This document discusses marketing research and the research process. The objectives of marketing research are to gain customer insights about needs, behaviors, and decision models; evaluate the attractiveness of the market in terms of size and competitors; and understand what information sources customers pay attention to for communication planning. The research process involves defining the problem, identifying research questions, choosing a methodology, conducting and analyzing the research, and presenting findings and recommendations. Common research methodologies include primary methods like interviews, focus groups, and surveys that collect original data, and secondary methods like reviewing periodicals, marketing reports, and the internet that analyze existing data.