The Top Ten Books for Every Marketing Researcher
Seven years ago, I started working in marketing research. I had a hard time defining my career path because I didn’t, in those early days, have a leader who liked to share knowledge. Sometimes adversity is a hidden blessing — it pushed me to immerse myself in many books, both Arabic and English, to develop my knowledge and sharpen my skills so I could build a full career. I wanted to share with researchers already working in this field — as well as beginners — a shortcut that will, with God’s help, secure a thriving future. So here are the ten most important reference books to read to make that happen. A note: I haven’t finished some of these books yet because of time constraints.
Book 1: Market Research Handbook — by ESOMAR
In my personal view, this is the best reference for any marketing researcher in terms of conciseness. The latest, 5th edition, exceeds 600 pages and is enough to give you something on everything. It’s also the best reference when you want to learn about a type of research you haven’t yet had the chance to work on. It was authored by several members of the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research.
Book 2: The Handbook of Online and Social Media Research — by ESOMAR
Another ESOMAR publication, this is one of the most important references on marketing research applied to the internet world and its technologies, as well as social-media research. While reading it, I confirmed that, as usual, we’re at the back of the pack in adopting these new directions in research — but it’s important to study it so you can be among the first to master any techniques entering the Arab region before others do.
Book 3: Say It With Charts — by Gene Zelazny
One of the most important skills, and one of the earliest tasks assigned to those working in this field, is writing reports and turning numbers into charts. This book is enough to build the fundamentals and skills in a fraction of the time it would take to learn them on the job. The book is quite old, but its latest edition is the 4th.
Book 4: A Guide to Questionnaire Design — by Almohannad Alsbeai
Questionnaire design is one of the hardest and most sensitive skills, and the least mastered among researchers. I read more than ten books in this area, took two online courses, and summarized my entire experience in this book. It hasn’t reached maturity yet, but at the first opportunity I get some free time I plan to publish the fifth and final electronic edition and, by God’s grace, release it officially in public libraries.
Book 5: Questionnaire Design — by Ian Brace
On the same topic — questionnaire design — out of more than 10 English-language books I read, this was one of the best.
Book 6: Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation — by Naresh K. Malhotra
Book 7: Market Research in Practice — by Paul Hague, Nick Hague, Carol-Ann Morgan
Books 6 and 7 are applied books that help marketing researchers project their theoretical knowledge onto practical reality through the many practical examples and case studies these two books include.
Book 8: More Guerrilla Marketing Research — by Robert J. Kaden, Gerald Linda, and Jay Conrad Levinson
This book is a gift to non-specialist readers. It distills the most important research methodologies, and its main goal is to break the myth that marketing research can only be done through global agencies — which really is a myth. This book teaches you, step by step, how to do marketing research yourself without relying on external agencies.
Book 9: Qualitative Data Analysis from Start to Finish — by Jamie Harding
Since I spoke about quantitative-research report writing, I had to include a book on qualitative-research report writing. The skills required for writing qualitative reports are harder than those for quantitative reports, and every specialist has their own style. That said, the book above is packed with practical examples and will put you on the right track. After that, practice is the main factor in sharpening your skills in writing this type of report.
In closing, I hope readers will share books they believe are important to read in this field. In my next article, I will cover the most important professional courses in marketing research — so please don’t hesitate to message me about that on my personal email.
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