The sources and types of marketing information relevant to marketing management are examined, with the aim of developing an informed analytical approach to the study of consumers and markets. Topics include problem definition, research design, questionnaire design, sampling, basic numeracy, analysis and interpretation of data, reporting, and also management control of research, including briefing, evaluation of proposals and the distinction between research results and marketing implications. The use of continuous research and new developments such as automated and interactive forms of data gathering are discussed as well.