 Module 1 help: mistakes that cost points
Defining the research problem is the step that decides whether the rest of a market research project works. If your objectives are vague, your problem mixes the decision with the research or you are unsure how to state hypotheses, we can help. Describe the organization, the decision its leaders face and the course requirements, and our writer will draft a problem statement with measurable objectives, hypotheses, information needs and ethical safeguards. Retailers, nonprofits, health systems and service firms all make good subjects. Most problem definitions are back with you in two days. Decision thresholds are set with you.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official American College of Education document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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DATA 5013 Module 1 questions, answered
What does DATA5013 Module 1 usually ask for?
Module 1 of DATA5013 typically asks you to define a market research problem for an organization, separate it from the management decision and set measurable research objectives.
What is the difference between a management decision problem and a research problem?
One names the choice leaders face; the other names the facts that would inform it, phrased so a study can gather them.
How do I write market research objectives?
Make each objective specific and measurable, such as estimating the share of customers who would buy at three price points, and link each to the decision.
Where can I find a free DATA 5013 Module 1 sample paper?
This page has one: a Twin Cities bookstore chain framing research on a $45 paid membership for 41,000 loyalty card holders, with five objectives and four hypotheses.
Do market research projects need ethics planning?
Yes. Customer data, especially purchase histories, can be sensitive, so plan consent, aggregation and secure storage before collecting anything.