How do I revise Market research for GCSE?

Use MasteryMind's Market research revision notes alongside practice questions and past papers. Focus on key definitions, worked examples, and exam-style questions to build confidence for your OCR GCSE exam.

Is this Market research guide aligned to the OCR specification?

Yes. This revision guide is specifically written for the OCR GCSE specification and covers all required content for Market research.

Market research Revision Notes — OCR GCSE

Market research is the foundation of every successful business decision, separating profitable ventures from costly failures. By understanding customer needs and market trends, businesses can reduce risk and spot lucrative opportunities before their competitors.

Overview

Market research is the systematic process of gathering, recording, and analysing information about customers, competitors, and the market itself. In the business world, making decisions based on guesswork is a fast track to failure. Market research provides the hard data and customer insights needed to reduce risk, identify gaps in the market, and ensure products actually meet customer needs. For your GCSE exam, examiners don't just want you to list research methods; they expect you to justify which method is most appropriate for a specific business scenario given its budget, size, and objectives.

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The Purpose of Market Research

Before diving into methods, you must understand why

Market research — OCR GCSE Study Guide

Overview

The Purpose of Market Research

Primary Research (Field Research)

Questionnaires and Surveys

Interviews

Focus Groups

Trialling and Observation

Secondary Research (Desk Research)

Newspapers and Magazines

Government Census

Websites and Market Reports

Internal Company Data

Qualitative vs Quantitative Data

Quantitative Data

Qualitative Data