Consumer behavior about the target-based internet market in China Literature review

Consumer behavior about the target-based internet market in China - Literature review Example Aside from this, data shall be collected through the use of survey questionnaires developed by the researcher based on the literature reviewed. In addition, 100 respondents will likewise participate, selecting the same through the use of purposive sampling. To better understand the said research methodologies, this chapter shall be divided into the following sections to discuss each topic presented; these are: (1) Introduction, (2) Research Design, (3) Research Approach, (4) Data Collection, (5) Sampling, (6) Data Analysis and (7) Summary. In each of the said sections, various studies shall be cited, taking into consideration the fact that the same have made use of similar methodologies. Research Design In general, the main research design of this study follows the quantitative design. Hopkins (2000) defines the quantitative approach to research as that which focuses on the determination of the relationship between one independent variable and an independent variable. It is usually e ither descriptive or experimental, based on the different goals that the study aims to attain (Hopkins 2000; Creswell 2009). Aside from the abovementioned, various researchers have mentioned the importance of the quantitative research design in finalizing results as well as in proving and disproving various hypotheses. The researcher deems it necessary to make use of the quantitative design in order to help in the determination of the general perceptions of the consumers with respect to target-based internet marketing. Taking the abovementioned advantages in consideration, the researcher believes that it is through the use of the quantitative method that the former will be able to determine the relationship between the features of target-based internet marketing and the behaviors of the consumers with respect to the same. Hamid (2008) conducted a study in relation to the behavior of the customer’s behavior towards internet technology and internet marketing tools. In this stud y, the quantitative approach to research was used in order to prove or disprove five hypotheses. Aside from Hamid (2008), Shaver (2007) also made use of the quantitative approach to research in order to investigate twenty-six variables related to demographics in his study entitled â€Å"The Impact of the Internet on Consumer Information Search Behavior in the United States†. Research Approach This section has been devoted by the researcher to discuss the research approach that shall be employed in this study. It was previously mentioned that this research takes the descriptive approach in order to complement its quantitative design. Hopkins (2000) mentioned that there are two types of a quantitative research: experimental and descriptive. The experimental method is generally characterized by three elements: (1) Manipulation, (2) Control and (3) Randomization. These three elements signify that the researcher control the situation of the research so as to obtain the data needed (Hopkins 2000; â€Å"Ways of Approaching Research: Quantitative Design n.d.). On other hand, the descriptive approach is more concerned with regard to gaining information with respect to the characteristics of the different aspects of the study. According to the article entitled â€Å"Ways of Approaching Research: Quantitative Designs† (n.d.), the descriptive study is used in order to achieve the following: (1) the development of a theory, (2) identify various problems associated with practice, (3) justify