行銷研究可以劃分為強調瞭解"顧客"的行銷研究和強調瞭解"市場"的行銷研究兩種方法。本門課程(15.821)探討的是顧客方面，並強調運用質化方法進行研究(人員訪談、焦點小組座談、顧客之聲,調查問卷設計)。本課程姐妹課程(15.822)則探討有關市場方面，並強調用量化方法進行研究(抽樣、調查執行、量化資料解釋、聯合分析、因素分析)。

15.821所涵蓋的方法常用於市場研究計畫的前期工作，而計劃的第二階段則為量化調查。使用這種將質化研究和量化研究相結合的方法將確保第二階段所收集的資料品質更加精確可靠。

15.821課程專為非專業人士所設計，例如有志於從事管理工作、產品管理、專案管理、研發工作、廣告或創業的人士。15.822則教授在顧問業行銷研究中採用的標準分析技巧，適合於有志於從事此種工作的學生進行學習。

15.821 的目標

本門課程包含三個相輔相成的教學目標：

• 為最有價值且普遍的質化顧客研究方法（焦點小組、顧客拜訪、訪談）提供簡明「使用者指南」。
• 教授DIY顧客研究的主要技巧（訪談的準備與進行、焦點小組、調查、實地考察）。
• 通過本門課程的全程學習，教授傾聽“顧客之聲“活動的基本步驟。

Marketing research may be divided into methods that emphasize understanding “the customer” and methods that emphasize understanding “the market.” This course (15.821) deals with the customer and emphasizes qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups, Voice of the Customer, composing questions for a survey). The companion course (15.822) deals with the market and emphasizes quantitative methods (sampling, survey execution, quantitative data interpretation, conjoint analysis, factor analysis).

The methods covered in 15.821 are often used in the “front-end” of market research project, whose second-stage is a quantitative survey. The quality of information gathered in the second-stage is greatly enhanced in this way.

15.821 is designed for the nonspecialist, e.g., someone planning a career in general management, product or project management, R&D, advertising, or entrepreneurship. 15.822 teaches analytical techniques that are standard in consulting or marketing research, and is ideally suited for students planning careers in those fields.

Objectives of 15.821

This course has three complementary objectives, namely, to:

• provide a concise “user’s guide” to the most valuable and common qualitative customer research methods (focus groups, customer visits, interviews)
• teach key skills for “do-it-yourself” customer research (preparing & conducting interviews, group discussions, surveys, and site visits)
• through a full-course project, teach all the basic steps of a Voice of the Customer exercise